GA. CHAIN GAN SYSTEM CREATES FUROR
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30.000 People The Only Paper of fts
lhe Omah.' :.ue Kind West of the
Missouri Rives
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_VQL. VI. Omaha, Nebraska, Saturday, January 14, 1933._Number Forty-Seven,—
I Tune In ——!
"DIGESTING I
)ilie NEWS" |
-^y i
BKOAHCASTED X
, Evcrf Week from this Column J
f By CLIFFORD C. Smi t
The MEMPHIS WORLD
• • •
Rerently I sent out a release, “1933
and the Negro!” in which I offered
my cooperation, in the form of pub
licity. to progressive and fruitful rac
ial efforts. I jew is O. Sw-ingler, edi
tor of the Memphis World, is the first
person to respond to my offer of co
operation.
• t •
While Memphis has a population of
needy one hundred thousand Negroes
it has always been a disasterous town
for Negro business, and newspapers
in particular. The most successful
race business in Memphis, at the pres
ent time being, the Universal Life
Insurance Company.
• • •
At one tune Memphis boasted of a
daily race paper, The Striker. At
other times the well-known Crisis
editor, W. E. B. DuBois, and Roscoe
C, Simmons, have edited papers there
The failure of these and many other
papers, coupled with the failure of so
many business concerns served to
create a feeling of suspicion and dis
trust against all prospective and new
racial enterprises in Memphis.
• • •
Records show that the illiteracy
rate in the Delta region, contiguous
to Memphis, is high. Recent reports
m the Negro press indicates that
crime among Negroes is rampant and
that Memphis Negroes head the list
in percentage of homicides.
• • •
Despite these conditions, John
Oakes, business and circulation man
ager, of the Memphis World, backed
by the progressive Southern News
paper Syndicate, entered the Mem
phis field on June 28th, 1931, as a
triweekly. Since October 1931
they have operated as a semi-weekly.
• • •
At the present time they enjoy a
circulation, so Mr. Swingler informs
me. of eight thousand, served almost
entirely by news-carriers, with a sys
tem of monthly collections—after the
readers have received their papers.
In order to wir the confidence of the
skeptical Memphis public the World
sought no advance subscriptions.
• • •
It should be interesting to a great
many of out publishers in various
parts of the country to know the sys
tem that the Memphis World uses in
keeping their hundreds of newsboys
•'pepped" up. and the various news
boys contests they hold. And while
m
I have no authority to say so, I be
lieve that if any of our eiculation
manager* will write to Mr. Swingler,
or Mr. Oakes, 234 Hemanda Street,
Memphis, Tenn., that these gentle
men will be glad to explain their
methods, purely to enhance the journ.
alwue efforts of other*.
• m m
Again, this column wishes to offer
a sincere cooperation to any of our
struggling or unique enterprises who
have, and are, facing and surmount
ing peculiar difficulties, and if in
your efforts I can find some points
that would he interesting and bene,
ficial bo other* of our race. I shall
gladly proclaim them to all America,
through this column.
IN CONTEST
Worthington L. Williams, driver
for the Kimball Laundry Co., reports
that he is running close to the top po
sition in a contest among fellow driv.
er* for new business. He says that
the contest is to last four weeks and
that the winner will receive cash and
borraaee as prizes.
LARGEST Y.M.CA OPENS IN N. Y.
Urge Dr. Wm. Thompkins As Haitian Minister!
Turner Resigns
Head of K. P.’s
Earl Hines
to Make
Tour
“KING OF THE IVORIES” JOINS
MUSIC CORPORATION
Earl Hines, nationally popular col.
ored orchestra leader, often referred
to a* the “King of the Ivories”, has
joined the ranks of Music Corpor
ation of America’s orchestras which
includes America’s foremost radio
recording and dance bands. Arrange
ments are being made for a national
personal appearance tour of the band
under the management of MCA.
Hines, who was born in Duquesne,
Penn., and educated in Pittsburgh,
was discovered by Lois Deppe, noted
baritone of Vincent Youman’s “Great
Day" and now of Connie’s Inn in
New York. Deppe gave Hines his
first ’’break” as a pianist with Ride
out’s orchestra of Charleroie, Penn.,
in 1916 and his censational pianc
playing attracted the attention of
theatre managers and ballroom pro
moters.
In 1921 Earl went to Chicago where
he formed his own orchestra and
played in several night clubs. Next
came a vaudeville tour with the
“Charleston Revue” and in 1926-27
he was featured with Louis Arm
strong, famous colored cornetist, at
the Sunset Cafe in Hollywood.
Earl organized his present orches
tra in 1928 and opened the Grand Ter
race Cafe in Chicago where he has
been featured since that time. The
orchestra has been a favorite with
north shore society for private func
tions and has also played many pri
vate engagements at such smart Chi
cago places as the Blackstone, Drake
Hotel, Standard Club, Sherman Hotel,
and the Palmer House.
TRIO OF WHITES HELD WITH
OUT BOND FOR KILLING NEGRO
Lexipgton, Ky. (CNS)—French Ver
million, Sherman Townes and Mollie
Caldwell, all white, recently got into
an argument with four Negroes on a
country road near Hazard in Perry
County about 136 mies southeast of
Lexington, shot and killed three and
wounded the fourth of the four men.
The shooting of the men was al
leged to have occurred after they re
fused to help move an automobile in
which the defendants were said to
have been riding.
Trial of the two men and the wom
an came up here last week but was
postponed until the February term of
Perry County Circuit Court. The de
fendants are held without bond. Ver
million is in jail here, while Townes
and the woman are held in Hazard.
BULLET IN HEAD SEVEN DATS
BEFORE VICTIM GOES TO
HOSPITAL
Brooklyn, NY. (CNS) Frederick C.
Pitts. 36 year old Negro, an attend
ant at the Pilgrim State Hospital at
Brentwood, Long Island is reported
to have carried a bullet in his head
for seven days before entering a hos
pital for treatment.
William Hardy, 19 a Negro of East
Northport, was arrested on a charge
of first degree assault and was said
by the police to have confessed shoot
ing Pitts in a street brawl at East
Northport on Dec. 17.
Pitts had waited until Dec. 23 be
fore seeing a physician about a pain
in his head, the police said. He was
taken to the Brooklyn Naval Hospital
where he was said to be in a critical
condition.
R. L. TURNER RETIRES FROM
OFFICE IN LODGE
At the annual election of the Knight
of Pythias, R. L. Turner who has
been Chancellor Commander for the
past twelve years retired from the
office. He leaves the lodge in a good
financial condition despite the de
pression.
The cause of Mr. Turner’s retire.,
ment from the office is that he felt
that he was being over-worked. He
still holds two major offices with the
lodge, that of Deputy Supreme Chan
cellor of the State of Nebraska, also
Brigdier General of the Uniform rank
department of the State. Besides this
he is chairman of the finance com
mittee of the Zion Baptist Church,
a member of the Masonic Lodge and
a police patrolman.
Reports state that at a meeting of
the Nebraska Negro Democratic Club
Thursday, January 5th, passed a res.
Dr. Wm. Thompkins
olution, endorsnig Dr. Wm. Thomp
kins, Democratic leader and newspa
perman of Kansas City, Mo., for Min
ister to Hiati.
The Club also passed a resolution
endorsing Hon. Arthur C. Mullen for
Attorney General.
Charge N.A.A.C.P. NXA'th Suppress
ing Lynch Records.
New York, (CNA) That the offic
ials of the National Association for
the Advancement of Colored People
and of Tuskegee Institute, in giving
out statistics of lynchings for the
year 1932, followed a deliberate policy
of suppression and deception, is the
charge made in an official joint state
ment of the International Labor De
fense and the League of Struggle for
Negro Rights. The statement is to
appear in the February “Labor De
fender”, official monthly organ of the
ILD.
The League of Struggle for Negro
Rights listed 37 instances, reported in
the press during 1932, of persons who
had been killed by burning, hanging,
shooting, or drowning at the hands of
more or less organized groups. The
NAACP. later reported only 11 lynch
ings for the year, and Tuskegee In
stitute reported 8. That the discrep
ancy in figures arises from deep
seated political differences is shown
by the statement of the ILD. and
LSNR. which follows:
“To soft-pedal the crimes of the
white ruling class against the Negro
masses, to lull these masses into a
false sense of security and thus to
disarm their watchfulness—that is
one of the chief tasks of the mislead
ers of the National Association for
the Advancement of Colored People.
“Thus, the NAACP., in its annual
report on lynchings, deceives the Ne
gro masses as to the extent of the
present terrible wave of lynch-terror.
“A startling report of the extent
and nature of this lynch-terror was
released some weeks ago by the
League of Struggle for Negro Rights,
[n this report, the LSNR. warned the
Negro masses, and the militant white
workers, that every effort would be
made by the reformist organizations
to bring down the true total of lynch
ings, to deny the lynch.character of
certain murders because in the lynch
crowds was a sheriff or deputy. That
this warning was justified it’s shown
conclusively in the annual report of
the NAACP. ntaional office.
“Here are some outstanding exam
ples of lynchings which the NAACP.
officials refuse to class as lynchings:
"A lynch-gang wiped out an entire
Negro family of seven in Senatobia,
Mississippi, in September. Accomp
anied by white men, women, and
children, Sheriff A. C. Williams in
faded the home of Judge Crawford,
in search of another Negro, Jesse
Williams.
“When Crawford said he knew
nothing of the whereabouts of Wil
liams, he was struck down and then
the wholesale killing of his family be
?an. The dead are Judge Crawford,
father; Annie Crawford, mother;
three sons, a daughter and a son-in
r i
law.
“The misleaders of the National
Association for tht. Advancement of
Colored People says that this outright
murder of an entire family by a lynch
gang was not a lynching.
“An organized murder ring to kill
Negro railway firemen was revealed
when five white men, arrested in
Jackson, Mississippi, admitted that
they were part of a group formed to
murder Negro employees. Cold-blood
ed attempts to murder Negro firemen
resulted in a reign of terror in the
South in 1932. Seven Negro were
killed from ambush. The murderers
were paid from a pool, on the basis of
$25 to $125, depending on the degree
of their accuracy in firing.
“The NAACP. misleaders say that
these cold-blooded murders were not
lynchings. i
“Why?
Whenever a lynching is reported,
the misleaders of the NAACP. get
into communication with government
officials in the state. If these white
government officials can show that
in the lynch-gang there was a man
with the silver badge of a sheriff, or
some other officer of the law, then
the national office of the NAACP. is
satisfied that the lynching was “of
ficial.” That lynching is then strick
en from the list.
KID CHOCOLATE MAKES
PILGRIMAGE TO SHRINE
OF VIRGIN deCARIDAD
Santiago, Cuba, (CNS) Kid Choco
late the featherweight champion is
reported to have made a vow, while
defending his title against Fidel La
Barba in New York last month, to
make a pilgrimage to the Cobre San.
tuary of the Virgin deCardad. In
fulfillment of this vow he appeared
here last week, and his identity being
discovered, police had to be called to
restore order among the crowd that
clamored to meet him.
WET PLEA OF VIRGIN ISLANDS
MEETS DISAPPROVAL IN
WASHINGTON
Washington, (CNS) Senator Hiram
Bingham, of Connecticut, chairman of
the Senate Territories Committee, ex
presses the opinion that the Virgin
Islands recent wet plea will fall on
deaf ears in Congress and that the
islands will have prohibition so long
as it exists in the United States.
Senator Bingham himself a “wet”
expressed the opinion upon being in
formed of the amendment by the Col.
onial Council at St. Thomas of the
local prohibition law and the adoption
of a petition to the American Con
gress, asking that the Virgin Islands
Ethel Waters-Whata Show!
The Brandeis Theatre Sunday night
January 8, 1933, was the setting for
that great show, “Rhapsody in Black”
featuring that Artist, Ethel Waters.
This show has been acclaimed by crit
ics as one of the greatest show of its
kind. It was featured on Broadway
for one year and ran in Chicago, six
months. The only thing that is to be
regretted is that it had only a one
night’s stand here in Omaha. The
house was packed and the show could
have easily stayed here four days and
played to a packed house at every
performance. *
Ethel Waters was supreme in ev
! ery number she gave and had to give
encores everytime she stepped on the
stage. She completely won the aud
ience as she does wherever she goes
Critics proclaim her as the greatest
artist of her line in the Negro race.
Special mention must also be given
to Avis Andrews and her singing of
“Dark Eyes”. This writer thinks
that in the very near future more
will be heard about this rising star.
Many thanks to the Manager of
The Brandies Theatre, Mr. Joy Sut
pen, for making it possible for O.
maha to see that much talked about
show. “Rhapsody in Black.”
be exempted from national dry laws.
Bingham said he was “quite con
fident the American people will not
be willing to grant more privileges
to inhabitants of their outliving lands
than they themselves possess.”
He said he did not expect to at
tempt to put into the new organic
law for the islands, which he intro
duced recently in the Senate on be-’
half of Gov. Pearson of the islands, a
section exempting the islands from
prohibition.
NORTH CAROLINA EDUCATOR
DIES
Franklinton, N. C. (CNS) Dr. John
A Savage, one of the outstanding
Negro educators of the South died at
his home here Sunday, January 1.
Dr. Savage was for the past 40
years principal of Albion Academy, a
Presbyterian school, located here and
is well known in educational circles in
this State and county.
Citizens Demand
Investigation in
Chain-gang System
LEADING GEORGIANS URGE IN.
VESTIGATION OF PRISON AND
CHAIN GANGS
Atlanta, Ga., (CNS) Alarmed at
the unsavory reputation the State of
Georgia is fast acquiring throughout
the civilized world, many leading
Georgians are outspoken for a full in
vestigation into penal camp tortures
and prison life generally throughout
the state.
Sixteen prominent Georgians have
joined in an appeal for a legislative
investigation into charges of cruelty
in Georgia prisons.
The request has been mailed to in
coming legislators. Photographs of
alleged torture of prisoners accom
panied the requests. The General As
sembly meets this week.
The committee requesting the in
vestigation says charges against the
State’s prison camps have been given
national publicity and are “serious
enough to jus'tify and demand an in
vestigation so vigorous and impartial
as to leave no doubt regarding the
facts and to provide an intelligent
basis for such reforms as may be
found necessary.” The committee says
it believes such an investigation “will
be of genuine service to the State and
to a multitude of its helpless wards.”
Some of Georgia’s leaders in relig
ious, educational, political and busi
ness life are members of the commit
tee and signed the request. They in.
elude:
Bishop W. N. Ainsworth of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, South;
Harvey Cox, president of Emory Un
iversity; W. F. Furry, president of
Shorter College, former Governor
Thomas W. Hardwick; Colonel A. R.
Lawton, vice president of the Central
of Georgia Railroad; Rabbi David
Marx, of Atlanta; Mrs. Cirlyn Moore,
Methodist Superintendent of Social
Service, and Mrs. K. T. Wleathersbee,
secretary Georgia Humane Society,
Atlanta.
Allegations against the Georgia
penal system, the committee says,
have been made by John L. Spivak,
author of "Georgia Nigger.” The com
mittee says Spivak "presents alleged
photostatic copies of official prison
records, indicating the use of double
shackles, racks, barrels and other
methods of torture.
“Until disproved, these allegations
constitute a basis for serious concern.’
**’Meantime national publicity re
garding them has brought the State
into disrepute.”
The Georgia Prison Commission
has denied allegations made by Spivak
in his book and charged that some
pictures used in the book were posed
for a fee.
DENVER MAN SELECTED AS
GOVERNOR’S MESSENGER
Young Denverite Selected For
Important Post
Governor Johnson Names Messenger
Harry Earle Polk, Jr.
Governor-elect Edwin C. Johnson,
of Colorado last week announced the
appointment of Harry Earle Polk, Jr.
to the important position as messen
ger to the Governor, beginning with
his inauguration on Tuesday January
10th. Mr. Polk has been active in
Democratic politics for the past sev
eral years. He is 27 years of age
and was bom in Denver, the son of
Mr. H. E. Polk, Sr, and Mrs, Lettie
M. Polk, pioneer citizens, who came
to Denver 35 years ago from Iowa.
Mr. Polk has been active in all civic
and social uplift programs in the
State. He was named head of the
department of physical education of
the newly erected Glenarm Branch
YMCA. in 1926.
t
EXPECTANT DEMOCRATS OF
LOUISVILLE SQUABBLE ABOUT
JOBS
Louisville, Ky. (CNS) Robert Me.
Bruder presidetn and Russell P. Lee,
executive secretary of the Young
Men’s Democratic Colored Club an
nounced that their club “has been a
roused by various ones outside of the
club that have anticipated a scheme
to make personal contacts regarding
political movements.”
In other words the club serves no
tice that if you were not on the Dem
ocratic band wagon in October last, it
is too late now to climb aboard.
THE LIFE REPLETE
by R. A. ADAMS
(The Literary Service Bureau)
#
Fill up the measure of your life—
with service let it be replete;
Be strong, amid the constant strife,
In victory or in defeat.
Fill up the measure of your eyes—
Fill them with deeds of helpfulness;
Be courageous, e’en tho appears
Ungrateful those you see to bless.
Fill up the measure of your days
For joy is bom of tasks well done;
The idler trust divine betrays,
And will repine, at setting sun.
FESTIVAL OPENS NEW $1,000,000
YMCA. BUILDING IN HARLEM
New York City, (CNS) The new
$1,000,000 twelve story YMCA. build,
ing on West 35th street has been op
ened to the public. A five day festi
val celebrated the opening.
The initial program centered about
the delivering of the keys, Edward P.
Corning, president of the Edward
Corning Company, builder of the
structure, which is the largest Negro
YMCA. in the world, handed the keys
to James C. Mackenzie, Jr.^ the archi
tect. who handed them to F. Louis
Slade, chairman of the genearl build
ing committee, and he handed them
to William Wortham, chairman of the
branch building committee, who in
turn handed them to Dr. Peyton F.
Anderson, chairman of the board of
managers.
Then the doors were thrown open
and the public invited to inspect the
building, which includes dining rooms
gymnasiumsr a barber shop, a chapel,
a cafeteria, social rooms, a little
theatre, 246 dormitory rooms, offices,
a motion picture outfit, a boys’ club
room, a tailor shop and lobbies. The
downstairs ceilings are of heavy
beamed wood, decorated with scenes
from the life of the Negro, first in
Africa and then in America.
ROARK BRADFORD’S “JOHN
HENRY” STORIES TO BE DRAM.
ATIZED IN RADIO SERIES
The American Negro’s folk legends
will be brought to radio in a new ser
ies of sustaining programs based c«n
Roark Bradford's famous story of
“John Henry” to be presented by the
Columbia Broadcasting System over
a nationwide network each Sunday
night beginning January 15th. The
program to be known as “John Henry
Black River Giant” will follow the ex
ploits of the fabulous strong-man of
the Mississippi country in dramatized
incidents from Bradford’s book. The
radio adaptation is being prepared by
Geraldine Garrick and Juano Hern
andez, creator of the role of “Crown”
in the New ark Theatre Guild’s pro
duction of “Porgy.”
The opening broadcast of “John
Henry” will be heard’from 8:00 to
8:15 p. m., Eastern Standard Time, on
Sunday, January 15th. The second
episode will be on the air from 8:45
to 9:00 p m. Eastern Standard Time,
the same evening. Each period will be
complete in itself.
John Henry will greet the radio
audience in the person of Mr. Hern
andez, while opposite him will be the
outstanding Negro actress of the A
merican theatre, Rose- McClendon.
Miss McClendon’s talents were hailed
by the critics when she played in
“Porgy”, “In Abraham's Bosom”,
“Deep River”, “Never No More", and
most recently in the Group Theatre’s
production of "The House of Connel
ly . Miss McClendon and Mr. Hern
andez, with a supporting cast of eight
players, will form the permanent
company for presenting “John Henry.'
The atmospheric musk accompany
ing the program will be selected from
authentk American Negro folk songs.
“Mississippi” an original composition
by Mr. Hernandez, who also directs
the music, will be woven through the
score. Original responsive chants
will break into the dialogue quite fre
quently.
HARLEM SURVEY SHOWS 64
PERCENT OF MEN JOBLESS
New York City, (CNS) A recent
survey taken in Harlem shows 64
per cent of the Negro male population
of the territory between St Nicholas
Avenue and the Harlem Raver and
125th and 149th streets, is without
work.
The Emergency Unemployment Re.
lief Committee, the New York Ur.
ban League and the Red Cross are
handling more than 1,000 applications
a day for food, clothing, transporta
tion South or employment.
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