Vol. 3, No. 63 Lincoln 3, Nebraska Official and Legal Newspaper Thursday, October 6, 1949
ATTEND UNION INSTITUTE—Shown above are some members of the Amalgamated Meat Cutters
and Butcher Workmen of North America, affiliated with the A. F. of L., who attended a Union Edu
cational institute at the University of Ohio in Columbus recently. Delegates hailed from throughout
the Middle-West.
—Courtesy Lincoln Journal
General George C. Marshall
. . . New Red Cross Head
Somali Tribes
Revolt Against
Ethiopians
OGADEN, Ethiopia. (ANP).
Somali tribes, in what was for
merly part of Italian Somaliland
stirred up a rebellion against
Ethiopian citizens here last Wed
nesday and the Ethiopian army
sent out reinforcements to aid in
quelling the outbreak. The terri
tory reverted back to Ethiopian
control after the end of the last
war.
According to press releases, the
rebel tribes numbered about 200,
000 armed men. Ethiopian forces
sent out against them were said
to have included artillery and
armored cars.
Meanwhile in Addis Ababa,
Emperor Haile Selassie sent a
message to the UN saying further
delay in returning Eritrea and
Somaliland to his country “will
not enhance the confidence of the
people of the world.” Disposition
of the Italian colonies is one of
the major items before the UN
assembly.
Who’s Who Writer
Buried In New York
NEW YORK. (ANP). Funeral
services were held here last week
for Thomas Yenser, 83-year-old
editor and publisher of “Who’s
Who In Colored America,” which
has been published since 1927 and
is used widely as a reference
work. He traveled widely, inter
viewed Negroes eminent in reli
gious, educational, professional
and commercial fields in com
piling material for his work,
Basil O’Connor Resigns As
Head of American Red Cross :
WASHINGTON. (ANP)—The resignation of Basil
O’Connor as president of the American Red Cross Tues
day, came as something of a surprise to many workers
here, for although he was not well-known to many of them,
his name and his administration had been notable for its |
trends toward democratic practices.
Among those who came in close
contact with him, Mr. O’Connor
was well and warmly liked. They
understood the time all-consum
ing demands of the job and ap
preciated his explanation that he
must return to his law business
and spend some time with his
family. He will be succeeded by
Gen. George Marshall.
Red Cross has undergone some
thing of a transformation during
the regime of Basil O’Connor.
Actually the change started un
der former chairman Norman
Davis and his vice-chairman
James L. Feiser. But it was
O’Connor who as President Tru
man in his letter of last Wed
nesday regretfully accepting the
resignation, said:
“You have directed Red Cross
activities during momentuous
years, both in war and peace,
and not the least of your con
tributions has been that which
you made in piloting a complete
reorganization plan through the
Congress.”
Red Cross has undergone a
great change in its personnel,
also. In the first world war and
the period immediately following,
there were few colored employes
or staff people. During World
; War II, however, the number rose
| sharply. Professional staffs of
highly trained young people
reached into the hundreds. A
public relations assistant, Jesse
O. Thomas, who serves at head
quarters here in Washington was
appointed.
Local Red Cross boards in Chi
cago, Philadelphia and other im
portant centers elected colored
members and accelerated employ
ment. In Chicago colored profes
sional and clerical workers
amounted up to 20 percent of
the staff. Of the 50 members of
the National Board of Governors,
two are colored, F. D. Patterson
and Claude A. Barnett, and serve
on important committees. The
blood donor problem was cracked
under his administration although
there are recurring efforts to
evade it.
Red Cross opened its ranks to
Negro nurses and is eager at this
, time to have a larger number
—Courtesy Lincoln Journal
Basil O’Connor . . .
He reorganized the Red Cross
of Negro nurses register in Red
Cross reserves.
Mr. O’Connor will retain his
post as chairman of the Infantile
Paralysis foundation. He is re
turning to the private practice of
law.
Anti-Robeson
Demonstrators
Indicted Sept. 20
NEW YORK. (ANP). Six
participants in the September 4
demonstration against followers of
Paul Robeson near Peekskill,
N. Y., were indicted Sept. 20 by
the regular summer grand jury.
Among those indicted was the
son of the Peekskill police chief.
Five others of the anti-Commu
nist group had pleaded guilty,
and were sentenced in lower
courts.
Gov. Thomas Dewey has in
structed the district attorney to
conduct a complete investigation
of all aspects of the case. The
October grand jury will be de
voted exclusively to the Peekskill
inquiry for an unspecified length
of time.
Salt content of the Great Salt
lake is high because there is no
outlet. The lake loses water only
through evaporation, leaving only
the salt. |
American Civil Rights Union
Reviews Status of Rights, Notes
6Heartening9 Gains in -Some Areas
NEW YORK.—The balance sheet for civil liberties in
the United States last year shows a more favorable record
“than the general temper of these days warrants,” the
American Civil Liberties Union says in its 29th annual re
port just made public.
Praising chiefly the refusal of state legislatures to be
stampeded into repressive legislation, the ACLU finds that
recent national controversies"
over civil liberties in the press
and radio have not struck deep
root in local communities.
“At least,” the report says,
Howard U. Gets
$115,000 for
Investigations
WASHINGTON. (ANP). At its
September meeting, the Board
of Trustees of Howard univer
sity accepted grants totalling
$114,993 for research projects, it
was revealed by Dr. James M.
Nabrit, Jr., Secretary of Howard
University.
The research grants are as fol
lows: From the U. S. Public
Health Service, $9,612 for a pro
gram of training in psychiatric
social work; $13,252 in support of
research projects in the division
of Tuberculosis, $7,668 in support
of a research project in Pharma
cology; two grants totalling $43,
447 for graduate and undergrad
uate training program in psy
chiatry, $32,000 for two research
projects and a cardiovascular
teaching project, and $5,994 for
a project on periodontal disease.
$2,640 from the Bureau of Food
and Drugs administration toward
a research project in the field
of penicillin, streptonycin and
other anti-biotics; $400, from
Endo Products, Inc., of New York
for a study on the aneleptic prop
erties of one firm’s products.
Masonics Close
85tli Meet, Add
4 Grand Lodges
DETROIT. (ANP).—The gen
eral theme of the annual con
vention of the National Supreme
Council Ancient and Accepted
Scottish Rite Masons during its
recent eight-day grand sessions
here was the fraternal order’s 85
years of continuous activities.
Host to the Masons and Shriners
was St. John Grand Lodge coun
cil of Michigan, while the Rising
Sun Grand chapter and Paralee
Grand Chapter Order Eastern
Star were hostesses to the aux
iliaries.
A significant change in mem
bership was reported at the con
vention. During the past three
months, the four state grand
lodges of Arkansas, Texas. Kan
sas and Colorado joined the Scot
tish Rite jurisdiction from the
Ancient Order Free and Accepted
Masons.
In the selection of officers to
the national grand council, legis
lative body for the national su
preme council, Dr. William J.
Fitzpatrick, was made < “most
powerful sovereign grand com
mander” for life. Other officers
include, Rev. P. B. C. Lewis of
Ohio and Z. C. Harris of Wis
consin, first and second lieuten
ant commanders, respectively;
Vernor Brodbeck, Indiana, chan
cellor; Dr. C. H. Christian, New
Jersey, prior; O. J. Armstrong,
Tennessee, hospitaler; Nathaniel
Brown, North Carolina, captain
of guard. The 1950 grand sessions
\ will convene in St. Louis.
“they appear not to have resulted
as yet in more than usual overt
interference or repression.”
Against adverse trends or un
changed conditions in other fields,
the ACLU finds a “heartening”
local response to efforts for ex
tended racial rights.
“The gathering momentum of
the many-sided movements to
extend the rights of Negroes was
expressed in numerous court
cases, legislation, administrative
rules, and liberalized policies in
quasi-public organizations during
the year,” the union says.
But it hastened to add, “Much
i damage is inevitably done to civil
, rights in the initial stages of re
pressive action long before the
| higher courts can voice it by cor
rective decisions.”
Reports made to ACLU head
quarters by local correspondents
in 75 cities listed as the chief
“influences hostile to civil rights”
the American Legion and Roman
Catholic agencies—with local po
lice running close behind.
Commenting on the present
“hysterical atmosphere” over
civil rights in many places, the
ACLU says it exceeds in its se
verity, intolerance, and fears “any
such period in the unions 29
years of activity.”
It adds, “The dangers of en
during damage are, therefore, the
greater as well as the obligation
to combat them.”
The ACLU noted “striking” re
ports that race relations are im
! proving in the United States.
From 24 cities it received reports
of decreased segregation with
only one reporting an increase,
and with 41 noting it as un
changed. Most of the instances of
violation of racial legal rights
were in the midwest.
Increased intolerance of any
thing associated with communism
was reported in 40 cities. Half of
the correspondents reported that
the Communists alone were the
targets. Half said the intolerance
extended to liberal forces also.
But despite the unprecedented
hostility to everything associated
with communism the actual cas
ualties so far have been remark
ably few, the reports points out.
No Communist has been impris
oned in the United States for po
litical views or activities. No pa
pers have been suppressed. A
number of alien Communists have
been deported “voluntarily.’*’ A
few Communist teachers have
been dismissed. Some Communists
have been convicted for refusal to
testify before grand juries or
other bodies as to their associa
tions.
“However,” the report adds,
“many more Communists have
doubtless lost jobs in public and
private employment or have been
forced to resign.”
The ACLU notes that the year
was marked by the discontinuance
of two state committees on un
American activities. The Broyles
Committee in Illinois is now de
funct, after everyone of the bills
it introduced was defeated. The
joint committee in Washington
whose chairman, Representative
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