■ " ‘ ' - City Edition -
tfvp ^
p ® Mm\ Pfr tt>py
__The Weather
JJUSTICE/EQUALITY I HEW TO THE LINE\ '£££?£ p"“
^ Upper Misa. and lower Mo. Valley*
—1 ’ ’ •—1—“ and Northern and Central Great
i •> ' Plain* generally fair weather tem.
LARGEST ACCREDITED NEGRO NEWSPAPER WEST OF CHICAGO AND NORTH OF KANSAS CITY somewhat below normal early in
.■ ■ *.- „ _' • •••- - week and near or slightly above
Entered as Second-Clasg Matter at Posteffice, Omaha, Saturday, Sept., 2, 1939 , um r normal remainder of week.
Nebraska, under Act of March 8, 1874. . .. .
--—-fl
Housing Authority
Jobs for approximately 1.70C
men and about $710,000 in wages
put into circulation here are two
big direct and tangible benefits
Omaha already is deriving from
participation in the slum-clearance
and low-Pent housing program of
the United States Housing Au
thority, Sam J. Howell, chairman
of the Housing Authority of the
City of Omaha announced today.
Mr. Howell stated that about
1,700 men will be employed on
the site of “South Side Terrace
Homes" during the work of con
struction which i8 now under way.
Wages paid to workers on the
site will total around $71®,000 he
said, which will be added ,to the
purchasing power of residents ir.
Omaha.
In addition, 640 persons will
work one year each to produce and
transport construction materials.
Materials used will cost about
$1,085,300.
“The money being expended to
construct 'South Side Terrace
Homes’ will be a big stimulus to
all business here,’’ Mr. Howell
said. “Most of it will go to in
crease the purchasing power of
itesidents in our city.
(Continued on page 6)
Negro Woman
Lawyer; Salary
$6,000 per year i
»_<
i
Registration for the first semes-4
ter of the Omaha Night School at
Central High will be held Thurs
day, September seventh at 7:00 P
M. in Room MS.
Classes will start Monday, Sept
11th, at 7:00 PM.
Both grade and high school
courses will be % iven.
For further information, call At
3140, Vocational Department.
.1 % \ /'>' t \t
Dewey Appoint . Assistants at $7,500 per Year
;,'yi t / | 1 fX -l
Sent Policeman to Jail for Framing Negro
New York, Sept. 1 (ANP)—
What sort of *person is this Thom- j
as E., Dewey, a man whom half
a ((ozen years ago scarely anyone
*„ T kiiew, but whose name today ie
spoken by millions of people of
every ttece and creed? Rarely has
a personality impressed itself up
on the thinking of an entire na
tion in so brief a time as has that
of th;s fighting district attorn vy
of) New' York county.
The American public loves a
fighter, one who has courage and
the brains to battle against great
odds. When such a man in addi
tion, despite the ties and restrains
which a big city political office
imposes, has the integrity and
“guts” to go up against one of
the. most highly organized group
of racketeers in the country, back
ed by a political machine like
Tamimany, with power so great it
is legendary, it is but natural that
the entire country should regard
such an individual as having un
usual potentialities for leadership.
Penetrating into the interior of
the building at 13^ Center Street
devoted entirely tojthe\district at
torneys offices in New York, one
seeking Mr. Dewey passes the
numerous police w,ho ^uard its
portals; note half a dozen assis
tants and a score of aids, steno
graphers and messengers hurry
ing through the halls before fi
nally landing upon the sixth floor
where Mr. Dewey’s private office
is situated.
An alefrt, vigorous, youthful
— — "■■■•
man rises from behind a desk, and
strides forward to greet you.
Handsome, even better looking
than his pictures, you observe;
hut virile with the punch and
forcefulness of a go-getter. Rosy
crmplex:oned, sharp noxed, brown
eyes which are challeng:ng yet
friendly, he wears a heavy brown
mustache, as much to tr.|ake him
appear older as for any other
reason you1 suspect. Once he starts
talking however arking incisive
questions, showing by his comment
a wide knowledge of current af
fairs, a broad general philosophy
and an understanding of the in
tricate problems which affect
racial minorities, one realizes that
here is a man of tremendous force
and ability. The question of years
is banished.
“There is no room for prejudice
in a great cosmopolitan city like
New York, with its many diverse
populations, nor in an office such
as this,” Mr Dewey asserted. “I
determined when I became district
attorney that all elements in the
population should be represented.
'.“I have more (Jews working in
the department than has ever been
true before, and for the first time
a P|dish assistant is employed.
There are more Negroes in out
standing positions than has been
true of any other administration,
as you have observed. In fact, a
colored woman lawyer is the head
of the largest bureau in this of
fice,” he pointed out.
She is Mrs. Eunice Hunton Car
ter, brilliant young lawyer, tne
only woman assistant on Mr.
Dewey's staff, graduate of Smith
college and in law at Fordham,
daughter of adistinguished father
and mother. Mrs. Carter’s bureau,
which handles misdemeanor's, does
a tremendous amount o work,
her assistant conducting cases in
three courts every day during the
year Recent statistics show that
her department handles four times
as many cases a." any similar
division in any district attorney’s
office in the country- She earns
$6,000 pci' cent.
Odd. too,’” Mr. Dewey remarked.
“I hired Mrs. Carter the first
day I met her. Shortly after I
wag appointed, a prominent judge
who knew that I was looking for
a woman assistant, told me he
knew a wonderful colored woman
lawyer. I told him to send her
over, was impressed, and retained
her. She has made g'ood, and com
mands the respect of the bench
of the city. You perhaps know
that she has been awarded an hon
orary LCD degree by Smith col
lege, her alma mater. I learned
from the dean of her college the
other day that the school is very
proud of her accomplishments.
“Francis1 Ellis Rivers, another
member of the staff,’’ he continu
ed, “is one of the principal assis
tants in the office, and regarded
among the two or three ablest
Negro lawyers at the New lod
bar.”
Mr. Dewey recounted that the
(Continued on pa;;e 10)
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—Call WE. 1517 today—
-M
•elks end biggest conven
tion IN 15 YEARS POLITICS
FIZZLE OUT
New York, Sept. 1 <By Tre**
vant W. Anderson for ANP>—
The 40th Annual Grand Lodge
Session of the Improved Bene
volent and Protective Order of
Elk* of the World came to u
cloee here Saturday, after a
one-week session filled with
pai’ades and entertainment.
J. Finley Wilson, giand exalted
l-uler, and thousands of Elks from
all parts of the country gave Han
lem the biggest Elks paiade in the
history of the order when 14,586
persons took part in a huge rnai-ch
which saw 214 units, ranging from
mai’ching clubs to bands, showing
“tho city of seven million’ a dis
play they had never before seen
the like of.
On Tuesday when the parade
started, for five. solid hours unit
■afte^.unit paraded by the great
reviewing stands at Seventh ave
nue and 138th street, the Mecca
of Harlemites and their like. From
eroijvdeiji .balconies, and from roofs,
600,00 people of/all races hung
like bats- w,hile the biggest mass
parade in New York’s Negro his
tory went by. Newsreel cameras
ground, talkies clicked, still shots
were made, photo flashes flickered
and Harlem got a taste of what
Negro Elkdom was really like “be
fore the depression!’’
That was only one incident, for
the main thing was the report of
Grand Treasurer Edward W.
Heniy of Philadelphia. His report
shjwpd to an anxiously awaiting
group of delegates the exact fi
nancial condition of the grand
lodge. And in these turbulent
periods of snrcst, that was what
the grand lodge and the rest of
those here wanted to know. His re
port showed that Negro Elkdom
had come through by the skin of
its teeth for there was a balance
above disbursements of only $3,
376.40 for the last year.
The figures given by Judge
Henry showed: total receipts,
general fund: -30,941.01; educa
tional fund: $9,493; official or
gan (The Eagle) fund: $5,249.37;
junior Elk fund: $462.01; and
Shrine fund: $78.17, a total of
-55,223.66. Disbursements rated
thus: general fund, $38,667.09;
educational fund, $7,841.94; offi
cial organ fund, $5,038.43; Junior
Elks, $299.80, a total of $61,847.16.
This left a balance above expenses
for the year, as against the re
ceipts of $3,376.40. This sum how
ever is augmented by $12,525 03
brought over from 1938, which
gives a treasury of $16,901.43 with
which the grand lodge must be
operated until 1940.
However, under the astute gen
eralship of J. Finley himself, who
acted as chairman of the New
York entertainment committee, the
grand lodge was able to clear over
given under grand lodge auspices
all of which was turned ov*r to
the treasury. Thus, the grand
lodge was not in the financial
“red” as it was some year* ago,
and used this convention as a
turning point in its fight to recu
perate its ailing financed
¥ %
The outstanding public feature,
exclusive of the parade, was the
national oratorical conteat which
was won by Mias Alberta Lawson
19, Washington who delivered a
stirring oration on "The Negro
and the Constitution.” Young Miss
Lawson captivated a spellbound
audience at the Abyssinia Baptist
church with an address which was
so poignant that, uport its conclu
sion Mrs. Mary Mceod Bethune,
herself some orator, took the little
miss into her arms and hugged
her like a child of her own.
At the civil liberties meeting In
the afternoon of Monday, Sam
Leibowitz, Scottsboro lawyer and
a Jew', electrified his hearers with
a ringing call for unity on the
part of the Negro and the Ameri
can Jew. Mr. Lefbpwitz indicted}
Father Coughlin, the I Michigan
priest, and told the body that ‘-‘the
Negro in American and the Jew
in Germany have been in the same
boat, and for their own common
good they should unite in their
purpose*-” It was at this same
meeting that Mrs. Bethune told
the Elks that “I have but one
life to give, and I give that life
unselfishly and for the good of
my people.”
Earlier in the same day, Edu
cational Commissioner William C.
Houston had held the exercises of
his department. The Rev. Porter
Norcum of this city was the
speaker. The educational depart
ment showed that it had spent
$160,000 for Negro education, via
the scholarship route for deserv
ing youths of the country, over a
period of 14 years, and that 125
students have been graduated
from colleges and universities
during that time, with 42 being
in college now under the current
appropriation fund. i
• i
The Tap and gown ceremony of
this department honored Bill “Bo
! jangles" Robinson, great tap dan
cer, who modestly told the audi
ence that “I didn’t get any edu
cation when I was cornin’ up, and
it's too late now to try to get it
at 61, but I promise you that I
will do everything in my power
to help all those of my race to
get an education while they are
young, and through the Elks.’’
And that night he played to the
biggest crowd in the history of
“The Hot Mikado” at the World’s
fair! Mr. Robinson revealed that
he had donated $9,800 to Negroes
in charities and aid during the last
year President H. Council Tren
holm of Alabama State; John
Bruce of the D. C. School system;
James A. “Billboard” Jackson of
Standard Oil; Basil J. Byrant of
Steele, New Yojfc mai-sall, am *
Dr. W. L. Davenport graced the
platform as director of the de
pai-tment of education during the
service.
Miss Crystal Byrd Fausett,
member of the Pennsylvania legis
lature, was also a speaker on the
civil liberties program, under
Hobson J. Reynolds of Philadel
phia- . - , . . .
At a session Thumday morning,
following a presentation of a lucky
gold piece to Mr. Wilson from the
daughter Elks, the Rev. Lorenzo
King, pastor i of the St. Marks
CME church, indicted the present
day Christian church with the re
marks that “The church can no
longer go ulong in the old anti
quated, out-model and inefficient
way it has gone, without giving
practical attention to the practi
cal manner of thinking and every
day living, if it expects tq carhy
on in a progressive' n-ianrtcr for
the mdVafieement of those in ft.
If niust cojhe to its senses' it
expects to 'keep pace.” »
^Jr.'King declared to a cheering
audience of (both men and women,
thar-tho church would lo.se ground
it it failed to do this, saying that
failure to pay attention to these
things will cause people to turn
away from it. He also pointed
out a noticeable change on the
part of certain types of Negroes
toward the Elks, citing the fact
that “there are many people who
belong to other organizations out
side the Elks who like Elks milk
as much as the Elies do.” His ob
servations w'ere caused by remarks
made by Miss I-ou-Swartz, dra
matic actress of St. Louis, a
daughter Elk who told the bodies
that she had found that she had
the wrong “slant on the Elks"
until about four years, and that
when she had become cognizant of
what Elkdom really stood for, she
had become a member and had
been a real active member for
four years.
The parade was the real out
standing feature of the conven
tion, for in it were many kalei
doscopic varieties of color, designs
costumes and novelties Prom
Memphis came the 60 piece all
girl orchestra of the Booker T.
Washington High school, the larg
est in the South, with ‘ Miss Beale
Street,” a bronzed venus, leading
the march to the appluuse of
thousands who lined the avenues
of the parade from St. Nicholas
avenue and 135th street back to
the reviewing stand in front of
the Renassance casino on Seventh
avenue. Unique in this parade
was William Washington of Cam
den and Newark, N. J., a leader
of a contingent of paraders who
had no legs, both being cut off
at the thighs, and yet with the
vigor of a 20 year old he pro
pelled himself along the entire
long route wjtihk>ut seeming to
tire, although sweat poured from
1 contributed a float filled with
lovely sepian beauties who gav%
everyone a smile.
From as far awsy as La, Mm
| geles came marching groups, as*
from down South, Atlanta was ia
for the first time in many years.
Raleigh, NT. C., the Midwest, Ohio.
Akron, Cleveland, Columbus.
Youngstown, the North from Ben
ton, New Haven, StsmfMk
Springfield, from Pennsylvania,
frsgn Kentucky, from everywhere
they came. 214 units of band^
marching clubs, drum and bugis
corps Boy Scouts, nursing units,
girls, men, boys, children, youny
and old, from near and far they
came to pay tribute to Finley
Wilson, the man who stood at the
head of the army and gave- to
. theip thy orders, whidh made this
thej.-byfcghst Elksi, ' convention 'n
'over 15 years, rf not longer
The political angle fiazled out,
' due" to ' f^t that Governor
Lehmfcrf, District Attorney Dewey
and Rep'. Hamilton Fish of New
York, and State Chairman Ken
neth Simpson did not show up.
How-ever, those who did come
made their bids, including Mayor
Fiorellio H. LaGuardia. who toll
the Elks: “Don’t decide to support
someone what they are going to
do. Base your judgement on what
as already been accomplished.”
The mayor told them, “Next year
this t>me you axe going, to be.
veYy impoytant '.people in Indiana..
Jllinojs,, I^etw Jersey and Pennsyl
vania1*-. You ^are’always important
; when it gets. Ur'be election time.’'
Ife urged Negroes not to expect
jdjis simply because they are col
ored, but because of what brains
they have, adding that: “We havi
opened the tiodr to every civil
service job in the government of
New York to all men and women,
i*egardless of race, color or creed,
because we are interested m
what’s in the head and not what
I color the face it.” Congressran
1 Bruce Barton also spoke, briefly
I on ducatUmal advancement. Ex
Governor Hoffman of New Jer
sey was introducd by Mr- Wilson
as the last and next governor of
j New' Jersey.
Among the incidental angles on
crosswise politics, Dr. Adolphens
W. Anderson, president of the
Pennsylvania State association,
vvas the revealer of the fact that
one of the two major political
parties had endorsed for district
attorney of Beaver county, Pa.,
some 13 years ago, and that this
same man who had caused the
wholesale “shanghai-ing” of Ne
groes from that county in trucks
over the Ohio line, and that this
same D.A. was engaged in efforts
to secure the colored vote by a
house-to-house canvass but has
been defeated by the Pennsylvania
department of civil liberties whieh
took the (matter in hand under its
state President, Dr. Anderson.
