—^ x r * . Good Reading
LARGEST ACCREDITED NEGRO NEWSPAPER WEST OF CHICAGO AND NORTH OF KANSAS CITY —MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED NEGRO PRESS
.Entered as Second-Class Matter at The Post Office, Omaha, Nebraska SATURDAY AUGUST 15th 1942 OTTR 1 nthYEAR—?7 rjfv Edition Sr fnnv
.Under Act of March 8, 1874-Business Phone: WE. 1517 UUit 1DM I JiAXV No 27 Illy 11,0111011, PC IQPJ
COMING AUGUST 20TH,
EARL “FATHER” HINES
Earl Hines who will bring his
famous 19 piece orchestra to the
Dreamland for a return engage
ment Thursday Aug. 20th. Hines,
will feature his vocalists, Billy Ec
steing and Madeline Green, as well
as his famous trio, “The Three Va
rieties.”
JOHN ADAMS WINS WITH
BIO VOTE IN 5TH
Senator John Adams, Jr., pop
ular northside attorney, led the
field in the 5th Legislature Dis
trict with more than 1,200 votes.
Harry Foster was again the run
ner up with 867 votes. S. E. Gil
bert and C. C. Galloway finished
in the bottom bracket with 275
and 189 votes.
1 --V .. —H-|» . Jt. .
AIR RAID W ARDENS MEET
Air Raid Warden meet for First
Aid training, Tuesday, August
18th at 7:30. The meeting will be
at Long school for all people in
the Long school area.
PEARL BUCK SPEAKS AGAIN
Pearl Buck has supplemented
her letter to the New York Times
with an even more admonitory
note in her address a few evenings
ago at a Book and Author Lunch
eon in New York City.
As she pointed out: “The Col
ored American . . . even in defense
of his country, is not allowed his
share of work . . . Thanks to an ed
ucation in democracy, he now
really wants to see his country a
democracy. When he defends the
United States of America he does
not want to do so segregated and
limited. This contradicts his idea
of a democracy. He has grown up
a good deal since the last World
War. He is willing to fight and
die again, but not for something
he does not himself possess.
“. . . Democracy, if it is to pre
vail at this solemn moment in hu
man history, can do so only if it
purge itself of that which denies
democracy, and dares to act as it
believes.”
Dire Possibilities Ahead
It is now apparent what is
ahead of us in this “new kind of
war, which is different,” as the
President has said, “from all other
wars of the past".
The months ahead are pregnant
with dire possibilities. They call
for a national unity that shall
purge our war intolerance and
bigotry, and that shall not be lim
ited by any of the traditional
hates and prejudices of the past.
The denial of fundamental rights
and privileges; the denial of nearly
every concept of true democracy,
and the rights of freedom to
peoples of constant loyalty and
devotion to our country and its
institutions, is, in truth and in
fact, a crime against every profes
sion of our sincerity that we are
at war to spread simon-pure de
mocracy throughout the world.
—
FOR RENT
Nicely furnished room with ra
dio, for men, HA. 1521.
*****
r
$
MARINE CORPS QUOTA PRE
VENTS ENLISTMENT OF
WEST COAST NEGROES
New York—Enlistment of Ne
groes in the U. S. Marine Corps is
based on the quota system which
shuts out all Negroes in the Pa
cific Coast area from serving, the
NAACP learned last week, when
the Marine Corps told the Asso
ciation that “no allocation has been
made to the Western Recruiting
Division because of the smallness
of its Negro population.”
The information came in a mem
orandum from the commandment
of the U. S. Marine Corps, and was
signed Wethered Woodworth. The
memorandum also states that if
there were recruits from the Wes
tern division they would have to
be transferred to the recruit cen
ter, New River, North Carolina.
The NAACP said this is another
illustration of the evil of the quota
system which restricts and, in this
instance, completely debars serv
ice of Negroes in a branch of the
armed forces. The NAACP also
pointed out that there are more
than 100,000 Negroes in the Pa
cific Coast area.
WAR SHOW STARTS
AUGUST 24th
The Army War Show, gigantic
and spectacular display of Amer
ica’s armed might will move into
Omaha on the week-end of Sat
urday August 22nd, for a 4-day
performance stay. The War Show
will be presented in Creighton
Stadium in Omaha on August 24,
25, 26 and 27th.
The Army War Show Task
Force of 2,000 men and officers
has played to capacity crowds”in
Baltimore, Philadelphia, Pitss
burgh, Akron, Detroit and Mil
waukee. It will be in Des Moines
immediately before coming to
Omaha, which will be the western
most stop on the nation-wide tour.
More than 955,000 persons have
seen the show already.
The Army War Show is being
sent around the country by the
War Department to show the
people of America their army.
Feeling that very few of the people
have an opportunity of getting to
posts and stations where they can
see the Army at close range, the
War Department decided that the
people should have a small portion
of the Army brought to them.
The Army War Show, called by
Collier’s magazine “a blitzkreig
with the fangs removed,” has
everything from a “jeep” parade
to the blast of the big 155 milli
meter howitzers. In between are
the “walkie-talkies,” huge tanks
and even bigger tank destroyers,
the motorized calvary, and a
squadron of the Air Force fight
ing planes. Climaxing the show is
a real battle action in which all
the guns boom and America gets
a chance to see the deadly Ameri
can War machine operate on the
field of battle.
The Army War Show takes
Force is commanded by Colonel
Wilson T. Bals, former Assistant
Chief of Staff of the Service Com
mand in Omaha. The War Show
Battle Depot, an exhibit of all the
U. S. Army arms and services will
be displayed at Ak-Sar-Ben Field,
where the troops will bivouac
while in Omaha.
Tickets are now on sale, with
general admission at 55 cents, and
admission to the Battle Depot at
25 cents. It’s a show no Ameri
can . . . man, woman or child will
want to miss.
INK SPOTS RETURN TO NEW
YORK’S PARAMOUNT
THEATRE, SINGERS. NO. I
IN THEIR FIELD, SET
PRECEDENT
By Ted Yates
New York, (TYP.)—No band,
no act. and not a single performer
can vie with the Four Ink Spots,
who are next week (commencing
August 5th) put themselves in a
class by themselves when they
take to the stage of the New York
Paramount Theatre. It will be
the fifth time in two years that
the boys have appeared at Amer
ica’s leading playhouse in the very
heart of Times Square along the
Gay White Way that is dimmed
out for the duration. Dimmed-out
on the surface but inside of the
Paramount all will be bright ’n’
gay when the boys begin to go tc(
town with a number of tunes—old
and new.
The boys who make it their
business to sing, and singing is
their business, oddly enough, were
once porters at the Paramount.
It’s a different story now. Six
years ago when the genial Moe
Gale picked them up they were
kids—wanting to go places. This
Gale helped them to do. "You
Know, Ted,” Gale told me last
Wednesday, "the Ink Spots are
still kids They’ve got everything.”
And, he wasn’t kidding.
PRIMARY ELECTION
WINNERS
State Races
Republican Democrat
United States Senator
Kenneth S. Wherry Foster May
Governor
Dwight Griswold Charles Bryan
First District Congress
Carl G. Curtis Ralph G. Brooks
Second District Congress
Howard Buffet Chas. McLaughlin
Third District Congress
Karl Stefan (unopposed) G. Hally
Fourth District Congress
Dr. A. L. Miller Tom Lanigan
Secretary of State
Frank Marsh Harry Swanson
State Treasurer
Carl G. Swanson Walter Jensen
Lieutenant Governor
Roy W. Johnson Harry Conklin
Attorney General
Walter Johnson
Michael’ McGlaufliiTT unopposed)
State Auditor
Ray C. Johnson
W. Marsh (unopposed)
Railway Commissioner
Clarence M. Davis F. A. Good
State Superintendent
(Nonpolitical)
Charles W. Taylor and Wayne
O. Reed (two nominated).
County Winners
Republican Democrat
1st District Commissioner
Frank C. Best Peter Mehrens
2nd District Commissioner
Joseph F. Steiger Edward Jelen
4th District Commissioner
H. B. Bergquist
Thomas J. O'Cornor
Attorney
Kelso Morgan J. T. English
Sheriff
W. H. Dorrance C. Con Heafey
Treasurer
Ernie Adams Anton J. Tusa
Clerk of District Court
Robert Smith Henry Payne
Assessor
Joe Stolinski Frank Tesar
Surveyor
Louis E. Adams Bill Green
Superintendent
(Nonpolitical)
J. G. Masters
Henry M. Eaton
Legislative
Fourth District
William J. Norman
Fifth District
John Adams, Jr.
Harry A. Foster
Sixth District
Sam Klaver
Patrick W. O’Connor
Seventh District
Charles F. Tvardik
Eighth District
Peter P. Gutoski
Harold P. Caldwell
Ninth District
Elmer E. Thomas
Sidney J. Cullingham
Tenth District
Cliff N. Ogden
George E. Cornwell
Metropolitan Utilities District
(Equivalent to Election)
Directors
Allan A. Tukey
Dr. Willard H. Quigley
Democratic Vacancy
Eugene D. O’Sullivan
Omaha School Board
Dr. Herbert E. King
Dr. Claude W. Mason
Myrtle I. Ross
Earle C. Reynolds
Frederick H. Bucholz
Harold J. Grove
Edward B. Crofoot
Garrett P. Wiig
Bessie R. Saxton
Melvin Kennedy
Francis M. Casey
Ruth H. Rees
Short Term Vacancy
William Kunold
Lawrence G. Welch
Jasper A. Savage
>>BE YOUR OWN FIREMAN
If civilian defense activity is to
achieve maximum results, the pre
vention and control of fire must be
stressed at all times. No one
knows whether fire bombs will
ever rain down from the skies
upon our cities, towns, farms and
industrial centers. If tnat does
happen—and never forget that it
can happen—the very life of this
country may depend upon the ef
ficiency of our fire fighters, both
professional and volunteer. If it
doesn’t happen, a public which is
trained in the basic principles of
fire prevention can be of inesti
mable service in reducing the vast
toll of fires which occur “normal
ly.”
It has been said that many com
munities have relaxed their civil
ian defense fire training simply be
cause they couldn’t obtain as much
fire-fighting equipment as they’d
like to have. Any community
which does that is asking for de
strution. It would be very fine
if every town could be supplied at
once with all the apparatus it
wants. But that is obviously im
possible. And in the meantime,
every community should be pre
paring volunteers to handle equip-^
ment when it comes—and to fight
fire in other ways if it doesn’t
come.
}/r^
WAITERS’
COLUMN
ammma mv/
(BY H. W. SMITH)
WE. 6458
The Omaha Atheletic Club is
always a headliner in using good
ideas and efforts to bring about
results and as there are more of
our race employed there than any
other business concern in Omaha,
they have added three very fine
young ladies as elevator opera- j
tors and we truly hope they will
make good. As all the employees
in every department from the of
fice, the dining room, kitchen and
front door men are on the up and
go at all times, and we should all
give the general manager, and the
assistant manager a hand for add
ing Miss Cleo Mills, Miss Marjorie
Johnson, Miss Margaret Gray to
the elevator service. The 3 R. R.
boys are tops at all times and are
taking care of the service in a very
fine way. Mr. Roy McAllister, Mr.
Herman Smith, Mr. Lindwood
Hall, Mr. Luther Johnson, Mr.
Hopkins, Mr. Rodney Williams,
Mr. Philips, Mr. Ben Gileland. Mr.
Louie Ardison, Mr. Jimmie Woods
are very much out in front. The
Omaha Guide is like a Government
tank it is going over the top. We
had the pleasure of riding down
town on one of the Omaha and
Council Bluffs Streamlined Bus’s
with Superintendent Booth of the
Paxton Hotel, and he said the
race horse head waiter and the
fire crew are going places and do
ing many things. And the Army
and Navy room, with Mr. Buford
and Mr. Peerson in charge are
going over the top. Keep the good
work up, boys. This writer had
the pleasure of talking with the
musician head waiter and his
brother, Mr. Charles Harold, and
some more big shots on Friday
evening, August 7th, they were
parked on North 24th Street in
front of big business houses that
sells merchandise and delivers it
in bottles and glasses. They asked
many questions and received many
quick answers as we always make
it snappy on items of that kind.
The White Horse Inn waiters are
on the up and go at all times. And
say boys in working up always do
unto others as you would have
others do unto you, as we all have |
to live. Now boys be broad'
. minded. Brother John Evans is
[ always out in front at the Rome
Hotel. The Fontenelle waiters can
shift gears at any time when it
comes to modern service. Mr.
George Thomas and Mr. Earl
Copeland on room service, and the
two front door men, Mr. James
Donley and Mr. John Dallas, are
taking care of the service in a
very fine way. The 4 C Club will
be entertained by one of the mem
bers at the next meeting, and the
Club’s Annual Smoker will take
place later on, and the special din
ner to honor the Chairman of the
Sick Committee. Mr. Smith also
will be one of the early full party’s,
and all of the members will please
take notice of how many shares
have you in the Credit Union.
ANNE BROWN IN PHILLY
CONCERT
By Ted Yates
(Staff Correspondent)
New York, (TYP.)—Making her
first concert appearance since
leaving the George Gershwin suc
cess, “Porgy and Bess,” Anne
Brown appeared in an all-Gersh
win program with Oscar Levant
and the Robin Hood Dell Sym
phony Orchestra on Thursday eve
ning in Philadelphia. Edwin Mc
Arthur was conductor.
SOUTHERN POLITICIAN
TELL OF FASCIST PLAN TO
DESTROY DEMOCRACY AND
RIGHTS OF NEGRO PEOPLE;
WOULD BEGIN IN ALABAMA
Bessemer, Ala.—The preamble
to a treason-born blueprint for
fascism designed to guide the
friends of Hitler in this country
in their efforts to destroy unity
of the American people behind
I the Roosevelt Administration’s
war effort, and with it, the Negro
people’s win-to-war demands for
full justice and freedom, was read
here July 22 by Horace Wilkin
son, one-time political machine
boss of Birmingham.
Wilkinson, acting as a front man
for powerful reactionary indus
trial and farming interests, gave
the background for this blueprint
in a speech before the local Ki
wanis Club, whose members com
prise some of the leading employ
ers now working on war contracts
here and in other key production
centers of the South.
The speech called upon those
industrialists, together with poll
taxers and other Ku Klux Klan
elements to back a pro-Hitler pro
gram whose main points include:
incitement to violence against
Negro people in civilian life, in
the armed forces, in war indus
tries, in the ranks of organized
labor, separation of the southern
people from the national adminis
tration through the false slogan
of “maintaining white supremacy,”
and by implication, setting up a
pro-fascist party against both the
Republican party and New Deal
Democrats.
The speech made it clear that
such a program could effectively
sabotage the work of the Presi
dent’s Committee on Fair Employ
ment Practices (FEPC), and thus
nullify Executive Order 8802,
which abolishes discrimination in
all war industries and in govern
ment agencies.
Wilkinson left no doubt in the
minds of his listeners as to his
position on the treasonable action
of inciting racial violence. Open
ing with a statement about an al
leged conversation between him
self and a bus driver in Birming
ham, he said: "We were standing
on the corner discussing the World
War. A street car stopped and
a number of Negroes crowded
around the entrance, attempting
to get admission. This man point
ed to the group of Negroes and
said to me, ‘Right there, Mister,
is where the next war will break
out and it might start before
this one is over’.”
Attempting to give proper cam
ouflage to the point he was mak
ing, Wilkinson continued: "I re
garded this as an ovei statement
of the situation, but I was im
pressed with the man’s sincerity
when he detailed numerous recent
incidents of insolent, impudent
conduct on the part of Negro pas
sengers that necessitated ‘calling
the law’ as he expressed it,
Wilkinson then proceeded to
cite a number of “instances” of
his own, including the legal lynch
Mng of Odell Waller, the attack on
the noted artist Roland Hayes and
his family, the War Department’s
placement of Negro trainees at
Tuskegee and other southern cen
ters. He used the recent speech
of Wendell Willkie, broadcast
from the NAACP Convention in
California, as a platform from
which to indicate his position on
the Republican party and the New
Deal membership of the Demo
cratic party.
“Willkie,” he said, "advocated a
program that, in my judgment,
would inevitably result in two
things, namely: the destruction of
segregation and the amalgamation
of the races, and as I see it, the
difference between Mr. Willkie and
the national leadership of the op
posing party is the difference be
tween Tweedle-dee and Tweedle
dum."
Then, indicating the real fascist
line which reactionary poll taxers
and other friends of Hitler are to
follow, he declared: “These in
stances, like boils on the body, are
indicative of a condition that needs
attention. They are not mentioned
purpose of showing you that the
for the purpose of arousing feeling
against the Negro race, but for the
purpose of showing you that the
time has arrived for discussion
that will provoke serious consid
eration of the situation in Ala
bama and the south and bring
forth suggestions for a solution of
the problem within the law and un
der the Constitution of the United
States.”
Citing Tuskegee as one example
of ho wa “solution of the problem”
can be worked out “within the
law”, he declared: “One man in
whom I have great confidence,
told me that practically every re
sponsible male citizen in the town
was a special officer of some
kind.” And then, by way of cau
tion, he added: “Extra-legal
methods (Lynchings and burnings
of Negroes—GBMJR) however
necessary they may have been in
days of yore, are not to be re
stored to now.”
Wilkinson gave further indica
tion of other “constitutional”
methods to be used, when he de
clared that Supreme Court deci
sions which freed Negro victims,
including four of the Scottsboro
boys, on the ground that Negroes
were excluded from the convicting
juries, were judgments that were
“erroneous from a legal and con
stitutional viewpoint,” because the
“criminal element among the Ne
groes has accepted these decisions
by our highest court as a license
to murder and ravish and rob.”
He then launched a direct at
tack on the President, under the
guise of discussing the work of the
FEPC in attacking discrimination
against Negroes in war industries,
government agencies, and in those
unions that bar Negroes from
membership. For this, he pro
ceeded to attack the War Depart
ment’s Program of stationing Ne
gro troops in the south, concluding
this part of his speech with a lying
statement reflecting on the cour
age of Negro soldiers.
With sufficient emphasis to let
listeners know that the pro-Hitler
level of a Negro must organize. If
there is room in this country for
National Association for the Ad
his listeners know that the pro
Hitler program was by no means
to be restricted to the South. Wil
kinson outlined the following as
first steps to carrying out a com
plete bule-print of American fas
cism: “My first suggestion”, he
said, “is that we organize state
wide, South-wide, nation-wide. The
white men of the south who oppose
dragging white men down to the
vancement of Colored People,
there is need for a League to Main
tain White Supremacy. . . . The
time to act is now. An organiza
tion should be formed, so strong,
so powerful and so efficient, that
this menace to our national secur
ity and our local way of life will
rapidly disappear. It can be done.
It should be done. Alabama must
lead the way.
“This is neither th.e time nor the
place to discuss details. That
must be done by wise leadership
around the Conference table and
followed by constitutional action.
However, it is not too early to let
the world know that we will not
allow a group of Negroes to des
troy national unity by forcing the
Negro into channels in the south
that are closed to him and which
will remain closed to him in the
south as long as we think our way
of life worth living.”
THE PRINCESSES
The meeting was held at the
home of Florentine Goodlett, 2726
Binney Street, on Saturday, Au-1
gust 8, 1942. We discussed plans '
for a theatre party to be held soon.
After various other business was
discussed, the meeting was ad
journed and refreshments were
served.
Doris Pittman, President,
Beverly Stams, Reporter.
PERKINS ENTERTAIN
Mr. and' Mrs. William Perkins
of 2504 Lake Street, entertained
at a 10:30 a. m. breakfast, honor
ing his foster mother, Mrs. Wil
son of Baxter, Kansas. Covers
were laid for ten.
INDUSTRY PERSISTS IN
EXCLUDING NEGROES
Labor Shortages Threatened But
Refusals Continue—Future
Possibilities Discussed
By Emmett J. Scott
Wasington, D. C. — As na
tional mobilization of man power
proceeds, it becomes increasingly
evident that a labor shortage in
the United States is in the offing
forecast to occur between July 1,
1942, and July 1, 1943.
The conversion of industry to
war production will call for a
schedule of 10,000,000 additional
war production workers, and an
additional 2,000,000 men for con
tingents of the Army, Navy and
Marine Corps.
This startling revelation gives
some notion of America’s colossal
war preparation now underway,
calling for 4,200,000 men in uni
form, and 15,000,000 other to be
employed in turning out the im
plements of war by December of
this year.
Coincident with the release of
this information comes a survey
study of employment prospects for
Negroes in armament industries
, just published by the Reports and
Analysis Division of the Bureau
of Employment Security of the So
cial Security Board.
Summary of Findings
A summary of its findings in
dicates that Negroes were not con
sidered for employment in 51 per
cent of 282,245 openings that oc
curred in selected establishments
in defense industries during the
period September, 1941—Febru
ary, 1942.
Questioning of employers by
Employment Service interviewers
revealed that the degree of exclu
sion is even greater at the higher
skill levels. A? all skill levels
there are occupations with heavy
defense labor requirements in
which most employers expect to
continue to exclude Negroes.
Considerable differences in em
ployer responses among the vari
ous industries and in various
States were noted, it is stated. The
least exclusion was reported by
employers in the shipbuilding in
dustry. (During the last World
War record for driving rivets was
broken by a singing Colored crew
in an American shipyard—at Nor
folk, Va.)
This is a depressing state of af
fairs after the struggles made dur
ing the past 8 months to focus
attention on the exclusion of Ne
groes from defense industries. The
right of this group to participate
fully in the defense program has
been buttressed by an Executive
Order from the White House. Gov
ernment defense contracts which
forbid discrimination against Ne
groes have been issued. Enlight
ened public opinion has expressed
itself. Still the practice continues.
GEMS OF REPUBLIC
Stars on the Horizon
By Ted Yates
Gene Autry, America’s No. 1
cowboy, was inducted into the
Army last Wednesday amidst
pomp . . . “Flying Tigers’’ with
John Wayne, Anna Lee and John
Carroll, will just about top all
of the war epics . . . Alexander
Granach, who was chased all over
Europe by the Axis secret police
and finally escaped to America,
played a Gestapo agent in “Joan
of Paris” . . . Lillian Randolph
is the newest sepia star of Repub
lican pictures. Incidentally, Re
public has done the. best job of
bringing Negro cinema players
to the front . . . Charles Reed
Jones, publicity prexy at Repub
lic’s New York office is an ardent
Canada Lee fan. They both hob
knobbed and gabbed about show
biz when Lee visited the studio
last summer . . . Jane Withers is
a Buy Bonds Baby.
i nr, w r.r.iv
By H. W. Smith
EM Killingworth and Bud Green
both say their injured ankles are
improving.
The 4 C. Club had a very inter
esting meeting. American Legion
State Meeting in the making.
District Conference at Clair
Chapel Methodist Church a com
plete success.
Mr. Edward Lee on vacation.
Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Holcomb
of Lincoln, Nebr., were in Omaha
over Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Harold Carr vis
ited the Veterans’ Hospital in Lin
coln, Nebr.
Miss Forrest the Streamlined
Stenographer of the Urban League
is out in front in attending to bus
ines.
And how Miss Jones, the helpful
fire school teacher of Dallas, Tex.,
entertained very royally by Omaha
Society.
Miss Lorain Crawford left for
Bolena, Miss.
The Boy Scouts returned to
the city with General Mahamit in
command. Let’s give them a hand.
Mr. Jonnie Maloy at the Athletic
Club. Dr. Wesley Jones walking
fast on 24th Street.
Mr. Brown of the Urban League
has a very pleasant smile for every
one.
Primary election over. Some
winners and many losers.
The N. A. A. C. P. membership
drive going over the top.
1 Pegler
Good old Pegler has come back
not once, not twice—but three
times. Each time stronger—with
a complete turnabout—for the Ne
gro. Why ?
Pegler who has found, like many
a wise metropolitan editor, that
“a line about a Negro in the white
press means a long line forming
at the news stands.” Newspapers
like the New York Daily News,
Herald Tribune, P. M„ the Wash
ington Post, Cleveland Plaindeal
er, to name a handful, have always
been kind and gentle in writing
of and about Negroes. As a re
sult they have a guaranteed news
stand circulation in sales from
race readers. More people are
now reading Pegler than ever be
fore.
The Negro Press that Pegler
claimed was not really (?) to be
considered journalistic in any
sense now is giving Pegler much
space in re-Writing in part or
whole his articles that are now
in favor and not against Negroid
policies. The whip, my friends,
now has become the golden rule
and our editors, educators, schol
ars, and the race as a whole—that
has become an ardent reader of
Pegler now—is attending school.
Prof. Pegler no doubt chuckles
to himself when classes are out.
And why shouldn’t he? He has
found that if you step on the
clutch too hard that the going
will be rough. Ease down on it
slightly, lightly ’n’ politely—and,
well, you know the rest.
BETTE DAVIS, ETHEL
WALTERS HONOR NEGRO
SOLDIERS
Bette Davis, Ethel Walters, Hat
tie McDaniels and a galaxy of
stage, screen and radio stars paid
homage to one of America’s most
famous military units Tuesday,
July 28, 1942, when Teddy Roose
velt’s old Negro Regiment cele
brated 75 years of uninterrupted
Army service at Camp Lockett,
California.
The gala show highlighted a
full-day anniversary celebration
tor the veteran Negro Regiment
whose spectacular history includes
participation in the Indian wars
and Philippine Insurrection, as
well as the famed San Juan Hill
charge of Colonel Theodore Roose
velt and his Rough Riders in the
Spanish-American War. General
John J. Pershing also served with
this regiment during the Mexican
Border Incident and used it t<)
pursue Pancho Villa into Mexilo.
The 75th Anniversary Celebra
tion began with a regimental for
mation and review at which the
commanding officer presented the
Shipp Memorial Trophy to the
outstanding soldier in his first year
of enlistment Winner of this
year’s award was Staff Sergeant
Frank Steel of New York City who
enlisted in 1940.
NATIONAL CONVENTION OF
COLORED RAILROAD
TRAINMEN AUGUST 27TH
Kansas City, Mo.—Twenty-five
hundred men, employed by six dif
ferent railroad companies, will be
represented in national conven
tion which will convent at Y. M.
C. A., Kansas City, Mo., August
27 and 28th.
According to the National
Brotherhood official, the Brother
hood of Trainmen, Incorporated,
have become merged and are inde
pendent standard railroad labor
unions not affiliated with either
the A. F. of L>. or the C. I. O., it
has been found that the latter
organizations offered no substan
tial protection for colored railroad,
trainmen, brakemen, porters,
switchmen, firemen and other
railroad groups of the Negro race.
During the session, all national
officers will be elected a.s the term
of office of those now heading the
Brotherhood ends in August. The
list of executive board and repre
sentatives as announced by Pres
ident Steve Bennett, who are ex
pected to attend this annual con
vention are: Vernon C. Coffey, Di
rector-General Attorney, L. H.
Hoyl, Director-General Chairman
both of Kansas City, L. W. Fair
child, Director, Poplar Bluff, Mo.,
S. Li. Howard, Director, Memphis,
Tenn., John Benion, Director of
Organizations, St. Louis, Mo., P.
Moppin, Ass’t to Gen’l President.
St. Louis, Mo., R. L. Pettis. Vice
President, St. Louis, Mo., Ira Sa
ville, Vice President, Little Rock,
Ark., William Eldridge, Vice Pres
ident, Omaha, Nebr., Harold Mc
Pherson, Ass’t to Gen’l President.
Springfield, Mo., Omak Ezell, Vice
President, Mobile, Ala., Henry T.
Kum, Vice President, Hugo, Okla.,
W. B. Mitchell, Vice President,
Oklahoma City., Okla., Hurley
Bibbs, Vice President, Valley Park,
Mo., B. O. Crayne, Vice President.
Kansas City, Mo., George Hiram,
Vice President, Oklahoma City,
Okla., Henry Winston. Vice Pres
ident; Springfield, Mo., Clinton
Messengale, General Treasurer,
Springfield, Mo., U. V. Weathers,
Ass’t Director or Orgon. St. Louis,
Mo., Frank Gilliam, Vice Presi
dent, New Orleans, La., Leory A.
Tease, General Secretary, Okla
homa City, Okla., J. F. Price, Sec
retary Missouri Pacific System,
and representatives from all local
lodges.