,
THE OMAHA GUIDE
Published Every Saturday at 2418-20 Grant Street,
Omaha, Nebraska
Phones: WEbster 1517 or 1518
Entered a7 Second Class Matter March 15. 1927. at the Postoffice at
Omaha, Neb., underAct of Congress of March 3, 1879.
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Race prejadice 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 Copy of Churches and nil Organizations must be in our
iffice not later tnan 6:00 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.
('nidieil Atseriiaiis do lots of wishful thinking. They find
tliems.Jlves in hot \va er and Mo often on the ’turns of dilema,
that they like to imagine things are going to he <). K.—in spite
of all natural laws. Some are pretending to hopp that lingo
Black is going to change his fundamental character after near
Jy half a century: tliat is .hey expect Judge Black to do some
thing no other man tins ever done. Hugo Black joined the Ku
Klux Klan wuen lie was a, matih* man, 36 years old, 16 years
out of college, and often he had held various public, offices,
tfluit is, lie knew what it was all about and joshed knowingly
and ddliberatoly. I. was his character, lie may alter his tac
tics on occasion, hut lie cannot change hischaracter now, even
if he should vote to give Hie Scottsboro boys U break, wh.m
their ease Pomes befoiP the Supreme Court, it will be only a
Tacticrsjl gesture, to justify the greater d.eviltry of voting later
against Negro suffrage and equal citizenship rights and of
keeping him chained by inferior education and segregation.
But why take my word for it ? Why not take Black s own
words? Here’s what Black himself said on Feb. 19, 1930, when
lii' was arguing in the Senate against the possibility that some
other man could change his character.
“] do not mean that, as an invariable rule, a man is so
bent or has su<h „ triend that lie cannot alter his metih,
od of thought, but I do mean to say that as a general rule a
man follows in ih.e future the course ho has followed i/i past.
Show me the kind of steps a man made in the sand five years
ago, and 1 will show you the kind of s V-ps he isj likely to make
in the same sand five years hmieo. Show me tii.o courap Le was
pursuing then, and, unloss there lias been a cataclysm, lliat
has absolutely .hanged his character, 1 will show you a course
lie is going to follow' in the future. It is merely according to
the law of nature. It is written on the human heart. It is in
scribed on the tablets of the external government!-the gov
ernment of nature.”
So Senator Black1 agreed with us in 1930 that a man will
wot change fundamentally. Senat.tr Black of 1930 and Judge
Black of 1937 are the same person.
MEDDLERS
(By William Henry Huff for A. N. P.)
They planted weeds among the flowers,
Those crude and ugly weeds;
They poured the|r venlom ou)t in| sihoiweHs,
And reveled in their deeds.
Tliey tried to turn sweet love to hate:
Why would they do sudh thing?
But Providence will compensate*
Swift vengaulee will lie bring.
They took' the truth and twisted it,
If twist it will or bend;
They tried so hard to make it fit
Their base and evil end.
They sprinkled tares among the grain,
Its progress to impede,
But, after all, what will tiiey gain,
If all these tilings succeed
EDITORIAL OF THE WEEK
MOBS AND MEN from tjhe New1 York World Telegram
Recently near Fort Walton, Fla., a group of aimed and
hooded men stopped a sheriff, seized his 30 year old Negro
prisoner on the eva of his trial pud riddled him with buck
shot. It was Florida’s 3rd, and the South's 8th lynching this
year. From Villa Rica, (la., comes another kind of story.
Three men—one white and two blark—were in a railroad
lank thirty feet deep, painting the walls witjh tor. Suddenly
there was a crackle of flame which spread rapidly. A narrow
one man ladder led to the top of the tank and safety. F. L.
Hill, w|hjte foreman for the Soiuhern railroad, stood back and
ordered bis Negro assistants up the ladder. They got out
without injury. Foreman Hill was overcome by fumes and
burned to death.
There is a vast difference between men in mobs and as
individuals . As mobs they are emotional, brutal, cowardly;
as individuals they act like F. L. Hill, hero.
That is why our country must have anti lynching and oth
«r laws to punish mob anarchy. If ever this democracy is des
troyed it will be by mobs.
Economic Review
President Roosevelt's speech on
world affairs, in which he castigat
ed dictatorships and proposed a
virtual quarantine of bellicose
powers, is perhaps the most im
portant international event of many
months. It was greeted with almost
unanimous praise in this country,
by papers of all political affilia
tions. It charted a definite course
which this government is apparent
ly prepared to follow. It was direct,
aggressive and, for the head of the
government, extremely daring. In
the view of the experts, it is be
lieved certain that the British and
possibly the French foreign offices
were consulted before the speech
was made, and that the plan of I
action laid down by the President |
is approved by the three, great dem
ocrneies of the world.
Mr. Roosevelt’s suggestion is as
simple as it is revolutionary. In ef
feet, he said that it might be. nec
essary to place a towering commer
cial wall around the nations which
are responsible for today’s war
scares and war prospects. Peaceful j
nations would ret use to export to
the.so countries, and they would
not import from them. Little tjy
little, as supplies on hand dwindled,
the belligerent powers would find
themselves lacking in the raw and
finished materials which are essen- i
tial to life both in peace and in I
war. Thus, faced with want and
privation, they would find it im
possible to pursue their dreams of
conquest.
The president did not mention
any country by name. But it was
obvious that he was referring to
three powers: Japan, Italy, Ger
many. Italy has taken over Abys
sinia, in disregard of all treaties,
by nrnigd force. Japan is attempt
ing to achieve a similar victory in
rich North China. And Germany
with Hitler ns its spokesman makes
no secret of the fact that it regards
colonial expansion as essential.
The world effect of such a de
claration of potenial policy would
have been nowhere near as great
had it come from tho head of any
other country. We are remote from
all other major powers. We are
peacefully inclined. We are one of
the two nations which nre economi
cally self contained-that is,
which possess within their territor
ial borders the resources needed to
provide every necessity and most
of the luxuries of modern life. And,
for the past few years, we have
been the great question mark in
international affairs—we have mov
ed slowly, said little and have, kept
aloof from participation in world
events.
The President’s attitude, rough
ly described, is that we could not
escape being involved in a major
war, that we must therefore coop
rate to prevent war. He gave ap
proval to American cooperation
with the League of Nations—
which, significantly, is shunned by
Germany, Italy and Japan. Out of
this has come the belief that in the
immediate future the world will be
divided into two camps—the demo
cracies and the dictatorships. On
the side of the democracies there
will also be the only dictatorship
Calvin’s Digest §
By Floyd J, Calvin (j
Klansman Back
It is no longer Mr, Justice Black
It is Klansman Black!
“Justice” Black and “Klansman”
Black are not harmonious terms,
and since Mr. Black himself as
serted over the radio, ‘ I joined the
Klan,” there is no doubt about who
he is.
Klansman Black has been loaded
down with a Catholic secretary, a
Jewish law clerk, and a colored
messenger. No matter. All waters
of the Atlantic and the Pacific can
not wash away his oath to Ku Klux
terrorism, taken after he reached
his majority. Had Mr. Black been
charged with something for which
ho was not responsible, there might
be some room for a charitable at
titude toward him, but such is not
the case.
Of course Mr. Black now says,
he is not in sympathy with the*
Klan. A great many people would
drop the Ku Klux Klan, and many
other ties and affiliations, if by so
doing they might win grtteter ap
probation from their fellows, not
to mention important salary in
creases.
It is now eight Supreme. Court
Justices, and one Klansman. We’re
sorry.
U. G. E. Anniversary
The first anniversary of the Un
ited Government Employees is soon
to be appropriately celebrated, and
on the record, there is something
to celebrate for. This organization
has accomplished the remarkable
feat of getting “more than $200,
000 in pay increases for low paid
government employees” of the Cap
itol, War and Interior departments.
Also, “in New York, Chicago and
Baltimore the UGE gained per
manent Civil Service appointments
for 70 colored clerks with the Social
which is economically self suffici
ent—Russia.
The strengath of an alliance be
tween the democracies of U. S. S.
I!, is impossible to exaggerate.
From either economic or military
standpoint, they are immensely su- (
perior to the dictatorships. Japan
Italy and Grmany must importe
tremendous quantities of the basic
commodities in order to exist. They
must export their own specialities,
such as silk and olive oil and wine,
in order to obtain foreign credits.
Close the world’s markets to them,
and at the same time forbid them
to buy in democracies, and they
would be ruined. And, should they
elect to fight, every recognized mil
itary expert is certain that they
would be doomed to quick and
crushing defeat. The U. S. and
England have the greatest navies
afloat. Russia the largest and best
equipped standing army in the
world. The dictatorships have no
thing to match these instruments
of force.
Summing up, a union of the de
mocracies is designed to achieve
two ends. One, to maintain peace.
Second, if that fails, to make sure
that the ensuing war will be swift
and ruinous to the dictatorships.
Vummaz.
Mf KINNEY
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Security Board.”
In the investigations which pre
ceded the actual granting of pay
increases to the lowest paid group
of government workers, it was dis
covered that some had served the
government for 34 years without
an increase. Other classes of work
ers, which are better organized,
have secured increase after increa
se. But not so the class which
needed it most.
The UGE, Edgar G. Brown, pre
sident, stands for a SI,500 minimum
wage for all government employees
in the Federal and Districct of Col
umbia service; equal pay for the
same work regardless of race,
crd d or color; and appointment of
a Negro to an administrative post
in the U. S. Civil Service Commis
sion.
The UGE is doing a fine job of
education among a class of our
people who need it badly. They hold
regular meetings every Friday
night and every third Sunday af
ternoon, where labor questions and
issues are discussed, and the work
ers are kept informed on their con
dition, and their relation to other
workers in the changing labor sit
uation.
Quite properly, the UGE quotes
Congressman Glenn Griswold of
Indiana, in its campaign for an
enlarged membership, as follows:
“Whateverclass you are in, get into
an organigation and stay there.
Unless you do, you are not carry
ing your share of the responsibility.
These organizations cost money to
mainain and operate. The cost is
neglible in comparison to the bene
fits derived by the workers. You
want to carry your own responsi
bility and bear own your own bur
den of expense. If you are not a
member of some organization you
are living off the charity of those
who do belong and bear the costs.
You are an object of charity.
You are accepting benefits you did
not pay for. You and your family ]
are spending money that was pro
cured for you by other persons’ j
money and effort.... That is why [
I say I am a bit ashamed to think (
that some do not belong. I am sure j
that you never gave it serious I
thought. You never realized what |
your organization means to you." !
Durham Bank
Recently we had occasion to talk
with Mr. R. L. McDougald, vice
president and cashier of the Me
chanics and Farmers Bank of Dur
ham, N. C. As we talked, we could
see white men and women in line,
marching to the teller’s window to
make deposits or withdrawls, in
the routine of the day.
It is Mr. McDougald’s belief that
a bank run by colored people can
just as well do business with white
people, and maintain the same
rules of efficiency, courtesy and
safety for all. At first this Idea was
somewhat novel for the South, but
the Durham bank has quietly gone
ahead, and now its policy is being
more widely accepted and approved
by both races. The white banks ac
cept the bank run by colored peo
ple as another financial institution
of the city, which means the Me
chanics Bank is given a good rating
along with all other banks of the
city.
Backing up this new spirit is the
coming in of accounts from public
service corporations, and municipal
county and state governments.
As a further indication of what
successful bank management can
bring to the group, this year the
Durham colored bank executives
were invited to attend the bankers
institute at the University of North
Carolina, Chapel Hill. If the Me
chanics Bank is to be accepted as
a part of the financial community,
then it follows that the executives i
of the bank should have an oppor
tunity to get the latest and best
information on policies and pract
ices in bank management. Hence,
the invitation. The Mechanics ex
ecutives, of course,, readily accept
ed the invitation, attended all ses
sions of the institute for a week,
and were greatly benefitted.
The Durham bank, however, is
not by any means getting away
from its own group. Since the de
pression, emphasis has been placed
on character rather than collateral
and much good in the community
has been donp 'by adopting this
policy. Also, opportunity is sought
to foster worthwhile enterprises
and responsible individuals, in ren
dering economic and social service
to the community.
Is The Danger Of War Real?
By
DAYTON E. HECKMAN,
• Assistant Professor in Government, University of Omaha 1
1 f
Do you believe that there is any immediate danger of
war?
Concern about this increasingly frequent question is
natural. We Americans hope for peace, but we regard war
as inevitable.
I The ease with
which a cam
paign of devil
n aking can be
conducted in the
1 contempo r a r y
I world makes it
| dangerous to be
I dogmatic about
| the possibilities
I of war. Aware
Dayton E. Heckman '*■ power 01
the manipulators of public opinion
and their persuasiveness, it still
seems unlikely that we American
people face th*- likelihood of immed
iate, formal war The fact that we
discuss the possibility of war in
such dispassionate tones is prima
facie evidence of the absence of any
war hysteria.
But there is even greater reason
to hope for peact. Popular support
of any major war it essential. Such
support can be ntcured only when
the public is persuaded that its ma
terial well-being is about to be de
stroyed, its strategic interests
threatened, or its sentimental val
ues annihilated.
All Usually Needed
Any one of these may create pop
ular hostility. Usually all three
have been required to provoke the
contagion which leads to war.
The Spanish situation in the
American mind is little more than
further evidf nee of the characteris
tic quarrelsomeness of European
states.
The Sino-Japanese controversy is
more significant. Will it nurture
a new crop of war hysteria ?
We have shown an amazing lack
of concern about the refusal of the
government to protect American
property rights in China. Millions
of American dollars are invested
there. But while these investments
may be lost, they do not threaten
the material well-being of the gen
eral public.
«
Limit to Propaganda
Neither is t likely that even the
most adept iroppgandist could per
suade us tha- this if true. After
all, there are limits t< the efficacy
of propaganda.
Even more difficult is it to en
visage the conviction that any out
come of the Chinese difficulty will
rebound to the detriment of our
strategic interests in the Pacific.
Are oui sentimental loyalities
threatened ?
Japanese bombings of civilians
have upset us—but there is some
uncertainty whether the killing of
non-combatants is fundamentally
worse than the killing of anyone
else. True, Japan has violated its
treaty obligations; but the convic
tion that treaties are not “mere
scraps of paper" has not been dis
sipated by recent world history.
Attachments Not Strong
We have no specific sentimental
attachment to China; we find it dif
ficult to see her nominal republic
as an examplar of democracy fight
ing autocracy.
At most, we sympafhize with
China because of our disposition to
favor the underdog. But, whatever
uncertainty our conscience may
cause us, we defend our lethargy
by persuading ourselves that while
China may be defeated she will not
be conquered.
Upon such ground it would be
difficult to compose a new song of
hate.
Another column of discus
sion by a member of the Uni
versity of Omaha faculty will
appear in this space next
week.
I
I
As I sit here in my den, with pen
in hand meditating as it were; I
turn my mind to one, very import
ant national bill, referred to as the
Wage and Hour Bill. Why the
fight?
President Roosevelt recently an
nounced his intention to call an ex
tra session of Congress at which
time this all important bill will be
listed among the must bills.
Negroes throughout the country
should be 100 per cent behind the
passage of this bill for the enact
ment of this bill means that mil
lions of Negroes in the South who
are now working from sunup to
sun down for $5 and $6 a week
would be receiving a minimum of
$16.00 for a 40 hour week. Little
enough to be sure, but far better
than they are now getting.
Behind the opposition to the <
wages and hour bill stands the
shadow of exploited southern Ne
gro labor.
The backbone of the opposition
is the South. The fight, whatever
its outcome is in essence a new
struggle between the North and
the South, and as on a previous
occasion knowh to every school
the Negro is the Casus bellum.
The South is becoming rapidly
industralized as factory after fac
tory moves from northern localities
to the South.
The reason for this shift Is not
due to the markets affoi’ded by
the land of Dixie, but because that
section is a hot bed for starvation
wages, political terrorism, abroga
tion of basic civil rights, void of
all facilities that make for advanc
ed civilization in every other part
of this country.
These backward conditions in the
South are directable to the long
historic policy of Ngro supression
and ruthless exploitation.
It is axiomatic that wages paid
the lowest paid workers, determine
the standard for the rest of the
workers. When black American
svorkers are paid scarcely enough
to keep body and soul together, it
stands to reason that white labor
cannot expect to get more.
With such a true axiom pene
trating the horizon, something must
be done, and thus comes the Wages
and Hour Bill, which would set a
minimum wage of 40 cents an bou^h
and limit the work day to reasonA
able and humane limits. This
means that southern wages would
for the first time in history appro
ximate wages in the more civilized
North.
This means that the South would
no longer be preserved for indus
trial exploiters, which means that
given an even wage scale North and
South, it would be impossible to
endure factory and mill owners to
move out of the North, and the*
South’s drive for industrialisation
would come up against a blank
wall. Thus, is the why of the rave
on the part of southern statesmen
against the Wages and Hour Bill.
The only sound solution is the
organization everywhere of white
and black abor. There is increas
ing evidence that white labor is be
ginning to understand this truth
and beginning to put it into pract
ice, Striking confirmation of this
belief is found in the rapid growth
of mixed unions and the changed
attitude of organized labor toward
black Americans and unskilled
workers. Therein lies the. greatest
hope for a higher standard of liv
ing for all Americans. Black and
white bond together and fight for
the passage of the Wages ana Hour
Pill.
JNUTK:—ttach weeK your corres
pondent takes his pen in hand and
writes on local issues as he sees it.
Written comments on these Echos
will be welcomed. Just address -
your letters to ‘'An Edho From
My Den” Omaha Guide, 2418 Grant
Street, Omaha, Nebr.
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