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NEGRO NEWSPAPERWEOT^F^CHICAGO AND NORTH OF KANSAS cm -MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED NEGRO PRESS Under Act of March*!? lST^Buainess phone^wE. ku**1*’ NebrMka Saturday, August 7,1943 Ot R 16th 'i EAR—No. 26 City Edition, 5c Copy """ 1 ■■■■ * "’ * 1 — . .—III"I'l Ii 'll "i .* ” II — mi ..I ™l" I i ——— Hint F. D. R. to Blast Race Riots in Next Fireside Chat...... Sc Worth of Good Readin Randolph makes Statement On Racial Disorders In Harlem 5 NEGROES DEAD: 543 IN JURED: 500 ARRESTED; ESTIMATE PROPERTY DAMAGE AT 5 MILLION I view the outburst of violence in Harlem Sunday night with great sorrow and distress. As a resident of this community for some 30 years and the head of two import ant movements, one a trade union, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, affiliated with the AFL. and the other a civic organization, the March On Washington Move ment: I am gravely concerned 4 bout the people in the Harlem Community demonstrating their capacity in cooperation with Mayor LaGuardia's law enforcement ag endas in maintaining law and or- | der. No minority group can sur- J vive and go progressively forward where there is no law and order. Violence and bloodshed is not the road to racial peace and cooper ation and community racial adv ancement. Violence begets viol— , ence, bloodshed begets bloodshed and always the minority groups are the chief victims. Negroes must stand up and fight for their Constitutional and econ omic rights with the ballot, con structive agitation, education thru moral, religious. labor organiza tions and all means lawful and or derly. of social protest. I know X can speak for 33 percent of the great mass of Negroes of Harlem that we are definitely and unquali fiedly opposed to all forms of hood lumism. the destruction of prop erty, the attack upon shopkeepers and any disregard for law enforce ments. Now. as the representative of the aforementioned organization.-, I want to urge upon the Mayor the immediate appointment of a Com mission on Race to study the caus es of this social and racial explos ion in the Harlem community and the basic causes of racial riots that are sweeping the country and threatening various Oommunities. We need a thorough and uncom promising investigation of the ques tion of housing, receratlonal facil ities, educational opportunities, employment problems, and the whole question of the participation or lack of participation on the part cf the Negro in our economic, pol itical and social life as equals with other Citizens. Although this is a period of rac ial tension, it is well for us frankly and fearlessly to face the fact that this outbreak of disorder in Har lem is merely a symptom of a deep cronic disease of racial segregat ion, discrimination and injustices to the Negro people. The remedy for this problem is not looting stor ed and abusing and attacking white Citizens or condemning Negroes as vicious and reckless vandals, but it lies in sound and constructive racial cooperation. It is unfortunate that the police man shot a Negro soldier which served as a fuse to light an already existing racial magazine wh *h was ready for explosion. If it had net been the shooting of the Negro sol dier, it might have been something else. The important thing is that the racial magazine of economic, and social dynamite is here and it is a result of a long series of soc ial. economic and political injust ices heaped upon the Negro peo ple. All Negroes of Harlem are grateful for the prompt action of the Mayor in mobilizing the police of the city to handle this serious situation and we commend the po lice for their obvious restraint and sense and fine cooperation in help ing to keep the peace. Subscribe Today! ACTION WOULD FOLLOW WILSON PRECEDENT Washington, Aug. 3 IANP1. Sources close to the White House intimated last week that Pre„-i<lent Franklin D. Roosevelt will devote time to racial tens ons in his next radio address to the nation sched uled for an unannounced date in the near futre. Negro and white leaders have re peatedly asked upon the chie" exe cutive to make a strong, positive utterance against racial bigots in this country hut to no avail. It has been poi itei out that the r esident's silence in the face of nationwide race riots is untenable in a country dedicated to carry '‘democracy” to every corner of the- world. --- The late President Woodrow Wil -son. who did not enjoy the inter national reputation for liberal, pro gtffsive thinking and actio t, rjs lies President Roosevelt becapifc so dhturbed by the riots that follow ed the last wa ’ that he pabiciy caagated the .r-tigators, anl ap real*-d to the people to adopt ron «I..ct that would prevent f.irihe: C'”.’t*rt.aks. ; IF YOU LIKE GOOD BEADIN' * i SUBSCRIBE FOR.... THE OMAHA GUIDE J __ * Sentence 3 Soldiers at Lincoln Army Base for Robbery PK«npM| -r m - -'HniH * Young Woman, .../Tired of It All** Commits Suicide by Gas Negro Shipyard Workers Walk off Bethlehem Jobs ‘Fear Police Protection’ Kerns, Tyus Act Baltimore, Md.......Fearing the kind of “protection” they would re ceive from special police, 1,400 Ne gro shipyard workers at the Bal new-Sparrows Point yards of the Bethlehem Steel company left the job there July 30. So serious is the tie-up that the company announced business would be Closed up until Monday, August 2. The trouble started Monday July 26 when the company at last op ened a school for the training of Negroes as riveters and welders. White workers went on strike pro testing admission of Negroes to the training classes and stayed out one and one half days. On Tuesday, July 27, the Comp any announced that the school would not be open to Negroes, whereupon 1.400 Negro employees walked off the job Wednesday, the 28th. Under the leadership of the Bal timore branch of the NAACP, of which Randall L. Tyus is execut ive secretary, the leaders of the strikers got together and agreed to go back to work after laying their grievances before the FEPC. the company officials, the labor union and other government agencies. But on Thursday July 29 when the men went back to work, John Ja cobs, leader of the strikers, was I arrested and charged with inciting to riot, along with two other men. Three others was arrested and charged with carrying concealed weapons. Another conference was hurried ly called by Tyus and J. Harvey Kerns, former Omahan of the Ur ban League, and Jacobs and three others were released, while two were given light fines for Carrying dangerous weapons. Meanwhile the company, repres ented by J. B. Knotts, agreed to open the school to Negroes as well as whites. At a meeting Thursday night July 29 the statement of the Company was read to the men who agreed to return to work July 30. However, upon their return they reported such hostile actions on. the part of whites, such muttering and threats, that they feared for their safety. Hundreds of them walked off the job two hours after they had reported for work, say ing they did not trust the extra special police sent to "protect” them. The local NAACP, Urban league, and representatives of the FEPC, War Manpower Commission, and I labor division of the WPB are working to arrive at a solution. Union leaders, including Tom Ayd lett, colored organizer for local 43 of the CIO Marine Workers Union, and G. Crossetti, president of local 33, where the trouble occurred, are, also in the conferences. Trouble has been brewing for many months because Negro work ers have not been hired in skilled capacities at the shipyards and have been forced to start as labor ers no matter what their previous training. To add fuel to the lire, the company has barred Negroes from the training classes for weld ing and riveting and has refused to upgrade them. While local 43 is said not to be as bad as Local 33 the union has not been as vigor ous as it should have been in aid ing the colored members, accord ing to stories of the workers. ASK TENN. POLL TAX REHEARING Knoxville. Tenn., Aug. 4 (ANP) A petition to rehear the anti-poil ta xsuit of Tennessee was filed with the eastern division of the | Mrs. Russell Cock. 2309 Seward Plaza in the Fontenelle Homes, be ing attracted last Tuesday after noon, by her children, who told her that they smelled gas pouring from the home of Mr. and Mrs. AUs 2321 Seward Plaza. Mrs. Cook up on investigation by looking in the window of the Alls’ home saw Mrs. Ferdinand Alls, sprawled on the floor and fearing something was wrong, quicky called the fire res cue squad. Firemen broke into the home and carried Mrs. Alls out doors, administering first aid and resuscitation, but were unable to revive her. Four gas jets on the stove were turned on and enough gas had escaped into the closed apartment, one fireman said, to have severely damaged the whole row of buildings, if anyone had i lighted a match. Mr. Alls is ill at the Doctors’ hospital. Mrs. AUs left a note saying “ev eryone is against me and I am tir ed of living.” The body was taken to the Thomas Funeral Home. 2422 T-eke Street. state supreme court here Wednes day. Tennessee’s legislature inval idated the poU tax in its last sess ion, but the supreme court came along and said the legislation was unconstitutional. ' Lincoln, Nebraska—Brig. Gener al Early W. Duncan, commanding the Lincoln army air base, ann ounced Monday that the three Ne gro soldiers who July 5 slugged and robbed Herbert Kunsman, Lin coln cab driver, had been appre hended and convicted by a military Court-martial. They were identified as Alonzo Simpson, sentenced to 10 years: Emmet Price, sentenced to S years, and James E. Tucker, sen tenced to 10 years. The sentences of Simpson and Price have been reviewed and con firmed. The men were recent ar rivals at the base here. RECOVER BODY OF FLYER MISSING SINCE JUNE 16 Selfridge Field, Mich., Aug. 4— (A.\'P)—The body of 2nd Lt. Nath aniel Milton Hill, missing since June 16, has been recovered from Lake Huron near Oscoda, Mich., according to a statement from Capt Ramey, public relations officer. Next of kin have been notified. Lt. Hill was piloting a two seat er training plane when he crashed into Lake Huron during a routine flight from the Oscoda army air field, a sub base of Selfridge field. He was accompanied on the flight by 2d Lt. Luther Linson Blakeney, a weather officer, whose body was found June 17. The army air force pilot was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Josxah Hill of Washington, DC. His wife, La verne, resides in the same city. Both flyers were attached to the 332nd fighter group. •miiiinmHumiHumuHnimiHmui THE OMAHA GUIDE IS YOUR PAPER— READ IT WEEKLY. llllllllllMiaaaaaaaaaiaaaaiiiiiiinia.......... Soldier Hanged For Rape Omaha, Aug. 3 (AXP)—The Sev enth Service Command here ann ounced last week that Pfc Levi Brandon had been hanged at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, following a court martial at which he was con victed of rape. Brandon, whose home was m Kansas City, enlisted in the army in Nov. 1940. He was convicted on two charges of rape and assault with intent to rape. The death sentence was imposed last February, revealed the ann ouncement, but was not carried out until reviewed by higher athority and confirmed by presidential or der. Only official witnesses at tended the hanging which occurred between 3 and 4 a. m. of the exe cution date. BISHOP GREGG CHEERS TROOPS IN SOUTH PACIFIC BISHOP JOHN A. GREGG Somewhere in the Southern Pac ific. Aug. 3 IANP) Bishop John A. Gregg, prelate of the AME. church has held nine meetings with Negro soldiers in this theatre of war since his arrival here nearly a fortnight ago according to an announcement The bishop was accompanied ty Major (Chaplain) John A. DeVeaux, formery attached to the 93rd div ision. President Roosevelt and the war department approved the trip by the noted churchman as a method of bolstering the morale of service men far away from home. “The men. except for a bit of 1 natural homesickness, are doing fine,” reported Bishop Gregg, '’and are determined to give their best endeavor to the winning of the war. That they are loyal .Amer icans goes without saying.’’ Servicemen here have greeted the churchmen with eagemss, it was learned, and plied them with questions about conditions at home. They are reported to also be 'grate ful’* to the President for making the visit possible. “Major DeVeaux and I have botn been well,” stated Bishop Gregg' and we have not suffered any ill effects from this trip, nor ha’"e we missed a need. Pass on the word to the dear folks at home that we ai? gladly giving ourselves to this task for our forces, that they may keep up their morale until the war is won. making the world at home, as well as abroad, a better place in which to live.” East- West\CI assies Queen Delectable Kathryn Butler, tl:e(! socially prominent daughter of I Mrs. Ann Butler of Chicago, is pic tured above. Kathryn was sclect e - queen of the East-West Class ics by the popular Bronzeville Mag azine in a Photo Contest, a week pi or to the game, and she attend ed f he event, reigned with all the pomp and glory that goes votr, such a title. Miss Butler is a I.ucy Flower High school graduata and is planning ic attend a school of photography m the fall. (Press Photo Service.) FKPC ACTS FOR REINSTlfF MKNT OF SCO WEST COAST SHII-m ILBEUS Washington. Aug. 2 (ANP) —An nouncement was made last week that the FEPC has instructed west coast shipbuilders to reinstate 300 1 Negro workers fired for alleged nonpayment of union dues into the treasury of the Boilermakers Union (AFL) pursuant to provisions of a closed shop agreement. The men. a part of 2,700 others employed at the yards, claim that the jim crow union constitutes a form of discrimination. NOW OF WDCA St ouis .Aug. 3 (ANP) Appoint ment of Lou Swarz, nationally known lese actress, to Lt. Colonel in the Women's Defense Corps of America was announced recently by Mrs. Nellie Bosworth, national commander, from the national headquarters in Chicago. Miss Swarz also assists in organization ; of chapters of the WDCA. She was honored in her home town, St. Louis, by the members naming the chapter after her. The WDCA is a national organiz ation with chapters in several cit ies. Its motto is “service to serv ice men”. It also also works with the treasury department in Chic ago and is nearing the 54.000.000 mark in bond sales. Volunteer war work is not new I to Miss Swarz as she is the vice chairman of the American Red Cross canteen, a member of AWVS and an actress who presents her one-woman shows at camps month ly. She will work with various chapters in nearby cities. FPhA. Clarifies Its Non-Discrimination Construction Labor Policyj Rev. John S. Williams Returns to Omaha with Celebrated Choral Ensemble AT PILGRIM BAPTIST 1 CHURCH, SUNDAY AUG. 15 The Rev. John S. Williams, who is widely known to all Omahans as former pastor of Hillside Presby terian Church, will return to Om aha on Sunday Aug. 15th with the John S. Williams’ Choral Ensem ble. A group of Kansas City’s >best singers. selected from 14 churches of the city. The En semble was organized in Oct. 1940 with 20 members and for almost 3 years studying music of various modes. The program given in O maha. will unquestionably be of enhancing beauty. Associated with the Ensemble as long distance mem bers are Mrs. Irene Moten. eontral to, who appeared as gruest soloist last Christmas and Mr. H. L. Pres ton who appeared as guest soloist last June. The Ensemble now has a membership of 50 and has held Kansas City spell bound each time it has appeared. The Rev. Mr. Williams now heads the Music De partment at Lincoln High School of Kansas City. Missouri. CIO Announces Entry into Nebraska’s Politics WILL WORK WITHIN PRESENT PARTIES Entry of Congress of Industrial Organizations unions into Nebraska politics was announced here last Monday night by Michael J. Quill, international president of the Transport Workers union. CIO at a mass meeting of CIO members at | Sokol hall. Quill also announced that the i two locals of his union here will open a labor school here “to teach workers to get the things to which they are entitled." Political activity of the CIO here. Quill indicated, will follow the une recently laid down by the execut ive board. Instead of starting a : new party, the group will direct its efforts to clearing from present parties those opposed to the aims of labor and replacing them with those friendly to labor. ‘‘IT WONT BE EAST” Urging political unity between all labor organizations as the on!;, means of holding and extending labor's gains, he declared: ‘‘For too long we have been damn fools enough to be disunit ed at the ballot box on election day. _....We are entering the political field, lock stock and barrel. “I* won’t be an easy job in a city like Omaha to elect men who will best represent us," he declar ed. “It won’t be an easy job where we have only one daily paper, which may be against us. “There are people in this city who won't be overenthused by this meeting." Every CIO union should have a legislative committee and should seek to cooperate with other labor organizations and groups friendly to labor for a unified labor pro gram. he said. "BALLOT IS ONLY WAY" Asking for support of President Roosevelt’s wartime policies, par ticularly price rollbacks and other proposed curbs on inflation, he as serted: You representatives in congress haven't done the job. They have hampered the president since the start of the war_ “We believe that the power cf the ballot is the way to root the rats out of congress.” Other speakers were State Sen ator George Craven of Lincoln: Dr. Craig Morris, Omaha, presid ent of the Nebraska Negro Medic al society: Municipal Judge D. E. O'Brien: Frank W. Cronin. CIO regional director here: Ben Henrv Des Moines, director in Iowa, Mrs. Gertrude Hopkins. representing Omaha cabettes, R. A. Hayes, pres ident of Local 223, opened the meeting: John A. Cassidy, interna tional representative for the Trans port Workers’ union here, presid ed. CALLS FOR SACRIFICES Lashing at those who Consider the war as ‘ merely an annoying I .incident which is depriving them of | help in their kitchens,’ Dr, Morris ! said: “It is necessary for all of us to make every sacrifice we can to hasten the end of the war.’ Judge O'Brien advised labor or ganizations to bury their differ ences for the good of “the common cause’’ and urged them to exer cise care in selection of public of ficials. Senator Craven advised that la bor should properly educate the public as to its objectives. Cassidy declared that “anybody who does anything to encourage discrimination or incite riots should be branded as a tool of Hitler.’’ I The Federal Public Housing Au thority announced that its non discrimination construction labor policy had been clarified to make all contractors understand that the agency is adhering strictly to the President’s latest .executive order on fair employment practice. FPHA Commissioner Herbert Emmerich declared that the a gency’s regulations were amended on July 6 to include subcontracts as well as direct contracts for con struction ofpublicly -financed war housing projects. The regulat ions also extend the non-discrimin ation provisions to applicans for employment on war housing pro jects as well as to persons already employed by contractors or sub contractors. In addition, the directive immed iately affects all FPHA construc tion work “off the site” as well a? work performed “on the site." Although prior rulings have gen erally defined the term “contrac tor” to include “subcontractors,’’, the new regulation now specifical ly inserts the non-discrimination clause into all subcontract docu ments. All contract documents for work on war housing now will carry the following instruction: "There shall be no discriminat ion by reason of race, Creed, color, national or political affiliations, a gainst any employee or applicant for employment, qualified by train ing and experience, for work in the development of war housing. ‘‘The Contractor shall include the foregoing provision in all subcon tracts for any part of the wont of this Contract.” The provisions in the FPHA. cr der for the determination of com pliance by the use of percentages criteria are not changed. They re quire that the proportion of the total amounts paid for skilled and {unskilled labor received byx'Ne groes and whites working on war housing projects must approximate the respective percentages of Ne gro and white skilled and unskilled laborers living in the locality. Commissioner Emmerich said that more than *18,000.000, com prising 10 percent of the total pay roll for construction labor employ ed in the development of the war housing porjects. to which the re vised order applies, has been paid to Negro workers. This sum is exclusive of the *23.000.000 paid Negro workers in the construction of PWA and FPHA-aided public housing projects. POST No.30 CONVENT ION PLANS ALL READY LOUNGE TO REMAIN OPEN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A HAT Theodore Roosevelt Post No. 30, The American Legion has complet ed its plans to care for and enter tain its many visitors to Omaha during the National Convention, Septemebr 20 to 23 rd. The Post's modern Lounge will be the center of activities and will remain open 24 hours a day during the Conven tion. To assure the delegates and vis itors a most enjoyable visit the Post has appointed the following persons as Members of the National Convention Committee: Ray L Wil liams, Director of Colored Activ ities, National Convention Comm ittee, InC. VICE CHAIRMEN: J. C. Carey, Commander Post No. 30, Aaron Glass, ..dward Bearcat Wright, Webb Alston. Dr. W. W. Peebles, ast Commander, Edward Turner, Adjutant Post No. 30. PUBLICITY COMMITTEE: Julius Hill. Publicity Officer ost No. 30, C. C. Galloway, Editor The Omaha Guide, Mrs. Mildred Gilbert, Edit or Omaha Star, E. W. McCowan, Frank Austin, Sgt. George E. Biv ens. U.S. Army retired. RECEPTION COMMITTEE: Dr. W. W. Peebles, Chairman, Frank Blackwell, Bemie Cowan. Mrs. Lydia Rodgers, Miss Doras Haw kins, Stephen Bridge®, Albert Wright, Leroy Childs, Rev. B. F. Jones, Larry N. Peoples, Georg® Althouse, Mrs. Lula Bryant. Mrs. Susie Yancy, Mrs. Lulu Roundtree. Edward W. Killingsworth, Tom Jones, Frank D. Payne, Sherman. Parker. Mrs. Mary- Zeffers, Rev. J. H. Harrison, Miles Speese, Rev. B. K. Nicholas,. REGISTRATION COMMITTEE: — Dr. P. L. James. Chairman, Harle Thomas, Terry- Cole, S. L. Cham bers. Major Underwood. Cleve Iax*k hart. Mrs. Virginia Lardon, Mrs. Reta Wade, Mrs. Helen Ward. Ruf us Long. C. C. Foster, Hugh Pol lard, Mrs. earl Louis. A. C. Cunny Wilson. HOUSING COMMITTEE: John. Curtwright, Chairman, Fred Hun ter, Colie Jaco, Sgt. George E. Biv ens, Mrs. Zodie Gardner, Mrs. W L. Butler, Henry W. Black, Vice Chairman. James Cole, W. L. But ler, Wendell Thomas, Mrs. Pearl Brummell. Mrs. Aaron Glass. ENTERTAINMENT COMMITTEE: Charlie Williams, Chairman, Olin Prestige, Vice Chairman, William H. Davis. H. L. Preston, Edgar Smart. Joe Smith, Leroy Childs, H. C. Comans, James Walker. Mar vin Price. Craig Williams, Mrs. Craig Williams, Arthur Moore, Hoi land Harrold, Jesse Milsap, Miss Beulah Bates, Lloyd Hunter, Mrs. Mary Jane Butler. WELCOMING COMMITTEE Ralph Underwood, Chairman. James Walk -er. Vice Chairman Albert Wright. E M. Wiley, William H. Gordon, Philip Barge, W L. Senter, Henry Johnson, Leonard Norris. Porter ' Continued on page IS?3 2) INCREASE VETERANS WIDOWS ORPHANS BENEFITS Brig. Gen. Frank T Hines, Ad ministrator of Veterans Affairs, ordered the review of approximate ly 45,000 case files pertaining to widows and orphans of veterans of all wars and the regular establish ments. whose death has been due to service. This review is design ed to provide automatic increases beginning Aag. 1. In compensation and pension which were provided such widows and orphans in a law signed by President Roosevelt on July 13.