Largest Accredited Negro Nrwspaf1 er West of Chicago and North of KC
Saturday, May 6, 1944 OUE 17th Year—No. 13
Entered as 2nd class matter at Post-office. Omaha, Nebr., Under Act of
March 8, 1874. Publishing Offices at 2420 Grant Street, Omaha, Nebr.
MRS. EUNICE H, CARTER TO
SPEARHEAD LOCAL DRIVE
WORKED UNDER THOMAS
E DEWEY WHEN HE WAS
-V. Y. DISTRICT ATTORNEY
Mrs. Eunice H. Carter, who at
tained national prominence as an as
sistant District Attorney under Dis
trict Attorney Thomas E. Dewey of
New \ ork County, New York, is to
be Guest Speaker at a meeting at the
Zior: Baptist Church, 22nd and Grant
streets, at 8 pm.. Friday, May 19th.
It is a part of the membership effort
on behalf of the Omaha Branch of
the KAACP. Tickets are being
soli for $1.20 each and each porch
es provideder of a ticket will be given
an annual membership in the NAACP
if he signs his name and address on
the face of the ticket on lines provid
ed therefor.
Mrs. Carter is a graduate of Smith
College of Northhampton. Mass, and
holds three degrees from the school
an A. B. and A M. and an LLD.
She also holds an LLB. degree from
Fordham University. New York City.
The number of tickets is limited to
2.000 and they are being sold very
rapidly, and the public is urged to
make purchases immediately. Tick
ets may be had at the Johnson Drug
Store. 2306 North 24th St., The
Northside \ \Y C A.. 22nd and Grant
Sts.. The Commuuit} Center, 20th
and Dodge streets. Matthews Book
Store. 1620 Harney street, and at the
Workman's Club, 5219 South 29th St.
Mrs. Carter will arrive in Omaha
May 18th, and will be interviewed on
WOW Friday afternoon at 12:45 p.
m.. May 19th. At 8 p. m. she will
deliver her address at Zion Baptist
Church cm the subject : "TODAY’S
CHALLENGE TO AMERICA."
No one can afford to miss hearing
and seeing Mrs. Carter and no on*
can afford to be without a member
ship in the NAACP. Rev. J. E j
Blackmon: is president of the Omaha,
Branch of thf’NAAGP * -
Eunice H. Carter. Assistant Dis
trict Attorney New York County
409 Edgecomb Avenue. New Y’ork
City. N. Y*.
Education: Public Schools. Brook- ;
h-n. N Y\ Smith Collejy V B. and'
A M. 1921; Fordlma University
LLB 1932; Honorary Degree. LLB
Smith College. 1936.
Experience. Professional; 1921-22
Field Worker Community Service
Society; 1923-24—Teacher New Y'ork
Public Schools ; 1928-31—Senior
Field Worker. Newark Institute fam-1
ily Service : 1921-32—Supervisor of
Relief for Harlem Area under Gib-1
son Fund: 1932-33, Asst. Supervisor
Home Relief Bureau : 1934-35—Priv
ate practice law ; 1935-37—Member
Special Rackets Investigation Staff
under Thomas E. Dewey: 1938 to
date Staff District Attorney Office.
New York Co.
Related professional activities: 1924
-25—Associated Women's Prison As
sociation; Study on Neglected and
Delinquent Negro Children: 1929-31
Consultant to Judge Keigler, Judge
«f Juvenile Court. New Jersey; 1935
36—Secretary Mayor's Commission
on Conditions in Harlem; 1940-42—
Assistant District Attorney in charge
of Social Research and Adolesent
Offenders.; 1941-42—Member Citiz
ens Committee to cooperate with the
Joint Legislature Committee on You
thful Offenders: Note: Active in
Civic and Political Life for the past
20 years. At present Legal Adviser
and chairman of Board of Trustees
of National Council of Negro Wom
en.
BROTHERHOOD BACKS
MEMPHIS PREACHER WHOM
CRUMP PERSECUTES
New York, April 30 Following
h?v upon the tree speech meeting in
the First Baptist Church on Beale St.
in Memphis. Tennessee at which A.
Philip Randolph. George Googe, Sou
thern Organizer for the American
Federation of Labor ; Milton P. Web
ster. 1st International Vice President
of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car
Porters and Tim Barrett, A. F. of L.
Organizer of the South, spoke. Boss
Crump's machine had the Fire De
partment of Memphis to inspect Rev.
Long's Church and place a fire haz
ard penalty upon it. The repairs nec
essary to lift this penalty will con
stitute a considerable expense to the
Church. Mr. Randolph has comm
unicated with the Rev. Long and
■Cornelius Maiden. Negro A. F. of
L Organizer in the South, who is
leading the campaign to raise the
funds to make repairs on the church,
that the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car
Porers will see to it that the funds
are raised to lift the fire hazard pen
alty.
Mr Randolph indicated that Presi
Jones, Field Director
will Spend Week Here
New York In all areas from
coast to coast, the XAACP drive tor
500.000 new members got off to a fly
ing start May 1, i or a two months
intensive campaign. Already field
! secretaries—Noma Jensen, Irvena
Ming, Noah Griffin and Donald Jon
es have reached their respective ter
ritories and are busy guiding hund
reds of new captains, workers and
volunteers, anxious to do their part
in the Association’s effort to sus
tain the advances made during 35
years of growth, marking 21 Sup
reme Court victories out of p2 cases
before the Supreme Tribunal of the
land.
Territories in which executive of- ;
ficials will spend weeks during the
campaign include Ohio, Minnesota,
Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, Pennsylvan-!
ia. South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, i
Alabama, Massachusetts, Oklahoma,
Kentucky, Missouri. Kansas, Louis
iana, Virginia. Tennessee, Texas.
Mrs Ming, heading up territories'
in the midwest, is all set to garner
membership quotas amounting to 6000
in Cleveland, Youngstown, and War
ren, Ohio: .5,000 in Pittsburgh ; 2500 !
in Toledo: 2000 in Columbus. Miss i
Jensen, will move from quotas of
1.000 in Desmoines and St. Paul,
Minnisota; 1.500 in Minneapolis;'
3.000 in Cincinnati and in Chicago, j
Illinois where the total membership |
is expected to reach 20.000. the south
west territory. Donald Jones will seek
memberships ranging from 500 to I
5,000. Mr. Jones who has coverage
of Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas
City, Missouri, will divide a three
week period between the two whose
goals have been set for 1.200 andy
3,500 respectively. One week in both
Omaha and Wichita, will be spent
for goals amounting to 1,000 and 300.
in the Arkansas areas. Little Rock,
expects to obtain 1,300 while Pine
Bluff will concentrate on 500. The
larger grouping of goals are for Mew
Orleans. 3,000; Baton Rouge 1,500; ;
Lake Charles 1.000, while Shreveport
has set its estimate at 500.
Birmingham, Alabama, with a goal
for 5,000, Savannah, Georgia 4,000.
Mobile, Alabama, 2,500, Jacksonville,
Florida and Columbia, South Caro
lina, with goals of 2,000 each are in
cluded in the territory to be covered
by Mr. Griffin. The smaller areas,
and their corresponding objectives are
Charleston. 1,500, Tampa, Florida,
1,500, Bessemer, Alabama. 500 and
St. Petersburg, 500.
From her desk in the national of
fice, New York City, Ella J. Baker,
director of N’AACP branches, will
supervise and coordinate the work
of field secretaries and branch activ
ity from coast to coast. Mrs. Ruby
Hurley, youth director, will supple
ment campaign work being carried on j
in the eastern seaboard, concentrating
on the tidewater area.
Telling the Associaton's story in
detail and amplifying the campaign
slogan. FOR FREEDOM AT
HOME AND ABROAD, will be
pamphlets, leaflets and posters,
graphically describing the work ad
ministration and success of this or-1
ganization in its fight to obtain civil!
and constitutional rights promised to
every American, regardless of race,
creed or color. , |
Requests lor membership direct i
my be made to the National Office,
69 Fifth Avenue. New York 13, N. j
Y. at the rates of $1.00, $2.50, $5.00
$10.00, $25.00. $100 and life member
ship $500.
dent William Green of the American
Federation of Labor at the Post War,
Planning Conference at the Commo
dore Hotel had indicated that the A.
F. of L. will help meet this financial
issue in the interest of putting the
Church in proper condition as requir
ed by the Fire Department in Mem
phis.
.V. I'. MEDICAL SOCIETY CALL
FOR ADMITTANCE OF MORE
NEGROES TO SCHOOLS
Washington, DC., (CNS)— The
Medical Society of New York has a
dopted a resolution calling for ■'more
qualified Negro students to be ad
mitted to medical schools of New
York County." stated in the resolution
"the best interests of the public will
be served by acceptance of qualified
Negroes as internes, resident and
staff members in the city's hospitals”.
LEAVES NAACP $1,500
New York—Miss Irene Lewisohn.
who died April 4, left $1,500 in her
will to the NAACP and a similar a
mount to the National Urban Lea
gue. Miss Lewisohn had been a con
tributor to the work of the NAACP
for 19 years.
Open
Letter to
Written by
White
Missionary
NEW YORK, May 2 (ANP)—
Open criticism of the decision of the
state of Texas to circumvent the re
cent ruling of the United States Su
preme court that Negroes must be
allowed to vote in Dixie primaries,
has been made by E. Stanley Jones,
white missionary to foreign lands, in
this country on a lecture tour.
Dr. Jones, who is now in Texas,
has fearlessly spoken out to residents
of that state, deploring their decision
to get around the supreme court rul
ings. He has addressed an open let
ter to the editor of a Texas paper,
and the Associated Negro Press was
given a cops- of it as well.
L>r Jones served three and a halt
years as a missionary in India, ana
once before, in this country, made
public his distaste for restrictive reg
ulations against Negroes. When a
previous supreme court ruling on Ne
gro voting in South Carolina was
handed down. Dr. Jones, speaking be
fore a large audience in Columbia,
asked permission from the master of
ceremonies to announce an obituary
from the platform. Bewildered, the
MC gave assent. Dr. Jones began,—
“Today, democracy was killed in
South Carolina. The refusal of the
right to vote for Negroes means the
death of democratic procedure in this
state ” Following that dramatic
obituary, an association which pledg
ed itself to fight racial discrimination
was formed and is still functioning.
Dr. Jones is also an author and is in
terested in international affairs. Ex
cerpts from his Texas open letter fol
low :
"This letter will have to express
first of all my deep gratitude for
your large-hearted kindness to me
while in your midst My admiration
for Texas and Texans is sincere and
deep. Teaxs gets me!
“Because of my deep appreciation
of you. I'would share with you a con
cem. I have been deeply concerned
over the reaction to the supreme court
decision regarding Negroes voting ir.
primary elections. Initial anger and
opposition was to be expected, for
deep-ooted attitudes change with re
luctance. This did not trouble me so |
much as something else.
“To my atonishment, I found public
officials, dedicated to the upholding
of law and court decisions, publicly •
announcing that they were thinking;
out ways to annul the Supreme Court
decision. Do these public officials
realize the effect of these official
statements upon the public mind ? As
I see it, the effect is something like |
this: laws and court decisions can be
annulled if you can get away with ;
it. But if you do this in this partic
ular case, then why not in other cas- j
es ? Respect for law and court de-;
cisions is undermined. This loosens j
the whole fabric of public confidence,
and it is upon confidence that a dem
ocracy rests. This kind of an attit-!
ude is far more dangerous to democ
racy than Hitler could ever be. And1
this happens when we sav we are j
fighting for freedom and democracy, j
“If the impatient reply is made that:
this is a private affair of Texas a- j
lone, the answer must be that this b
about as private would Le the case
of one going into a cabin of a steam
er and finds the occupant sawing a
hole in the side of the ship near the
water line, and when remonstrated
with, the man replies: "This is my
cabin, isn't it ? I can do what I please
with it." This official attitude is en
dangering the whole ship of democ
racy. It thus becomes the affair of
every American. As a lover of this
democracy, I am deeply concerned,
and as a free American I speak out
that concern.
“There is a side of this matter of
ten overlooked. I know the fear
that is in many minds: if we allow
the Negroes to vote they will be able
by their numbers to swing an elec
tion. This is based upon misconcep
tions. If you treat the Negroes as
racial beings, they will respond rac
ially and will vote as a race. If you
treat them as human beings they will
respond as human beings and not as
racial beings. In India, where we
have all races living together on the
basis of complete equality in our As
hrams, 12 years I have never known
the discussions to divide up with the
white people on one side and the col
ored people on the other. Not once!
The division is invariably at this
point: the colored and white radicals
will be on one side and the colored
and white conservatives on the other.
That division between radical and
! conservative is a division that runs
through all raeces on all questions
And it is a good division—some would
; conserve values and some would push
ahead and apply them to larger areas.
The human mind is made that way.
“If the Negro is treated as a hum
an being instead of a racial being then
in elections tre white and colored rad
icals will be on one side and the white
. and colored conservatives on the oth
! er. That would be healthy. For ii
BISHOP HAMLETT, MOTHER S DAY SPEAKER
Honorably Discharged
Omaha Colored Soldier
Gets Prejudice Door
Slammed in His
Face ' - «•
\ es, it happened right here in Omaha, Nebr. with
one of your own who was raised and educated in 0
maha schools—A graduate of South High and a grad
uate of Creighton University. The following is a
letter that every red blooded American should re
, sent: % ^
Omaha, Nebraska, May 1, 1944
Mr. C. C. Galloway, Editor Omaha Guide,
Omaha, Nebraska.
Dear Sir: I am taking this opportunity to write
you relative to an incident I experienced a few days
ago as I applied for work.
On Monday, April 17th, 1944, I registered with
the Veterans’ Placement Bureau, 16th and Famam
streets and was sent to the Alcohol Processing plant
at 11 a. in., 4th and Jones streets by Mr. Seigel Berg
in charge of the Veterans' office to see Mr. Charles
Diffendall about work in Chemical Laboratorv.
Guards on dutv at the plant stated “MR. DIFFEN
DALL DID NOT WANT TO SEE OR HIRE ANY
NEGROES.”
This is a Government Financed Plant. Seeker of
Emplovment is a Veteran of World War II, HON
ORABLY DISCHARGED.
I went back to the Veterans’ Bureau, 16th and
Farnam streets, Monday, April 24th. 1944 and Mr.
Siegel Berg was unable to do anything about it as
per his statement. He was asked to call Mr. Dif
fendall. He refused to do so.
A Mr. Strauss of the U. S. Employment Service,
210 South 18th street, also was told of the incident.
His Special Job “is to place Veterans” he said. “It
wasn't his duty to see that the Alcohol plant hired
me. ’' Very truly yours.
Joseph M. Owen.
WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?
\\ hat are you going to do about it Mr. Omahan? I
tell you what I think should be done. We should
declare a MARCH ON THE ALCOHOL PROCES
SING PLANT, 10,000 STRONG. It should be so
large that Mr. Diffendall eouldn’t get to 4th and
Jones. What do you think about it Mr. Individual
American Citizen and what do you say about it N.A.
A.C.P., American Legion, both white and black, the
Omaha Race Relation Council and all of the Negro
Churches and all of the Negro Professional Organiz
ations! It is your job to go to 4th and Jones 10,000
strong in a silent protest parade. No one can seem
ingly do anything about it according to the above let
ter. Well, in my opinion it is time to call a halt on
this kind of stuff right now. If you believe in what
your boys and girls are fighting for, now is the time
to show that vou have courage enough to back it up.
LET'S GOTO 4th & JONES, 10,000 STRONG
AND PROTEST THIS KIND OF TREATMENT
ON ACCOUNT OF COLOR.
we were all conservatives we would
dry up. and if we were all radicals,
we would bust up. Between the pull
back of the conservatives and the pull
ahead of the radicals we make pro
gress in a middle direction.
“I hope that Texas will assert her
good sense and accept the fact that m
a democracy every law-abiding, de
cent citizen has a right to vote re
gardless of religion, sex, or the color
of his skin. If we cannot accept that
fact, then the only thing to do is to
end the hypocrisy and cease to rail
our country a democracy.”
RAXDOLPH TO MAKE CROSS
COUNTRY TRIP
WILL SPEAK HERE
New York, N. Y„ April 30 Ac
cording to information received at the
International headquarters of the
Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Por
ters, A. Philip Randolph, Internat
ional President, will leave New York
City, May 3rd on a cross country
trip on which he will visit Chicago,
St. Paul, Minnesota. Portland, Ore
gon, Oakland, San Francisco, Los
Angeles, California; Salt Lake City,
Utah. Denver, Colorado, Omaha, Ne
bra ska. and Kansas City, Missouri.
He will speak at public meetings as
well as organizational conferences on
this tour.
SUGGEST NAMING LIBERTY
SHIP FOR E. E. JUST
New York—It has been suggested '
to the Ship Naming Committee of;
U. S. Maritime Commission by the
N'.A.ACP that a Liberty ship be nam
ed for the late Dr. Ernest Everett
Just. Dr. Just was a world famous
j biologist and zoologist, professor of
! physiology at Howard University
j College of Medicine and the first
recipient of the Spingam Medal in
1915.
Omaha Uni.
Fine Arts
Student
Honored
UAL ARIA LEE McCAW, 2808
Ohij Street, a student in the fine arts
department at the University of Om
alia, was among those honored at the
University Thursday, April 27. All
students with an average of 8J5 or
better were honored at the Convoca
tion.
Mrs. McCaw is the wife of Arthur
B McCaw, Deputy in the County
Assessor's office and the mother of
ti .ee children, Jan is, Joan and Mel
vin Arthur McCaw.
MYRTIS GOES OVER
THE TOP
MVRTIS Invites friends, Custom
ers and the public to come and enjoy
the hospitality of her tavern.
By Howard B. Bordeaux
The morning that Carl Rabes, one
time owner and manager of Rabies'
Buffett, located at 2229 Lake Street,
prepared to leave for Fresno. Calif.J
where he was inducted into the air
corps, I was in his employ he
turned a number of kev> over to me
that morning, one of which was to
his Buffett and another to his home
directly across the street, where I
was instructed to live until his final
return and in the event that he didn’t
return I was to live there just the,
same. Frank Johnson was one of
the bartenders at this time and I be
lieve the longest time bartender in
Carl’s service at that time. I heard
Carl say to Frank that morning.
“You stay here and look after things
until I come back and in case I don't
come back, just keep on looking after
them."
I i elate these facts now that you
may know the real Carl Rabies.
At that time there was always a
number of girls employed who would
work on different shifts at the Buf
fett. but there was one who would
always come first to wait on the
early morning trade. Carl instructed
me that in the event this girl taken
sick or something happened which
caused her not to show up for work,
that I should send for the next one
I thought next best to take her place.
TO PREACH AT CLEAVES
TEMPLE MOTHERS DAY
Bishop J. Arthur Hamlett of Kan
sas City. Kansas will be the guest
speaker at Cleaves Temple CME.
Church on Mother's Day, Sunday,
May the 14th.
Bishop Hamlett is one of the lead
ing thinkers of America, a great
scholar and pulpiteer. He is the pre
siding Bishop of the Third Episcopal
District of the Colored Methodist
Church, comprising the states of Ne
braska. Kansas. Missouri, Tenenesset
and Louisiana.
The friends of Cleaves are cord
ially invited to come out and hear cur
Bishop.
Rev. T. J. Douglass, is pastor.
BEGINNIN6 MAY 9, HR. 7
WILL BE ON SENATE FLOOR
SEE THAT YOUR
SENATOR IS THERE
Dear Friend:
We wrote you on April 18. We
told you the poll taxes were hard at
work behind the scenes to keep HR 7
from ever coming up; that Washing
ton was full of rumors that they were
succeeding. We told you only one
thing could save the anti-poll tax bill.
Your insistence.
Your insistence carried the day.
Senator Barkley this morning an
nounced that, by agreement with the
proponents and opponents of the bill,
HR 7 would be called up May 9th.
Now to the job of actually passing
the bill.
1. We must brand as irresponsible
the filibuster which will meet the bill,
brand it as a tactic that disfranchises
the United States Senate itself.
2. We most pledge each Senator to
vote for cloture, not only once but a
second time. By the rules of the Se
nate, cloture can be called for over
and over again. Not to call for it a
second time will be an unnecessary
surrender of the right of ten million
Americans to vote.
Between now and May 9th, work
on your Senators. We think, at this
point, no Senator is hopeless. Every
Republican and every Northern De
mocrat can be pledged to vote for do_
ture. Every poll-tax Senator can be
persuaded that the filibuster will be
too great a price to pay for the bill’s
defeat m terms of loss of Senate dig
nity and blackening the magnificent
war record of the Southern people.
3. If your Senator says he's for clo
ture, pin him down to a second cloture
mote and to an aggressive fight for
the bill.
Don't let up now.
JUDGE WATSON APPEALS
FOR LYNCH BILL
New York City (CNS) . Judge
James Watson, a member of the Na
tionalC ommittee to Combat Anti
Semitism, has issued an appeal for a
deluge of telegrams and letters to be
sent to Rep. Thomas G. Burch, chair
man of the House Committee on the
Post Office and Post Roads, before
which the Lynch Bill is now pending
Commented Judge Watson: “The
Lynch Bill will keep the poison of
Anti-Negro, anti-semitic and other
anti-racial material from being
spread amongst our armed forces
where it is serving to cause disunity.
So one morning this really happened,
and we were in quite a jam, but an
old friend of mine happened to be in
the place who had his car outside.
So I asked him to go after Myrtis,
who has been on that job ever since.
'ies, now Myrtis goes over the top,
through perserverance, honesty
and prompt, courteous service to all. |
Myrtis has gained the confidence
of a host of friends and I have just
read the license which gives her the
right to have a sign across the win
dow of the tavern reading “MYRTIS
TAVERN".
The Omaha Guide wushes you
much success Myrtis, which we well
know you have earned and still we
shall always miss Carl.
[ 5th War
Loan
Drive To
Open
June 12th
NEBRAESKA’S
QUOTA $106,000,000
—A-A
Nebraska's over-all quota for the
Fifth War Loan Drive starting June
12 will be $106,000,000, the State War
Finance Committee was advised today
by The Treasury Department.
While this is an increase of 12 3-4
percent above the $94,000,000 quota
for the last campaign, it is less than
the $110,230,117 which was raised by
Nebraska residents in January and
February Drive
"We must enter this campaign, dur
ing the most crucial period of this
war, with grim determination to
make and surpass this quota," declar
ed W. Dale Clark, State Chairman of
the War Finance Committee.
"We are depending upon our Fight
ing Forces to defeat the enemy and
they are depending upon us to sup
port this great task through the pur
csasc of our share of War Bonds."
Under the new quotas, individual
Nebraskans are asked to purchase
$36,000,000 in War Bonds, an in
crease of $3,000,000 over the last cam
paign. State figures for the “E”
Bond series remain the same at $34,
000.000.
Businesses ot all types in Nebraska
have been given a quota of $50,000,
000, or a $9,000,000 increase of the
S41,000,000 quota they received dur
ing the Fourth War Loan Drive.
The state increase had been anticip
ated for several weeks in view of the
national quota being placed at $16,
000,000.000, which was up $2,000,000
000 from the last campaign. The na
tional quota tor individual purchases
will jump from $5,500,000,000 for the
Fourth War Loan to $6,000,000,000
for the Fifth War Loan campaign
County quotas for the forthcoming
campaign, based on the newly ann
ounced state figures, will be announc
ed within two or three weeks, accord
ing to Leon J. Markham, Executive
Manager of the Nebraska War Fin
ance Committee.
HOST TO ELKS
Chicago, 111, Frank W. Henry,
Exalted Ruler of the Fort Dearborn
IB POE. of W, speaking before the
Grand Lodge Committee which met
on Monday, April 24th, invited dele
gates from the 48 states of America
to attend the Grand Lodge Conven
tion and Bond Rally scheduled for
Chicago, August 20th. “A most ex
tensive program for the entertain
ment of the delegates has alerady
been completed” said Mr. Henry.
<Press Photo-News Service)
SUBSCRIBE
NOW!
White Pressure Forces Ban on Lillian Smith of
“Strange Fruit” Appearing before White Club
~ •1 1 " ■ ■ ■ _^——
MAN IVHO SOUGHT TO SELL
“STRANGE FRUIT" ON TRIAL;
FINED $200
Cambridge, Mass,, (CNS> A Cam
bridge book dealer was fined 5200
this week for selling a copy of (
"Strange Fruit" in a test case by
District Judge Arthur P, Stone.
Judge Stone, after reading Lillian
Smith's controversial novel about a
Negro girl's love affair with a
white doctor's son. says: “I wouldn't
say that a book was impure because
of one word, but I believe that cer
tain incidents have been lugged in to
make this book dirty. I believe that
the author brought in the filth with
an eye to increasing the sales.”
• dumbia, S. C.. May l ( \'\P)—
Cancellation of the schedu’ed appear
tn'-e here Thursday. May 4, of Miss
Lilian E. Smith. Georgia an no i*
the novel, "Strange Fruit" and t-iuor
of the quarterly magazine. ‘South
Today" was verified Wednesday by
Mrs. M. H. Hickman, whit', chair
man of the Book Forum, wh h iiad
arranged the lecture as its final pro
gram of the season.
While Mrs. Hickman wo a. 1 not
discuss circumstances leading to the
c mediation, saying, "I have teen
th-orgh so much humiliation and cm
bm-rassment because of it I wish cnlv
to forget it.” she did admit that ‘se
vere pressure” had been brougn* by
white women's clubs and other white
poi pie to cancel the program She
wi's bombarded with letters, phone
calls, threats, and all other so Is of
cen-munications, some of them ai.non
vioknt.
Among letters received by Mis.
R’ckman was one from the New Ccn
tury Book Club here signed by Mrs.
E.Hyn D. Pope, secretary, a said
in part: "'It seems a pity to spo 1 'he
tine effect of your efforts (wr’i the
Book forum) nwo by having as gues\
speaker Lillian Smith, author
“Strange Fruit”, the subject matter
of which would be an affront to any
thinking people, but particularly so
t._. the people of this state and the
South. It is filthy and obnox'oui.”
Mrs. Pope said her club felt M>ss
Smith’s coming here unwise and dan
get ous because of “social and political
ur.iest on the part of the Xego. i-ar .
a condition caused by adverse ad vis
ers.”
The following excerpts were in
cluded in a letter to Mrs. H;ckmar
from the Fortnight chip of which
Frances Sylvan is secreta-y: ‘ 1 he
problem of racial adjustment is to us
sc serious that we are impelled to
protest against the discussion _t it
by the speaker (Lillian Smith)
The theme of her book seems to rs
to be one that better not be tossed a
bout at present In case .he does
come, may we earnestly ask that she
speak on the orient and not on th:
N'egro problem at all.”
Protests were also received from
the Garden club, probably the most
influential organization in ‘he city,
whose president is Mrs. J. Heyward
Gibbs, other organizations and ju ov
erwhelming number of white woi.vn
and men.
Plans were underway Monday to
have M iss Smith speak in Chai kst^n
May 4 and other sources were I ying
to have her speak in CoIumb;< j~.
that day but to colored persons. ' -
other source reported Jewish -cj>L.
were indignant over the refusal and
had offered the suggestion of ■> cak
ing up the Book forum as it as ex
isted for nearly four years . a r. ng
white people) and extend it *o ' --
ed residents, also. An uncon - td
rumor was that official word had
been taken around that Miss Smith
would be barred from speaking in
Columbia and other places in the
state.
Have you entered your favorite Die or cake in our Recipe Contest? p. 4
