Despite the War Department's order lifting the exclusion ban after next Jan. 2, on persons of Japanese ancestry regarded as loyal and the supreme court's decision that Japanese-Americans are "free", the Register-Pajaronian still believes that now is not the time for evacuees to return to the west coast.

Gov. Earl Warren has called upon police officials throughout the state to observe the army's order and to "act uniformly to prevent any intemperate action." He also urges all residents of California to accept the decision patriotically and adds that any violence would retard the war effort.

This newspaper deplores the thought of racial violence. However, we also know the temper of many citizens, especially in this immediate vicinity, regarding the Japanese evacuees. We have stated many times that for the safety of the Japanese themselves they should not return at this time. There are economic reasons, also, not the least being the matters of housing and agricultural work.

We trust that Sec. Ickes is correct in his observation that "no mass return" is expected. Police officials and cool heads should be able to cope with incidents which might arise in isolated cases of Japanese resettlement, but we foresee difficulties should large numbers of evacuees arrive in a community at one time, expecting to move into occupied homes or occupied ranches which they would claim as their own."