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April 16, 1942

A long line of elderly and ill-fed American men filled the front lobby of the Big House. They had come from the outside to register in accordance with the Japanese regulations.

A few of the Sunshiners had been old patients of mine at Sternberg Hospital, so I stopped to talk with them. Most of the men were old veterans of Dewey days, and they all planned to stay in camp rather than face the hardships caused by the rising living costs. The periodic search and looting of their homes by the Japanese and the confinement to their homes and gardens had begun to get on their nerves.

While these men were waiting to register, other internees, like myself, milled around the group to get news from the outside. While tongues wagged and ears were strained to catch every bit of rumor, Japanese guards jostled us around in an effort to break up the huddled groups.

The Commandant on more than one occasion had been most annoyed with all the news that came into camp. Several people had already been questioned by the Nips in an effort to track down a rumor or some news item. Our Nipponese friends ought to resign themselves to the fact that rumors were here to stay.