i
j Largest Accredited Negro Newspaper West of Chicago, North of K.C.
=::"11 ~ =================-. ======
Saturday, March 11, 1944 OUR 17th YEAR—No. 5
Entered as Second-Class Matter at the Post Office, Omaha, Nebraska,
Under Act of March 8. 1874— Business Phone: HA-0800, HA-0801
EXTRA!
FOR A MOST WORTHY CAUSE
Don’t forget your tickets lor the Children’s Mem
orial Hospital Fund Dance given by the Elks at
their hall, 2420 Lake street, Monday, March 20th.
-★-★
BOMBERS TO HEAR SPECIAL SERMON SUN.,
St. John AME. Church will be the scene for em
ployees of the Martin bomber plant to hear a special
sermon preached for them. Rev. Ridley, pastor of
the church will address them as will also Mr. G. T.
Wiley of the Martin plant. Public invited.
-★-★
“GIVE TO THE RED CROSS” CAMPAIGN,
7,Miss February**
The U. S. Army Engineers Unit who recently play
ed a great part in the constructing of the Great Alcan
\ Highway alls sent in the highest number of votes
for Miss Laura Christmas to be titled “Miss Febr
uary” Queen of the pin-uppers. Miss Christmas re
sides at 427 Tremont street, Chicago and is a govern
ment worker. Various units are asked to vote
weekly on Front Cover Girls and other photos ap
pearing in a National Weekly Magazine as their
monthly choice. Press Photo Service conducts this
Campaign. (Press Photo Service.)
Red Cross Campaisn
To Start Monday
Encouraged by early responses,
Douglas County Chapter, Americ
an Red Cross, next Monday will
launch its '944 War Fund camp- 1
agin for $505,000, with solicitations
of help from 60,000 workers in O- i
maha industrial plants and busin- j
ess firms, ind from farm and towns,
people throughout the counly.
House-to-house canvass in Omaha
by the women’s division will not
start until Monday. March ilOth.
All workers and the general pub
lic are invited to the official laun
ching rally Sunday afternoon it 4
o’clock in Central High School
auditorium. The program will in
elude numbers by the Union Pac
ific band, A Red Cross tableau and
remarks by Major General C. A.
Danielson, commanding- general of
the Seventh Service Command.
This Friday, March 10, the thou
sands of Junior Red Cross members
will carry home from every school
house in Douglas County a copy
<>f a special edition to their Own
newspaper which will tell their
parents and neighbors about the
Red Cross. Speakers emphasize
that 90 percent of the funds go di
rectly to helping service men an!
their families.
To meet the huge increase in its
war task, the Red Cross must de
pend on its friends to increase the
size of their gifts this year, Gen
eral Chairman H. M. Corning point
ed out this week to his associates.
Encouragement along this line
came from Chairman R. T. Burns
of the initial gifts committee when
he reported the following unsolic
ited increases: Omaha Clearing
House ossoclated, from $7,000 last
Bk year to 10,000; World-Herald, *4000
B$o $5,000; Woolworth Stores. $500
$8-T>: International Harvester
$400 to $600; Omaha Horse and
‘ ^^Bule Commission Co., $30 to $17=;
■Bnruble Bros., $25 to $100.
^■Subscribe Today!
FLEET CLUBS IN BRITAIN
provide American newspapers and
magazines for Navy personnel.
Navyman Eugene Settles of Nash
ville chooses YANK, Army maga
zine, in the Red Cross-operated
rluK
iui.iiumMimmumiiiiiMiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
MAN LETS 90 DAYS FOR
ASSAY LT AND BATTERY
Mrs. Lillian Henley. 29. o' 2*29
North 22nd street, told Muay judge
Wheeler last Tuesday that fie
trouble with her husband last Sat
urday was their first in 10 years
of marriage
It more than offset the p.-evi>us
tranquility, she said. Angry b(
cause she had no money for liq •
uor, her husband chased her ib »ut
the house, then pursued her r.°
24th and Burdette streets, slashing
at her with a knfe all the way.
she said. He inflicted six -stab
wounds, cut her about the face
The judge sentenced the hu.sban 1
Joe Henley. 49. to 90 days in jail
'or assault and battery.
HARRY S. MARTIN PASSES
Harry S. Martin. 64, died M, a
day at his home. 2876 Binney strce*
He had been a Pullman Co. employ
ee 25 years. Survivors: Wife. Dab.v
nothi r. Mrs.Laura Akens; sister,
Mrs. Helen Brown, Cedar Rapids,
la., brother. Forest Martin, Chic
ago. Services Friday at 2 pm. at
the Myers funeral home and burial
was in Forest Lawn.
HOPE TO AMASS GREAT
POOL OF CAPITAL
Last Rites Held
for Estella Ratliff
BETHUNE
TO BE ASST
To WEAVER
Successor?
Washington, March 8 (ANP)
Paul V. McNutt, War Manpower
commission chairman, is going to
pay off a political debt to a feiiow
Indianian by naming him to fill
the post of chief of the minority
group section, formerly held by Dr.
Robert C. Weaver. And unless his
plans miscarry. Dr. Mary McLeod
Bethune will be named his “assist
ant” as a sop to Negroes who feel
that a Negro ought to fill the top
job.
McNutt admitted to the Assoc
iated Negro Press last Tuesday
that while he has been checking
“several people” .the officer of
‘the second spot” had been made
to Mrs. Bethune and that “she in
dicated she would accept.” Asked
about the possible appointment of
a man from his own state McNutt
said “it might be,” and added,
“stranger things have happened.”
He declare flatly that he was not
considering anybody in the organ
ization mow. The reference was
taken to mean Clarence Johnson
whose efforts on j.he west coast
have be^n rated as, one sf the iVn
eng spots in the entire fight On
discrimination in Industry.
The manpower chairman acknOw
ledged that Mrs. Bethune had told
him once before that she was thru
with government. He commented
that: ‘‘apparently she has changed
her mind.”
Mrs. Bethune insists that she
gave no such indication of accept
ance to McNutt. She confirmed
the offer of a job but said that Me
Nutt was unable to tell her the
name of the person under whom
she would work, or the specific na
ture of the work to be done. All
she says she was told is that the
work had to do with race relations.
From reliable sources it is learn
ed that considerable pressure is be
ing put u’pon the president of the
National Council of Negro Women.
who only two months ago termin
ated her government work when
the National Youth Administration,
folded. Since then she has been
devoting her full time to the de
velopment of the council. In addi
tion. she has not been well lately.
Friends close to Mrs. Bethune
have been advising her against ac
ceptance of the post, pointing out
that WMC has no real intentions
of doing a job in the employment
field, and that her hands would be j
tied just as were those of Dr. Bob
Weaver.
____l
SECOND SHIFT BOMBARDIERS
PRESENT $50 GIFT TO THE
CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL FUND
A 50 contribution to the Child
ren's Mmorial hospital was pres
ented last Tuesday by the Baach
anite Recreation committee, second
•shift, composed of Negro workers
at the Martin Nebraska company.
The sum was raised by various
recreational activities of the grour
In addition, the committee has
made a contribution to the Re d
Cross. Members of the group,
who made the presenting were K.
C. Knight, treasurer: Miss Louise
Deckard. chairman of the entet -
tainment committee and Mrs. Riii
feva Brown, chairman of clubs.
DANCE HALL PERMIT DENIED
The city council last Tuesday de
nied a dance hall permit to Wil
!iam H Davis for the Dreamland
lance hall. Attorney H. J. Pink
ett said a new applicant TOulI
come before the council soon.
iiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimmi
TO RENEW YOUR 1944
SUBSCRIPTION
CA1X HA-0800
RELATIVES,
FRIENDS, PAY
TRIBUTE T 0
POPULAR GIRL”S
MEMORY....
(BY LUCY MAE BRITT)
Estella Troy Robertson Ratliff,
popular and well knOwn citizen oc
Omaha for a number a years, died
suddenly February 29. 1944, in Los
Angeles, California, from carbon
■monoxide
Mrs. Ratliff will long be remem
bered for her charming personal
ity and many outstanding abilit
ies. She was born in Dallas, Tex
as in 1908 where she attended the
BOoker T. Washington Grade and
High school. She was an honor
graduate of Bishop College in Mar
shall, Texas, graduating at a very
early age. She taught High school
in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She
moved to Omaha with her mother,,
where she attended the School of
Business Administration at Omaha}
University, and later worked to
wards a Master’s Degree at Creigh
ton University.
She was the first Negro girl to
be employed by Mr. Robert Smith,
Clerk of the District Court, where
she made a very creditable record,
pnd the position has remained op
ened for a Negro girl ever since.
She worked as a teacher in the
Ad•/.It Education Department fed a.
number of years.
She was married to Mr. Valder
J. Ratliff in February, 1937. They
later moved to New York and
made their home for several years.
Mrs. Ratliff will be long remem
bered for her successful directing
of the many Operettas sponsored
by the Quack Club. She was pres
ident of the Quack Club for a
term and the members and friends
who knew her and worked with
her regarded her as a dynamic
leader. The Zion Imperial Choir
with her as director, reached its
zenith in musical accomplishments.
Her last position in Omaha was
with the V. D. Health Department,
where she was loved by all who
came in contact with her.
She went to Los Angeles, Calif
ornia in December, 1943 where she
and her husband planned to make
their home. Mr. Ratliff planned
to join her in May. Mrs. Ratliff
and her cousin, Mrs. Christine
Sudduth were in Los Angeles to
gether, when she suddenly passed.
Mrs. Sudduth accompanied the
body home.
Surviving relatives are Mr. Val
der J- Ratliff, huband of Omana;
Mrs. Belzora Collins, mother of O
maha; Mrs. Lucille Hamilton, sis
ter of Great Falls. Montana: C- us
ins: John Hamilton, nephew. U. S.
Army. Mrs. Christine Sudduth aid
Mrs. Jewell Moten, Los Angeles,
California and other relatives and
friends. Her most intimate and
close friend of long standing. Limy
Mae Stamps Britt, was very olten
regarded as a member of the fam
ily. She was the Godmother of
Adrienne Britt, the daughter of
Mrs. Britt.
The funeral was held at Zion
Baptist Church 0n Tuesday, March
7th at 1 pm. with Rev. F. C. Wil
liams, officiating, assisted by Rev.
David St. Clair, of Mt. Moriah Bap
tist Church. The Thomas Funeral
Home was in charge.
The members of the Quack and
.Memo Club served as flower girls.
Honorary Pall bearers were J
Dillard Crawford. Orlo South. MH
ton E. Johnson. C. C. Galloway.
H. J. Pjnkett and Ed. Killiogu
worth and active were J. L. Tay
lor. Lerov Gude, Richard Reynolds
C. P. Williams, Rudolph Wit>on
and ROscoe Knight.
ROSCOE SMITH CHILLED
IN SIXTH ROUND
Los Angeles. —Freddie Dixon,
•ugged littel welterweight from
Phoenix, scored a sixth-round
knockout over ROscoe Smith of O
niaha. in a featured bout here last
Tuesday night.
Plan Would
Assure
Financial
Bulwark
for Negroes
in Post-War
Days...
launch war bond
SAVINGS CLUB PROGRAM
Washington, March 8 (ANP) —
Leaders of a number of important
organizations active within the Ne
gro group met at the headquarters
of the U. S. treasury’s bond divis
ion Tuesday morning and launch
ed a program for the development
of a net work of nation-wide sav
ings clubs based on acquirement
of war bonds. The group, meeting
under the sponsorship of the Na
tional NegTo Business League, pro
posed an ambitious plan, simple in
Its basic structure but possessing
the possibilities of bringing toget
her an accumulation of money
staggerng to the imagination in
volume and capable of providing
a pool of financial resources. It
is expected that at the end of the
initial five-year period there will
be in existence substantal nest eggs
for individual investors or ade
quate capital for cooperative busi
ness endeavors on the part of
■members of individual clubs where
they are so desirous.
The program, starting in its
ease of operation, calls for the or
ganization of clubs whose members
agree to deposit a $25 bond each
month as a minimum. This bond
purchased at the regular $18.75
selling price is to be held, subject
t othe buyer’s wishes for five years
°r until its maturity in ten veais.
The history of organized savings
endeavor, Dr. J. E. Walker, presi
dent of the National Negro Busi
ness league, pointed out, is That
people save with more regularity,
plan with more definiteness and
hold on to their accumulations
more tenaciously when they save
systematically.
Hundreds of thousands of Negio
es are buying bonds through pat- i
riotic methods or pay roll deduc- i
tions. Dr. Walker said, but many
have given little thought to using
them to help develop a financial
bulwark which can be used to help
improve the total position of the
race. ‘
_i
rne iNatiuuai urganizapiun in
War Bond Savings clubs atnon»
Negroes was set up. Dr. Walker
was chosen chairman. A. L. Hul
sey. secretary of the business lea
gue. was named secretary
Vice Chairmen are Mrs. Maty ;
McLeod Bethune. president, ’vat- -
ional Council of Negro Women, .
Washington; Booker T. Bradshaw,
president, National Negro Insur
ance Association, Richmond, Ya.;
Bishop James A. Bray, president,
Fraternal Council of Negro ehuron
es in America, Chicago; T. M. C imp
bell, regional field agent agricult
ural extension servee. Tuskegee;
John W. Dobbs, president, In er
national Conference of Grand Mas
foers, Atlanta; Lester B. Granger,
executive secretary. National 1 ch
an League- New York; Jesse M’t
chell. president National Negto
Bankers’ association, Washington;
Miss Shellie Northcutt. supervising
Joannes teacher, Washington: Mrs
Frannie B. Peck, president Nation
al Negro Housewives league. Ib -
troit; Dr. Frederick D. Patterson,
president National Negro Lard
Grant College President’s confer
ence: P. L. Prattis, executive edit
or. Pittsburgh Courier; C. A. Scott
vice president Negro Publishers’
association, Atlanta; Jesse O. Tho
mas, American Red Cross. Wash
ington: J. Finley Wilson, grand
exalted ruler, IBPOE, Washington
J. B. Blayton of Atlanta is tr-as
urer.
In addition to the above, ell of
whom with <>ne or two exceptions
were at the meeting, the entire in
terracial divsion of the war sav
ngs bond division of the treasury
ndudng William Pickens. Wil
lard Allen. M*rs. Nell Hunter. Char
ies McLean of North Carolina.
Charles Craft, of W’ashington. the
deputy chairmen of Illinois an-1
New York and the dozen dollar o
year consultants scattered through
out the different states are to fo
cus their attention upon the drive
to get the organization of local
clubs started.
Others present at the meeting
included W’illard W. Allen, treas
ury department: Claude A. Barnett
(Continued page 3)
0 Vote for—
C. C. Galloway
for State Senator
(PRIMARIES, APRIL 11, 1944)
0. C. Galloway
“Your Legislature Representative of the Fifth
District.” He will take the ‘Red Tape’ out of the
Old Age "Pension, without any increase in real estate
taxes.
-★-— ★
A. P. Randolph
W ins Clendenin
Labor A ward
*
A. Philip Randolph, president of
he Brotherhood of Sleeping Car
porters, and outstanding Negro
eader. has won the Clendenin A
vard of the Workers Defense Lea
fue for distinguished servicj to
abor's rights, Rev. Aaron S. GU
nartin, newly elected chairman of
he League announced this week.
New York’s noted Town Hall,
vill be the scene of a testimonial
concert and meeting Sunday even
ng, April 2nd, at which the award
vill be presented.
A committee of 300 noted Amer
cans, headed by Mrs. Mary Me- ^
r.,eod Bethune, president of Betbur.e
bookman College, and David Du
jinsky, president of the Internat
onal Ladies Garment Workers
Jnion, is sponsoring the testimon
al. at which civic and labor lead
>rs, and leading artists of radi),
stage and screen will appear
I
SENATOR LAFOLLETTE
\ PREVIOUS AWARD WINNER
Previous winners of the award,
.vhich is in the form of a plaque,
,vere Senator Robert M. LaFoIl
itte Jr., of Wisconsin and JOlin
P. Finerty .noted attorney who
handled the defense of Ode’-l Wal
ler and -was active in the Sac^o
Vanzetti an Mooney cases. The a
tvard was voted by the national
sxecutive board of the Workers
Defense League, which has nation
il headquarters at 112 East l&tli
Street, New York. Tickets for the
Town Hall testimonial are avail
able at the League at $2.20 $1.65
51.10 and 55 cents.
The award to Mr. Randolph .vot
ed for his “lifetime if distinguish-,
?d service to labor's rights,” recalls
Morris Milgram, WLD national se
ctary declared, “his dramatic
move in June 1941 when the March
an Washington Movement under
his leadership won from President!
Roosevelt Executive Order S802 es
tablishing the Fair Employment
Practice Committee ”
"Mr. Randolph is rendering the
same distinguished service to all
the people through his leadersnip
now of the National Council for a
Permanent FEPC, which is press
ing for passage of HR. 3986, the
bill by Representatives Heanion,
Dawson, LaFollette and Render to
establish in law the principle of
freedom from discrimination as a
privilege of all citizens, which
shall be safeguarded by a perm
anent Fair Employment Practice
Commission,” Mr. Milgram continu
ed
“How much Mr. Randolph is fear
ed by those who would keep a'l
labor in subjection was indicated
by the recent action of the Crump
machine in Memphis which barred
Mr. Randolph from speaking at a
1 continued on pageK^”2)
MRS. FRANKIE MAY
LEWIS, DIES ..
RESIDENT OF OMAHA
THIRTY-FOl'R YEARS
Mrs. Frankie May Lewis, age 59
years, 920 North 27th avenue, died
Sunday evening. March 5th at a
local hospital. Mrs. Lewis had
been a resident of Omaha for 31
years. She is survived by her hus
band, Mr. Herbert W. Lewis, Sr.,
three sons, Mr. Herbert W. Lewis,
Jr., Mr. Carlette Lewis, all of Om
aha, Corporal Jack Lewis, Fnited
States Army, two brothers, Mr- E.
W. Rogers, Reno, Nevada. Mr.
Hayes Rogers, Kansas City, Miss
ouri. The Rosary was recited on
Thursday evening at the Thomas
Funeral Home by the Legion of
Mary and friends of the deceased.
Funeral services were held at 'i:30
Friday morning from St. Benedict
Catholic Church with Father Jos
eph R. Moylan. S. J., officiating.
Burial was in Forest Lawn.
5c WORTH
GOOD READING
NEGROES
Into LABOR
BAT'UONS
RADIO TECHNIC
ASSIGNED LABOR
DUTIES; SAYS
PRISONERS ARE
BETTER FED
AND HOUSED
New Y rk, N. /.—la line with
Secretary Stimson’s admission that
tlie Army has a policy of convert
ing Negro combat troops and tech
nicians into service troops, is the
revelation that, a group of Negro
radio operators and technicians
was recently qhaitge 1 over into
labor battalions.
The information came to the N
AACP in a letter from a Negro
sergeant.
The irony of the situation wasi
heightened by the fact vhat Herm
an war prisoners stationed near
these Negro troops arc said by
the sergeant to be receiving bet
ter treatment than Un.t''i State?
Negro soldiers.
The letter declares:
“When the division was shipped
to-. we were left in Fort:
...._; later we learned that we
were coming to this camp to form
a battalion. Since our troops was
composed mostly of radio operat
ors and radio technicians, tve
were reasonably certain that it
would be an operations battalion
because a construction battalion
hasn’t any place for communica
tions men. Upon our arrival we
find that we were going to be
formed into a construction battal
ion after being merged with the
.-F. A. All the training that
| the men in this battalion must
learn something about climibing
poles and digging holes. In other
words, we are in a labor battal
ion with a glorified title. We are
not kicking becau'se we have to
climb poles and do some hard
work, but we figure if we are qua!
ified for a certain type of Job we
should get it if possible and I know
the Army needs radiomen.
"A lot of us have asked lor
transfers .but all we run into is
red tape and that is when an on
listed iman loses his case.
“There is a trend in the Army,
at the present, to transfer all the
Negro soldiers from the Army
Ground Forces and put them ji.lo
the Army Service Forces no mat
ter if they are qualified for other
types of work.
"In this camp we are also forced
to live in an area that should he
condemned, All our sanitary fac
ilities are outside and across the
street in a po0rly heated building.
The barracks we live in are heat
ed by two stoves, one at each end
of the barrack.
"The reason the boys are so hot
under the collar is due to the fact
that there are German prisoners
(here) and live better and are get
ting betteo treatment than wc are
getting at the present.
"We would appreciate it if yon
are able to look into the matter-’'
-*-★
THEIR “BOSS” CALLED THEM “Inefficient”
Despite the fact that Secretary of War, Henry L.
Stimson, recently said that Negroes were inefficient
in manning combat guns and other such artillery as
shown above, the War Department issued this photo
only last week showing “our Boys” on guard at one
of the fighting fronts. They are: Left seat, Pfc.
Hartzell Casey, Right seat, Cpl. James Moore, load
ing: Sgt. Clias. E. Glover, Handing Clip: Pvt. John
Harris and Cpl. Robt. Church’ (Press Photo Service