Nebraska Newspapers

    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