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{
    "localId": "40019797",
    "label": "Department of the Interior Press Release Regarding Japanese Americans Leaving Relocation Centers on Indefinite Leave",
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    "id": "40019797",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40019797",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Department of the Interior Press Release Regarding Japanese Americans Leaving Relocation Centers on Indefinite Leave",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40019797",
    "collections": [
        "Philleo Nash Papers",
        "White House Files"
    ],
    "subjects": [
        "Relocation of Japanese Americans, 1942-1945"
    ],
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    "productionDates": [
        {
            "day": 8,
            "logicalDate": "1944-09-08",
            "month": 9,
            "year": 1944
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{
    "seq": 2,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "document",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/1125612/1698940-02.pdf",
    "mediaId": "f3b93d96bf10bd47",
    "ocrText": "Lynn - 2838\nOWI - 3559\nDEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR\nFor Immediate Release\nHARRY NATIONALD TRUMAN LIBRARY\nCleared and Issued\nFriday, September 8, 1944\nThrough Facilities of the\nOffice of War Information\nMore than 400 Japanese Americans leave relocation centers on indefinite\nleave each week to work and live in widely scattered American towns, cities\nand rural communities, Dillon S. Myer, Director of the War Relocation Authority,\nreported today to Acting Secretary of the Interior Abe Fortas.\nThe figure for the four-week period ending August 26 was .,717, bringing\nthe total number of relocated persons to 30,572, the WRA compilation showed.\nAbout 60,100 evacuees remain in the eight relocation centers, including most\nof the older persons and the very young children.\n\"One of the most heartening developments in recent weeks,\" Mr. Myer said,\n\"is the growing number of Japanese Americans who are invited by American\ncommunities to share their work opportunities. These community invitations\nusually are extended through WRA relocation officers, assigned in principal\ncities to the job of helping the evacuees make their adjustment to new sur-\nroundings.\n\"Approximately three-fourths of the August totalleft the centers in\nresponse to these community invitations. The remainder were those who left\nto join family members already relocated and those who left to accept specific\njob offers.\"\nIn addition to the 30,572 persons permanently relocated, 5,233 are outside\nthe centers on seasonal leave, working in activities such as canning, beet thin-\nning and harvesting. Some of these workers will return to the centers. Others\nwill apply for and receive permanent leave status.\nThe authority directs its major energies into this relocation process.\n\"Our number one job,\" Mr. Myer said, \"is relocating evacuees outside the\ncenters, off the Government liability sheet in communities where they can re-\nsume normal lives and make a direct contribution to victory.\"\nWRA makes a thorough security check of each evacuee before authorizing\nhis departure from the center, Mr. Myer said.\nThe number of indefinite leaves granted during the August period from\neach of the centers follows: Central Utah (Utah) 150, Colorado River (Ariz.)\n325, Gila River (Ariz.) 298, Granada (Colo.) 200, Heart Mountain (Wyo.) 180,\nManzanar (Calif.) 70, Minidoka (Idaho) 155, Rohwer (Ark.) 339.\n###"
}