Nebraska Newspapers

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THE OMAHA GUIDE
Published Every Saturday at 2418-20 Grant Street,
Omaha, Nebraska
Phones: WEbster 1617 or 1618
Entered as Second Class Matter March 16, 1927, at the Postoffice at
Omaha, Neb., underAct of Congress of March 3, 1879.
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION $2.00 PER YEAR
, Race prejudice must go. The Fatherhood of God and the Brother
hood of Man must prevail. These are the only principles which will
•tand the acid test of good.
All News Capy of Churches and all Organisations must be In our
office not later than 6s00 p. m. Monday for current issue. All Adver
tising Copy or Paid Articles not later than Wednesday noon, proceed
ing date of issue, to insure publication.
THE NEW CARS ARE OUT
l ast month <• immobile hows were lr 1<1 throughout, the
country
The new mis are more beautiful in design and finish than
evr before. They offer much in the way of improvements and
gadgets, heir power plants deliver staggering performance*—
you can pnjrli the throttl down and run up to eighty or ninety
m. ]). b. without trouble so far as the mechanics of vour cor
arc concerned, ,
However, the 'emphasis placed on speed lui.s been product
ive of one of the gravest national “troubles’’ Anuinifa has cvi r
known—the growing accident toll. And the driver who thinks
that seventy is safe because it seem* as slow as thirty used to
should think again.
Silent engine jxrformance won’t help if we encounter a ce
ment guard rail at a hjgli rate of speed. Kffortless steering
wont make a. head-on collision less destructive. Lack of vih'ra
tion won t Help flic undertaker patch u.s together after the wreck
ing crew gets tin* body out with blow torches.
But these modern cars are magnificent examples of safety
- engineering liliu-priilt safety. Brakes stop a hurtling ma
chine in amazingly short dii-tance, wt;tli;mi( sway or sjhock. All
at eel hodi s will take a lot of punishment without serious dam
age. Steering mechanisms are next to fool proof. And the tire
manufacturers have done their lift by reducing the blowout haz
ard to a minimum.
' et each year’s sat fey improvements have been followed by
more accidents and by more serious accidents, not less severe
accidents. Why! Because we, the motoring public! have over
flaftimated tin* safety factor of the new cam, just we have
overestimated the safety factor of wider, better surfaced high
ways. Til l cars and the roads have improved- and so we take
chances that load to disaster.
The new, super-performing cars arc out. Maybe you are
lucky enough to be able to buy one. Have a good time with it—
but treat it with respect and remember that 36,000 people die
and many limns more are inijuned and maimed on streets and
highways every year. Don’t add to that list.
1 ‘Only those who have followed the sad record of the rela
tions between the United States and the government* of the
countries to the south of us can really appreciate the epochal
divinge that President Roosvelt has brought to the inter-Ameri
can scene.’’
critics so far as the domestic policy is concerned—the United
critics so far as the domest policy is concerned—in the United
States News of November 30.
About all the average citizen knows about U. S. foreign pol
icy as related to the other countries in this hemisphere is that it
is governed by somtliing celebrated nnd vague called the Mon
roe Doctrine. Probably not ones citizen in a hundred could ac
curately tell you what the Monroe Doctrine provides. And prob
ably not one citizen in a hundred realizes that the Doctrine has
been virtually a dead letter for several years and, ns well, lias
caused a vast amount of unfriendly feeling toward this country
in the Republics to the south.
Briefly and roughly described, the Monroe Doctrine meant
that the United States would not permit any European govern
ment to take over territory in Latin Amrica—that the U. S
' would act as a “Big Brother’’ in protecting Latin American ter
ritorial rights as well as its own. This seemed fair enough—but
the Doctrine bad not been in effect long bfore discord arose.
More than a century ago, Brazil requested that the Doctrine, in
David fL|l'vfri£nlL’os wor^si “be made international, that it be
j J «ome a sort of offensive and defensive alliance in which all Lat
v countries should join with the United States in keeping Eu
- rope an armies and navies out of this part of the world..-.
i ns were similar requests made in
later years. ^ 1 * *
Consequently, the Latin Republics came to feel, rightly or
- wr»mvly. Uuii the LT. 3. gg » taking advantage of the Doctrine to
rule their countries. This feeling was strengthened by sending
ft M~tI.|Hmarines s*u|ii wlg«cer trouble appeared in n Latin Amer
1 f*k» u U *
^ -There are no marines in T.uPiiJ Agaric.a now—and it seems
Vldwftfnl-if t there ^p.ik. Jt is a curious fact that
. Wh TToqyej and Roo*evdlt took the initiative in yithdrawing
I'ftaf iifj'i ii!■ witnitiTiBlitn “U.
S. Jperialis: eposition
citizens
. .
■What is the result of all tliis, In eyes of mniny American
j Editor Warns Harlem In School Fight
Editor Fred R. Moore of the New York Acre, and Mrs. Moore
Photo shown Editor Fred Ii. Moore of the
New York Age, dean of Harlem editors, being
served tea by his wife, Mrs. Ida E. Moore. Ed
itor Moore, recently in an article headed “A
Dangerous Path ’ waitned Harlem in its current
fight against certain public school principals
as follows:
We are with the agitators one hundred per
cent whi >n they arc right, but when they veer
off at a tangent, it is time for us to call atten
tion to their faults. Hy continuing to rave and
fight against certain public school principals
in the school of Harlem the agitators are
building up a wall of color prejudice which if
allowed to continue unabated, will have wide
repercussions throughout the city. Just as the
Negro parents can agitate against white teach
ers, so can white parents agitate against Ne
gro teachers. Agitation on the basis of color
alone, conducted by Negroes, always reacts to
the Negro’s disfavor.
observers, tin* result will be a genuine feeling of friendship for
uis on the part of the Republics to the south—and there are
signs that such a feeling i<s now developing, though much sus
picion remains. There is also the hope Ihat, dormant trade will
be revived, and that by example the Western Hernia
sphere will show the world how nations can live without war,
settling their dfiJ’Tercnces by amicable conferences. Further
more, il is hoped that treaties wall be effected whereby Furntp
eati powers wishing war materials will find the raw material
markets of North and South America—the greatest in the world
-—firmly closed to them.
Mr. Roosevelt's speech at the recent Pan-American confer
ence is generally considered one of the host he has made—in it
he handled a delicate task well. Credit for the groundwork is
given to Secretary Hull, who has spent his public life working
quietly for peace, and for better commercial and diplomatic re
lations between powers.
_._
Business Week Inis published an interest chart showing the
business record state by state—comparing the first nine months
of 193(5 to the same period last year.
Biggest impovement in passenger motor car sales—38 per
cent—occurred in the Pacific Coast states, with the Mountain
group running a close second with 35 per cent. In commercial
car sales, however, the East South Central states were first
up 37 per cent, with second place shared by the East North Cen
tral and West South Central states—which showed an advance
of 31 per cent each.
The Middle Atlantic commonwealths led by far in heavy
construction, with an improvement of 121 per cent. Second
was the East South Central group, advancing 81 per cent.
Biggest gain in electric power output, 21 per cent, occur
red in the South Atlantic group, with the Mountain group sec
ond with 19 per cent.
Farm income gained most in New England, 23 per cent,
with the Mountain states, West North Central states and East
North Central states, all showing a 16 per cent jump.
Value of checks drawn*—one of the most accurate of busi
ngs barometers—increased 19 per cent in Pacific states, the
largest gain. Second with 18 per cehit were theh North Central
states.
Russians are imprisoning writers of bad scenarios. The old
lan was to send them to Hollywood.
RETREAT CUT OFF
She—I ought to leave you and go home to mother.
He (Angrily)—Well, why don't yout
She—I can't. She’s left father and is coming hree to live
with us. (Pathfinder)
Ask “Color” On Social
Security Blanks
New York. Dee. 19 (Cl—The
eleventh question on the application
for an account number under the
Social Security Act makes it man
datory that the color of the appli
cant, whether “white or Negro be
stated.”
47 ON HONOR ROLL AT
i MOREHOUSE COLLEGE j
Ga., Dec. 19 (C)—The]
li^mTannd'al scholarship honor roll
•f M 'roio'use college, announced
by|I*ie» B. R. Brazeal,
A'V'U^iucd IT ? :\!VH■ <. tn^n list
cd maintained an average J1 or
better.
Columbus Voice Has
Ninth Bir'hday
Columbus, O., Dec. 19 (C)—The
Columbus Voice, 385 Woodland ave
nue, Mrs. Florence W. Oakfield,
publisher, and Ernest J. Yancy, ed
itor, announced an expansion pro
gram as it passed its ninth year
last week.
SCORE 95 PER CENT IN
TREE PLANTING CONTEST
Biteley, Mich., Dec. 19 (C)—Com
pany 2694 of the CC camps won
first place in the second annual
tree planting contest in this state
with a score of 95 per cent. The
£>oys planted trees at top speed for
fifteen minutes.
FARM TENANCY
Only five states ranked below Ne
braska in the share of farm land
irul buildings owned by the farmers
>vho operated them in 1930, tables
made public recently by the U. S.
Bureau of Agricultural Economics
evealed.
The tables show that farm op
j raters in Nebraska owned but one
third or 33 per cent of the value of
he farms they were operating in
1.930. Maine farmers, at the other \
extreme, owned 77.7 per cent equity
In the farms they operated.
These figures were arrived at by j
counting out all farm tenants, who
naturally do not own any share, who
the farms they operate, and by
cotinting out the mortgage indebt
ness on land and buildings—since
that share really belongs to the
mortgage holder.
Cal A. Ward, regional director
of the Resettlement Administration,
blames high farm mortgage indebt
ness and the excessive number of
farm bankruptcies in the pain sta
tes since the war for a larger part
of the rapid growth in farm tenan
cy.
Farm tenants in Nebraska have
increased from 18 per cent of all
farmers in the stote in 1880 to 49
per cent in 1935. Only the south
has a large per cent of tenant-op
erated farms than the midwest, Mr.
Ward reports.
“Most of the Resettlement Ad
ministration’s programs are al
ready helping to combat the grow
ing farm tenancy evil by aiding
farmers to hold onto land and build
ings they now own, and helping
tenants get in position to buy the
land they are leasing,” he regional
director comments, “but we are con
fident the government can make
much more rapid progress in check
ing farm enancy the next few years
by giving this problem the special
attention it deserves.”
Mid-West Co-ops Have
Steady Growth
A period of steady frowth for
farmer’s cooperative organizations
in the middle west is foreseen by
J. H. Mason, president of the Oma
ha (Nebr.) Bank for Cooperatives.
Arriving in Washington for
a conference of cooperative bank
presidents at the central office of
the Farm Credit Administraion,
Mason declared the stage is set for
cooperative farm activities to surge
ahead.
“Cooperatives came through the
depression, with a comparatively
low number of failures,” he said.
“But more important is their will
ingness to head the danger signals
raised during the depression by re
organizing on a producer-member
basis and refinancing their debts
on a sound basis. These two strides
toward permanent growth are be
ing taken by large numbers of co
operatice ass’n. in Nebraska, Iowa,
South Dakota and Wyoming.”
Organized three years ago to pro
vide a credit service to farmers'
cooperativs in the four states, the
Omaha bank for Cooperatives now
has 204 outstanding for a total
j <>f $1,671,000, Mason reported.
White Women Study
American Negro
Singer Finds Eager Interest In
Accomplishments of Race
Little Rock, Ark., Dec. 19 (Spe
cial)—Will the influence of women,
white and colored, become a really
potent influence in improving rela
tionship and understanding be
tween the races ?
Etta Moien, who is on a concert
tour of the south during which she
has sung at ipoints in Mississippi,
Arkansas, Louiana, Alabama, Geor
gia, Flordia and North Caroina, and
has had one stimulating experience
after another, described an incident
to interviewers here this week
which would indicate that such a
possibility is not merely in the
realm of conecture.
The discussion leader of he. Wo
men’s Missionary Society of the
Methodist Episcopal church, south,
the most fashionable church in Lit
tle Rock, had called on Miss Moten
and presented a picture of her work,
detailing the changed outlook which
it had given her. The leader, Mrs.
Ozart, a daughter of the old aris
tocratic south, had attended a Mis
sionary Institute at which leaders of
several states were enrolled for
training in the study program to
be presented in their various chur
ches during the winter. Arriving,
she found that the subject to be
presented during the next six mon
ths was “The American Negro."
Feeling that the women of her
church would never be interested
in any such program, she protest
ed to the instructor that there was
nothing for her to learn about Ne
groes; her father had worked many
on his plantation in Mississippi, and
she knew all about them. Prevailed
upon, however, to remain for the
course, she became so amazed and
interested that she confessed to the
instructor before it was over that
she could scarcely wait to return
home and arrange for the formation
of the class in her church.
She found a ready response am
ong not all, but a majority of wo
men in the First church. They won
dered at their lack of knowledge of
these people who had always lived
right at their doors as the leader
posed to them such questions as;
■who wrote the first Negro sym-1
phony ? Who is Cluirles S. Johnson?
Where is Tuskegee? In what city
is Fisk university? What great
scientist has made many products
from the peanut and sweet pota
to.” They were eager to know more,
and asked for additional examina
tions and information of the same
type.
So Mrs. Corzart arranged a pro
gram which she invited several
Little Rock colored, people including
a group of college singers, college
president Gregg, and a housewife.
Learning Miss Moten was in Little
Rock, she had come to ask her if
she would come and talk with them.
Miss Moten went, and found a
packed lecture room full of the lead
ing women °f Little Rock including
members of the Daughters of the
American Revolution and Daugh
ters of the War of 1812 who had
been invited. Almost as gifted a
speaker as she is a singer, Miss
Moten told them about the accom
plishments of Negroes, paricularly
in music and the fine arts. She
sketched the careers and achieve
ments of Caterino Jarboro, Marian
Anderson, Florenc^j jOole-Talbert,
Lillian Evanti, James Weldon and
Rosamond Johnson, Harry Burleigh,
Hall Johnson, Eva Jessye, Dr. Du
bois, Dr. R. R. Moten, and Dr. F..
R Patterson..
The wave of interest was electric.
Expressions of appreciation were
profused. The wife of the editor of
the “Arkansas Gazette,” the leading
nwspaper of the section, drove her
to the “Gazette” office and to her
next appointment.
The foowing night, when Miss
M<>ten sang at Dunbar High School,
the women of the First church were
there in force and sent a gorgeous
basket of flowers.
“I admit,” said Miss Moten, "mat
more than ever before I am im
pressed with the possibilities which
lit before a better understanding
between the women of the white and
black groups. 1 hope our women,
particularly those who are trained
and have a message which may be
serviceable but who frequently are
as reserved in approaching or be
coming interested in whites as they
are in us, will embrace every op
portunity to cultivate greater ap
preciation on their part. After all,
we are all just women under the
skin, and if tolerance, a community
of interest can be developed, who
can tell what rewards it may bring,
economically and spiritually for our
whole group, and indeed our com
| m'>n country.
KELLY MILLER
SAYS
DEPARTMENT OF THE NEGRO
FROM THE CIVlL SERVICE
Both political parties in the re
cent -campaign avowed their devo
tion to the principle of Civil Ser
vice reform. Governor Landon in
jected the issue before accepting
the platform as drawn up by his
party. Not to be outdone, President
Roosevelt forthwith extended the
Civil Service so as to include post
master of lower lank and grade.
The Civil Service Reform League
has been aroused to renewed inter
est and activity touching this great
reform which it inaugurated more
than fifty years ago.
It is probably not the conscious
ness of the President, the Congress
or of the Civil Service Reform Lea
gue that its principles are vitiat
ed when applied to the Negro race.
For years I have individually tried
my best through the press and di
rect correspondence, to impress up
on these dignitaries how this law
breaks down when applied to citi
zens of color. It would seem that I
have failed utterly. It is difficult to
impress upon public consciousness
a matter about which it does not
desire to be reminded.
Several years ago I had an im
portant conference with the then
Civil Service Commissioner, ex
Govemor Campbell. He frankly told
me that the colored applicant did
not have the ghost of a chance of
appointment to clerical service ex
cept in certain segregated assign
ments. He expressed his full appre
ciation of the injustice to the race.
The responsibility, he ecared, does
not lodge with the Civil Service
Commission itself, which grades all
applicants fairly, and certifies them
according to their standing; but
when the case comes before the ap
pointing officer, there is the rub.
These appointing officers are giv
en certain discretions by the law
to select among the names submit
ted or they may reject the entire
list. The identity of the applicant
must be known to the appointing
’ffieer else he would be deprived of
discretion, which it appears, the
law intends he should have.
The exchange of fingerprints for
photographs would be of little bene
fit for the colored applicant since
his identity must be established.
The introduction of photographs as
a means of indentification was for
the purpose of preventing the fraud
of substituted names. The Civil
Service Commission advised me
some year ago that the substitution
of fingerprints for photographs
would be a very expensive proce
dure reuiring the Commission to
maintain fingerprint experts where
ever a Civil Service examination is
held.
The control of the departments
of the government is placed in the
hands of the President by the Con
stitution. He has full authority over
the entire Civil Service machinery.
If the miatter of basic injustice to
the colored rare can be cearly im
pressed upon his mind, there is not
the slightest doubt that he would
find some remedy either in the mod
ification of the law or in its enforce
ment.
Now is the stragetic time for the
colored race to unite in some ef
fective method of impressing this
injustice upon members of Congress
and upon the President in such
manner that they will be constrain
ed to grant he colored applicant
fair play or stultify the good name
of the government. To invite the
colored applicants to Civil Service
examination and then to cheat him
out of his justly earned reward
would be condemned by gamblers.
Surely the Federal Government can
not be guided by a lower standard
of ethics.
Congressman Mitchell has ex
pressed his purpose of introducing
a bill in Congress to substitute fin
gerprints for photographs as means
of identifying Civil Service appli
cants. As stated above this would
do little or no good. But as the lead
er of the race political character as
a civic an political character as
well as individuals who have the
ear of public officials by their act
ivity in the last campaign, should
fall behind Congressman Mitchell,
uphold his hand, and suggest modi
fications and strengthening of the
bill which he intends, to introduce
that it will accomplish the purpose
intended
(I hardly think that any measure ^
can be presented to the incoming ad
ministration which is more feasible
and more likely of accomplishment
than this. Here is a measure upon
which all Negroes can and should
unite.
Kelly Miller
v