"DOLLARS CANNOT BUY YESTERDAY”
A journalist, looking back upon the year which has just closed,
finds an infinity of matters about which to write. A great war, which
is in essence a titanic struggle between two irreconcilable philosophies
of life has steadily spread A whole continent has feH( the boot of a
new conqueror with a plan for vqorld doming as vast that of NaP'
oleon. The world’s economy has undergone violent change, and stab
ility has been replaced by chaos.
Here in our own country we have recently gone through the
most tradition-shattering election in our history. The great issues of
that election were three-fold. First, whether to elect a president for
a third term. Second, how to keep America at peace, while aiding
England with all steps short of war. Third, how to best build a mil
itary and naval establishment unprecedented in our history.
The second and third issues are the most vital this country fac
es today. They are not partisan issues.
It is obvious to anyone not blinded by false and baseless optim
ism that the great plans of last summer for building an impregnable
defense at once are not being realized- It is easy to appropriate gi
gantic sums of money. It is easy to make blueprints of tanks and air
planes and fighting ships. It is easy to have a great defense estab
lishment “on order.” But dollars and blueprints do not worry potent
ial invaders. The forces w(hich have again brought the world to
Armageddon have respect only for preparedness. The weak are given
no quarter. Moral principles, t nrtsuan teacnings, are scoinu »«.
That is not pretty. But it is true.
This America we know cannot be sure of existence unless it
solves the problem of how to swiftly build our defenses—and to build
them in keeping with the democratic tradition which they arie design
ed to protect and to save. All the productjjvertssg of this nation is
needed now—of capital, of industry, of government, of labor. The in
dustrialist who seeks outrageous profits; the official who plays polit
icg in time of danger; the labor leaner who foments unjustified strikes
in vital defense industries—cannot be tolerated. We must never for
get that we can be destroyed from within no less than from without.';
The American people cannot accept failure from any man—
whether the man who fails holds a great title or \s a lowly worker Sn
a factory. There is no excuse for failure. No nation in the world is
potentially so productive as ours. None has a tithe of our riches—
riches of manpower no less than riches of wealth and of natural re
sources. In this crisis, we shall really learn the calibre of our people
and our public men.
It is said of France that, in preparing to resist aggression, her
government, her industries and her workers did “too little—and did it
too late.’’ We too are doing too little. But let us hope that we cor
rect our errors before it is too late. When the head of our Navy ob
served that “dollars cannot buy yesterdayhe stated a grim truth
that every American must realize. _
, ^ In this gTeat national effort there can be no failure. The
thought cannot be tolerated that Democracy here has fallen on such
evil days that it cannot compete with the dictators In England wf<
have a magnificent example of what free mem, fighting to retain
that freedom, can accomplish against heartbreaking odds.
It was Winston Churchill Vrho said on taking office that he
could offer his people nothing save sacrifice and sweat and toil. Here
we must absorb an ample measure of that spirit. No one else can
make our sacrifices for us. The responsibility for the perpetuation of
our way of life falls squarely and irrevocably on the shoulders of u*s
all. No one can avoid it.
To say that we have now entered on the most critical years mo
dern Western civilization hag ever known, is to simply state the obv
ious. We do not know how much time wie will have to make ourselv«%
secure to guarantee peace in the only way possible in this disrupted
modern world, which is by making ourselves so strong that no aggres
sor or passible combination of aggressors will dare to try our strength
We do not know that time, most precious of all elements, must no
longer be lavishly wasted.
To stay at peace—to become strong. Those are our national
objectives. We have the great industries—we have the men—we have
almost limited resources. To attain those vital goals demands the full
and friendly cooperation of government, of labor, of industry, or agri
culture. of all- We must not be tried and found wanting.
Th >e
t
/JUSTICE/EQUALITY HEW ,T0 THELiNE\
LARGEST ACCREDITED NEGRO NEWSPAPER WEST OF CHICAGO AND NORTH OF KANSAS CITY —MEMBER OF TIIE ASSOCIATED NEGRO PRESS n
Entered as Second-class Matter at The Post office, Omaha, Nebraska, Omaha, Nebraska, Saturday, January 11, 1941 OUR 13th YEAR—No. 43—Ciit^r Edition,, Copy 5c
Under Act of March 8, 1874—Business Phone: WE. 1517 ^^
WANTED: 50 MECHANICS FOR U. S. SERVICE
NEGRO IS STILL DEMOCRACY
TEST SAYS NAACP REPORT
a. ^ - - - — ■ r» i t- - - - ■ ■' ■ 1 —^ -
New York—During 1940, the
American Negro proved to be the
surest standard for testing, in
terms of concrete action, our Gov
ernment’s oft repeated assertion
that American democracy! gives
full justice to all citizens of the
United States, according to a re
port made by Walter White at the
annual meeting of the National
Associated for the Advancement
of Colored People, held here Mon
day_ January 6.
Four Supreme Court Victorier
On the credit side of the NAAC
P. secretary pointed to four dec
isions won before the United
States Supreme Court, affecting
the rights of Negro citizens. The
first of these decisions, read by
Justice Hugo L. Black, last Febr
uary 12, denied the right of Flor
ida courts to obtain confession^
from four Negro youths, through
torture, and termed conviction af
ter such action> unconstitutional.
The cases of Dave Canty, in Ala
bama, and Bob White in Texas,
were also reversed on similar
grounds. The fourth decision de
nied the right of persons to bar
Negroes from buying or living on
property in areas of a city res
tricted by agreement among pro
perty owners.
The Association also won a not
able case in its six year fight to
equalize the salaries of Negro and
white teachers in southern and
border states, wihen the U'. S. Su
preme Court refused to review a
Circuit Court of Appeals decision
denying the right of the Norfolk
Va , schoolboard to pay lower sal
aries to Negro teachers solely on
the basis of color. This victoiy
added $129,000 to the salaries of
Negro teachers in Norfolk.
Pointing out that 1940 marked
the most crucial period in our
country’s history, the NAACP. ex
ecutive secretary said it was nev
ertheless true that the Adminis
tration muffed a great opportun
ity to prove how democracy can
work in times of stress to preserve
civil liberties for 14,000,000 Amer
ican Negroes who have suffered
more than any other group in our
country from the denial of even
basic citizenship rights.
Chief among the happenings,
Mr White listed was the failure
of Congress to pass a federal anti
lynching law at a time when the
majority of American citizens in
the South as well as the North be
lieve such a law should be passed.
He declared this demonstrated
that there are men in our Con
gress who are willing for Hitler
(Continued on page USr1 2)
MID-WESTERN CONFERENCE
ON BUSINESS, NAT’L DEFENSE
TO BE HELD IN OMAHA, JANUARY 29th
_
MARIAN
ANDERSON
CHOSEN
As 1 Of 10 Outstanding
Wfomen of 1940
Babson Park, Fla-, (C) Marian
Anderson, number 1 songbird, had
another honor bestowed upon her
when she was chosen here this
week as one of 1940’s 10 outstand
ing women by a committee of ed
ucators headed by Dean Helena
Watts of Webber College, a fin
ancial school for women. Without
betraying ages, the lists included
such headliners as Deanna Durbin
motion picture actress; Clare
Boothe, author; Helen Hayes, act
ress; Alice Marble, tennis playei;
Carson McCallers, whose debut
book had a Negro as the main
character; Dr. Helen Dunbar, of
the Columbia U. faculty; and tie
President of Wellesley, aristocrat
ic school for girls; Dr. Mildred Me
Afee; and Anne Lindbergh.
SHORTAGE OF
SKILLED
WORKERS
REVEALED
Washington, Jan. 10 (ANP) —
the supply of available workers in
a number of skilled defense occu
pations almost exhausted in some
localities, Paul V. McNutt, FSA
administrator, admitted that there
was a scarcity of machinists( tool
and die makers, skilled metal
workers and aircraft and shipbuild
ing craftsmen- Semi-skilled and
unskilled workers were reported
to be adequate in most localities
where huge defense programs are
under way.
Significant indeed was the) re
port which showed a general shift
ing of workers to centers of de
fense activity; development of
housing shortages in communities
where there has been a great in
flux of workers; and some delays
in production because of inability
(continued on pagejjgr^)
V --
“Speeding the defense program
and preserving a sound economy”
is the double-barrelled theme of 8
Mid-Western Conference on Busi
ness and National Defense which
will be held in Omaha January 29,
under auspices of the United Stat
ss Chamber of Commerce.
Three forum sessions, led by of
ficials of the United States Cham
ber of Commerce, Washington, will
highlight the conference.
The first will be devoted to
agriculture, live stock and agricul
tural legislation. Elmer H- Sex
auer, Brookings, S. D.t a director
and chairman of the U. S. Cham
ber’s agricultural committee, will
serve as chairman. Delos L. Jam
es, Washington, D. C., manager of
.he agricultural department, Uni
ted States Chamber of Commerce
will serve as discussion leader.
President L .E- Hurtzi Fairmont
Creamery Co., Omaha, will be
chairman of the second forum on
manufacturing and food process
ing. Discussion leader will be
Henry P. Fowler, Washington, D
C., manager, manufacturing dep
artment, U. S. Chamber of Com
merce.
WJth Francis P. Matthews,
board chairman, Securities Accep
tance Corporation, Omaha, presid
ing, the third forum will consider
problems of fiscal policy, taxation
and finance. Finance Manager
John J. O’Connor, Washington,
U. S- Chamber of Commerce will
be discussion leader.
Sponsored by the Omaha Cham
ber of Commerce and the U. S
Chamber, the conference will open
with an address on ‘‘A Concept of
National Defense’’, by John W. O'
Leary, chairman^ executive com
mittee, U. S. Chamber.
James S. Kemper, Chicago, pres
ident of the National Chamber,
Will be featured speaker at a lun
cheon meeting His subject will
be ‘'What’s Ahead for Business’-’’
Winding up the day’s activities,
Secretary Ralph Bradford of the
U. S. Chamber of Commerce, will
address a dinner meeting on “The
Challenge to Business”.
Business men and farm repres
entatives from four states are in
vited to attend the January 29th
meeting in Omaha.
COLORED STAFF IN
POSTAL OFFICE
Company Opens New Branch In
Washington, D. C.
Decemebrt 19t 1940 marked the
official opening of a branch office
of the Postal Telegraph Company
at 1011 U- Street, Northwest,
Washington, D. C., manned and
operated by an all-colored staff
Hosea Lindsey, Who first got
his taste of the business in Akron
Ohio, years ago, is the office man
ager. After spending sometime
in the telegraph field) he decided
that Washington was the place
where he could raise his millions
After looking over the field
there, Mr. Lindsey sought the as
sistance of the Washington Urban
League, through its executive sec
retary, George W. Goodman.
In measuring work possibilities
of Negroes in Washington, the
league has assembled information
on the colored population concen
tration in the Northwest section,
attending information concerning
their businesses, and the distribu
tion of telegraph offices.
Armed with a base map indicat
ing these features, Mr- Lindsey
descended upon the local telegraph
officials and presented his cred
entials. The officials were im
pressed and forwarded the infor
mation to New York City where
the main office confirmed the
project.
BOY QUADRUPULETS ARE
BORN BUT ONE DIES
Barnwell, S. C., Jan- 6 (ANP)
A midwife revealed today that on
Christmas day she delivered quad
ruplets, one of which died soon af
ter birth. The quads were boys.
The three living were reported to
be doing nicely. The mother is
Ada Way, of Red Oak district.
MAYBE ROCHESTER SHOULD
BE CARMICHAEL
Hollywood, Jan. 7 (ANP) Clad
in a raccoon overcoat, Eddie Ander
son, screen and radio comedian
better known as Jack Benny’s man
Rochester, emerged from a trap
door on a Hal Roach set. He was
dripping wet.
Eddie wag supposed to be com
ing out of the sea, and before each
take of the scene the coat was
soaked in water.
“Let’s get it this time’’, said Roy
Del Ruth- director. “We don't
wjint to ruin that coat”.
“Don’t \v|orry about the coat”,
Eddie said. “Worry about me.
You never heard of a raccoon car
rying an umbrella”.
RACE GROUP
MUST EQUAL
Or Be Superior To The
Majority Group If They
Would Solve Their
Problems Says Shaw
In recognition of the week of
prayer, Rev. Alexander P. Shaw,
resident bishop of the Baltimore
area of the central jurisdiction of
the ME. church gave two address
es Thursday night in this city.
His first address was given at
the First Methodist Church at 20th
and Davenport street, where he
delivered a stirring lecture on the
subject “Thy Kingdom Come.”
In his second address of the ev
ening at the Clair Chapel ME.
Church, 22nd and Miami streets,
the eminent bishop told a repres
entative race group that the best
and surest way that he knew of
for the Negro race as a whole to
solve their problems was to heed
the council of a jewish speaker
whom he had once heard to say:
‘‘That the only way that a minor
ity group, living within a majoiity
group, could ever hope to have
•quality, |W!m» by / the minority
group rising above the average of
the majority group by their sheer
excellence of superiority”.
'ALL IN FUN’ STARRING BILL
ROBINSON FOLDS UP
New York City, N. Y. (C) The
Bill Robinson show “All in Fun’’
did a complete fadeout at the Ma
jestic theatre after only 3 perfor
mances. Theatre goers and crit
ic alike were not in the least sur
prised over the foldup as the com
edy was really no good. The plot
was flimsy and not a bit humorous
though the cast did their best to
see it through. Bill Robinson was
the only thing of the Leonard Sill
man production worth paying $3-30
top price for.
An expensive investment, the
show represented about $65,000
being twide financed. Now1 with
only three showings to its credit,
“AH In Fun’’ ties with two other
vehicles as 1940 briefest Broadway
| runs.
---
369th REGIMENT IS EX-RAYED
New York (C) Harlem’s 369th
regiment is being ex-rayed all this
week by the WPA T. B. Service
Directly following the examinat
ions, the Regiment will be feder
alized and then packed off for
training. All told preliminaries
will take about two weeks
50 COLORED MECHANICS
NEEDED FOR OMAHA AND
LINCOLN QUOTA
Headquarters Nebraska
Recruiting Building
224 Post Office Building
Secretary t Urban League,
2213 I^ake Street,
Omaha, Nebraska.
Dear Sir:
The United States Army is now
offering single colored men be
tween the ages of 18 and 35' of
good moral character and who
have had at least two y»‘arB high
school education and some exper
ience as motor mechanics, an op
portunity to assist in the defense
of their country by enlisting in the
regular army for a period of three
years.
We have had to turn away
many qualified colored men in the
past because we had no organiza
tion to which they might be sent
and I have therefore been able to
obtain a quota of 50 men for 0
maha and Lincoln. Thi^ quota
must be filled as rapidly as pos
sible and I am therefore calling
upon you for as much assist rnce
as you can give me.
Prospective applicants who
meet the above requirements
should be instructed to report to
Room 225, Post Office Building,
Omaha, Nebraska.
Your assistance in this matter
will be greatly appreciated by the
government.
Very truly yours,
Palmer McGrew>
Captain Infantry,
Acting Rctg. Officer
ILLINOIS TRAIN PORTERS
NEGOTIATE AGREEMENT
Conferences to negotiate the
revision of the existing agreement
concerning rates of pay and rules
governing working conditions for
Train Porters in the employ of the
Illinois Central Railroad will be
gin in Chicago, January 8th, in the
offices of the Carrier, statey, A.
Philip Randolph, International
President of the Brotherhood of
Sleeping Car Porters.
M. P. Webster, 1st International
Vice President will lead the Agree
ment Committee composed of Sam
Johnson, local grievance commit
tee chairman of the Chicago area,
and Train Porter representatives
from other division of the Illinois
Central System.
Train Porters of this railroad
wbre transferred to the jurisdict
ion of the Brotherhood by the A
merican Federation of Labor in
1939.
NATCHEZ FIRE WORST IN
1941
Natchez, MisB^ Jna. 6 (ANP;—
The Safety Research Institute, re
porting on the fire losses through
out the nation during 1949, declar
ed last week that the worst holo
caust of the year was the dance
hall fire in wihich 207 Negroes
were burned to death here last
April. Total fire losses in the
country were more than 390 mil
I lion- No figure has been announc
I ed on the monetary loss in the
| Natchez fire. Most of the victims
l were not covered by insurance.
THREE
NOTABLE
ADDRESSES
by Emmett J. Scott
Washington, D. C., Jan.
5—'Three ratable address
es were made here in
Washington last week.
Each sought to stress and
more definitely, to define
this thing we call demo
cracy.
They each came from high quar
ters—from the President of the
United States, the Chief Justice of
the Supreme Court of the United
States, and a high-ranking mem
ber of the United States Senate.
la substance and form and elo
quence of statement, the three ad
cresses rank high, ve>y high.
Coming from such high quarters
(h' y deservedly challenge the at
l' ntion of the country and the
world. They dealt with ths fund
omental concept^ of our democ
.acy, and were surcharged with
patriotic purpose and social vision. J
They set forth ideas and idealsj^^
which, if lived up to, would I riaf$
about in this country of oura
philosophy of living, a of
peace, and( in truth andfln fact,
a ' government dedicates to th©
proposition that the/Wvh and the
poor alike stand ,4f>on common
ground: that each has eoual rightj
as veil as equal opportunities
and that, each’is entitled to the
full protectirfi/of his government
in the preservation of the price
less righwand privileges of cif::
cnsliip.” E'
racial prejudices
AND BIGOTRIES—
The realization of thevi
in America is at pi flsent prevent
oi mainly by racial ^ ejudice3 and
bigotries- These prey,.’dicc3 aD"
bigotries fall with at'^atenlng
impact day by day, year\ in and
year out, upon the hapless - Head3
of the great masses of one pa-tie
ular group of our Americail\it
kenship—the Negro group. V
Chief Justice Hughes apok^,
with unaccustomed bluntneis ^
when, in his address,' calling for ^
the improvement of human rela^
tiens in America, he said( that
“liberty cannot be preserved by
majority rule unless the majority
hold sacred basic individual rights
of race or creed’’, so that there
maybe “an abiding sense of hu
man dignity and worth—and
friendly cooperation in pursuit of
common ideals of justice.’
In further comment, and follow
ing up this thought, h® emphasiz
ed the fact that “rancor and big
otry, racial animosity and intoler
ance are wholly incompatible
with that cooperation because
they undermine the very founda
tions of democratic effort.’’
THE CONSENT OF
THE GOVERNED—
In his address to the nation, Mr.
Roosevelt referred to the totalit
arian dictators as seeking to set
up a “new order”, andf by implic
ation, spoke of our country as
hav ng a government “based upon
the consent of the governed."
Senator Burton K. Wheeler, the
third notable to speak during the
week, declared that “while we
sympathize with the oppressed and
persecuted peoples of the world,
we realize that we have great
problems at home: that one third
of our population is ill-fed, ill
housed and ill-lad. We have oeen
told repeatedly", he said( “upon
the highest authority that unless
and until this situation is correct
ed our democracy id endanger-d.“
The thesis of his remarks rev
tlvei aromd the sentiment that
we rfiould settle our own problems
before we undertake to settle the
problems o.' Asia, Africa, Austial
ia, South America and Europe.
He decided that the best way to
safeguard our independence and
freedom in America is to set our
own house in order.
COLORED AMERICANS
BAFFLED AND CONFUSSED
Colored Americans who have
read these speeches, and hund
reds of others like them, are oaf
fled and confused. They know
that thousands and thousands, yea
millions of their fellow^ are ill
fed, ill-housed, and ill-clad in this
rich country of ours, and that
they remain so after years and
years of Billion-DoUar spendings.
They are kept from employment
in industry with regular wage3,
and that their color alone con
demns them to the lower and iow
est levels of living.
They know that in some eleven
States of our Union, the so caUrd
Solid-South, the principle of gov
(Continued on page £^”3)
