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About The Omaha guide. (Omaha, Neb.) 1927-19?? | View Entire Issue (Dec. 20, 1941)
Non-Discriminatingj Posters Into Plants! Into 12,000 defense plants thru-: out the country this week went posters calling atention to the Government’s non-discrimination policy in defense employment. Dr. Robert C. Weaver (left) chief of the Negro Employment and Train ing Branch of OPM, and Lawrence W. Cramer, Executive Secretary of the President’s Committee on Fair Employment Practice, are shown examining the poster which quotes the following section from President Roosevelt’s Executive Order No. 8802: “.... I do hereby reaffirm the policy of the United States that there shall be no discrimination in the employment of workers in de fense industries or government be cause of race, creed, color or na tional origin, and I do hereby de clare that it is the duty of em ployers and of labor organizations in furtherance of said policy and of this order, to provide for the full and equitable participation of all workers in defense industries, without discrimination because of race, creed, color or national or igin....” in a letter to detense contractors whch accompanied the posters, Mr. Ethridge, chairman of the Fair Employment Practice Committee established by President Rosevelt on June 25, 1941, stated: “These posters were prepared at the request of several defense contractors who felt that the Gov ernment’s policy should be brought directly to the aenion of workers in their plants. ‘ It is the wisli of the President’s Committee on Fair Employment Practice that these poster be prom inently displayed in your personnel and employment offices and on the bulletin boards in the shops of your establishments. “We are sending these to fac:l itate the cooperation of your wor kers with you in your efforts to carry out a program of full util ization of all labor resources in defense production.” Althought nation-wide distribu tion of the posters was inaugurat ed this week, the first set of the placards which bear the heading “Fair Employment Practice in De fense Industries,” were sent on November 20, 1941, to the Colum bus, Ohio, aircraft plant of the Curtiss-Wright Corporation where 67 tool and die makers staged a I walkout when a Negro youth was employed in their department. The Walkout was promptly set-; tied through conference between management, a committee of Cur tiss-Wright workers, and repres entatives of the Labor Relations Branch of the Labor Division of OPM, and the President’s Comm ittee on Fair Employment Pract ice. The agreement embodied the following points: (1) Qualified Negroes, include ing clerical and engineering worx ers, will be integrated into all div isions of the Columbus plant. (2) Management will place no ticeh on bulletin boards through out the plant calling attention to Presiden Roosevelt’s Executive Or der No. 8802 and signifying the company’3 intention to abide by the Federal non discrimination de fense employment policy. (3) The Curtiss Wright Cor poration will continue to train and employ Negro skilled workers in keeping with this Federal policy and its earlier commitments to the Negro Employment and Train ing Branch of OPM. At the request of the Presid ent’s Committee on Fair Employ ment Pracice, John J. Corson, Di rector of the Bureau of Employ ment Security, this week sent cop ies of the poster to all State Em ployment Service offices for sim ilar display in these offices. This action is designed to expediate the referral of workers of all minority groups to defense plants through approved governmental agencies. NAACP HOLDS ELECTION OF OFFICERS The Omaha Branch of the Na tional Association for the Advance ment of Colored Peolple held its annual election at the Urban Lea gue Community Center 2213 Lake Street, Sunday. Reelected unanimously were:—■ President, Arthur B. McCaw, 1st Vice President, Adam Lee, 2nd erson. Secretary Mrs. John Albert Vice President, Rev. C. Q. Hick Williams, Treasurer, William L. Myers. Executive Committee: Senator John Adams, Jr., Mrs. Gertrude Lucus Craig, J. Dillard Crawford, Goldie Davis, Edward R. Fletcher, E. W. McCowan, L. F. McIntosh, J. Westbrook McPherson, Mrs. Hattie Moore, Charles Solomon, H. W. Smith, Rev. George A. Stams, Rev. F. C, Williams, Lee Washington. Newly elected members of the Executive Committee: Dr. Wesley Jones, J. Wendell Thomas, Mrs. Olive Hawkins, Jesse Snell. Financial Report of The Omaha Branch of the NAACP. Income Balance 1940 .$ 15.00 Memberships .208.50 Hayride .13.55 Midnite show (incomplete) 168.00 Expenditures To National Office for Memberships and Assm’t $107.87 Office Expense: Rent for 6 months at $10 .. per month .$60 U0 Lowering Ceiling in office half of which is to apply on rent.38.58 Inlaid linoleum .59.S0 Window sign . 2.50 Installation of heat .30.20 Drayage for Chairs .75 Venitian blinds .12.50 Total office expense .204.13 Postage and M. 0.12.44 Printing . .. 16.50 Miscellaneous: Draft Book .50 Photostats, cuts and mats “Curry Case”. .3.00 Community Clearing Council Membership.50 Donation to Vernon Brown Benefit.2.50 Total Miscellaneous .$6.50 Total income . $405.05 Total ejcpenditures.... $346.44 Balance.$ 58.61 RETIRE $7,500,000 IN BONDS A milestone in governmental af fairs was reached here in Omaha on December 15 when the water department of the Metropolitan Utilities District retired the last of $7,500,000 worth of water bonds. The bonds were issued back in 1912 when the district purchased the water plant on July 1. Part of the income was required legal ly to be laid aside to provide rev ehue for bond redemption and in terest. In addition to that requirement, low rental rates, in comparison with other cities ,and with low fire hydrant rental rates has made it impossible to put aside enough money to carry on even adequate maintenance, much less for expan sion. Revenue which formerly was paid into the interest fund and debt requirements can now be de voted to modernization, sendee improvements, maintenance, and rehabilitation of the water plant and system and replacement of obsolete equipment. The new expansion program can now, because of the savings which are attendant on the retirement of bonded indebtness, be put into op eration wihout any increase in rates. Those rates, incidentally, are a mong the lowest in the nation and are less than half as much as they were in 1912 when the Utilities district purchased the water plant. All Negro ‘Streamlined’ Division Assembling ENGINEERS START WORK ON HOME OF NEGRO DIVISION AT FORT HUACHUCA To Add 11,309 Troops To 25th and 368th Regiments Now There; Expanded Facilities May Be Com pleted In Six Months FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz., Dec. 19 (ANP)—Plans for the expan sion of Fort Huachuca to accom odate an extra 11,309 soldiers who combined with the troops in the 25th and 368th infantry would make a triangular division, are aef initely underway and construction when started, will be completed in a maximum of six months. The combined force here would be 17, 903 men. I This new streamlined division is expected to be the Negro division promised in Washington last week f Monday) to a group of Negro editors by Gen. George Marshall, chief of staff of the United Stat es army. It is understood that auhorization by congress for this radical departure from traditional Negro troop formations is momen tarily expected. The late Rooert Vann, editor of the Pitted :rgh Courier, campaigned in his col umns for creation of an all Negro division. The 25th infantry, whose home is at Fort Huachuca, is one of the four colored regular army regi ments authorized by congress dur ing reconstruction. The other three are the 24th infantry. Fort Benning, Ga., and the 9th calvary and 10th, at Fort Riley, Kansas The 368th was recently formed with the expansion of the armed services. Both units are officered by whit e’ and it is conceded that the com rrander of the Negro division would also be white. A division is headed by a major general, highest office yet attained it: the regular army is th it of brigadier i • neral, * i . "en n O. Davis be ' ing the first and oi ly man to ur so honored. Coni jL 'ing the di nsiot. will U> tirce i. t: „ry regiments quar'cr mrtster am engineer; g oiBali.ir.s a m* dieal battalion and artillery and .service units. It is not known whether u> \ of the fu t activated national guard regim. • s a.; \vftb f.egro cer perso i; •!, v. r *.<• used l.a.-t \ i eh Maj Kdnuuitd K. Daley of the quartermaster gen eral’s office in Washington arriv ed and checked the site layout of; the proposed new buildings to J house the enlarged force. Tentative plans call for an ad- j ditional 741 hospital beds with all auxiliary facilities such as operat ing rooms, dental clinics, laborat ory equipment, etc. It will also be necessary to build a new air field, artillery and rifle ranges, laundry bakery, cold storage warehouses, ordnance shop, fire house, five new type chapels and possible two ad ditional theatres. Included in the buildings will be an officers club at one end of a 6,000 by 3,000 feet parade and le creational area, while at the other end will be division headquarters and an athletic field. The infan try regiments will be arranged a long one side of the parade grounds and the proposed artil lery, special battalions and divis ion troops along the other. Motor pools will be in the rear of eacn organization. The post at present has 36 com pleted buildings, many of them new, and accommodations for two full war strength infantry regi ments. The 25th and 368th which occupy these buildings, have 3,325 men each. REV. SEARS’ OP’N LTTERS 200 E Lexington St., Independence, Mo. Nov. 12, 1941 Bishop Noah W. Williams, 4423 Enright St., St. Louis, Mo. DEAR BISHOP: I trust that you and Mrs. Will iams are well. Baby Doll is not well at all and seems to grow more pessimistic every day, and as for me, I have never had such an experience as I am now having, and I am in doubt as to whether any wrong that I have committed! would warrant the punishment and suffering that we are now un dergoing, in view of what I know of other ministers who are much better situated than I am. I have never been a person to complain, and would not now, were it not for wife, who is sick and we have ab solutely nothing to care for our selves until I can get a footing here. I have already lost my robe to Rev. Carl Flipper for $35.00, unless I should be able to redeem it. $25.25 of this I used as one payment on the car, $5.85 to Na tional Life and Insurance Co., and the other part pay for groceries furnished by Rev. Williams. We have completely lost our Life & Casualty Insurance and Washing ton National unless we are able to redeem them during the four weeks grace period. My wife’s radio of $137.00 with a balance of only $28.00. .unless it is paid, or a part of it by the first of the month, will be lost. They! have it in Omaha. I am merely making these statements in order that you can at least sympathize with me, in these conditions. I have spent at least five hours today in Independence, trying to get on WPA. I made application there and have been referred to the office in Kansas City, Mo. I will go there tomorrow, but the way looks dark as to whether I will get on at all. If I succeed, I will trust the Lord and do my best for the little church in Independ ence. The people there are try ing to fix a part of the parsonage where we can move in it. If I do not get on the WPA work, unless you can make some changes, T will be forced to go back to Om aha, which I do not want to do. First, because of the weather, sec ond, because I love the church but owe some bills there and do not intend to finally make some of the peoples word true, “that I will not pay my debts." I know I have some friends there, that will h'ip me. If this is my only hope, no one could blame me for trying to save my life and the life of my family. I am willing to go any where, or follow suggestions, where there is hope of life. I am keeping a duplicate copy of this letter for further reference, if necessary. Your humble servant, T. A. Sears. MY DEAR SEARS: Your letter received. No one more sorry than I about your condition but I do hope you anu your .vife can see my position. In t'ie first place I was very much criticized for placing a man, just in our Church from another de ncnjii ation as pastor of St. John i’l Omaha, which I had no idea of doing but found that Rev. Mc Clure had lived in Omaha as a boy and man, and I had no one else on hand to send there at that time. You did a fine work, but should have remembered in what a bad light you were placing me. Now you know, or should know, that no one is permitted to go un punished who fails so completely in conference claims as you did in Omaha. In fact the last two pastors of the Church you are now in, were sent there for much less crimes than you did. Can’t you possibly see that one who spends all but $315.00 or $325.00 of nearly $1000 of Conference claims, and reports only that small sum for everything, is bound to be placed in a much smaller charge. The conference had to take $300 you charged for entertainment and pay it on your dollar money. When any pastor takes his con ference claims for his own use and spends it, there is absolutely nothing I, or any other Bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church can do but what I did in your case. Now you may do as you choose about going back to Omaha as Bishop. I have spoken and do not intend to change my decision, however sorry I may be. Cordially, Bishop Noah W. Williams A Letter from Sears to Dr. F. D. L.McDonald, District Presiding Elder 2230 Ruby Avenue, [ Kansas City, Kansas Nov. 19, 1941 Dr. F. D. L. McDonald 2309 Olive St., Kansas City, Mo. Dear Dr. McDonald: Greetings to you and wife. T trust this will find you both well. This leaves us fairly well. Now, it is with regret that I say that unless something terminates, I shall be forced to give up the work at Independence, as we are not able materially to go through what one must necessary under go there, in order to put the pro gram over There is a young man in Kan sas City, Rev. Edward Martin — (111 N 11th St„ Phone LO 5206 Kansas City, Mo.) who works in Lakeview and desires to live in Independence. He is a member of Gregg Tabernacle Church, his wife is a minister and they both sing. To my mind he would be the very one for the place, and it may be the working of providence if you see it so. I will gladly welcome any sug gestions that you may give. If you have any ministers in your district or any other district, or any friends that I may do revival meetings for, I shall be very glad to assist in any vay I can. They are a very fine little peo ple in Independence, and it breaks my heart to give them up, but un less something can be done, I will be forced to. Your humble servant, T. A. Sears. WEEKLY EDITORIALS Last Monday a nrtion wide cele bration of the adoption of the Bill of Rights was held to remind Am ericans once again of the value and meaning of the FOUR FREE DOMS; Freedom of Speech, Free dom of the Press, Freedom of Worship and Freedom of Assem bly, which the Bill of Rights was designed to Guarantee. Their adoption came as a result of the insistence of opponents of the Federal Constitution, feeling as they did that the original in strument gave no safeguard to in dividual liberty for which Amer icans had fought the War of In dependence. Among the opponents of the or I iginal Constitution was Patrick. Henry, four times governor of Vir ginia. James Madison of Virginia kr.own as the father of the Consti tution, sought Patrick Henry’s support for ratification of the con stitution of the United States, but Henry withheld his consent. Mad ison then proposed to him that if he would support ratification, he could count on Madisonw’s sup port of the ten amendments prev iously proposed in the “Virginia Plan” in the constitutional conven tion. Of this Henry was skeptic al and observed to Madison; how can you support a Bill of Rights, providing for liberty of the indiv idual while you own six hundred slaves? . .Such a deal was made by Madison, the Bill of Rights was adopted and Madison kept his black slaves. The Bill of Rights, therefore, when adapted, did not refer to or ! include the Negro slave populat ion, which at the time constituted 19.5 percent of the total popula tion. They had no rights at all Therefore, when the slave holding Chief Justice Roger B. Taney de clared in the Dred Scott case in the United States Supreme Court, that “Negroes have no righs which white men are bound to respect” he was stating an opinion held by a large majority of the people of the United States. Although the Negroes of the country do not enjoy full liberty, even now, their position has been greatly improved since the First Ten Amendments to the Constitu tion were adopted in 1791, they have been followed by others, in cluding the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the same instru ment. And trhough them, the Bill of Rights is made applicable to the Negro. And we now have a Supreme Court of the United States which holds that the guar antees of personal liberty apply to Negroes as fully as to anybody else. The Bill of Rights, like Magna Charta, states an ideal. Magna Charta gave to Englishmen the right of trial by jury in 1215. Yet after 726 years since its adoption men and women within British Dominions do not enjoy the bene fits of its guarantees. But more members of the human race enjoy individual liberty today than en joyed it before Magna Charta; and many more Americans enjoy liberty here in America today than enjoyed it when we adopted our Bill of Rights. The attainment of individual liberty is the result of evolution, although the movement toward it may sometimes be hastened by rev olution. The Bill of Rights, like Christ ianity, declares an ideal. Both must be defended and enlarged until they become realities and embrace the human race. The war lords of Europe and Asia challenge and would destroy these ideals, which must not be destroy ed. They must not be destroyed by their enemies here at home by subversive action through color prejudice during our struggle to preserve them. Of one thing we are very sure, the Negroes of America have qiv en more and received less than any other racial stock in America. And for the perpetuation of in dividual liberty in the world, they must insist that whereas they must fight for the opportunity to fight for it, that they shall fully share its blessings, when the world returns once again to the Arts of Peace. THE NEGRO AND THE NAVY In many places throughout the country colored applicants for Navy enlistment have been advis ed that the present time no pro vision exists for them except in the limited field of mess attend ants. This situation in this branch cf the National service is a part of our comparatively recent his tory. During the American Revolut ion colored men served on such boats as we had, and they were prominent and efficient as seamen and gunners in the war of 1812 to 1814. Indeed, colored men had been sailors and mariners under many flags for many centuries be fore the wars mentioned. In our Civil War, Negroes served as sea men and gunners and petty offic ers, at least one of them rising to the rank of captain in our Mer cnant Marine. From the close of the Civil War, onward, colored seamen were grad ually eliminated, except as mess attendants on American ships. Even now many of them are to be seen on British ships and on ships of all sea-faring powers, ex 1 cept ours. Many of them served | In the German Navy and the Ital ian Navy before Hitlerism came to power in Germany and Italy. Some things defy explanation a mong countries and governments and peoples, and this is one of them. Things will be better In the Navy bye and bye. WORLD WAR NUMBER TWO World War Number Two is here and plans are being made to reg ister all men between the ages of 18 and 64. In this way the gov ernment may ascertain in what positions each citizen may best serve in this war to end this war, and let us hope, all wars. it is our hope that the govern ment will a^eeo'iiy provide means whereby Negro citiiens may enlist freely in all the armed services of the Nation. This action would de prive Propaganda Minister Goeb bels of the only weapon he has left having any basis of truth. We think we face a serious sit uation, the most serious our coun try has ever faced. We think the Negro is needed now in every phase of defense effort as he ha9 not been needed in our country’9 wars. And we urge his employ ment solely in the National inter est. America, when all the facts are presented, will defend the right, and we believe their Commander in Chief fully comprehends these questions and will live up to his GREAT and GRACE responsibil ities, neither forgetting nor neg lecting any part of our population. Loyalty now is a very important quality. Let us join hands and make an all out effort to win this war, quickly and afterward est ablish a just and lasting peace a mong our selves and other nations. SOUTHARD APPOINTS J. W. McPherson to care for RECORDS County Judge Charles J. South ard has placed full charge and complete responsibility for all pro bate, Guardianship, Adoption and Trust Estate Files in J. Westbrook McPherson, race employee, whose title hereafter will be known as Record Clerk, effective as of Dec. 1, 1941. Approximately 50,000 records of County Cases are cov ered by this assignment. Mr. McPherson commented, “I was pleased that the Judge saw fit to entrust this type of respon sibility to my care”. WEDDING BELLS ARE ABOUT TO RING Mr. James Jones Jr., of Los An geles, California and Miss Mable Longmire, will be married soon and will make their home in Los Angeles, California. SUFFERS SLIGHT STROKE Mr. J. C. Carey suffered a slight stroke and was carried to the Vet eran’s hospital at Lincoln, Nebr aska, a few days ago. Dark Laughter .... by ol harrington YOU BIG BABOON, YOU THINK YOU CAN MAKE ME QUIT YOU DONT'CHA? WELL, I AINT—NOT 'TIL AFTER CHRISTMAS