UNITED
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SAVINGS
"bonds
AND STAMPS
M^rch of
Events
OPINIONS COMMENTS
i
THE OMAHA GUIDE
A WEEKLY NEWSPAFEu
Published Every Saturday at 2-418-20 Giant St
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OMAHA, NEBRASKA
PHONE WEbster 1517
Entered as Second Class Matter Maxh 15. 1927, at
the Post Office at Omaha, Nebraska, under Act of
Congress of March 3, 1879.
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Mirs. Fluma Cooper — — Vice Pres.
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BETWEEN THE LINES
(by Dean Gordon B. Hancock)
NAZISM NEXT DOOR
When Lindbergh sets upon the
Jews he is coming dangerously near
the Negroes. Nazism thrives on race
hatreds and well might the Negroes
tremble when the race persecution
corns to the Jews, for then is it next
door to the Negroes.
Only a lortuitous circumstance
saved the Negroes from great perse
cution when KuKluxKlan was directed
wholly against Negroes the revised
form of the movement included Jews,
Catholics and Negroes, and therein wras
the Negroes’ salvation. Had the Klan
not mistakenly lined up against these
other two elements in our nation, great
would have been the tribulation of Ne
groes. But the Jews and Catholics
could take care of themselves and incid
entally they took care of the Negroes.
It is mpst fortunate for Negroes
that Nazism in this country is making
its initial racial assault on the Jews;
and we only hope that the Catholics
will come next as this will give the Ne
groes a breathing spell. Lindbergh has
indirectly mitigated any wrath Nazism
may be inclined to mete out to the Ne
gro race; and there is such wrath,
though latent, it is potent; and we
must not deceive ourselves on this point
When the attack on the jews comes it
brings trouble next door to the Negro
es of the country.
, We may as well be warned that
unless Hitlerism is defated great trib
ulation awaits our already hardpress
ed race. For every reason Negroes
had for fighting in past wars, there
are many reasons for fighting in this
one. The threat against the Negro is
more dire than ever and with the poss
ibility of a world-wide conquest, those
until they are annihilated. That is to
say, if Nazism wins worldwide domin
ion with its persecution complex, min
oi'ity groups will be doomed perhaps
unto their final extermination.
The democratic and Christian
ideology has been the only redeeming
hope of the interracial situation throu
ghout the world. When democracy per
ishes from the earth the hopes and for
tunes of the darker races will also per
ish. Then will Christianity be so em
asculated that it cannot function in
saving oppressed groups.
It must not be forgotten that
there are those in this country commit
ted to the proposition that in order
that this country may. reach its destiny
it must be relieved of its darker pop
ulation. The movement that springs
up ever and anon to have the Negro re
patriated in Africa is merely a sympt
om of an underlying social disorder
that will call for more attention as the
years go by. There is a threat in this
recurring movement that Negroes
have never fully appreciated. Under
Hitlerism the repatriation of Negroes
in Africa would be speedily consum
mated.
Today we have a press in this na
tion that has a conscience; under Naz
ism the press would have none. Today
the Negro can make his protest vocal;
under Nazism his voice ,of protest
would be silenced. Today the Negro’s
dark outlook gives hope of a brighter
tomorrow; under Nazism there would
be no tomorrow. One of the most dis
quieting symptoms of this whole sit
uation here in the United States is the
sympathetic way in which Lindbergh
ism is treated Until his outburst a
gainst the Jews he was tolerated in a
way that was most distressing. In
stead of regarding him as a pro-Gei -
man and Hitelerite and Nazi of deep
est hue, he was regarded in far too
many circles as a patriot zealous of Ids
country’s good.
It was disheartening to see how
reverently the higher-ups regarded
Wheeler and how slow the press was
to brand him the proHitler satrap that
many believe him to be. The press of
the national has been entirely too sym
pathetic and “tender” in its handling of
such men as Wheeler and Lindbergh
and their vest pocket satellites. In
other words, Lindbergh and Wheeler
have gotten away with “murder” in
this country. That there are those to
help them over is significant. The Na
zi sympathizers are strong in this coun
toy and this strength is a danegrous
threat tip Negroes everywhere. Negro
es may not be able to do much about it;
but they should know what is taking
place under their very eyes—-next door.
The purpose of this release to re
mphasize the necessity of the Negroes
‘‘all out” efforts in support of the
Roosevelt administration. The fortun
es of no minority group are being
weighed more certainly and danger
ously than that of the Negro race. The
trouble next door is our trouble. Naz
ism next door bears watching. The
Negro next.
BEATING THE GUN
(By Alvin Moses for the ANP)
THIS WORLD SERIES (OUS)
BUSINESS-The National and Am
erican League Baseball race has been
the topic of sport fans during the past
six weeks. Now that the world series
is over we desire to analyze the
thoughts of Negro fans who patronize
this American institution, thoroughly
and impartially.
First, are Negro fans interest
ed?
Of course they are.
Perhaps no race of people in all
the polgot that is—America, manifest
the interest displayed by the mistreat
ed American of African descent. Year,
after year, as these classics, (compar
able only to Olympic games) swing on
and off the stage of American affairs,
Negro baseball players ask the age old
question—‘‘WHY AM I FROZEN OUT
OF THE PICTURE???”
THEY SAY HE’S NOT BUT HE
IS—Ask any of the ace Negro staff
writers of weekly papers throughout
the nation how they were impressed
when interviewing big league manag
ers or magnates; and invariably they
reply—“We’ll PLAY NEGROES ON
OUR CLUB IF SO AND SO WILL!!!”
But that is just as far as the sub
ject gets. Nice looking pictures spread
all over the Pittsburgh Courier, Chic
ago Defender, Amsterdam Star News,
et al—showing the pearly teeth of Ne
gro writers (often Negro players) grip
ping the hand of sincere-appearing
white managers; tell a story that nev
er comes true.
CORRECT WAY TO WIN PUB
LIC SENTIMENT—'But during 1941,
Negro business men have made a start
for remeding this evil.
Speaking for New York City a
lone, where for four months, residents
of the metropolis witnessed the cream
of the National Negro league repres
entatives in action at Yankee stadium
-it won’t be long before WHITE
BASEBALL FANS will be howling f6r
-THE ADMISSION OF NEGRO
BALLPLAYERS INTO THE LEA
GUES.
We don’t mean a paltry few pro
Negro champions, who know that we
have never been given anything sim
ulating a decent cut of the cards in base
bail—but thousands of fans who as vot
ers, will petition their respective con
gressmen.
Winding up the most successful
season in Negro baseball history, men
like Jim (Soldier Boy) Semler, Pomp
ez, Abe and Effie Manley and others,
did more than—merely keep faith with
their public. They won legions of un
belie vir|g (in many instances) white
fans who while admitting the Negro
ballplayer physically was the equal of
Major league stars, were loathe t'o ad
mit he was their mechanical as well as
intellectual equal. Naturally, we refer
to the mechanics of the game solely,
and not as some will asume, thinking,
on any other level other than the topic
under discussion which happens to be
baseball.
Yes, this is world serious business
we’re talking about in this column.
Business of baseball, in which Negro
stalwarts like Paige, Leonard and Josh
Gibson should decide whether they
wish to play with an all Negro team at
$250 monthly for six months—or draw
down $40,000 yearly salaries like Jew
ish Hank Greenberg did as is the unal
ienable right of every American, re
gardless of color or religion.
LABOR & INDUSTRY
(by George F. McCray for ANP)
AN AGGRESSIVE PROGRAM
Last week I raised the question
what attitude Negro workers should
take toward the new interest shown in
us and our problems by the AF of L.,
the CIO. and various community and
governmental agencies. Attention was
directed to several courses which we
might follow. We could be timid and
merely accept what is offered, or we
cjould develop an aggressive program,
accepting whatever is offered to us of
value, but always seeking and demand
ing and working for more until full
equality with all other workers is a
chieved.
With unwavering determination
the Negro worker should follow an ag
gressive program-discreet, well
through, but determined. Not since
the Civil war has the country been so
conscious of our problems. Never
have the American people been sc will
ing to heed* our pleas for economic jus
tice. Standing as a monument to our
progress is the fact that we are now in
position to exert tremendous pressure
on Loth labor and business to force
them to change their discriminatory
practices.
THIS OPPORTUNITY WILL
NOT WAIT
Of course, this opportunity is not
of our making. Our part in it was im
measurably small. If we were to ident
ify individuals with the complicated
forces operating in national and world
affairs, out of which operation this op
portunity for us has come, we would
make the following observation: Her
bert Hoover, would personify world
depression and economic and social dis
location; Adolph Hitler would typify
brutal intolerance and the destruction
of democracy; Franklin D. Roosevelt
would be a fine expression of the grop
ing friends of democracy; and John L.
Lewis, would stand as the champion of
a reborn idea, that men who toil, be
they black or white, should have a de
termining voice in running the world’s
business. Obviously the interaction of
these forces has provided us with an
unprecedented opportunity.
THE LINE OF BATTLE
With this opportunity on our
hands, our first objective should be to
break down discrimination in unions
and to make them democratic. To do
this we must be in dead earnest about
this whole union business. In reputa
tion we should become as pro-union in
the immediate future as we were anti
union a few years ago. Not only must
we fight for admission in all unions,
but we must make union business our
business. And to the unions which ad
mit us today we must contribute both
leadership and membership.
THE UNIONS ARE WITH US
Anti-union practice on the part
of Negroes today is the simplest kind
of foolishness. Every job in the Unit
ed States today which is really worth
having is either under contract with a
union or soon will be. Moreover, most
of the manufacturing and mechanical
industries in which Negroes are employ
ed are already organized. In fact
many employers who used Negro labor
as a kind of anti-union insurance a few
years ago, are now trying to get rid of
those they have.
However, this hituation need not
be alarming. If we build strong un
ions with genuine seniority clauses in
the contracts which these unions negot
iate, if we through personal attention
to union business, see that these senior
ity clauses are observed, it will not be
a difficult matter to convince a employ
er that he should not turn against a
Negro worker because it can no longer
be presumed that a Negro worker will
‘‘scab”.
Several unions in the Chicago area
are demonstrating what can be achiev
ed along these lines.
BROTHERHOOD
(by Willis B. Keller for ANP)
If I’m wrong, find means to guide me
That my steps be safe and sure.
If I’m right lie down beside me
And let both our hearts be pure.
i
If so burdens dawn upon you
That weigh heavier than mine,
Then it’s I who should come running
And not wait for you to pine.
«
Each man gets his hard-earned living
By the sweat of other’s deeds,
So should you make haste in helping
With some other fellow’s needs.
(
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It takes strength to aid the cripple,
True kind hearts to lift the poor,
Steer the blind clear out of danger,
Pin a welcome on your door.
Life is what we do for others;
Not for self or greed or hate
Let’s be brothers as God wants us,
And not wait until too late.
i
Dark Laughter . by ol harrington
“I borrowed him from my sister-in
law. I have a- date tonite with Mr.
Bootsie and I thought I oughta have
him around”.
