Chronology -- Suspicion, Arrest, and Internment

©Fallon/Jacobs 1996

Pre-war years

This document is under construction. The full documents from which the excerpts in this page have been taken may be found in Section 1, Volume IV, The World War Two Experiences; The Internment of German-Americans. German Americans in the World Wars, K.G. Saur, Munich, 1995.
1939 An excerpt of a TWX to all FBI Special Agents in Charge (SAC) from J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

"The Bureau is, at the present time, preparing a list of individuals, both aliens and citizens of the United States, on whom there is information available to indicate that their presence at liberty in this country in time of war or national emergency would be dangerous to the public peace and the safety of the United States Government. The information now available relative to these individuals is, however, incomplete in most instances and it will be necessary to obtain additional information relative to the affiliations, business interests, activities, present address, age, and citizenship status of each [emphasis added]."


1940 A TWX from Hoover (J. Edgar) to all SACs, except Juneau, Alaska; Honolulu,

"PERSONAL ATTENTION. FURNISH BUREAU AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BY AIR MAIL SPECIAL DELIVERY LETTER A LIST OF THE NAMES AND PRESENT ADDRESSES OF THOSE PERSONS IN YOUR DISTRICT, WHO SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR CUSTODIAL DETENTION PENDING INVESTIGATION IN THE EVENT OF A NATIONAL EMERGENCY. INDICATE IN FURNISHING INFORMATION WHETHER THE INDIVIDUAL ACCORDING TO BEST AVAILABLE DATA IS OR IS NOT A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES [emphasis added]..."

Memorandum from J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the FBI to Assistant Attorney General Matthew F. McGuire

"...There are, as you know, a number of citizens, native-born and naturalized, who are engaged in activities which the President no doubt had in mind when he used the words "subversive activities" in his directive [directive of September 6, 1939, designating the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a clearing house in national defense and general intelligence matters.][emphasis added]..."


1941

Memorandum from J. Edgar Hoover to all SACs on the subject of Internal Security and Custodial Detention List.

"...6. INDUCTION OF SUBJECT INTO ARMED FORCES. Should the subject of a card [custodial detention card] be inducted into the armed forces of the United States, it is desired that the Bureau [Federal Bureau of Investigation] be immediately informed in order that the Office of Naval Intelligence or the Military Intelligence Division may be notified and requested to advise the Bureau immediately upon the discharge of the subject from the Service. (PREPARATION OF CUSTODIAL DETENTION LIST) "The preparation of the custodial detention list is of utmost importance..."


RG 338-2-7 (Army Commands) Unclassified.  WDC/4A, WCCA/CAD.  
Central Correspondence 1942-46.  Folder:  "014.31-Alien Enemy Control"
(Mimeographed copy)

WAR DEPARTMENT
The Adjutant General's Office
Washington

                                                    July 29, 1941

AG 014.311  (7-3-41)MC-A-M

SUBJECT:        Agreement regarding enemy aliens.

TO:                   The Commanding Generals,
                      Corps Areas, Departments, and
                      Alaska Defense Command.

        The inclosed copy of Joint Agreement, July 18, 1941, of the 
Secretary of War and the Attorney General, with respect to Internment 
of Alien Enemies, is furnished for your information and guidance.

                                     By order of the Secretary of War:
                                                /s/ E.S. Adams
                                                Major General,
                                             The Adjutant General.
1 Inclosure
        Copy of Agreement,
        7-18-41.

SPECIAL DELIVERY

PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL

District Director of
Immigration and Naturalization
Ellis Island, N.Y.H.

    It has been tentatively decided that the temporary detention 
phase of the alien enemy program to be followed in the event of a 
declaration of war will be under the jurisdiction of this Service, 
and that this Service is to be responsible for providing facilities 
for the maintenance of alien enemies arrested, pending the decision 
of boards as to whether the alien is to be interned or paroled.  

     It has been estimated that there will be six hundred arrests 
monthly in the State of New York, and two hundred in the State of 
New Jersey.  Parts of both States, of course, are outside of your 
district, but it seems reasonable to anticipate that approximately 
ninety per cent of these arrests will occur within your district
[emphasis added].  
     ......
     This matter is extremely urgent...  
                                                  Lemuel B. Schofield
                                     Special Assistant to the Attorney General

The following excerpts are taken from a reply to the foregoing October 10, 1941 letter from the Acting District Director, New York District of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Ellis Island, New York Harbor, N.Y.
"...
 There is transmitted herewith a map of the state of New Jersey, indicating the 
 counties within this district, and the German and Italian alien population of 
 the each county.  You will note that about 88% of these arrests will occur within
 the counties of Bergen, Essex, Union and Hudson, all of which are within a radius 
 of twenty miles from New York City[emphasis added].

 Assuming, as you indicate in your letter, that there will be 600 arrests monthly 
 in the state of New York and 200 in New Jersey, and that the average period of 
 detention will be approximately two weeks, it would appear that with the purchase
 of 250 double beds and the services of 30 additional guards and 7 additional 
 laborers, the situation can be handled here at Ellis Island..."

The War Years


FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

To:  COMMUNICATIONS SECTION

Transmit the following message to:

CBC:CSH                                                 December 8, 1941

TO ALL SACs:
MOST URGENT. SUPERSEDING AND CLARIFYING PREVIOUS INSTRUCTIONS RE: GERMAN 
AND ITALIAN ALIENS.  IMMEDIATELY TAKE INTO CUSTODY ALL GERMAN AND ITALIAN 
ALIENS PREVIOUSLY CLASSIFIED IN GROUPS A,B, AND C, IN MATERIAL PREVIOUSLY 
TRANSMITTED TO YOU.  IN ADDITION, YOU ARE AUTHORIZED TO IMMEDIATELY ARREST 
ANY GERMAN OR ITALIAN ALIENS, NOT PREVIOUSLY CLASSIFIED IN THE ABOVE CATEGORIES.  
IN THE EVENT YOU POSSESS INFORMATION INDICATING THE ARREST OF SUCH INDIVIDUALS 
NECESSARY FOR THE INTERNAL SECURITY OF THIS COUNTRY.  ABOVE PROCEDURE APPLIES
ONLY TO GERMAN AND ITALIAN ALIENS, AND NOT TO CITIZENS.  ABOVE PROCEDURE DOES 
NOT IN ANY INSTANCE APPLY TO DIPLOMATIC OR CONSULAR REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
GERMAN  OR ITALIAN GOVERNMENT.  BUREAU MUST BE ADVISED TELEGRAPHICALLY AT 
EARLIEST POSSIBLE MOMENT CONCERNING INDIVIDUALS ARRESTED PURSUANT TO ABOVE 
INSTRUCTIONS.  THIS TELEGRAPHIC INFORMATION TO BUREAU SHOULD SPECIFICALLY 
DESIGNATE, WITH REGARD TO EACH INDIVIDUAL MENTIONED, WHETHER THE ALIEN IN 
QUESTION HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY CLASSIFIED ON THE A, B, OR C LIST, OR WHETHER 
HE IS BEING ARRESTED AS AN ALIEN CONCERNING WHOM INFORMATION JUSTIFYING 
HIS ARREST IS POSSESSED, ALTHOUGH NOT PREVIOUSLY CLASSIFIED IN THE ABOVE 
CATEGORIES.  AS TO ALIENS IN LATTER CATEGORY, SPECIFY CONCERNING EACH 
INDIVIDUAL WHETHER CUSTODIAL DETENTION DOSSIERS PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED BY 
FIELD OFFICE INVOLVED CONCERNING INDIVIDUAL IN QUESTION.  AS TO GERMAN OR 
ITALIAN ALIENS CONCERNING WHOM INFORMATION IS POSSESSED INDICATING
THEIR ARREST NECESSARY FOR INTERNAL SECURITY OF THE COUNTRY, ALTHOUGH 
NOT PREVIOUSLY CLASSIFIED IN A,B, OR C CATEGORIES, AND ON WHOM PREVIOUS 
CUSTODIAL DETENTION DOSSIERS NOT SUBMITTED.  BUREAU MUST BE FURNISHED 
IMMEDIATELY COMPLETE SUMMARY OF INFORMATION POSSESSED CONCERNING 
INDIVIDUAL INVOLVED, JUSTIFYING ARREST.  ALL INDIVIDUAL ARRESTED MUST BE 
TURNED OVER TO NEAREST REPRESENTATIVE OF IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION 
SERVICE.

                                                HOOVER

From a Hoover memorandum to Major Lemuel B. Schofield, Immigration and Naturalization Services, dated December 8, 1941.

"The following figures represent the number of individuals in various categories who are being considered for custodial detention:

        German Aliens                                       636
        American Citizens Sympathetic to Germany          1,391
        Persons of  German Descent Whose Citizenship is
                Unknown                                   1,694
        Italian Aliens                                       77
        American Citizens Sympathetic to Italy               49
        Persons of Italian Descent Whose Citizenship is
                Unknown                                     211
                                        
                                /s/John Edgar Hoover"
December 9, 1941


MEMORANDUM FOR THE FILE

        At approximately 11 A.M. Mr. Ladd of the F.B.I. 
advised that up to that hour the F.B.I. had taken the 
following number of Axis aliens into custody:

          Germans .................... .  497

          Italians .................... .. 83

          Japanese ..................... 1221, in-
                              cluding 376 taken into cus-
                              tody in Honolulu, leaving 
                              a balance of 845 in custody
                              in the continental United 
                              States.  

        Mr. Ladd was asked whether he could give us any in-
formation as to the number of arrests we may expect in 
the near future.  He stated that he could not as to the 
Germans and Italians, but that he did not believe there 
would be very many more arrests of Japanese.   

                                        W. F. Kelly

                                        Chief Supervisor
                                        of Border Patrol

DISTRIBUTION:
        1 copy for Major Schofield
        1 copy for Mr. Savoretti
        1 copy for Mr. Ennis

WFK/ejm

JEH/DAJ                 December 9, 1941

TIME:    11:38 A.M.

                MEMORANDUM FOR MR. TOLSON
                               MR. TAMM
                               MR. LADD

        In response to my previous call, Assistant Attorney General 
Shea called at this time.  I advised him that among the lists he had 
sent to us last night were many American citizens of German and 
Italian extraction or birth whom we did not desire to arrest because 
the Presidential proclamation covered only alien enemies.  I told 
him that in preparing these lists care should be taken so that only 
the names of the persons we should arrest would appear on them; 
that this would eliminate the necessity of the Buraeu checking its 
files to verify the lists.  I stated in this connection that last 
night the arrest had to be held up for several hours while we 
checked our files in order that we might be sure we were 
not arresting American citizens.  

        Mr. Shea stated that he was not directly in charge of 
compiling the lists, but that L.M.C. Smith had prepared it.  
I told him that I was calling him as I had been under the impression 
the Attorney General expected him to keep things running smoothly.  
He advised that he had given orders to Smith to split up the list 
geographically and alphabetically, and also while Mr. Tamm was in 
his office last night he had issued instructions that the list was 
to be one of aliens only.  He said that at this same time last 
night he had indicated that if the FBI wanted any persons taken 
into custory who were American citizens the FBI should give the 
names of these persons to Berge and Berge would try to determine 
if there was any basis for arresting them.  I told Mr. Shea that 
I did not think we could do this because Berge has the same material 
as we have, and it was my opinion Berge should decide who should be 
arrested rather than the Bureau.  

        I told Mr. Shea that this morning the Attorney General 
decided not to issue a press statement because we had only taken 
into custody a little over 400 Germans; that if this figure were 
given out public opinion would be very unfavorable.  I told him 
that there were over 1200 yet to be classified and that some of 
these were citizens.  I advised Mr. Shea that last night we arrested 
those persons on the list he sent up who we thought were aliens; 
that we may have arrested a few citizens along with the rest 
[emphasis added].


Excerpts from a Department of Justice Press Release

"Attorney General Francis Biddle today announced that, under proclamation issued by the President, the Department of Justice and the War Department have apprehended a total of 2541 Axis nationals in continental United States and Hawaii who were regarded as dangerous to the peace and safety of the nation.

Mr. Biddle said that a report from Director J. Edgar Hoover of the Federal Bureau of Investigation showed that, from December 7 through December 11, FBI agents have taken into custody 1002 German aliens, 169 Italian aliens 1370 Japanese aliens...

In addition to the enemy aliens, Director Hoover reported that FBI agents in Hawaii,...have taken into custody 19 American citizens of German extraction, 2 American citizens of Italian descent, and 22 American citizens, most of whom are of Japanese extraction..."


   
                MEMORANDUM FOR THE FILE 

                Yesterday Dr. Prendergast furnished the undersigned 
        the following data of the number of alien enemies for 
        whom warrants of arrest had been issued in the United 
        States, the number of warrants executed by the FBI, and 
        the number of aliens arrested without warrant by the FBI:

             GERMANS:

                           Warrants Issued              -  1757
                           Warrants Executed            -   374
                           Arrested Without Warrant     -   500

             ITALIANS:

                           Warrants Issued              -   223
                           Warrants Executed            -    41
                           Arrested Without Warrant     -    85

             JAPANESE:

                           Warrants Issued              -   700
                           Warrants Executed            -   437
                           Arrested Without Warrant     -   628

                                                        W. F. Kelly
                                                        Chief Supervisor
                                                        of Border Patrol

The following is an excerpt is taken from page 23 of the Wednesday, April 1, 1942 issue of the New York Times.

"FBI TIGHTENS CURB ON 256,000 ALIENS:  Police Engaged in Check-Up of Nationals of Enemy Countries Living in the City

Click here >>> New York Times, April 1, 1942 for the complete story.


Alien Registration Background: The 1940 Alien Registration Act of the United States required all aliens residing the United States to register with the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Of the total number of registered aliens, 1,100,000 were classified as "enemy aliens" [to mean that they were aliens of an enemy nation] at the outbreak of war on December 7, 1941. The "enemy alien" population of 1,100,000 was made up of 683,259 males; 294,650 of whom were Italians, 145,477 were Germans, 56,332 were Japanese; and remainder were from Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania.

From page 23 of The New York Times, April 2, 1942.

"TENT TOWN BUILT FOR ALIENS AT FORT DEVENS

Persons rounded up in New England will be housed in these shelters [referring to tent-type shelters depicted in accompanying photograph]. Wooden building, rimming the site will be used as kitchens and hospitals."

"Fort Devens, Mass., April 1 (AP)--Surrounded by barbed wire, New England's only concentration camp for enemy aliens is expected to go into active service late this month. Army authorities said today that the first 800 prisoners probably would arrive about that time, and added that the office to have charge of an 'internment guard company' of about 100 men was due here next week. All the enemy aliens to be brought here will be adult males."


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Updated January 25, 2002