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May 27th, 1942 Dear Dr. Bird, How much I regretted not seeing you and Olive last week I wish that the messenger had been more
persistent and searched for me in the ironing room. Please let us not get mixed up next time. Seeing outsiders gives us a
tremendous boost, and you know what a fine treat it is for us. Teddy wrote me last week that you had made arrangements to
pay up his debt to the college. May I humbly thank you for your kindness. We Tajimas have been a burden to the school, I'm
afraid; but I hope that there will be opportunity someday to repay your friendship, interest and trust in us. I am grateful
too that both Ted and Calvin will be in safe hands at Park College. A communication from Dr. G. Chapman states that Mr. Eisenhauer
sic has asked the Friends' Service Committee to take charge of Japanese student relocation. He is to attend a committee meeting
on the 29th in Chicago. This sounds very encouraging, especially for the students in camps. Many have begun to give up hope
of getting out to continue school. We are easily getting adjusted to camp life, but we continue to wonder for how long this
will page 2 last. I'm so afraid that we are accepting this type of life so easily that the climb back up to civilized life
will be most difficult. Of course it's impossible to see far ahead these days. Yet, I feel that somehow (I don't know how)
we in camp must begin to set our thinking concretely along lines of post-war reconstruction. I know that many people here
hope to return to the cities or to their lands - with the attitude that they can return to the exact point from which they
evacuated. They don't seem to foresee that time changes conditions. I, for one, would surely not be eager to return to Lil'
Tokyo on 1st and San Pedro, and it most likely will no longer be. I wonder how it is now. As Mr. Chapman says, it is most
difficult to do everything when this 'city' grows by the thousands every week or so. Therefore, one can't help but see many,
many flaws which need working out. I have not yet met Mr. England, but really I don't see how he can handle the huge job allotted
to him. Mr. Chapman too must be 'superman,' as must be the other administrators. I have been helping a bit in the Girls' Activity
Department with music. Don has been so busy in the religious work here that I have been trying to help him with the correspondence
and thus have been little active elsewhere. However, I am taking advantage of piano lessons and harmony classes offered here.
You must be busy, very much so, with commencement on hand. Our very best wishes to you. Yours most sincerely, Sophie