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About The Omaha guide. (Omaha, Neb.) 1927-19?? | View Entire Issue (Oct. 25, 1941)
Neb. Power Now A National Defense Utility • •• The Nebraska Power Company is now classified as a National Defense Utility and its property is protected by an act of congress passed during the last war and re cently amended to cover the pres ent national defense emergency* J- E- Davidson, president, announc ed today. As a national defense utility. Mr. Davidson explained, the com pany’s properties are protected by this act which provides a fine of not more than $10,000, ten years imprisonment, or both, for anyone convicted of willfully injuring or destroying national defense pro perty wth intent to obstruct nat ional defense. Section 5 of the Destruction of(j War materials Act, which was first enacted April 20, 1918 and a anended November 30, 1940 and August 21, 1941, to cover the pres ent national defense emergency, oreads as follows: ‘ That whoever, with intent to injure, interfere with, or obstruct the national defense of the Unit ed States, shall willfully injure nr destroy, or shall atempt to injure or destroy, any national defense material, national defense prem ises, or national defense utilities, •as herein defined, shall, upon con victon thereof, be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisonment not more than ten years, or both ” In announcing the national de fense status of the power comp any’s properties, Mr. Davidson al so called upon the public to aid in its protection. v ‘‘In these times of emergency, it is the patriotic duty of every American to report any act or plot which endangers the nation’s saf ety,” Mr- Davidson said. “We, of the Nebraska Power [Company, therefore feel free to request that anyone knowing of any acts or plots to damage or obstruct the operations of our properties should report this immediately to local enforcement agencies or the near est office of our company. ‘‘Our company heretofore has been serving local industries en gaged in defense work and milit ary stations. With the contract recently signed to supply electric ity for the Martin Bomber plant, it becomes a very much more im portant factor in the national de fense efforts in this community," Mr. Davidson said. Under this contract, power will he supplied to the bomber plant over two independent lines to two •substations built by the War De partment. where it will be reduc ed to the proper voltage for pow er uses in the bomber plant. Each line is capable of furnish ing all the power required and as sures constant, dependable elec tric service, Mr. Davidson said. Every precaution has been taken also to guard against shutdowns that might be caused by sabotage, "bombings or other violence, by building an underground electric distribution system from the sub statons to the bomber plant. ‘‘For several months our pov/er plants have been closed to the public and carefully guarded at the request of the federal government Mr. Davidson said. “We will, of course, continue these precaution ary measures throughout the per iod of this national emergency." J. Finley Wilson Asks Name Be Withdrawn From Letter head of America First Inc. The Harlem Division of Fight! for Freedom charged Perry How ard. Secretary of the Crales Young Post of the American First Comm ittee, \tfith misleading Negro-Am-; ericans by using the names of out- j standing Negro citizens without their authorization J. G- Browne, prominent Iowa Negro Republican, in a letter to Edward W. White. Executive Sec retary of the Harlem Division of Fight For Freedom, stated “I have 1 „ i never given anyone permission to use my name in America First Publicity.” J- Finley Wilson, Grand Exalt" ed Ruler of Negro Elks stated: *T gave permission for the use of my name because I am for anything that will help Black America, but upon investigation I found this Committee did not represent my WHERE TO GO TO CHURCH SUNDAY (See Page Three) views and have • asked that my . name be withdrawn from its let terhead.” White states: “This has been the tone of letters received from Bishops J. A. Gregg and W. J Walls, Dr. W, H, Jernagin and Dr. G. B. Key of St. Louis, Missouri, “Bishops A- P- Shaw, Attorney Sidney Redmond, Marse Calloway of Baltimore, Maryland, J. Anth ony Josey, Judge Edword Henry, Dr. E. E- Howard of Chicago and Hobson Reynolds have not yet re sponded to an inquiry sent out by Fight For Freedom “As for Perry Howard, suffice it to say this is the same Negro who w'as Republican National Com mitteeman from Mississippi. Cer tainly any Negro who can become National Committeeman of one of the major political parties in Mis sissippi could never be expected to Fight for anything, let alone Free dom. Nope, you don’t get to be National Committeeman from Mis sissippi by fighting. The entrance is strictly through the back door. We who believe in democracy and i want to see it prevail welcome this opportunity to learn who our real enepiies are. Imagine a black Hit lerite!” Mr. White declared i ALL OUT DEMOCRACY FOR ALL RACES, CREEDS AND RELIGIONS Fight for Freedom gave a prac tical demonstration of real demo cracy at -work when it passed res olutions calling for ‘‘all out” dem ocracy for all races, creeds and religions at home and abroad The occasion was the history making “Continental Congress for Freedom”, held at the famed Wash ington Hotel, Washington, D. C-, October 9 and 10 Prominent among Negroes who attended the convention was Mrs. Mary Bethune, who served as del egate at large to the convention. Mr. Theodore Poston of the Ne gro employment and training branch of OPM and Miss Marie Tancil of Philadelphia were guests of alternate-delegate Edward M. White, Executive Secretary of the Harlem Division of Fight Foi Freedom, at the convention ban quet held in the Hall of Nations ASKS AID OF PUBLIC IN PROTECTING DEFENSE UTILITIES ) J. E. DAVIDSON, President of The Nebraska Power Com pany, one of the nation’s vital defense utilities in the west ern part of our country. rt GEORGIA U DROPPED FROM AC CREDIT LISTING Birmingham, Ala., Oct. 21 (AN P>—Charging the removal of Dean Walter D. Cocking of University of Georgia constituted “a clear case of political interference”, the Southern University conference voted unanimously Monday to drop the school from its ranks. Meeting the executive session, the conference approved a comm ittee report which stated that Cocking dean of the college of ed ucation was “dismised from Vs able notice and upon charges which; position without due and reason are not substantiated”. Gov. Eu gene Talmadge’s revamped Georg ia board of regents voted to dis miss Cocking this summer after Talmadge charged the dean with advocating racial co-education. Gov Talmdge hd left Atlanta Monday and could not be reched for com ment- Several weeks ago, he had said that if the university lost its accredited rating he would cut sal aries of school professors in half, commenting that “they would not be worth as much”. I DETROIT NOMINATES DIGGS FOR COUNCIL Detroit, Oct. 14 (ANP) —In a city wide non partisan primary election here Tuesday Sen-'Charles C. Diggs was nominated for the common council despite the fact 122 candidates were in the field. Diggs got 17,000 votes in the light est primary in a number of years This marks the first time since 1927, when George Green pulled some 36,000 votes that a Negro has been nominated for the city council. Sen- Diggs, who finished 15th among the 18 nominees, ac cording to old line politicians here, stands more than an even chance of being elected in November. — ■ - ....... * - 1 LARGEST ACCREDITED NEGRO NEWSPAPER WEST OF CHICAGO AND NORTH OF KANSAS CITY —MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED NEGRO PRESS Under*Act^f March***! 1874—Business Phone ^WE.*i517h* Nebraska, Qmaha^ Nebraska Saturday, October 25,1941 OUR 14th YEAR—No. 32— City Edition, 5c Copy RANDOLPH DELIVERS BLISTERING ATTACK ON RACIAL POLICIES; CHICAGO A. F. OF L. LEADER Calls Negro “Evil* In Labor Movement OA $125.00 A SEMESTER.. It Can’t Be Done, Says Stroud, Jr., As He Ex plains Non- Attendance At Drake University There seems to be a number of people wondering why I wasn’t able to continue on at Drake Uni versity. In fairness to the people who contributed towards my go ing away to school, I am explain ing just why I wasn’t able to stay. I was told before I left that my Scholarship was worth $150-00 and when I got to school I would find a job and a place to stay waiting f<n rr.e- I was told that I didn’t need to come earlier because that had teen taken care of. When I arrived at Drake University. I fcuud that I had no place to stay or a job. I went to the Employ ment Agency at the school and was told that they had nothing for me- My trunk and baggage stay ed at the Bus depot for one solid week before I had a place to car ry it to- I had to find a place to live myself. I went to the school Employment Agency quite a num ber of times, but each time I was told that there was nothing for me. In the meantime, I found out that my Scholarship didn’t mean anything. I had to make monthly payments to the school which am ounted to $31-00 a month. The room I had cost $2.50 a week which amounted to $10-00 a month. That was student rate- Where I lived, I wasn’t able to eat there, therefore my meals cost me 70c a day which is about $5 a week and about $20 a month. Adding all of this up, makes expense around $61 a month which would come to about $244.00 a semester and a bout $500 a year with the supos edly Scholarship and this doesn’t include my books. My books cost me $20-00 and I haven’t bought all of them yet. My reason for stay ing as long as I did was because they kept promising me work—i which I never got. Consequently my funds became exhausted be cause of the money I had to pay out and there wos no other out but to come back home. There are some people who seem to think that I left with a great deal of money. I want to say right here that it’s an untruth. I FEP FINDS WESTERN PLANE FACTORIES DO ABOUT FACE ON NEGRO LABOR AS HEAR INGS START IN LOS ANGELES LOS ANGELES, October 22, (ANP) -The wild and wooly west, which less than a year ago boasted of its economic vigilante-ism against Negroes in defense industries, was neither wild nor wooly this week as the President’s Commit tee on Fair Employment Practice opened its first public hearing on defense discrimination here on October 20. 8W^ini^nnmmHHHKiiiiuniiutiii!!tuiiintut(iii]!iiiii!iiii!!m:iii:!!]!ii>i!vr^ Metropolitan Opera Star To Sing Arrangement oi? Booker Washington Booker Washington, one of 0 maha’s most accomplished young musicians, received word that Hel en Traubel, Metropolitan Opera Star and the countrys greatest Wagnerian soprano, will sing one of his arrangements in her concert tour starting October 30th. Last April when Miss Traubel was here for a concert, she asked Mr Washington for an arrange ment. Mr. Washington presented her with his arrangement of an old Negro spiritual, “Were iou There When They Crucified My Lord”. The arrangement accord ing to a letter received, by Mr. Washington, will be sung first at Boston and Will be a part of Miss TraUdell's program in 46 cities throughout the country between now and next May. Mr. Washington, a student at the University of Omaha, is a stu dent of Cecil Berryman. had no great amount of money when I left for school. When I left Omaha, I had exactly $125 It has been said that I received a good deal of money from the re cital. That is also an untruth. I only had 402 tickets to sell for the recital and I wasn’t able to sell all of them. I only had about 340 tickets out. I received money for 200 tickets. There is some money that I never got or tickets either. The price of the tickets was 20c. In the selling of the tickets, we only got just what we sold- The money that I received from the re cital. the contribution of the three Churches, St. John, Bethel Baptist and Zion and my little savings all amounted to $125 00. I couldn’t possibly attend Drake University for a semester off of $125.—no job, and my expenses being what they were I don’t want the people of Om aha to think that I’ve let them down. I haven*t, and someday, I’ll prove it. I haven’t given up yet, I'm going to try it again. I’m also open for any suggestions that the readers of this article might have on the subject. at the Hotel Washington on Oct ober 9 AME. ZION OFFICE BURGLARIZED Chicago, Oct- 20 (ANP) —The office of the Christian, education department of the African ME. Zion Church was burglarized on Tuesday night. More than $400 worth of office equipment was stol en which included 1 Royal type writer, 1 adding machine; 1 kodr.k, 1 kodak case containing telephoto lens and adapter with 100 ft. of motion picture film; 1 check writ er. Only a part of equipment tak en was insured against theft and burglary. Entry was made through a win dow in the private office on the north side of the building that was broken at the window lock by the intruder. Dr. James W. Eichelberger is the executive secretary of the Christian Education department. 5 Throwing the spotlight on this frontier section, the FEPC was scheduled to reveal through its hearings just what the government has accomplished in its drive a gainst employment bias, and also what additional steps must be tak en if unions and employers are to be forced to observe Executive Or der No- 8802. The government’s achievements, attained through the cooperation of FEPC and OPM with the offic es of Dr. Robert C- Weaver of the Negro employment and training branch and Dr. Will Alexander of the minority groups branch are appreciable in this section. Typical of this progress has been the breaks in the military aircraft front which was widely publicized a year ago. As the committee hearings opened Mon day, four of the six leading manu facturers of aircraft were employ ing Negro workers in their plants where only one employed Negro skilled workers six months before On the other hand, though, two of the large companies still had no Negro employes and the FEPC was expected to crack down cn their management of one and the ciosed shop union of the other for their barriers against colored wor kers. The good side included: 1— Lockheed-Vega Aircraft com pany, which two months ago an nounced a sensational change in employment policies and began the immediate hiring of Negroes in all crafts in which they were skilled and trained. Fifteen Ne gro production workers went to work in this plant at once and more than 100 w<ere called in for tests and interviews. 2— North American Aviation, Inc-, which called in its first five Negro production workers in Kan sas City, Kans-, last week, indir ect repudiation of the March state ment of J. H. Kindleberger, presi dent, that Negroes would only be employed as janitors and custod ians. 3— Douglas Aircraft corporation the first of the West Coast comp anies to employ Negro skilled ar.d semi-skilled workers, which has in creased its number of Negro em ployes in this category in the last few weeks. 4— Consolidated Aircraft comp any, which is still negotiating with OPM for the employment of Ne gro skilled workers, but which has attempted to escape the scrutiny of FEP by hiring more than 135 Negro janitors and unskilled work ers in the last few weeks The two plants which the OPM agencies failed to crack and which they are reported to have certifi ed to the FEP are the Vultee Aii* craft company, whose president has not yet retracted his statement that "only members of the Caucas ian race” will be employed in his plant, and the Boeing Aircraft company in Seattle where Negro workers are still barred through a closed shop contract held by the International Association of Mach inists. This same machinists’ un ion is bitterly opposing the Integra tion of Negro workers into the Vultee plant in Nashville. Several factors are credited with the breaking of the solid anti-Negro front on the West Coast defense horizon. Chief among these has been the President William Green Asked To Rebuke Chicago Regional Director For Insult A. F. of L. SIDESTEPS ISSUE OF RACE DISCRIMINATION IN THEIR UNIONS Seattle, Washington (NNS) — In voting down A- Philip Rand olph’s proposal for the appoint ment of a committee to investi gate and act upon the question of discrimination against Negro workers by its member unions, the American Federation of Labor in convention here last week exposed the hypocrisy of its anti-Nazi de clarations and actions and indicat ed that though it has decided to fight Hitlerism abroad if neces sary, it does not intend to com bat its manifestations in this coun try. The convention’s action followed a bitterly conducted debate on the subject which was marked by personalities and an insulting ref erence to the Negro race by an A. F. of L. leader. Randolph, head of the Brother hood of Sleeping Car Porters and key figure in the March-to-Wash ington movement delivered a blist ering attack on racial policies prac ticed by leading unions of the Fed eration, and presented impressive evidence that could not be refuted as proof of the veracity of s charges. He gave the conven ion an array of names, unions nd specific instances where unions al filiate with the Federation J been instrumental in barring Ne gro workers from jobs. He was preceded on the platform by Mark Ethridge, publisher of the Louisville Courier Journal and Chairman of the Fair Employment Practice Committee appointed by President Roosevelt to remove dis • crimination from defense indust ries. Ethridge likened discrimin atory union policies to Hitlerism. “Unfortunately,” he told the del egates, “there are still many unions and locals of unions which bar their fellow men because of color I would not be frank at all with you if I did not say that most of them are yours.” Randolph recited a long list of cases where Negroes had either lost employment or had been pre vented from obtaining it because of A. F. of L. machinations- He singled out the powerful Interna tional Machinists Association for1 special attack and challenged Har vey Brown, the union's attitude to Negro workers. Brown was si lent Submitting affidavits to back up his charges Randolph called the convention’s attention to the bar ring of Negroes from jobs in Tampa. Fla., Milan, Tenn., St. Louis, Portland, Kansas City, Lea venworth, Mo- and New Orleans. He asked the convention to ap point a committee empowered to take effective action against these conditions. His resolution was re jected by the Resolutions Commit tee after Federation leaders had opposed it. It was proposed in stead that the A. F- of L- reaffirm its previous policy of condemning discrimination but doing nothing to abolish it. close cooperation between the of fices of Dr. Weaver and Dr. Alex ander and the Committee on Fair Employment Practices. Soon aft er the committee picked Los Ang eles as the scene of its first hear ing, representatives of the Negro employment and training and the minority groups branches concen trated their efforts on the West Coast area and put the pressure on recalcitrant employers and un ion officials. The threat of cer tification to the FEP is credited with the quick results in some cas es. The breaks on the West Coast front have not been confined to the aviation field- Recently Negro shlpfitters who had complained to OPM, were hired for the first time in the Too a^d Moore shipyards and in diesel engine shops in this area. New York, N- Y.—Citing re marks of Harry O’Reilly, regional director of the American Feder ation of Labor in Chicago, as ‘‘in sulting to colored people and a menace to the unity of pro-labor forces,” the NAACP. has request ed that President William Green of the A. F. of L. officially and publicly rebuke O’Reilly and Fitz patrick, president of the Chicago Federation of Labor. 0’Rpi!ly is reported a3 having said to a committee from the Chi cago NAACP. branch: “I consider the Negrc an evil rather than an asset to organized labor. I don’t believe all of this discrimination exists against the Negro; \r it does it is the Negro’s fault and also his fight ” O’Reilly is also reported as hav ing used profanity freely to the committee, which contained wom en, and to have used the word “nigger” instead of Negro. The NAACP- letter labeled O’ Reilly “ignorant as well as insult ing,” and declared that discrimin ation pgainst Negroes by A. F. of L- Unions was well known through out the labor movement, had been discussed at numerous A. F of L. conventions, including the conven tion just closed in Seattle, Wash., and had been the subject of num erous official statements and let ters by President Green's office “In the light of this history,” said the NAACP. letter, “it is rid iculous for Regional Director 0-* Reilly to say that he does not be lieve discrimination exists against Negroes in the A- F. of L.” The NAACP- also asserted that there had been “almost daily” discrimination against Negro wor kers by A. F. of L. unions since the launching of the national de fense program- Particular stress was laid upon the fact that the A F. of L. convention, which closed in Seattle Octoberl6 met under the shadow of theBoeing aircraft plant where Negroes have been repeal edly excluded from employment, not by the Boeing company, but by the A. F- of L- aeronautical work ers union. The NAACP. letter reminded President Green of the powerful anti-labor forces at work in the country, of the anti-labor legisla-4 lion pending in Congress and of the appeals which have been made to Negro Americans to help defeat this legislation. The letter declar ed that Negroes were willing to support organized labor when or ganized labor demonstrated that it would treat Negro workers with cut discrimination. CATOE TO TRIAL Washington, D. C- (NNS) - Evincing keen interest in the pro gress of the case against him, Jar vis Roosevelt Catoe, remains alert and intent in Criminal Court where he is being tried for the slaying of Mrs. Rose Abramowitz- Alleged to have confessed committing sev en rape-murders, six of them in Washington, Catoe was trapped by New York police through a wrist J watch of one of his victims which vflas traced from a pawn shop to him. In his address to a jury of 12 white men and 1 woman, District Attorney Edward Curran declared the Government would demand that Catoe!'be sent to the electric chair. LOUIS GIVES ANOTHER THRILLING EXHIBITION ON TOUR Ft. Custer, Michigan, (NNS)— Doing his stint for Uncle Sam ev en before being formally inducted into the army, champion Joe Louis gave the second bout here of an exhibition tour which started two weeks ago at Camp Brain in Rock ford, 111. Lustily cheered by the 5,000 en thusiastic soldiers who packed the PRESIDING BISHOP BISHOP NOAH W- WILLIAMS AME. CONFAB ENDOISES NAT. )EFENSE PROTESTS DISCRIMINATION AGAINST NEGROES Omaha, Nebaska, Oct. 22 (ANP The 66th annual session of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, wiith Bishop Noah W. Wil liams presiding, went on record in ringing language in support of national defense but in opposition to discrimination bgainst Negro workers in its meeting this past week. Among the resolutions which were passed was one pledg ing loyalty and another condemn ing unAmerican practices. ‘‘Realizing that the church of the living God is the only heaven or dained institution for the bringing of peace on earth, we of the Kan sas cot ference go on record as en dorsing the national defense pro gram of the President of the Uni ted States”, the resolutions began, “We have, however, had our at tention, through the Negro press and pulpit, called to the alarming practice of discrimination in the national defense setup. Negro carpenters, mechanics and engin eers of all sorts are denied the right of joining the ranks of or ganized labor. Because of the de nial of the right of organization, black hands cannot help in the mighty industrial effort that will cause this nation to be so armed until no foe will dare put his foot upon our shores. “The Kansas conference goes on record condemning such practices as unhealthy for our vaunted de mocracy. The Negro has shed his blood on every battlefield- Glor ious has been the bravery and val or of the Negro soldier. The pag es of American history are illum inated with the valient deeds of men of color. “Be it hereby resolved that since the Negro has played such a dominant role in the development of this nation, that our official heads of government take such ac tion as necessary to see that dis crimination, segregation and jim crowism ceases in our industrial program. “We say that if Uncle Sam will strike the chains that bind the hands of Negro labor, the Negro will man the tanks and artillery; he will take the wings of the eagle and fly the planes- He will navi gate the battleships of our glor ious nation that sail the seven seas; he will be willing to shed his blood and continue to be loyal that we may remain one nation, indivisable, with charity and jus tice for all” The resolutions were presented to Bishop Williams by the committee which included M- C. Knight, T. W. Green Junior R- A, Adams, F, Jesse Peck, R. S. Everett, G. W- Reed, D, M. Cole, Mrs. Lottie White, Mrs- Freda Wil son and Mrs. Gertrude Clark outdoor arena, the champion boxed two rounds and displayed the stylo that has made him the greatest fighter and champion of all t'nie. The champion will tour eight camps in all after which he will re turn to his farm near Utica to a wait his call to the army. ATTEND THE OMAHA GUIDE’S FOOD SHOW October 20th-25th