It was not until 2000, that the U.S. Congress held hearings on how the 1951 San Francisco Peace treaty with Japan abrogated the right of American former POWs of Japan to sue Japanese companies for compensation for their forced labor or on how the POWs were treated in Japan in violation of the Geneva Convention.
There had also never been congressional discussion on how the POWs were treated upon return. Many were forced to sign military gag orders not to discuss any details of their imprisonment. Researchers have found that American POWs of Japan died at four times the rate of other veterans of WWII after their first year back. Further, POWs of Japan suffered the highest rate of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD, which was not given an official name until 1980) of any WWII veteran. (Soldier from the War Returning
: The Greatest Generation's Troubled Homecoming from World War II by Thomas Childers, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009)
: The Greatest Generation's Troubled Homecoming from World War II by Thomas Childers, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009)
In 2000, the full Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on if and how the U.S. can assist POWs to obtain compensation for forced labor and inhumane imprisonment. In 2002, the Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security and Claims of the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the Justice for POWs Act, H.R. 1198 [107].
This legislation was popular in the 107th House of Representatives. Introduced by Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), there were 230 co-sponsors. Despite this strong support, much of it promoted by then-Majority Whip Tom "The Hammer" Delay, the bill never made it out of the three committees it was referred to, thus never getting to the floor of the House for a vote. There was also no companion legislation in the Senate (necessary for bill to become a law).
This legislation was popular in the 107th House of Representatives. Introduced by Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), there were 230 co-sponsors. Despite this strong support, much of it promoted by then-Majority Whip Tom "The Hammer" Delay, the bill never made it out of the three committees it was referred to, thus never getting to the floor of the House for a vote. There was also no companion legislation in the Senate (necessary for bill to become a law).
For a full analysis of all the legislation concerning the American POWs of Japan see "Critical Documents" on this blog: Legislative History. Below are the tables of contents of both hearings and the links to these documents. They are excellent compendiums of the issues involved with reconciliation and Japanese war crimes.
The Honorable Zoe Lofgren, a Representative
in Congress the State of California…….……............2
The Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee, a Representative in Congress
From the State of Texas, and Ranking Member, Subcommittee on
Immigration, Border Security, and Claims........... 3
Mr. William H. Taft, IV, Legal Adviser to the Secretary of State, Department of State
Oral Testimony............................................................................................... 8
Prepared Statement ..................................................................................... 10
Mr. Robert D. McCallum, Jr., Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division,
Department of Justice
Mr. Lester I. Tenney, Ph.D., former prisoner of war
Oral Testimony ............................................ 19
State Department Documents Submitted for the Record
by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee...................................................47
Prepared Statement of Linda G. Holmes............................ 51
Prepared Statement of Harold G. Maier, Professor, David Daniels Allen Distinguished Chair in Law, Vanderbilt University Law School, Nashville, TN.... 53
Prepared Statement of Michael D. Ramsey, Professor of Law,
University of San Diego Law School.......... 56
Prepared Statement of John M. Rogers, Professor of Law,
University of Kentucky College of Law ..... 63
Prepared Statement of Global Alliance for Preserving the
History of World War II in Asia ................... 69
ON
DETERMINING WHETHER THOSE WHO PROFITED FROM THE
FORCED LABOR OF AMERICAN WORLD WAR II PRISONERS OF
WAR ONCE HELD AND FORCED INTO LABOR FOR PRIVATE
JAPANESE COMPANIES HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO REMEDY THEIR
WRONGS AND WHETHER THE UNITED STATES CAN HELP
FACILITATE AN APPROPRIATE RESOLUTION
FORCED LABOR OF AMERICAN WORLD WAR II PRISONERS OF
WAR ONCE HELD AND FORCED INTO LABOR FOR PRIVATE
JAPANESE COMPANIES HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO REMEDY THEIR
WRONGS AND WHETHER THE UNITED STATES CAN HELP
FACILITATE AN APPROPRIATE RESOLUTION
JUNE 28, 2000
STATEMENTS OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Hatch, Hon. Orrin G., U.S. Senator from the State of Utah ................................ 1
Feinstein, Hon. Dianne, U.S. Senator from the State of California ...................... 5
Grassley, Hon. Charles E., U.S. Senator from the State of Iowa ....................... 22
Leahy, Hon. Patrick J., U.S. Senator from the State of Vermont ...................... 23
CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF WITNESSES
Statement of Hon. Jeff Bingaman, U.S. Senator from the State of New Mexico.... 3
Panel consisting of David W. Ogden, Acting Assistant Attorney General,
Civil Division, U.S. Department of Justice; and Ronald J. Bettauer,
Deputy Legal Adviser, Department of State, Washington, DC............................. 6
Panel consisting of Harold W. Poole, former World War II prisoner of war
in Japan, Salt Lake City, UT; Frank Bigelow, former World War II prisoner
of war in Japan, Brooksville, FL; Maurice Mazer, former World War II
prisoner of war in Japan, Boca Raton, FL; Lester I. Tenney, former World
War II prisoner of war in Japan, LaJolla, CA; Edward Jackfert, former
World War II prisoner of war in Japan, and commander, American Defenders
of Bataan and Corregidor, Inc., Wellsburg, WV; and Harold G. Maier,
professor of law, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN .................................. 28
ALPHABETICAL LIST AND MATERIALS SUBMITTED
Bettauer, Ronald J.: Testimony.......................................................10
Prepared statement ....................................................................... 14
Bigelow, Frank: Testimony ............................................................ 31
Bingaman, Hon. Jeff: Testimony .......................................................3
Jackfert, Edward: Testimony .......................................................... 35
Maier, Harold G.: Testimony.......................................................... 38
Prepared statement ....................................................................... 39
Mazer, Maurice: Testimony ........................................................... 32
Ogden, David W.: Testimony .......................................................... 6
Prepared statement ......................................................................... 8
Poole, Harold W.: Testimony ......................................................... 28
Prepared statement ........................................................................ 29
Tenney, Lester I.: Testimony ........................................................... 33
APPENDIX
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Responses to questions of Senator Hatch from:
The Department of Justice ............................................................................ 47
Ronald J. Bettauer ......................................................................................... 53
ADDITIONAL SUBMISSIONS FOR THE RECORD
Text of e-mail message to Senator Hatch from Rabbi Abraham Cooper of
the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Berlin, Germany, dated June 26, 2000 ............ 55
Prepared statements of:
Bruce R. Harder, director, National Security and Foreign Affairs, Veterans
of Foreign Wars of the United States .......................................................... 55
Linda G. Holmes ............................................................................................. 56
Chalmers Johnson .......................................................................................... 59
Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama, dated Aug. 15, 1995....................... 61
Michael D. Ramsey ......................................................................................... 61
Paul W. Reuter ............................................................................................... 65
John M. Rogers ............................................................................................. 67
Joseph A. Violante ......................................................................................... 72
Letters to:
Senator Hatch from Edward Jackfert, past national commander, American
Defenders of Bataan & Corregidor, Inc., dated June 20, 2000 .............. 73
Stuart Eizenstat, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Treasury, from Michael
Engelberg, M.D., the American Center for Civil Justice,
dated June 10, 2000 ..................................................................................... 74
Hiroaki Yano, president, Mitsubishi International Corp., from Michael
Engelberg, M.D., the American Center for Civil Justice,
dated June 13, 2000 ..................................................................................... 74
Hiroshi Noda, Kawasaki Heavy Industries U.S.A.), Inc., from Michael
Engelberg, M.D., the American Center for Civil Justice,
dated June 13, 2000 ...................................................................................... 75
Senator Hatch from Michael M. Honda, California State Legislature,
dated June 30, 2000 ..................................................................................... 75
Senator Hatch from Gilbert M. Hair, executive director, the Center for
Internee Rights, Inc., dated June 22, 2000 ............................................... 76
Chart: Information on U.S. POW’s held in World War II ........................ 78
Senator Hatch from John E. Julian, first selectman, Office of Selectman,
State of Connecticut ...................................................................................... 79
Senator Hatch from John F. Sommers, Jr., executive director, the American
Legion, dated June 27, 2000 ....................................................................... 79
Senator Hatch from Charles L. Taylor, AMVETS national commander,
dated June 26, 2000 .................................................................................... 80
Senator Hatch from Bob Weygand, Member of Congress, House of
Representatives, dated June 23, 2000 ...................................................... 80
Senator Hatch from Bob Weygand, Member of Congress, House of
Representatives, dated June 23, 2000 ...................................................... 80
Senator Hatch from Frank G. Wickersham, III, national legislative director,
Military Order of the Purple Heart, dated June 23, 2000 ...................... 81
HOUSE 2002 JUDICIARY COMMITTEE HEARING NEXT PAGE
HOUSE 2002 JUDICIARY COMMITTEE HEARING NEXT PAGE
BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON IMMIGRATION,
BORDER SECURITY, AND CLAIMS
OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
ON
H.R. 1198
SEPTEMBER 25, 2002
C O N T E N T S
OPENING STATEMENT
The Honorable George W. Gekas, a Representative in Congress From the
State of Pennsylvania, and Chairman, Subcommittee on
Immigration, Border Security, and Claims..........1
State of Pennsylvania, and Chairman, Subcommittee on
Immigration, Border Security, and Claims..........1
The Honorable Zoe Lofgren, a Representative
in Congress the State of California…….……............2
The Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee, a Representative in Congress
From the State of Texas, and Ranking Member, Subcommittee on
Immigration, Border Security, and Claims........... 3
WITNESSES
Honorable Dana Rohrabacher, a Representative in Congress
From the State of California
Oral Testimony ................................................................................................ 4
From the State of California
Oral Testimony ................................................................................................ 4
Prepared Statement ..........................................................................................7
Mr. William H. Taft, IV, Legal Adviser to the Secretary of State, Department of State
Oral Testimony............................................................................................... 8
Prepared Statement ..................................................................................... 10
Mr. Robert D. McCallum, Jr., Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division,
Department of Justice
Oral Testimony ............................................................................................... 11
Prepared Statement ........................................................................................ 14
Mr. Lester I. Tenney, Ph.D., former prisoner of war
Oral Testimony ............................................ 19
Prepared Statement ......................................24
APPENDIX
Prepared Statement of the Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee, a Representative in Congress From the State of Texas, and Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims ................... 43
Prepared Statement of the Honorable Zoe Lofgren,
a Representative in Congress From the State of California....... 44
a Representative in Congress From the State of California....... 44
Prepared Statement of the Honorable Michael M. Honda,
a Representative in Congress From the State of California....... 44
a Representative in Congress From the State of California....... 44
State Department Documents Submitted for the Record
by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee...................................................47
Prepared Statement of Linda G. Holmes............................ 51
Prepared Statement of Harold G. Maier, Professor, David Daniels Allen Distinguished Chair in Law, Vanderbilt University Law School, Nashville, TN.... 53
Prepared Statement of Michael D. Ramsey, Professor of Law,
University of San Diego Law School.......... 56
Prepared Statement of John M. Rogers, Professor of Law,
University of Kentucky College of Law ..... 63
Prepared Statement of Global Alliance for Preserving the
History of World War II in Asia ................... 69
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