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
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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.
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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.
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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.
