Letter from John J. McCloy, Assistant Secretary of War, to C.E. Pickett of the American Friends Service Committee dated May 21, 1942. Copy in an American Friends Service Committee publication, Japanese Student Relocation. American Friends Service Committee, Acc. 4791, Box 25-15. UW Libraries Special Collections.

May 21, 1942

Dear Mr. Pickett:

Mr. M. S. Eisenhower, Director of War Relocation Authority, has sent me a copy of his letter of May 5th to you, regarding the working out of a program of university education for Japanese-American citizens who are now being evacuated from the Pacific Coast. He has suggested that you and your committee would find it helpful to receive from me an expression of approval of a properly conceived and carefully executed program in this respect.

Accordingly, I take pleasure in advising you that I am in complete sympathy with the suggestions made by Mr. Eisenhower in his letter to you of May 5th. Anything that can legitimately be done to compensate loyal citizens of Japanese ancestry for the dislocation to which they have been subjected, by reason of military necessity, has our full approval. In particular, the suggestion for the establishment of a committee of distinguished educators to work out a program of university education in other parts of the country for Japanese-American citizens evacuated from the Pacific Coast meets with my hearty approval.

I am happy to know that this committee is being formed under your sponsorship and that of the American Friends Service Committee.

Sincerely yours,

signed John J. McCloy
Assistant Secretary of War