Earl Warren was not considered a great liberal during his tenure as California governor. For instance, he supported the internment of thousands of Japanese American citizens during World War II. Nearly 120,000 persons of Japanese ancestry were removed from the West Coast of the United States and placed in “War Relocation Camps.” Warren publicly stated his support for the relocation: “If the Japs are released, no one will be able to tell a saboteur from any other Jap.” Warren later acknowledged his regret for this, writing in his memoirs: “I have since deeply regretted the removal order and my own testimony advocating it, because it was not in keeping with our American concept of freedom and the rights of citizens.”