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Nebraska, under Act of March 8, 1874. Umana, TVeDlOaturaay, LieC. 6, l»Ot5 NUMBER 84
_ ____—---:-- • ' ■■ ■ - ■■ ■' - t — ——i--— - --- -:--1—--— --
MRS. E ROOSEVELT
DEBATES ANTI LYNCH
LAW WITH ALA SOLON
President’s Wife, at Interracial Meeting in Birming
ham Scores South for Opposing Anti-Lynch
Legislation; 7,000 Of Both Races Hear
Stirring Address by Nation’s
First Lady
Blrmmingham, Dec. 3 (ANP)—
In one of the most stirring and
interesting lectures of her entire
public career, Mrs. Eleanor Roose
velt, gifted wife of the President
of the United States, discussed to
pics of national interest, including,
race relations, at a nopen,ng meet-,
ing here, last Tuesday in national |
interest, including race relations.!
at an opening meeting here, held:
last Tuesday in connection with!
the first annual session of the;
Southern Conference for Human
Welfare.
A crowd of 7,000 persons of both
races packed Municipal auditorium
to hear the Nation’s frst Lady,
while 4,000 others, unable to gain
admission, crowded about the en
trance doors.
At the afternoon session of the
conference, Mrs. Roosevelt engag
ed in a lively debate on the sub-'
ject of federal anti-lynching legis-(
lation with Congressman Luther
Patrick of Alabama’s Ninth Dis
trict who voted against the mea
sure at the last session of con
gress.
Congressman Patrick told the
big audience of whites and Ne
groes, segregated by police edict,
just why he had voted against the
bill, stating it had been drawn “in
equitably,” and adding: “But of
course, I‘m against lynching and
so is every decent man in the
South.”
Seated on tne rostrum. *»*»•
Roosevelt interrupted the congress
man, asking: “I am wondering why
promotion of such a bill doesn’t
lie with the. people of the South.
Why isn't it at your door to frame
a law to meet the proper require
ments ? ”
Patrick replied, “It undoubtedly
is,” and then went on to explain
that when it was proposed to a
mend the bill to include “Northern
gang killings,” the amendment was
opposed by Northern representa
tives in congress. He conceded
however, after repeated question
ing by Mrs. Roosevelt, that South
ern legislators had made no effort
to formulate an anti-lynching bill.
Preceding the afternoon session
Mrs. Roosevelt was guest of honor
at’ a luncheon attended by Gov.
Bibb Graves, during which it was
reported she and the governor en
gaged in a polite but spirited dis
cussion on the subject of poll taxes
as a pre-requisite for voting. Gov.
Graves was said to have defended
the system declaring it to be es-j
sential “to maintain white supre-,
macy.”
Later, the conterenee consuiu-|
tional rights section, participated
in by 1,000 persons, white and col-;
ored, from all sections of the South j
adopted a resolution urging that,
the body refuse to held future
meetings in any city enforcing se
gregation.
Whites Outspoken
Several white delegates were
pronounced in their protest against
discriminating against the Negroes
delegates and visitors. A white de
k legate from North Carolina said it
would be well for the delegates to
ignore the city ordinance, remain
- together as they were, proceed
;; with the meeting and “let two
g or three thousands white and1
J Negro people be arrested, so as
I to bring the matter to a test be
I fore the courts. It is said that Dr.
1 Jones shared largely in this view
B point.
There was sharp difference of
opinion among Negro delegates &
visitors. Mrs. Mary Mcl^eod Be
thune is understood to have pro
tested the segregation, but ques
tioned the wisdom of Negroes boy
cotting the conference. John P.
Davis was very vocal at first, say
ing “lawyers knew the ordinance
waR unconstitutional," and urged
that it be "ignored' 'so as to test
out the laiv in court. At the con-!
ference with the committee, how-j
ever, he said would attend the!
meetings anyhow and would not let;
p little “city ordinance keep me
from my white friends.”
South Is Test
At the first session Sunday night
which was open to the public, Dr.
Frank P. Grahm, president of the
University of North Carolina, de
livered the opening address. A
mong other things, Dr. Graham
said: “The Negro in the South is
the test of Democracy and the
white man’s Christianity." He em
phasized that the white man’s at
titude toward the Negro in the
South had more weight in deter
ming the white man’s democracy
and Christianity” than many pious
words rendered important because
of non-application of what is so
frequently and eloquently pronou
ced. One delegate defined “cooper
ation" as follows: “Cooperation is
the situation where the one ‘coos’
and the other ‘operates.”
In an interview with Bishop
Bray, of the CME Church, he des
cribed his experience at the con
ference where he was ushered from
one of the several fronts doors of
the Auditorium to a side entrance
down the alley.
Ill shop Kray ueians experience
In reply to questions, Bishop
Bray said: “On passing through
Birmingham Monday, some of the
citizens induced me to stop over
during the evening to attend the
session of the conference. The con
ference was reported to me as be
ing an epic-making event in the
matter of improvement of senti
ment and race relations, inasmuch
as it was attended by many of the
leading educational, religious, labor
and social workers—not excluding
politicians.
Although I understand the con
ference was begun with considera
ble freedom from race discrimina
tion owing to a statement alleged
ly made by the presiding officer
at the second session to the effect
there would be a distinct separa
tion of races, on going to the au
ditorium and investigating first
handed I found race discrimination
to a degree that I never dreamed.
Leaves in IHgust
“I found through my own ex
perience this status of affaiirs:
Upon going to one of the several
entrances at the front door of the
city auditorium, I was met by a
uniformed policeman who inquired:
'Are you a white man?’ To which
I replied, ‘No,’ The officer then
said, ‘I did not wish to insult you
by that question. Go around to the
side and you’ll find a door which
colored people are using.”
“I went around to the door on
the alley side,-where trucks, etc.,
are unloaded, and with great di
fficulty found the way into the
auditorium. I entered only that l
might get a real slant on the ac
commodations for Negroes attend
ing the conference.
“Entering the auditorium from
the alley side, I saw police on
both sides of the auditorium and
noticed to my utter disgust, signs
in conspicuos places, one of which
read: ‘This section for Colored
People Only.' The other read ‘This
section for White People only.’
Edward Strong told a special
youth meeting at First Methodist
church that “the hopes and de
sires of the Negro young people
of the South are the same as those
of the white young people" and
declared "one reason the South has
not gone forward mow rapidly is
t ecause so much time has been
spent in keeping the Negro down.”
At the same meeting, Mrs. Bethune
urged that white8 and Negroes
together pull the South up to bet
ter standards.
Une oi tne resolutions auopiea
by a special panel section on con
stitutional rights was freedom for
the five remaining Scottrboro
boys and pointed out “the ends of
justice will be better served by
tho release of these prisoners.’’
This section in another resolu
tion also declared that “protection
of the Negro’s constitutional rights
constitutes one of the vital issues
in the South’s economic and po
litical progress, since discrimina
t on against the Negro is deteri
mental not only to him but to the
whole South” and urged:
“That the names of Negroes be
placed in jury boxes and that Ne
groes be allowed to serve on both
petit and grand 'juries;
“That the Negro be permitted to
legister and participate in party
primaries as well as general elec
tions;
“That the intimidation and bru
tality practiced upon Negroes by
police officers be stopped;
“That facilities for education,
recreation, housing and public
health be extended to provide ade
quate attention to needs of the
Negro population.”
-—0
DR. ,1. W. BFLL APPOINTED
MEDICAL DIRECTOR
I
DR. J. WARREN BELL
Medical Director, National Society
for the Prevention of Blindness
New York City, Dec. 3—The ap
pointment of Dr. J. Warren Bell,
as Medical iDreotor of the National
Society for the Prevention of
Blindness hag been announced by
Lewis H. Carris, Managing Di
rector of the Society. Dr. Bell was
formerly Director of Maternal and
Child Health in the State of Ne
braska. Before that, hg was Di
rector <;f the Division of Maternal
and Child Health in Cattaraugus
County in New York state.
-0O0——-.
STATE WITNESS SHOT BY 2
MEN ON EVE OF MO.
BOMBING TRIAL
_
St. Louis, Mo.—Lee Baker, 39
year old Negro who was scheduled
to testify on Monday for the State
in tho bombing trhH» of Isadore
I/onde. paroled convict, was shot
Friday night at two men left him
for dead in a boarded-up and de
serted house.
Baker, wounded twice in the
DEFENDS RACE
DR. T. T. McKinney
Supreme Physician of the Ameri-1
can Woodmen, Denver, Colo, whose
ne'Yy book, “All V* hite America,"
defends the race against the charge
of being physically inferior to oth
er races. The Surgeon General of
the United States. Dr. Thomas
Parran, in an article in the Survey
Graphic recently, coincided with
Dr. McKinney’s view, declaring
tuberculosis and syphilis to be the
“white man’s diseases”. Going to
the heart and core of the race prob
lem in America, Dr. McKinney’s
book is popular with both races.
He declares the race problem can
not be solved until the Negro is
heard in his own right, and that
humanity is one in vices and vir
tues and blood. A prominent white
lawyer in Denver bought five of
the books and gave them to
his friends. (Calvin Service.)
_nrm_
KILLING ENDS MINISTER'S
LOVEAFFAIR
Fairlawn, N. J.—Shot by his
paramour in the shoulder, left lung
and the heart, as he sat in his
car. Rev. George Armstead, 35,
pastor of the Christian Missionary
Baptist Church, Paterson, died in
Barnet Hospital, PJiterson, soon
after being admitted Friday.
The fatal shooting came hs a
tragic finale to the illicit relation
ship which police say evisted be
tween the minister and Mrs. Clau
d a Sumner, 37 year old Paterson
woman, who admitted the killing
saying that ne had failed to keep
an appointment to give her $50
l'or medical treatment for a dis
erse which she acused him of giving
her.
head and once in the neck, revived
and managed to make his way
about five miles away for aid.
County hospital authorities said he
would recover unless complications
set in.
The identify of Baker, as the
witness who said he saw Londe
bomb a cleaner’s shop had been
concealed by police and for the
last several months he had been
employed on a cotton plantation
near Sikeston, Mo.
-O
Receives 1st Tirewomans’
License
Mrs. Gertrude Kenney, 2315 Har
ney St. had the distinction last
i week of being the 1st Omaha wo
man to receive a boiler fireman
j license.
Her husband for 15 years was
fireman at the St. Clare apart
ments, 2315 Harney street where
Mrs. Kinney lives. He died last
July 7, and Mrs. Kinney, in order
to keep her husband’s job coupled
the practical knowledge she had
picked up with a six months’ study
of textbooks before she applied
for a license.
She came to Omaha about 20
years, and for a time was one of
the city’s popular caterers.
CONGRESSMAN MITCHELL
LOSES FAMOUS JIM CROW
RAILROAD SUIT CASE
_________ --
LOUIS TRAINS
FOR COMING
FIGHT
French Lick, Ind.—Joe Louis,
champion glove swingers of the
world, moved into his training
camp here Wednesday and began
shapening himself for his coming
fight with John Henry Lewis,
World Light Heavyweight cham
pion.
He said that he would remain
here until the middle of December
before going to New York to
finish training for the contest. ,
He brought only one spurring
partner with him.
Negro Invited Guests
Ejected From G. O. P.
Victory Ball in Iowa
Des Moines, la. Dec. 3 (ANP)—|
Fourteen young Negro couples
were unceremoniously ejected from
the GOP victory ball sponsored by
the Young Republicans Club of
Polk county, la., held at the Tro
mar ballroom in Des Moines last
week.
The 14 couples included some of
the young outstanding Negroes of
the state, among them the spn of
the president of the NAACP, Fred
Morrow jr., and the state chair
man of the Young Negro GOP
club, Freddie Hawkins .of Dos
Moines. These couples were speci
fically invited to the victory ball
and given invitations by order of I
tihe county, district and state
chairmen of the Young Republican
club of which all 14 were mem
bers.
While several of the couples
were dancing, the matron, who is
under the supervision of the police
department, approached them and
tapped the girls on the shoulder,
telling them Ne'gjksJjs were not
permitted to dance on the floor
the dancers asked why, the matron
and for them to get off. When they
replied, “Why you can’t dance here.
It is against the rules of the man
agement. You will ruin the repu
tation and business of Mr. Archer.
Those that were reluctant to leave
were taken by the arm and led off.
Tho one thousand or more guests
present were shrieked and imme
diately rushed to the matron, the
manager of the Tromar and the
officers of the Young Republican
club to find out what had happened
and why.
It finally developed that lone
\rcher, Independent Jewish owne’
Bierkamp, manager to have the
matron remove all Negroes who
wero dancing on the floor. The
Young Republicans informed the
Negroes of the order and stated
they were sorry about it, but there
was “nothing they could do.” They
admitted they knew the rules were
illegel, but in order to make as
little noise as possible, asked them
j to refrain fro dancinng. Hawkins,
I sensing the situation, told his fri
; ends to go home, and he would see
that the wrongful persons would
be punished.
i Atty. J. Nelson Thompson, legal
advisor of the Young Negro GOP
club has been retained as counsel
for the group, and has declared
that those responsible for this hu
miliation would be pdblicly named
and prosecuted, no matter who they
might be. A warrant may be issued
j for the arrest of Tom Archer, Bier
kamp and the police matron, it
was deported.
The state of Iowa has a civil
rights statute which guarantees
equal rights of every one in all
I public places. There is also an or
dinance of the city of Des Moines,
guaranteeing such equal rights.
Interstate Commerce Commission Dismisses Com
plaint, Upholds Arkansas’ Jim Crow Law
Washington, l). C. Dec. 3 (ANP)
—In a surprise ruling that spelled
finis to a widely heralded discri
mination case, the Interstate Com
merce commission last Friday dis
missed the complaint of Congress
man Arthur W. Mitchell of Chica
go's First district that the Rock
Island Railroad had required him
to leave a Pullman sleeping car in
Arkansaw and travel in a Jiw Crow
coach, inferior to the Pullman.
The Commission’s opinion said
ir part, "It is not for us to enforce
the state law. We understand that
to be a matter for state authori
ties. But in deciding the case on
the facts presented, we mist re
cognise that under the state law.
defendants must segregate passen
gers."
Commissioners dissenting fro**
the majority opinion were Messrs;
Eastman, Lee Miller, Atchionson it
Porter. Cong. Mitchel had charged
that On April 20, 1937, white tra
veling from Chicago to Hot
Springs, the conductor on the traia
required him to change cars when
the train reached Arkansas. Rock
Island officials declared that segre
gation of races is required by Ar
kansas law.
The case (had attracted wide at
tention for the important principle*
involved as a victory for the con
gress man would have eventually
huve sounded a death-knell tc dis
crimination and Jim Crowiam
throughout the South, which now
flourishes certain states under the
perogative of “state rights."
SETTLES QUESTION
_ _
RAPHAEL P. POWELL
Author of the new book, “Hu
man Side of a People,” published
by Philemon Co., 224 W. 135th St.
New York City, which the author
insists settles the question of
whether the race should be called
“Negroes of Colored.” Mr. Powell
was educated in Northeastern uni
versity and the Suffolk La^y
School of Boston, He worked on
the present volume twelve years,
and it is filled with contemporary
as well as past history of the race.
Ho is now working on a book on
Ethiopia, dealing with Italian , ag
gression there, and a novel.
(Calvin Service.)
——_nOa
TWO BURNED TO DEATH IN
MYSTERIOUS BLAZE
Two Trapped In 17th Street Apt.
House Fire
Two men, Howard Marshall and
Ernest Howe were burned to
death in a second floor apartment
at 1525 North 17th St., Saturday
night. The charred bodies of the
men were found in a clothes closet.
They apparently had lost their
way in the smoke and had dashed
i into the closet in an attempt to es
cape the fire.
Tho flames destroyed a section
of the floor in the apartment and
firemen found the bodies after the
fire only by treading cautiously a
cross charred joists to the closet
The two-alarm blaze resisted the
firefighters for nearly an hour
Several were drenched with freez
ing water as they hauled hoselin
es up ladders to the roof.
The flames had broken quieklj
through the roof and into the cor
nices. Interiors of nearly all apart
ments were drenched before th<
blaze was checked.
Rodman M. Brown, chief engin
eer of the city building departmeni
said that condemnation proceeding:
had been instituted twice withir
the last two years against the
frame apartment building.
Mayor Butler said today that “it
is true many buildings like the
one that burned Saturday are »
fire danger, but t)i# council has al
so ty keep in mind that if famittm
a’.'o jjhi'en out of one they are
forced, by finances, to move into*
something no better and sometim
es worse. Sometimes, when wm
can get substantial repairs made,
the result is better than what peo
ple would move to in seeking an
other home.'*
-oOo_
AGED CITIZEN KILLEO BY
AUTOMOBILE
I
The third tragic death among
race citizens in three days was reg
j istered M< nady night when Mrs.
Nellie Gordon, 62, employee in the
1 L. P. Coring home and living at
| 2739 Caldwell Street was fatally in
! jured at 24th and Paul sts., when
i struck by a car driven by Jessie G.
i Parrish, 49, WPA worker, living
i at 2530 Indiana avenue. Parrish
| said she stepped from behind a
street car. He was booked on s
charge of reckless driving and held
I on a $2,500 bond.
The woman was unidentified un
til later in the evening when her
I daughter, Eliza Smith, called po
I l:co station to report her mother
missing. The body was taken to
the Meyers funeral home.
County Coroner Jaap will hold
an inquiry into Mrs. Gordon’s death
Tuesday at 10 a. m. at the county
attorney’s office.
Indianapolis Gets 1939
Baptist Sunday School
Congress Session, Therer
Indianapolis, Dec. 3 ANP)—Fol
I lowing receipt here of a message
from Dr. Henry Allen Boyd, secre
tary Baptist Sunday School Con
gress, Rev. Charles H. Bell, pas
tor Mt. Paran Baptist church, an
nounced Wednesday that the 1939
session of the congress will be held
in this city.
The meeting, set for June 6-11,
will be the organization’s 39th an
nual session. It is estimated that
approximately 5,000 religious
workers will attend the Summer
meeting. Religious and secular
groups endorsing Indianapolis” in
vitation bringing the congress here
| included State Sundry School and
BYPU convention, Indiana General
Baptist association, the four dis
trict association, local chamber of
, Commerce, the Mayor and City
Council and the Governor of In
diana.
Elk’s 33rd Annual Charity Ball, Dec. 9-at the New Rainbow Dance Hall