The Omaha guide. (Omaha, Neb.) 1927-19??, December 03, 1938, City Edition, Image 1
I . I City Edition f j uu, The Weather E' * •. Weather outlook for the li WORLD WIDE j ^Up^erand NEWS SERVICE I Northern and Ceufcraijj FREE PUBLICATION ,Great. Plains’ nat '“«** >F ALL LOCAL NEWS precipitation likely; ten, MATTER peratures normal or above -FLASH PHOTO |f°r m°st P**' 8EETICE 4___LARGEST ACCREDITED NEGRO NEWSPAPER WEST OF CHICAGO AND NORTH OF KANSAS CITY_ Entered as Second-Clas* Matter at Postoffice, Omdha, Omaha Nahr Sahivrinv TW ** 1Q<Di VOL. 12 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