Nebraska Newspapers

    LARGEST ACCREDITED NEGRO NEWSPAPER WEST OF CHICAGO AND NORTH OF KANSAS rrrv —MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED NEGRO PRESS
Entered as Second-Glass Matter at The Post Office, Omaha, Nebraska Saturday, March 13, 1943 OUR 16th YEAR—No. 5 City Edition, 5c Copy
Under Act of March 8, 1874—Business Phone: ^ E. 1517_ ~I;_
One Hundred Servicemen
On N. N. P. A. Broadcast
Hampton Institute, Va..— Over
100 Negro service men from six
branches of the armed forces were
featured on the radio at Hampton
institute last Thursday afternoon,
in Fighting Men,” the nation wide
victory broadcast sponsored by ihe
Negro Newspaper Publishers As
sociation, in observance of Nation
al Negro Newspaper Week.
Ogden Hall .scene of the broad
cast was crowded with townspeo
ple .students, staff members and
servicemen in training at the col
lege, as the colored soldiers, sail
ors .seabees. coastguardsmen, a
corporal from the marine corps,
and an army air pilot from Tuske
gee went on the air at 4:30 pm.
Their half hour program was heard
on a nation-wide hookup, broad
cast over the 200 stations of the,
Mutual Network.
Dramatic highlight of the broad
cast was the first hand description
of the sea rescues in the present
war by Chief Boatswain's mate
Max>e Bern*, in charge at Pea Is
land. N. C„ only all-Negro Coast
Guard stationed in the country,
and Boatswain's Mate John Mack
ay, also of Pea Island.
The only civilians appearing cn
the program were Acting President
R .O’Hara Lanier, who described
the wartime activities of Hampton
Institute and P. B. Young, Jr.,
manager-editor of the Norfolk
jotimal and Guide, who interview
ed pome of the “fighting men."
Musicians’
Annual Ball
KEVG COLE TRIO
TO BE FEATURED
AS GUEST ARTISTS
On Monday eve., local 558 of the
Musicians' Union will present for
Omaha dance lovers the Musicians :
Annual Ball- A battle of mus;c j
between those ever popular bands, j
McNutt Wants More Negroes Drafted!
Voters Urged To
Block So. Move
to Kill Merit syst’m
Washington, D. C—The NAACP
uttered this week a strong warn
ing against a bill known as S575
and introduced by Senator McKel
ler of Tennessee. Th ebill which
forces an outrageous patronage
system on the American govern
ment makes civil service worth
less and supports the southern
revolt against the administration.
-
Basie Givens' Bombardiers and the
Lloyd Hunter aggregation.
Guest artists will be the King
Cole trio
This fine evening of entertain
ment will be held at the Dreamland
Hall, Monday March 15, 1943 from
9 P. m. to 1 a. m.
Admission is 55 cents tax includ
ed.
The effect of the bill's passage
is the authorization of southern
senators to block confirmation cf
the employment of any Negro in
any job over $4,500 a year, as of
June 30, 1943 especially if he is
one who is not an "uncle Tom."
Such jobs could be held only after
a political review of members of
the senate from the state* con
cerned.
Negro voters throughout rhe
country have been urged to take
the short time necessary to call, i
telegraph, or write and to mobil
ize intelligent opinion locally
through their affiliations and
through the press, for this bill will j
have sufficient support to pass j
both houses unless real pressure
is brought to bear.
==^=^^^=~= ■ ■ —
CIO. Appoints
Negro Director
of Publicity
MAN IS REARRESED
FOR INJURY TO WOMAN
James Tyron, 45, of- 1008 Xorth
24th street, was arrested last Fri
day in connection with an injury
to Mabel Bailey, 37, same address,
who was taken to the hospital.
On February 20. officers called
to the address said they found the
woman too drunk to be question
ied. Tyron was arrested then, but
the case was later dismissed in
muny court for lack of prOsecut
‘ ion on her part.
Friday, her doctor called County
I Physician L. A. Delanney and re
ported she was unconscious with
! a brain injury.
ON LEAVE
IN LONDON
Staff Sgt. Ulysses Buckingham,
of Mount CSlemon, Mich., is greet
ed at the reception desk of the A
merican Red Cross Duchess Club
for servicemen on leave in London
by Mias Martha Stafford of Indi
anapolis, club staff member.
z (AXP Photo)
0 WASHINGTON— The National
j CIO Committee for American and
| Allied War relief, through its
chairman, Irving Abramson, thi<j
week announced the appointment
of Roi Ottley, New York journalist
ROI OTTLEY
as publicity director of the organ
ization.
The appointment is regarded
here with great significance, as it
brings Mr. Ottley into the Nation’s'
expanding war relief councils.
Today they are assuming vast im
portance in the war as well as in
the post war plans. The CIO man
giver to Community War Chests
and war relief, has raised more
j than $10,000,00 from its member
ship for United Nations relief, and
has earmarked over $2,000,000 for
special AFL-CIO labor projects in
China. Russia and Britain.
That the CIO should choose a
Negro for this strategic position!
i
met with considerable favorable |
j reaction here. Observors feel That j
jit Points the progressive direction!
; of the CIO organisation, which, in
j the past, has been willing to serve j
| the interests of Negroes.
1 I
j Mr. Ottley, author of “lns.de
I Black America” which Houghton
Mifflin is publishing this May,
brings to his pohition long exper
ience as a journalist. He was!
formerly an editor and columnist
with the New York Amsterdam
News. contributor to national per;
iodieals. and book reviewer for the I
New York Times and Herald Tn- !
bune. He was educated at St- Bon
aventure's College, University of
Michigan and St. John's Law
School.
' _
Suggests
Abolishing
Percentage'
System
WASHINGTON, March 8 (ANP)
Draft more Negroes for the apnv.
regardless of the past rulings and
considerations of percentages, is
the Plea of Paul V. McNutt, who
sees in this step the elimination of
the necessity for drafting whites
|n other classifications. McNutt
has Pointed out that the percent
age system has kept more Negroes
out of the army than any other
method. By eliminating this meth
od of calling draftees for the ar
my and by taking Negroes in all
branches of the services, arniv,
navy, marine corps, without re
gard for the percentage quota, an
easement on the number of whites
called will be effected J
McNutt did not clarify his state
ment or elaborate on it when
made to his press conference Mon
day, however, his statement was
clear enough to be understood.
Wap department officials had no j
comment to make on the elimia-1
at ion of their percentage calling j
system.
While McNutt is willing to see
that Negroes are called into the j
army regardless of the number or
percentage, he has done nothing
about the FEPC in which Negroes
temselves are intensely jntersted.
Calling Negroes for the army by
quota has left a large pool of Ne- j
groes with 1-A classifications, Me j
Nutt says. On the other hand, a j
large number of whites have been
called into the army exhausting
completely the 1-A classification.
Earlier in the war it was poss
ible for whites to enlist in all j
branches of the service. Negroes j
were denied this privilege. As a j
result white men were already
draining their own monpower pool
before Negroes were permitted to
join up.
In the first days of the selective
service ^-stem. even when men
were being called to the Colors, j
they were slow in calling Negroes. j
declaring there were no facilities
for training them at that time.
The recent statement of the war
department that there are now 450. j
000 Negroes in the armed services I
bears out the statement that there !
are slightly over 10 percent in the
military service.
McNutt's new suggestion will
bring to the navy, marine corps
and army an influx of men which
they say they are not ready to ac- j
cept
Mr. McNutt has been advised to
apply the same principles to the
FEPC and the labor situation.
The war and navy departments
bluntly refused to accept McNutt s
Proposal to droft Negroes without
CONCERT SINGER
TO TOl’R
-mm
MURIEL RAHN. brilliant young
| concert singer and actress, now ap
pearing in the Broadway success:
“The Pirate’’, starring Alfred
Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. will give
up her stellar role in the musical
extravaganza on March 13th to
embark upon a five thousand mile
concert tour which will take her
from New York to Texas and re
turn.
Local FEPC.
Organized
S. Towles, BSCP., Raymond R
Brown. Urban League; Arthur B.
McCaw. Exec. Comm. NAACP; C.
C. Galloway, Omaha Guide: Dr. A.
L. Hawkins. NAACP; Mrs. G. A,
Blackburn. NOrthside YWCA; Mrs.
Alice Wilson. Woodson Center;
Larry Peoples. Painter; John Ad
ams. Jr., Atty at law; W. S, Flet
cher; Russell Reese. BSCP; Rev*.
L. A. Story. Com. Clearing Union.
Rev. E. F. Ridley. St. Johns AME.
Church; S Edward Gilbert. Omaha
Star: Rev. F. C. Williams. Negro
Ministerial Alliance; Mrs. Ion
Hanger, Glenn L. Martin Co..
Ralph Adams. OPA. Rent Office;
Saybert C. Hanger, Pres. U. L. BJ
Dirs.; were elected Colored mem
bers of the Omaha and Coun il
Bluffs industrial Area Fair Em
pioyment Practices Council.
The total committee which num
bers about 80 members of whom
are some of Omaha's outstanding
industrial leaders, educators an l
civic leaders, held their first or
ganizing meeting last Thursday
at the Fontenelle Hotel.
The purpose of the Omaha-Coun
cil Bluffs Industrial Area Council
on Fair Employment Practice
shall be to obtain a broadly repres
ent! ve and democratic community
approach to the problem erf dis
crimination in war industry be
cause of race, creed, color or na
tional origin: and to coordinate ef
forts to make effective in this
community the letter and the spir
it of Executive Order No. 8802 of
the President of the United States.
reference to the percentage’ quotas
which they have followed in the
past. Such action would upset all
| of the departmental plans and ar
rangements.
RADIO PROGRAMS j
TO HIGHLIGHT URBAN
L’GE JOB CAMPAIGN
NOTED ENTERTAINERS
TO AID URBAN LEAGUE
CAUSE
Outstanding men and women of
the entertainment world and pub
lic life, both Negro and white, will
appear on radio programs dining'
the week of March 14-21 to aid the
National Urban League's Job drive
to sec mV- increased Employment
opportunities for Negro workers
This eleventh Vocational Oppor
tunity Campaign of the League
will direct public attention to the
role of Brown American Woman
power in helping to win the wax.
and will seek opportunities for Ne
gro workers to use their skills
and abilities in the nation s all
out victory effort.
Included among the well-known
persons who will lend their talents
to this effort are PAUL MUNI,
stage and screen actor; MISS
FREDI WASHINGTON, star Of
stage and screen; HERBERT A
GAR, President of Freedom House;
MISS MERCEDES GILBERT, ac
tress; DEAN DIXON, composer
and conductor; CANADA LEE .ra
dio and Stage actor: MISS EDNA
MAE HARRIS, actress of radio
and screen; JUSTICE HUBERT T.
DELANEY. JUSTICE JANE BOL
IN; and the EVA JESSYE CHOIR.
Radio programs on all of the
leadng networks have been ar
ranged through the cooperation of
the broadcasting companies, the
American Federation of Musicians
and the American Federation of
Radio Artists. In commenting on
(Continued on pagel^=,4)
DR. HARRISON LISTED IN
WORLD ENCYCLOPEDIA
Langston. Okla.. March 8 (ANP)
Dr. G. L. Harrison, president of
Langston university, has recently
been notified that his name win
appear in the 1943 edition of the
Biographical Encyclopedia of the
World, compiled and published by
the Institute fOj- Research in Bio
graphy.
According to information releas
Phillip Murray
Calls Upon C. I. O.
To Help Red Cross
N'AACP GETS NEW ASSISTANT
FIELD SECRETARY
New York. N\ Y—Donald Jones,
until recency Publicity Director
for Dillard University and sales
director for group hospitalization,
for Flint-Goodrich Hspital, a unit
of Dillard has been appointed as
sistant field secretary for the Na
tional Association for the Advance
ment of Colored People. Mr. Jon
es, a native of Louisiana was for
16 years a postal employee. Fol
lowing his resignation from the
post office he was for two years
managing editor of the New Or
leans Sentinel. He was a leader
in the fight for equalization of
teachers salaries in New Orleans
which was successfully concluded
in 1942.
GIRAUD BANS RACE
BARRIERS IN AFRICA
General Henri Honore Giraud.
| French Commander in chief, last
j week formally banned racial dis
j crimination in French North Af
rica.
He took this action in ordering
women and girls of Jewish faith
not be barred from French govern
• ment iobs.
ed by tbe publishers, this encyclo
pedia includes the names of per
sons in each country whose achieve
ments in their respective fields
are worthy of recognition. It is
advertised as “an authentic rec
ord of notable living men and wo
men in every country throughout
the world.”
} Terming the 1943 American Red
Cross War Fund Campaign a vital
part of the CIO War Effort. Pres
ident Philip Murray last Thursday
March 4th, called on over 5,0<>0,
00o members of the Congress of
i
Industrial Organizations to “take I
up the job planned by the Nation- j
al CIO Committee for American
and Allied War Relief and drive
it through to a smashing victory”.
In a letter addressed to all In
ternationals and Industrial Union
Counclis affiliated with the CIO,
Mr. Murray said, “With CIO mem
bers today carry Demacracy’s cru
sading banner all over the world,
we have a special duty and res
ponsibility to aid in the successful j
promotion of the Red Cross cam
paign. Only the Red Cross can j
bring word from far off prison
camps to anxious parents, only the
I
Red Cross can furnish food and
medical supplies to these captured
American boys, and only the Rod
Cross can have life-saving blood
plasma ready when they fall on
the battlefields".
Under the direction of the Nat
j ional CIO War Relief Committee
hundreds of Industrial Union Coun
oils and Locals throughout the
country will carry the story of the
Red Cross to their members dur
ing the months of March and April
and will appeal for contributions
representing labor's fair share of
the local Red Cross goals.
3 FEPC. Members Hit McNutt In Strong Letter to the President
NEGRO WILL NOT LET fl
FEPC DIE WITHOUT HOLD
ING WAKE THAT WILL RE. j
SOUND TO THE VERY EDGES
OF THE FOURTH TERM"
SAID ONE SPEAKER.
COMMITTEE DOOMED
WASHINGTON*. March 8 (ANP)
With the morale of the office
force at a low state, and the mem
bers of the committee itself per
turbed over the present condition,
the three members o fth FEPC
' who met on Monday addressed a 1
very strong letter to President
Roosevelt, expressing entire dis
satisfaction at the manenr in
which Paul V. McNutt has handled
the affairs of that organization
! recently.
Present and presiding was Earl
Dickerson: with him. John Brophy
of the CIO and Morris Shiskin of
the AFL were the other members, j
Etheridge, the chairman was ab-!
sent as was Milton Webster.
Feeling that the President has I
deserted the group in the crisis,
there wag nothing for the mem
bers to do but express their senti
! ment to the man who Originate!
OWl, and Security Board Head Promises
Bow To Jim-Crow in D. C. Employment
Washington. D. C.—The promise j
of A. J. Altemeyer an OWI execu
tive director and Social Board j
chairman that he “did not intend!
to approve a plan that will result j
in the supervision of the white
personnel bv colored or will result !
in white persons being required or
being askea to be interviewed by
colored persons," was cited this
week by the NAACP as another in
dication of the South’s increasing
dictatorship of federal policies.
Altemeyer made his salute to
jim-crow at a recent house hearing
in answer to a demand by Geor
gia's congressman Malcolm C. Tar
ver.
A verbatum account of the con
versation between Tarver and Alt
! emeyer follows:
Mr. Tarver: What about mixing
[them (white and colored) all up in
j the same work room?
Mr. Altemeyer: so far as that
is concerned. I win give you the
assurance I gave you before that
we will certainly work that out
in accordance with the space lim
itations sc that there will be no
greater offense to social sensibil
itise than exist at the present
time.
Mr. Traver What about this bus
iness of having colored stenograph
-ers called to attend to the steno
graphic needs of white employees
and conversely white stenograph
ers being called to attend to the
stenographic needs of colored em
ployees?
Mr- Altemeyer: We will not have
that done. Now. you are asking
two questions. I do not think
there has ever been any question
raised. Mr. Jones can correct me.
on colored people serving the need
of white persons or furnishing
stenographic assistance. I think
X
you mean particularly the other
situation.
Mr. Tarver: I think both are ob
jectionable.
Mr. Altemeyer: If there is ob
jection we will eliminate both.”
the idea of the committee.
With only routine work proceed
ing in the office, no policies est
ablished. no routines established
whereby the committee will be able
to see its way clear to do an ef
fective job, there is little reason
to expect anythin? except disgust
and dissention. Some have said
thsi will be the policy of the pow
ers that be, to let the committee
die a natural death unnoticed and
unheeded.
The recent meeting of “leaders”
from all over the country is being
considered more Or less a political
gesture to soften the blow. It is
felt in high places that nothing
will come of this meeting, no mat
ter what has been promised.
A similar case is pointed out in
Maryland, where about a year ago
there was a “March on Annapolis”
Two thousand Negroes laid their
grievances on the governor’s door
step. He promised to ‘‘look into
all of the complaints.” Election
time was drawing near and some
excuse had to be made. Since
then, there has been nothing heard
of the committee appointed by the
governor to investigate the charg
es
FEPC is in a similar spot. No
one seems to know what to do.
The original sponsors have des
erted the group leaving the entire
matter in the hands of underlings
who are constantly under fire and
taking a severe going over be
cause of their failure to compre
hend the situation or attempt to
do anything about it.
This FEPC is of vital interest to
every member of a minority group
in the United States and the man
handling of that organization may
be seen as the hand-writing on the
wall as far as liberalism toward
minority groups is concerned.
The contents of the letter to the
President were not revealed, but
it is known, that a careful reading
would show a complete dissatisfac
tion with both Mr. McNutt and At
torney General Biddle, the latter
too strongly influenced by the pro
fessional white solvers of Negro
problems, who know only how to
line their pockets off Negroes
earnings or live off their misfor
tunes
“The Negro is determined nrt
to let the FEPC die without hold
ing a wake that will resound down
to the very edges of the “fourth
term”, said one speaker when ques
tioned on the matter. “If Mr.
Roosevelt has any ideas about a
fourth term, he had better stop
flirting with the unreconstructed
south and stick with those who
have carried him thus far. Surely
the Negro had on important part
in his successes.”
No satisfactory word may be had
from the FEPC representatives,
none of whom seem to know what
is going on nor how long they will
be functioning.
PASS VETERAN’S BIEL
WOULD GIVE TRAINING
TO DISABLED
Washington, DC., March i—By a
shouted vote, the senate last Fri-1
day passed a bill under which dis
abled veterans of the present war
would be trained for private job-,
an dassisted in finding them.
The measure, introduced by Sen
ators Clark (demo. Mo.,) and Walsh
(demo. Mass.) now goes to the
house
The Clark-Walsh bill, indorsed
by the American Legion. Disabled
American Veterans and Veterans
of Foreign Wars, places the train
ing program under the veterans’
administration.
Persons assigned ior training
woulod receive pensions and allow
ances totalling $80 a month lor
single men and $90 for married
men. with $5 additional for each
child. As far as possible, the
training would be given in estab
lished facilites of the veterans' ad
ministraton.
UNITED CAB, AUTO COLLIDE;
Evelyn Rush. 21 of 4523 South
22nd street, received slight injur
| ies last Sunday night when the
car in which she was riding collid
ed with a United Cab at 25th and
N streets.
| The car in which she was riding
was being driven by her brother.
I Hush. Elmo Littlejohn, driv
er of the United Cab. who resides
JOHN HENRY, AIR RAID
WARDEN, PROVES LOYALTY
TO ZONE
Red Springs, N. C„ March 8 (A
NP) A year ogo when Red Springs
began its systematic organization
of defense work, John Henry Col
lins, an employe of the Flora Mac
Donald college, white was appoint
ed air raid warden for a zone in
one of the districts.
A few months ago, he decided
to move out on his farm two miles
from town and devote all of his
time toward raising cotton, corn,
and a victory garden for his fam
ily- He neglected, however, to not
ify defense officials of his move.
The first blackout for several
months was staged on last Thurs
day night- When the signal sound
ed, John was undressed and in bed
but in exactly 21 minutes from the
first sound of the siren, he r e
ported, panting and breathless, to
his town district, having dressed
and come to town on foot to take
charge of his zone.
at 2505 Maple St., was fined S10
by Judge Palmer for reckless driv
ing.
GIRL STRUCK BY A CTO
WHILE CROSSING STREET
While crossing 24th and Indian?
hvenue last week. Mary Lee John
son, 10, 2412 Indiana avenue, suf
fered hip injuries when she was
struck by an auto driven by Edw
ard W. Clinton. 4917 Grand ave.
Mme. Chiang Kai-Shek Told Negroes
Interested In China’s Problems
New York-Mme Chiang Kai-shek
| wife of the Chinese generalissimo,
was assured here March 4, of the
deep interest of Ngro Americans
in the brave struggle of the Chin
ese people and in more aid being
supplied to them by the United
States.
The assurance was given by Wal
ter white. XAACP Secretary in a
brief chat with the famous visit
or in her suite at the Waldorf-As
toria a few minutes before the
brilliant reception arranged by
the Chinese consulate on another
floor of the hotel. Mme Chiang
Kaishek. in her gracious manner,
thanked the NAACP official for
the expression of interest in her
country on the part of American
Xegroes. Mr- White was one of
several prominent colored persons
invited to the reception.