Resolve This Wartime Injustice

Federal lawyers should close the book on a shameful episode in the history of this hemisphere by resolving--it cannot be erased--a 56-year-old injustice. During World War II, U.S. agents swept up influential men and women of Japanese descent in 13 Latin American countries and brought them to internment camps in the United States on dubious charges that they posed security risks. It is long past time to redress this outrage with an apology and economic compensation to the survivors of the ordeal.

In February 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order to intern more than 100,000 Japanese Americans in stark camps in the American West and Midwest. That stain has yet to be fully removed from America’s honor, although 10 years ago Congress passed the Civil Liberties Act and a formal apology was given. A small reparation--$20,000--was agreed upon to benefit about 81,000 Japanese Americans who suffered the degradation.

Similar but historically obscure was the World War II roundup of 2,264 people of Japanese ancestry from the Latin American countries. With the approval of Latin governments, U.S. teams shipped them to camps in Texas and elsewhere. They too were eventually released, but without compensation. In fact, they were essentially traded to Japan in return for Japanese release of American prisoners there. In all, 1,700 were sent to Japan. None were returned to Latin America. Only 150 subsequently became U.S. citizens.

Now, 513 Japanese Latin Americans have filed a federal suit seeking reparations under a law due to expire this summer. Government lawyers last week requested a postponement of a court decision in the case in order to consider a settlement. A settlement would be the appropriate way to end this sad episode.