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~ THE OMAHA GUIDE
Published Every' Saturday at 2418-20 Grant Street,
Omaha. Nebraska
Phones: WEbster 1517 or 1518
Rntei • Matter March IB, 1927, at the Postoffice at
Omaha. Neb., underAet of Conjjreaa of March 3, 1879.
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION S2.00 PER YEAR
Rare prejudice must go. The Fatherhood of God and the Brother*
4 hood of Man must prevail. These are the only principles which will
a itand the acid test of good.
All News Copy of Churches and all Organisations must ho in our
>f affice not later than 5:00 p, m. Monday for current issue. All Adver
* tising Copy or Paid Articles not later than Wednesday noon, preceed
*, ing date of issue, to insure publication.
• The np i *icities are household words around fir
j work1 N<" V,„ l< I nn '(in, San Francisco, Paris, Shu-ffha'. To
; mil! inns o' 1 they arc synonymouf, with the names of the
eout't' i'". in '■•' ich they arc located.
No w„rl«! "ort, however, has ever seen so radical a geograph
ieal chai. in its harbor as San Francisco, From the Mark Hop
kins hotel, that favorite ohs1 nation point in the City of Seven
i Hills, one now looks down over San Francisco Hay and secs
the two (.Tautest traffic bridges in tin* world across u harbor in
which the halt! -ship fleets of several nations could onehor with
out, disturbuig comm rcial traffic. If the Empire State building
f had, been erected in the middle of New York harbor tlm change
M. woflJd t (it have been as startling.
rlf a subterranean upheaval had raised an island in the mid
dle of San Francisco Hay it would not have caused as marked a
! change in the landscape as have the activitiih of man in three
. qhort years.
The San Francisco bridges add new pinnacles to a harbor
whose city is noted for the seven hills on which it is built. Now d
world landmarks have been created.
YOU CAN’T OUT AWAY WITH IT
Fake accident racketeers are an ins-dious threat U> every
honest business and individual.s Fortunately, agencies of jus
tice are bringing them to hook and can continue to do the same
with your help. The following is one of the articles describing
some of the tricks of the racketeers Whowing that these tricks
do not work against organized business. Which out .for them
. yourself.
) TRICK WRIST ARTIST
George C. Blank is remembered by those whose job it is to
expose fraudlent accident claims because lie yas clever and be
cause he was so hard to catch. Georgio lpd two dozen surname
aliases hut invtriahly these were preceded by “George C.' a
fact that helped considerably in cheeking up on his activities.
It is not d if feu It. to find something to trip on in a depart
ment store, as George C. did, a hole in a. rug, a banana pool, a
shoe salesman’s stool, a toy.
George C.’s face would contort in agony as he dangled his
swollen wrist. A doctor would examine the wrist, say it seemed
to Ire broken. When he suggested an X-ray was necessary, he
• would say he was leaving town immediately and that his family
physician would take care of him. He would add he was going
to sue the store. The manager, anxious to close the matter and
avoid publicity, would settle on the spot for a substantial pern.
The injured George C. would he. amenable to reason, pocket the
money, and go his way. This happened in many cities in tin
East, South and Middle West.
Finally the authorities, with the aid of the relentless under
cover work of the Tndex Bureau System maintained by the Na
tional Bureau of Casualty and Surety Underwriters, found liis
trail. There were, it appeared, a suspiciously large number of
left wrists being broken in places like department stores hv men
whose name began with George 0., all answering to the same de
scription.
George C.. breaking that, wrist with monotonous regularity,
. was about two steps ahead of his pursuers. An alarm went out,
that hie was heading South ngain. In Charlotte, North Carolina,
a description of him was sent, to all public buildings. Sure eniugh
in a few days, a man named George C. Blank fell in the fow*r
of a Charlotte hotel and injured his wrist. They had only to as
certain that, there wall a scar on the back of liis neck, anl they
knew they had their man.
The wrist, lie admitted, had been broken years before when
be fell from a horse. Since then, he had been able to snap it out
•f position at will. The swelling heprodueed by applying a tour
niquet to his forearm the morning he planned a “flop. ’
George C. was sentenced to seven years in prison, and add
ed his voice to the chorus of those who now admit ‘You canxt
get away with it.’’
THE ELECTRIC HORSE NEEDS HELP
Laboring under misunderstandings and political attacks foi
the past decade, the private electric industry of the United
States has never lost heart.
It has kept up its properties, added to generating capacitj
in advance of all needs of the nation, improved sKn-rice and con
tanually trying to adjust itself to the rules and regulations heap
«d upon it.
It has not shirked in its respoifcibility to serve the people
in the face of a prolonged and aggressive campaign of severa
years duration, to establish public ownership of electric powe:
development as a national, state or municipal policy.
Hundreds of thousands of good American citizens liav
invested billions of dollars of savings in this industry which ha
given our country more of the advantages which can come onl
I from wiit -spread electrical development, than are enjoyed by
j any other nation.
And this has all lueen brought about in the face of obstacles
that would have discouraged anything but the pioneering spirit
j of American initiative anil enterprise.
The industry now fares another gigantic electrical develop
ment program. It is again preparing to mret its obligation to ren
der service and take up the load demand.
While doing tliis it is trying to adjust itself to new state
laws, regulations, taxes, federal laws and a national policy
icy of government competition that might well discourage the
strongest heart.
The situation reminds one of the picture used so many years
las a symbol oil humane publications—it showed a willing horse
I struggling to the point of exhaustion with a gigantic load while
its mnst. r stood by beating it with a blaeksnake whip.
The electric industry, like the horse, is one of mankind’s
most faithful servants. It hals had its faults and, like the w'ild
horse, it has had to h curbed and trained.
I iif the political policy adopted against it reminds one of
the heartless master heating to death his faithful s rvant.
Wouldn’t a national policy of understanding and coopera
tion get greater r -nits for all concerned than a blaeksnake
whip ?
IN YOUR INTEREST
In a recent address, M. W. Clement, President of tin? Penn
sylvania Railroad, said: “If the American railroads can now—
and I am sure they can—gvt equality of treatment with other
lines of industry before the court of the people, and he given ^
the same opportunities as those industries, under the laws and
regulations of those bodies created by the people to regulate
the conduct of their business, and if th!ny are permitted to give
rein to their vision and their inventive genius..they will com
tinu/c on to greater things. They will work out their own salvav
tion and perform a great part in rehabilitation of this country
as it comes out of the depression, gfiving the people better serv
ice than they ever had before at low rates.’’
This same view is held by other railroad-officials. Morp im-.
portant, it is held by a preponderant percentage of unprejudiced
economists and analysts who have considered railroad problems
not only in relation to railroad service but in relation to its
influence on the general economic scheme of things as well. If
congress created a railroad policy which would guarantee the
lines equitable treatment at the hands of the law and regulatory
agencies, there is no question hut what they would embark on a
vast improvement and expansion program. Millions of dollars
would he spent for metals, fuel, concrete, timber products—al
most. everything that American industry produces. An untold
number of jobs would he created, and our still Vast unemploy
ment rolls would decline.
We can forget the railroads’ self interest and thisk only of
our own interest—of the interest of all people and all business—
in a policy that would invigorate our greatest single industry.
Then we will understand why fair treatment for the rails is one
of the most vital needs of the times.
“A junk shop near a railroad crossing in Denver carries a
sign with this hint to the motorist,: ‘Go ahead; take a chance.
Wo’ll buy the ear.’ ’’—-From the Boston Transcript.
THAT BROKEN STEERING GEAR
You commonly see news items such ns: John Jones was
c'harged with reek I ss driving following a collision between his
car and another vehicle. Jones stated that, his steering gear
failed. Both cars were badly wrecked-, the occupants sustaining
minor injuries.’’ Sometimes the item has a grimmer sound, when
people are badly injured or killed. But the “broken steering
iear’’ is one of the commonest defenses put up by drivers re
sponsible for accidents—and, curiously enough, the more influ
ential the driver, the oftener it is used.
As a matter of fact, it is doubtful if any part of a modern
motor ear is structurally stronger than the steering gear. Ex
haustive tests by manufacturers showing that real steering gear
failures are practically unknown. But John Jones is always hav
ing them.
Maybe he is drunk and weaving his way home when the
crash comes. He sees that the front end of his ea,r is completely
mangled—and so he call|s upon the ghost of his steering gear
which “broke’’ for some reason just as he was making the turn.
Maybe he wafe speeding on a slick pavement find went into a
ski^,—well, the steering gear is blamed again, it can’t talk back !
It is time we stopped listening to the steering gear alibi and
similar ones which are false 999 times out of 1,000. John Jones
may escape jail—but the fact remains that some 35,000 people
are being killed each year in preventable accident. The reck
less and incompetent motorists must be punished and their ali
bis laughed out of court, if that ghasttly toll is to be curbed.
The Union Pacific Railroad has announced that it will
spend $8,000,01H) for new engines, new passenger cars, addi
tional fleet of automobile freight carjs, and the air-conditioning,
re-equipment and modernization of other passenger cars. This
supplements an extensive program which hah been carried on
during 1936. Contract has already been let for twenty high
speed freight and passenger engines to cost $3,000,000. Bids are
. now being taken for forty new passenger coaches and five cof
l fee shop type dining cars. Three hundred automobile cars of rec
ord capacity will be built at the system’s shop in Omaha. The air
’ conditioning and modernization phase of the project has started
- and several hundred additional workers employ*d'.
Here is real industrial progresls—the kind of progress that
provides employment, stimulates a multitude of othe industries
, through purchases, creates real productive wealth and taxable
I income and, finally, improves the standards of a vital public
r service. It is emblematic of the kind of progress being made by
other railroads as well.
b And this money is being spent in the face of the fact that
s the fact that the railroad industry has a long way to go before
y it can operate on a generally profitable basis. It is true that both
r jnger and freight traffic are increasing—it is also true that
I the lines as a whole are doing a little better than breaking even,
larg ly because of our inequitable transport policy that favors
t other cariers at thei expense. Think of the millionb that would
1 be spent if we cr. ated a policy that gave the railroads a1 fair
. competitive break and plae e them on an even regulatory basis
.'with their competitors!
,! Seven per cent of the world’s population is in the United
Stubs. This seven percent consumes half of the world s coffee,
three-fourths of the world’s silk, two-thirds of the world’s crude
oil and has more purchasing power than all the people of Eu
' rope. And yet our citizens are continually told that the American
system has broken down. Strange breakdown!
KELLY MILLER
SAYS
IS THE SOUTH IN THE
SADDLE?
For a generation succeeding
the (U-vil War t'he national tri
umph of the Democratic Party
was dreaded on the ground that
it would place the South in the
saddle arid give predominance
to the proslavery element that
once sought to destroy the Un
ion. Although the administra
tions of Grover Cleveland, Wil
son and Franklin D. Roosevelt
demonstrated the groundless
ness of this fear, still it consti
tuted the chief reliance of Ne
gro Republilan spellbinders to
hold the colored race to its for
mer allegiance during the last
campaign. The triumphant vic
tory of the New Deal in the
last three elections puts an end
forever to this apprehension.
The sixteen Southern states,
by virtue of their political soli
darity as a bloc in the Federal
Congress, possessed an effect
iveness which blocs always ex
ercise. Because the Southern
states were In the habit of con
tinuing their representatives in
Congress instead of shifting
them frequently as the North
ern states do. Southern Con
gressmen and Senators were
promoted to the headship of the
principal committees by virtue
of their seniority. This long
evity gave them undue promi
nence in legislative procedure.
Under the New Deal the
South no longer sits in the sal
dle. The Democratic vote in the
more powerful Northern and
Western Spates relegates the
South to a subordinate place in
congress as it is in the country.
President Roosevelt carried
46 out of 48 states in the last
election, overtopping his oppon
ent by more than a ten million
majority. If every one of the
16 Southern states had voted
against him, his election would
have been brilliantly victorious.
The Democratic majority in
both House and Senate far ex
ceeds the margin of the South
ern contingent. If every South
ern Democrat in both House
and Senate should oppose the
policies of the party, there is
still a sufficient majority of the
Northern and Western repre
sentatives to assure their tri
umph.
The New Deal has national
ized the Democratic party and
made it absolutely independent
of any class or section of the
country. This should bring as
surance and satisfaction to the
Negro voter. The South no long
er has the power, even if it has
the disposition, either to enact
unfriendly legislation or to suc
cessfully oppose friendly mea
sures espoused by the more lib
eral-minded North and West.
One practical result will in
evitably flow from this unhors
ing of the Southern rider ai
master of the Democratic party
The Negro spellbinders in fu
tune elections can no longei
hope to frighten the race int<
support of a decadent party bj
holding up the bugbear of th<
South’s domination over the na
tion and the Negro. My gooc
friend, the Hon. Perry W. How
ard, and his forlorn follower:
will have to devise more logica
DOCTOR GIVES FAGTS
ON MATERNAL MORTAL
ITY IN BIRMINGHAM
Birmingham, Dec. 12 (ANP)—
In the course of a radio address de
ivered recently over Station WSGN,
Dr. P. S. Moten, noted physician and
civic leader spoke of the high death
rate among expectant colored mo
thers in the south and made special
reference to the appalling conditions
prevalent in Birmingham. Declared
the doctor:
“According to the most recent
figures available, (1934), Alaba
ma ranks fi'i'h among the 48
states of the Union in maternal
mortality. A five-year study (1929
to 1934), of 15 typical cities of
the United States of 100,000 or
more population, places Birming
ham fifth from the highest in
death from this cause (childbirth)
To live in Alabama as a practc
ing obstetrician and not feel the
chagrin, shame and humiliation
of such a condition would be to
repudiate the high calling of one’s
profession.
“Dr. George A. Dennison, in a
report made in 1933, shows the
relation between the maternal
mortality rates of the white and
black races. He said: ‘Mortality
rates among colored are higher
for all causes and their total rate
averages about 75 per cent high
er than the white. The excessive
death rate seems most likely due
to their greater lack of educa
tion, poor medical and confine
ment care, prevalence of venereal
diseases, and possibly the greater
greater frequency of contracted
pelvis due to rickets.”
Dr. Moten continued: “In my
opinion he direct cause is the
lack of facilities to educate, and
hospitals where adequate medi
al and confinement care may be
given. That is what. tht. Negro
stands most In need of in the
south today. Over-crowded and in
adequate provisions in our pre
sent hospitals do not permit ex
pectant mothers to receive this
much needed help. There are cas
es where colored expectant mo
thers, after having been sent
home from the County hospital
because there was no room in the
“Inn,” woul be forced to stop and
give birth to babies on the side
walks.
“I, therefore, recommend to
the National Medical Ass’n. that
they encourage Negro doctors
throughout the country to take
a definite stand against this
shameful record— We have en
ough educated people in the south
who could become a force power
ful enough to compensate for the
small per cent of illiterate among
our expectant mothers, and by
establishing Maternity homes, en
courage and support Negro doc
tors in their efforts to change
this handicap which will forever
hold any race down.”
Seek To Limit Native
Driving In So. Africa
Capetown, South Africa, Dec. 12
(ANP)—The United Party, the
controlling political group in South
Africa at this time passed a resol
ution at its congress in Bloemfon
tein recently, seeking to prohibit
natives from driving European
owned motor cars. This resolution
will undoubtedly be introduced in
to Parliment at the next session.
Due to unemployment natives are
being forced out of every kind of
labor except that paid in the very
lowest brackets and whites inte
grated into jobs formerly held by
blacks. When the native bills were
discussed some time ago by the
prime minister, General Hertzog
he laid stress on the fact that na
tives had nothing to fear. The
Dutch English combination in char
ge of the Parlimenlt is said, how
ever, to be squeezing the native at
every opfportunity.
and up-to-date appeal to hold
the Negro voter in line in 1940,
to replace the scarecrow upon
which they have relied for fully
a generation.
Kelly Miller
Carl Von Ossietzky
Is Winner of Nobel
Peace Prize
“As a prisoner for the cause of
freedom I would serve the struggle
for peace better than as a free
man outside of Germany.”
This expression of anti-Fascist
would be noteworthy no matter who
said it, but it means more when it
comes from Carl von Ossietzky,
prisoner in Nazi-land since Febru
ary, 1933, according to a statement
issued by the Amercian League
Against War and Fascism.
A few’ days ago von Ossietzky, still
in a prison-h<’spital in Berlin, was
awarded the Nobel Peace prize.
Hitler and his cohorts were enraged
that this honor should have been
accorded to one whom they des
cribe as a ‘“raior who’had been
condemned by the supreme tribunal
of his land.” It is a significant
commentary on the cultural and pol
itical level of the German Nazis
that they characterize him a trait
or for exactly the same reason
that made him a candidate for the
highest distinction in the modern
world. The New York Post writes
that “peace prizes established by
repentant munitions makers are
tawdry beside such a man.”
Who is this man who the Nazis
hate and fear and who is honored
wherever civilized people are gath
ered ?
As editor of “Die Weltbune” Carl
von Ossietzky upheld the common
interests of all nations and fought
for general disarmament as the sur
est wty to permanent peace. He
also demanded that the munitions
industries should be taken brer by
the states.
In 1931 his attacks upon the de
veopment of a German military air
force brought him imprisonment
from which he was released shortly
before Hitler came into power. Im
mediately after the incendiary burn
ing of the Reichstag he was re-ar
rested and since that time has re
mained in various concentration
camps. The significance of such im
prisonment is well known.
He declined the suggestion made
to him to flee before he was im
prisoned, because he considered it
unworthy to speak from a safe re
treat without opportunity of being
beard. He answered with indigna
tion the question put to him by an
English friend whether, if liberat
ed. he would lend his pen to the
Hitler party.
WEST COAST STUDENTS
DISCUSS CONDITIONS IN
CHINA—LATIN AMERICA
Santa Cruz, Calif., Dec. 12
(ANP)—The Student Institute of
Pacific Relations met here Nov.
26-29, for the purpose of promoting
a better understanding of the peo
ple of the Pacific area. The Instit
ute was founded in 1926 by a group
of men and women from the uni
versities of Stanford and Californ
ia, and every year since that time
students of every race and national
ity have met during the Thanks
giving holidays to consider the eco
nomic, political, national and cul
tural adjustments which will de
termine the direction of the new
Pacific civilization.
Texas Press Group
Pledges Cooperation
Dallas, Dec. 12 ( ANP)—Pledging
themselves to greater co-operation J
during the year, editors and staff
members of several newspapers of
the state met in an interesting ses
sion of the Texas Negro Press as
sociation, which convened along
with the Colored teachers state as
sociation, Nov. 26-28.
,
Interest Article
'
There are over 14,000 Ne
(
groes in Omaha. Among them
the most popular businesses
are places which promote
mostly adult recreation, or
accept the younger set be
cause of the extra money
that they contribute to the
business.
What Omaha needs to off
set this form of stagnant so
ciety is a place which will
give wholesome recreation,
worthwhile employment, and
create a much more dynamic
ii
social activity.
Why not form a Y.M.C.A., ^
one of the most urgent and
influential forms of higher
recreation and worth-having
organizations there ist
Let us think deeply on
such an idea.
Submitted By W. L.
~ V