THE PAPERS OF ROGER NASH BALDWIN

From the Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library, Princeton University

The American Civil Liberties Union and International Affairs

Material on Japan

There is excellent material on Baldwin’s work in Japan and the foundation of the Japan Civil Liberties Union.  This can be found in Box 8, Folders    9-12 and in Box 10, Folders 16-18 (predominantly correspondence) and also in Box 17, Folder 23 and Box 18, Folders 1-7 and 9 (subject files).

In addition to this, please see Box 22, Folders 12-13 for writings on Japan; Box 23, Folder 14 for Baldwin’s speeches relating to Japan; and finally Box 29, Folders 6 and 7 for photographs relating to Japan.

As highlighted in the Publisher’s Note, Box 18, Folder 4 contains Baldwin’s excellent bound volume of notes (220 pp) made during his visit to Japan and Korea in 1947.  There is some very significant material on occupation policies in Japan.  Pasted at the front of this volume is an explanatory note written by Roger Baldwin in 1968.  It reads as follows:

“This volume contains some of the notes I made in Japan and Korea in the spring of 1947 when I was invited to help set up organisations of citizens to defend their rights.  I also was asked to review occupation policies related to civil rights and to make recommendations.  These notes deal with both efforts.  They were bound after my return.  I kept additional notes which were not typed and are long since destroyed.  The ACLU files doubtless contain more, both of notes and correspondence.  The circular letter reports I sent back to a list of friends and colleagues are here.  I did not write up my observations because I am not a writer or reporter and because they were material intended only for action.  It was a great adventure, entirely novel for me and if I had had the confidence I could write it up for publication I would have done so.  It still stays with me as one of the most vivid and impressive few months of my life.”

The following pages comprise some illustrations of sample documents covering Baldwin’s work in Japan (printed guide only):

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