opinions_March of Events comments
WAR AND PEACE
Once more the dogs of war are
loosed in the world, led now by the Ger
man Nazis Military Caste. The war of
today differs from other wars in mod
ern times in that non! ,combatants are
its victims equally with the soldiers
and sailors and airmen who do the
fighting. It has been called total war
which spares neither men, women nor
children.
The leadership of the German Mil
itary Caste seeks destruction of the
English civilization and culture of
wrhich America forms a part. And we
must decide here in America whether
or not we shall abandon our ideals of
civilization, denies as they are in prac
tice on our very hearthstones, or sub
mit tJo the slavery which the military
caste mentioned will impose if crowned
with victory. On these terms we can
have peace in the world; or war until
this philosophy is broken in the battles
of the sea and air and land and all men
of all races everywhere are made free
in fact and given 'every opportunity to
develope as human beings should in the
ways of culture and civilization and
brotherhood and service.
We would ride the world of war
and usher in the reign of peace for a
thousand years. But that peace must
be the peace of justice and liberty and
equality and fraternity for all the
children of mSeji everywhere.
If to attain these ends, it be nec
essary that the lives of many shall be
placed upon the altar, so be it.
War is a monstrous thing, but
peace may be even worse, unless free
dom'and opportunity and the larger
and finer life are its ends.
i
NEGRO LEADERSHIP
The lines appearing most fre
quently in various publications about
Negroes mention “A Negro leader” did
this or that; “Negro Leaders” propose
this or that, “Negho Leaders” met this
or that government body. Usually,
the daily papers print such terms in
their stories in every community. And
the general public may get the impres
sion that the persons mentioned are
leaders, and the persons mentioned
may believe they are leaders. They
may be quite in earnest about it, trying
sincerely to serve, but lacking any
sound plan for action and even know
ledge and experience respecting the
things desired. Often, this lack could
be remedied by conference and the ac
quisition of exact information and the
aid of well informed assistants.
And this leads to the query: Who
is a Negro Leader?
Is it he who is “out in front” or
the one who quietly and unknown serv
es his fellowmen in little ways, who,
like the general in an army far behind
the front lines, leads through his plans
and directing minds.
And in the midst of life’s struggle
are not the real leaders the humble
mothers and fathers of the race who
manage their homes, rear their child
ren, educate them as best they can and
send down life’s pathway to lead use
ful lives of w<ork and services.
In a larger way, according to one’s
attainments and opportunities, leader
ship among Negroes has been devel
oped in every community in the coun
try. Many of them w'on national re
nown ; a few have achieved internation
al fame.
They are serving in nearly every
field of human endeavor. And under
their leadership, the Negro has made
his unequalled progress.
They know what sacrifice really
means. All of them have read the
story of “THE CRUCIFIXION” many
times each one has suffered it over
and over again at the hands of them he
has tried to serve and save.
Do not despair. Nothing a hum
an being can do in this world of ours
is so valuable as service to mankind
which stands in such 'great need of it.
And if you experience the stings and
arrows of ingratitude, from the pers
ons for whom you have rendered a
service, hold your course and serve
them still, for they, in very truth,
stand in direst need of service.
All men and women who have
known the burden of their people will
understand what is written here. Re
member you are destined to play a de
cidious part in Solving the problems
which will confront mankind in the
coming post-war years.
‘ THE MASTER RACE”
Once again we are hearing the
claim that a new, strong, “Master Race
has appeared in the world. It is a very
old claim. The Negroids of Ethiopia
and Egypt made it long before the
little Greek sheep herders landed in
their pennisular, and, of course, cent
uries before Remus and Romulus were
nurtured by the fabled wolf, to found
^Rome.
Even in those long days, the Ne
groids mothered and developed the
world’s first civilization, and they bore
her torch for thousands of years. Per
haps, they grew weary of “CIVILIZ
ATION” and returned to the forest
for peace and rest, finding at last that
there is no “Master Race”. The Greeks
the pupils and heirs of Egypt, bore the
torch of light and learning for many
centuries and advanced civilization to
heights never before attainted. And
Rome, guided by the Greek intellect,
gave to the world heir twelve Dictator
Caesars, who ruled for many centur
ies. They, too, called themselves a
“Master Race”. The present day claim
ants to this title are the German Naz
is. They differ from all past claimants
in two important respects; they wor
ship no god but force, and deny to all
conquered peoples the right freely to
serve the God in whom they believe.
The claim is without merit in our
day as it was in the long ago.
The English People have also as
serted a similar claim. They have be
come the world’s greatest colonial po
wer, the exploiters of more millions of
men and greater resources than any
other people in any age. They profess
a love of liberty for all men, but deny
it to hundreds of millions under their
flag. There is, however, one supreme
virtue which is theirs; they are the on
ly People of history who have given to
mankind the principle of individual li
berty. This, at least, is their IDEAL,
and the effort to attain it has given a
large measure of liberty to races and
peoples who would not otherwise have
kniown it.
I nthe Southern states of the Uni
ted States, the two-thirds white pop
ulation asserts its racial superiority
over the one-lthird colored population
through various forms of legal, econo
mic, political and social proscription.
And the handicaps and cruelties they
impose upon people of color are quite
as painful as the more harsh and more
direct restrictions imposed by the so
called “MASTER RACE” of German
Nazis, on the peoples they have subju
gated.
There is no “Master Race”; there
never was and there can never be. Hu
man beings have a human destiny and
every possibility of such beings, and
when all the factors for their develo]>
ment are the same ,they will rise to the
splandid heights in every field of worth
while aspiration and endeavor.
Sometimes in the course of hist
ory it is necessary for men and women
to die for such an opportunity and
such a destiny. And all men and wom
en of all races ought to be willing to
make every sacrifice for these end3,
and once and for all strike down the
monstrous claim that there is a “Mas
ter Race” in any land anywhere be
neath the shining sun.
- . . ii. *..
WORK
If you were permitted to choose
a single social weapon with which to
chart and hold a course for the devel
opment of human society, what would
it be? Would you choose wealth, or
politics, or one of the forty or more pro
fessions, or a military career, business
or one of the numerous callings com
mon in the world of men? And if you
were to choose them, how would you
prepare for them?
Were it left to me, I would choose
work, without which nothing else can
be and endure. It is the most valuable
thing in the world of men and nature.
All about us we see its results, the
chemical action and reaction through
out the physical order. Everything we
see about us for the use and comfort of
mankind is the result of work by nat
ure or the brain and hand of men.
Without it, there would be no
homes, no villages, towns and cities
with their modern conveniences, no in
dustries, vehicles of transportation; no
schools and churches; nothing worth
while in the life that is or is to be.
If you will show us a being who
despises work of hand or brain, we
will show you an enemy of the human
race.
But work should result in the de
velopment of those things for the good
of mankind and not its destruction.
Let us, therefore, encourage the
worker in every field and glorify it
self.
OUR WAY OF LIFE
(by Atty. John Adams, Sr.)
Insistence is the art of pushing
one’s viewpoint to personal advantage.
This regardless of those whom it may
unfairly hurt. Seeking to have its way
it moves with utter disregard of such
foundational principles as justice, e
quality, freedom and fraternity. Our
statesmen and political strategists in
their criticism of the ways of other
people speak loudly about any trespass
or interference against, and with, what
they call, “Our Way of Life.” The
sounding of this slogan may not, for
the present, be so comforting to the
minority groups of America. This new
American expression, like a danger
ous weapon in the hands of a mad man
may become a serious threat to the am
bitions, and rights of certain small, but
loyal groups of our cosmopolitan land,
groups striving against odds to live
happily as well as helpfully in a govern
ment of their choice:—a government in
respect to which they chalenge any
person or group whatsoever to show a
greater spirit* devotion, and dowm
right loyalty. The expression, “Our
Way of Life,” to some, does not carry
writh it, so much of the ideals of demo
cracy as it does to, because of powder,
push our prejudices to the great hurt,
the suppressed. It could be charges
that the expression carries with it a
governmental intention to continued
to overlook unfair practices and cust
oms carried on against certain classes
of our citizens repugnant to the law of
the land. A way of life is best respect
ed when that way is fair to all assoc
iated in its compact.
The expression,, and legislative
outrage, “Our Way of Life” carries
with it a very definite program of gov
ernmental intention. This being so, to
that part of our national family, barri
caded behind a customary mountain of
prejudice,—a prejudice which defies
obedience to the law of the land, exist
nothing less than THE VERY BLACK
NESS OF DARKNESS. This editor
ial talks about governmental program.
Now, it is quite reasonable, for those
interested to inquire, “What is that
program?” Programs are not always
placed where “those who run may
read”. They are hid. Not always in
some dark corner, but more often be
hind a national tolerance, smoke screen
ed by the glaring brightness of such
loveable soundings as “OUR CONSTI
TUTION”,- OUR LAWS”, a part of
which is the peoples bill of rights.
WHO ARE THE PEOPLE? Whoev
er OUR GOVERNMENTAL PROG
RAM INTENDS. If the people are ben
efitted, programs must be announced.
This is always done, in one way or an
other. Often the master of ceremony
cries out, “the next number on the pro
gram, is thus and so” and then again
those who are made to bleed and suf
fer and die, call out through their aw
ful predicament, here is where a “Way
of Life” placed us,—‘AND FOR HOW
LONG?
“Our Way of Life,” then, seems
to proceed by an intended program.
These are best understood by carefully
observing social results which accrue
from their operation. This becomes all
the more alarming, when it is suspect
ed that the doings of today by a state
or nation, constitute types and shad
ows of possible governmental intent
ions for to-morrow.
Instances of Our Way of Lite
are revealed by many of our bureaus
acting in relation to the citizen and
vice versa the citizens conduct towards
these boards, set in operation for the
benefit of each member of the entire
national block. The individual citizen
under “Our Way of Life” seems to pos
sess 3 habitations,—his home, —his
state,— and his nation. He occupies
each of these under a definite author
ity. He is preeminent in the family
home. Here he has a perfect right to
determine its program, conduct and
pleasures. He admits whom he pleas
es, and prohibits whom he pleases.
There can be no opposition here to his
way of home life so long as he conducts
it in pursuance of law. The head of a
home is master, but when the inmates
of a home move into the life of the
state they can bring forth no such au
thority, nor can the citizenry of a state
moving into the home life of the nation
bring such authority. Here fights are
suppressed and privileges accepted on
a basis of exchange. Here the individ
ual may properly do that which is law
ful, and be prohibited from doing that
which is unlawful. The rights of oth
ers in relation to the individual become
the paramount objective. If therefore
“Our Way of Life” is to adjust oursel
ves to our governmental ideals of frat
ernity and justice, and equality, to this
there can be no objection. If this is
what we understand by “Our Way of
Life”, all is well,,—If not, GOD FOR
BID ITS CONTINUANCE.
READ
THE GUIDE
CUT OUT THE
ALIBIS
It’s easy enough to prove an “al
ibi" when the job should have been
done but alibis never get you any
where they’re generally framed up
to prove that you “weren’t there."
When the roll is called, they won’t
ask you where you Didn’t go and
what you DIDN’T do but WHAT
did you “get across.”
One and one don’t make two—
when you try to add things that
aren’t equal. The belief that it
does is responsible for much of the
trouble in the world today. No
one man ever exeactly equals any
other man—we’re all different in
ability and character—but some
people want to put us all in the
same mold and treat us all alike
and make us all live and work in
the same way. They don’t allow
for individuality.
Perhaps you are doing this to
yourself. Maybe you are using an
‘alibi” because you are failing to
make good on a job which isn’t
your kind of a job. And this goes
for all men—regardless of their
race, creed or color. You can’t ex
pect to make good, if you haven’t
got what it takes. Find out what
you can do best—and then go to it.
It’s usually in the little things
that most men fall down— in the
day by day tests of character.
Whether you can get on with oth
ers, and give credit to whom it be
longs, and speak in an even tone
when there’s provocation to shout
in anger, and whether you are giv
ing to others what you exepcct of
them—an absolutely square deal—
these are some of the things that
show waht kind of a man you arc.
And when you do this, you can
look every man in the face with
out apology, and without using an
alibi in an attempt to get by.
*t*i*t*Hm**mh***t*mtMTi0*
“WHICH SHALL IT BE?”
mmmwbihmmhhmhmm
Omaha:—Last year we all hop
ed that the United States would
not be draW\i into the second world
war. Millions of Americans still
hope we shall escape. It neems
to me this hope is vain.
We must choose one side or the
other in the world struggle. Which
shall it be?
The axis powers are committed
to a philosophy of statism, under
which all liberty, or person, rights
religion, speech and press is bann
ed. Men and women live not for
themselves, but for the state alone.
On the other hand, the allies
have as the cornerstone of their
civilization human freedom, but
tressed by the sacredness of fam
ily life and religious guidance.
They believe that every human
being shall have the right to work
and the chance to rise and make
whatever contribution he may to
that society of which he forms a
part Even the disadvantaged ele
ments of such a civilization have
the probability of some day be
coming a free, active part of such
a society.
As an American of color, the-e
fore I take my place alongside the
champions of the English speaking
race, and I stand ready to do in
1941 what I did in 1917. I a;n
convinced that our hour has come
for action, even if that means A
merican participation in the pres
ent war.
W. B. BRYANT.
BOOK STUDIES NEGRO YOU'IH
IV THREE IIBERAL COMMUN
ITIES—
Washington, May 26 (ANP) -
The fifth and last of tha studies
in Negro youth personality devel
opment made by the American
Youth commission, “Thu3 Be
Their Destiny” attempts to show
hew boys and girls grew up in
three small cities, towns of liberal
traditions in beth the North and
South.
Greensboro, N, C., Galesbu-g,
111., and Milton, Pa-, are the towns
wh;ch though widely separated
geographically and culturally have
a tradition in common of liberality
towards Negroes. The first stud
ies of the commission made under
the sponsorship of the American
Council on Education were region
al studies. This last publication
compares conditions between re
gions, but within the limitations of ✓
communities of somewhat similar
tiadtion and with similar-sized
populations