Relocation Center

The Times published a column by Robert A. Jones (“A Fertile Land for Growing Hate Groups,” Part A, Aug. 28) in which he completely misrepresented information I furnished him during a recent telephone interview. Jones grossly distorted my remarks about the World War II Manzanar relocation center for alien enemy Japanese and Japanese-Americans.

Jones labeled me and those associated with me as “clones” of the ill-famed Institute for Historical Review, a neo-Nazi group that denied the existence of the Holocaust. In fact, I and my associates are on record as acknowledging the Nazi “death camps” and thereby contrasting the camps in World War II under the War Relocation authority. And supporters of Americans for Historical Accuracy are not, nor have we been, in any way associated with that neo-Nazi group, which we have denounced on numerous occasions in both print and broadcast media.

I have written two books and edited a third on the World War II evacuation and relocation of persons of Japanese descent. Another of my books on this subject is scheduled for release before the 50th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack. All of my work is based on documents recently declassified that have given factual evidence related to the issue.

My credentials include: 1983 top award (scholastic category) Conference of California Historical Societies “for distinguished contributions to California history”; 1990 nomination for a Pulitzer Prize, (nonfiction, U.S. history), and the 1991 Freedom Foundation at Valley Forge’s highest award, the “George Washington Honor Medal,” for my book and category of public communications.

I challenge Jones to disprove the accuracy of any statement made by me to him during my interview or in any of my books, which he obviously has not read.

LILLIAN BAKER, Gardena