Sacramento (UP) - The return of Japanese to California during the war would be a "body blow" to our security, Gov. Earl Warren declared Saturday.

"I believe the evacuation of Japanese at the time it occurred was one of the things which saved our state from terrible disorders and sabotage to wreck our industry," Warren said. "It also was a protection to the Japanese themselves."

Four legislators just returned from federal conferences in Washington, D.C., told Warren there appeared to be a conflict in handling the relocation of Japanese. Assemblyman Walter Fourt, Ventura, said they were informed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation that the War Relocation Authority had not asked the FBI to make investigations of Japanese. Fourt said the WRA, however, inferred a complete inquiry was made on each case.

The state legislators said the California congressional delegation positively informed Relocation Authority officials the state was united in its opposition to returning any Japanese during wartime.

Warren then added:

"I am convinced that if they try to bring them back to California in wartime, state and county authorities cannot be assumed to protect our industry...it is a question of a security problem to win the war, keep our industry turning over and keep our facilities operating. These would be grave danger if they returned.

"We know that submarines have been hovering off our coast and could send saboteurs into California. If we permitted Japanese to return to this combat zone, how could we tell between them?

"I'm convinced, every person active in civilian defense is convinced, and every naval and military officer I've ever talked to, is convinced, that it would be a body blow to our security to return the Japanese."