Forced Evacuations

Report Outline
Enemy Aliens and the American War Effort
Evacuations from Pacific Coast Area
Plans for Resettlement of Evacuees
Special Focus

Enemy Aliens and the American War Effort

Arrest of Dangerous Axis Citizens by F.B.I.

The american declarations of war against Germany, Italy and Japan put over one million citizens of those powers living in the United States in a class known as enemy aliens. The Federal Bureau of Investigation began, immediately after Congress had acted, to arrest and intern those Axis citizens whose activities were considered dangerous to the public safety or to the success of the country's war effort. During the first two months of American participation in the war some 1,300 Japanese, about 1,100 Italians, and close to 800 Germans were taken into custody and placed under detention at Fort Missoula, Montana, and at Fort Lincoln, North Dakota.

For several weeks following the war declarations, the American public showed no great concern over the presence in the United States of large numbers of enemy aliens, but publication of the Roberts Report on the disaster at Pearl Harbor, January 24, brought a quick upsurge of feeling against Japanese residents of the Pacific Coast states.

Call for Total Evacuation on Pacific Coast

Attorney General Biddle announced, January 29, the creation of certain limited military areas in California, Oregon and Washington. All enemy aliens were to be evacuated from the designated areas within two or three weeks. The Attorney General's orders were criticised on the Pacific Coast as falling far short of meeting the requirements of the situation. The West Coast delegation in Congress recommended to the President, February 13, “the immediate evacuation of all persons of Japanese lineage and all others, aliens and citizens alike, whose presence shall be deemed dangerous or inimical to the defense of the United States, from all strategic areas.”