First Negro-Manned Subchaser Prepares For Action Against U-Boats j
First members of their race to man
a submarine chaser, the crew of the
U. S. S. PC-1264 is shown receiving
instruction in gunnery, depth-charge
attacks, and deck and engneerirtg dut
ies or. the shakedown cruise of the
new 173-foot escort vessel which was
/tommbsioned April 25. 1944. At
top reading from left to right, sev
on deck. 2nd pic. shows two look
eral crew members hold rifle practice
outs. Seaman 1st Class J. Boggs (far
left) and Seaman 2d Class A. Rich
ards. scan the horizon with officers
cm the flying bridge. Third picture
Yeoman 2d Class P. J. Davis takes
takes the wheel in the pilot-house as
Quartermaster 3d class A. R. Cork
makes an entry in the rough log. 4th
pic shows a few crew members relax
ing from their many heavy duties at
chow time in a corner of the general
mess. 5th—Quartermaster 3d Class.
A. R- Cork (rear) exchanges biinker
messages with another ship, while Sea
man 2d Class M. Coleman rep-arts to
flrricui. m. *- •Atrr woTWMAMt*
the bridge by battle telephone. 6th—
a depth charge which has been rolled
off the fantail explodes astern during
a practice submarine attack. The U.
S. S. PC-1264 includes 53 Negro sea
men and 8 white petty officers in its
crew. It will be eventually manned
by an all-Negro crew. ( from OW'D
Shadows of Post- ▼▼ ar Unemployment Appear A s
800 More Negro Steel Workers Are 77Laid Off”
WHITE WOMANHOOD
USED IN TEXAS FIGHT
AGAINST SUPREME
COURT EDICT ...
TRACK WONDER
HO SORED AT IL^ISI.
Claude "Buddy" Young, hailed by
sporawnters as the greatest track
star since the incomparable Jesse
Owens, has been selected by fellow
students at Illinois as the "athlete of
the year." Young who was a sensa
tion at the Drake relays is expected
to capture individual honors in sever
al meets coming up for decision. His
speed and versatility on the gridiron
is also counted on to push Illinois in
to the football limelight this fall.
Photo News Serx-icr
MARI A REPORTED
SERIOUSLY ILL
New York. May 59 (PPNS) Un
. confirmed reports have it that Mar
va Louis who recently emerged as a
singing star and was soon to appear
at the famous Zanibar. is seriouslv
ill.
AGAINST BOTH ROOSEl'ELTS
AUSTIN, Texas, June 3 (ANP)
Marking a special effort to arouse
public sentiments against President
Roosevelt and the recent supreme
court ruling which declared that Ne
groes may vote in Democratic prim
aries in this state, thousands ol cop
ies of an inciting anti-Negro handbill
were dropped last week from an air
plane on the eve of the white Demo
cratic state convention which pictured
how the master-minds of the white
Democratic party here are hiding be
hind the skirts of white womanhood.
Placing white women in front of
the "gun", the handbill said: “Will
your daughter marry a Negro? Who
will run the state of Texas—whites
or blacks?” While the handbill ran
the gauntlet of racial appeals which
play upon the prejudices of the ignor
ant southern white, it was de finite! v
anti-Yankee, anti-Roosevelt. anti-Kei
ly-Nash, anti-Hague, anti-northern.
Negro, anti-supreme court.
“A supreme court decision has just
said Negroes can vote in white pri
maries,” the handbill pointed out.
“Then why should they have to pay;
a poll tax to vote ?” The same court'
is going to pass on that, and soon.
Which way will it decider”
The handbill posed such questions
as : “Why shouldn’t they (Negroes)
sit with you on the street car or bus?
Why shouldn’t they sit next to your
children in school? Which way will
the court i supreme court) decide on
that? Why shouldn't a Negro marry
your daughter?” But white women
who marry even the whitest of white
Negroes will ertainly have ‘coal’
black babies, the handbill warned.
“A quadroon, or lighter crossed
breed, may often easily pass for a
brunette white,” it said. “He may
then marry your daughter. And the
i Continued on Page MG'.)
College Drive Dinner
r
Du Mordecai YY. Johnson was the
principal speaker at a dinner staged
by Chicago Negro business men at
the Parkway ballroom Wednesday
night for the benefit of the United
Negro College campaign. About 55,
ooo was realized after Dr. Johnson’*
eloquent and moving address.
Left to right J. E. Stamps, co
chairman Chicago committee: B. J.
Cahn. pres idem, B Kuppenheimer 4
Co., chairman special gifts committee
Dr. Mordecai \V. Johnson, president
of Howard university and Truman K.
Gibson, president Supreme Liberty
Life Insurance company, o-chairman
of corporations. Claude A. Barnett
was chairman of the committee ar
ranging the dinner.
PAUL ROBESOX GIVES HIGH
ACADEMY AWARD AXD DR.
W. E. B. DuBOIS ALSO
HONORED
New York. June 2 i ANP Honor
ed along such outstanding personalit
ies as Theodore Dreiser. Samual Me
Clure. Upton Sinclair, Carl Van Dor
en and Willa Cather, Paul Robeson,
famed actor of stage and screen, was
presented the Academy medal for
good diction on the stage by the A
merican Academy of Arts and Let
ters. while Dr. \Y. E. B. DuBois. no*
ed educator, lecturer and write’* —
named one of the newly elected mem
bers of the National Institute of Arts
and Letters at an annual joint cerem
onial Friday afternoon in the audit
orium of the academy.
America Must Start New
Treatment of Minorities c
Mrs. Roosevelt Says
(BY ERNEST E. JOHNSON.
BALTIMORE. June 1 (ANP. —
Before one of the biggest mass dem
onstrations this city has ever seen.
Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt declared that
America is the hope of the world’s
future, but if this nation is to fulfill
its role it has got to begin at home
with a more advanced treatment of
its minorities.
Speaking to an audience of 5,006
Persians who crowded Sharpe Street
ME. church and overran the streets,
outside of the huge edifice, the First
Lady, in forthright but simple lang
uage, outlined her belief in democracy
i and went on to explain that the eyes
Omaha Boy Plays on Fort Huachuca Baseball Nine
Out at Fort Huachuca. Arizona, it
is now baseball time. The Post will
have one of the Army's greatest
teams this year, according to the.
first opening games already played.
Th’s baseball team is one feature at
tractions now being offered as a
part of the vast recreational and “off
dun" programs, which have been so
effective under the direction of Col
onel Edwin X. Hardy, post-comman
der. Baseball is a major attraction
! at Fort Huachuca. where thousands
| ot soldiers spend many enjoyable
| hours cheering championship teams.
I Front row. left to right: Hinton.
Savannah, Ga.. Moore. Chicago. 111..
, Brown. Orange. X. J.. Porter. Me
! Allis ter. Okla.. Johnson. Orange. X.
' J„ Young. Tulsa. Okla.. Wright, Los
Angeles. Calif., McCoy. San Diego |
Calif.. Leonard. Baton Rouge. La..
Turner. ( Capt.} Glendak. Ohio.
Second row: Beasley. San Amorte.
Texas. Luke. Riverside. Calif.. Jones.
Tyler. Texas. Scales. San Antoine,
Texas. Nelson. Tulsa. Okla.. Harper.
Mobile. Ala.. Jackson. Texas. Hawk
ins. Green. Chicago. 111.. Powell. Ak
ron. Ohio. METCALF. OMAHA.
NEBR.. Culpepper. Riverside. Calif.,
Nix, Chicago. 111.. Strickland. River
side. Calif., Martiani. Los Angeles,
Calif.. Branford. Mitchell. Lawrence
ville. Ill— Guy. Lt. Bryant. Braver
falls. PemL. Lt. Chambers. Wheeling
W . \ a.. Thomas. Nashville. Tenn..
Richardson. Marshall. Texas. Mott.
Chicago. 111.
1700 NOW IDLE
Chicago. June 1 (ANP) The south
side was given a picture of post-war
unemployment chaos this week when
300 Negro war workers employed at
the East Chicago Cast Armor plant
of the American Steel Foundries com
pany were discharged. With 900 al
: ready dismissed from tire plant in the
! first wholesale dismissal of Negro
workers, this week's figure brings the
I total to 1700 Negro war workers dis
jnissed by the plant in two wholesale
payoffs within a six month period.
In an effort to estimate whether
rthe two mass layoffs were directed
deliberately against Negro workers or
is the result of a natural decrease in
I business of which colored and white
must be discharged accordingly, it
was learned that only 700 whites have
heen let out by the company as com
pared with the 1700 Negroes dismis
sed. While neither company officials
nor union leaders would predict whet:
the workers will be re-employed, some
union heads feel that the number of
Negroes discharged is outrageous
when compored to the number of
whites.
C. EL Jennings, leader in the CIO
United Steel Workers’ union, con
demned company and government of
ficials for refusing to notify the men
m time to permit them to find suitable
employment. "Over a month ago.”
Jennings said, "we asked the comp-,
any to affirm or deny newspaper re
ports that the government ad order
ed the plant to be closed. The comp
any and several governmental agenc
ies denied the report. They did not
even take steps to transfer the men
to other jobs so no time would be
lost from production."
Since it is unknown when the plant
will reopen, the workers face a pos
sible loss of seniority. “As the war
draws to a close," explained Wesley
Thompson, prsident of the Douglass
Washington institute.’’ even a single
day's seniority will prove to be most 1
valuable. A Negro just can't afford
to sacrifice seniority. It is to be
hoped the discharged Negroes will
maintain their union standing as long
as they possibly can. If they do that
they will get their jobs back."
The plant has been assigned the
wartime job of making cast armor for
I army tanks.
of the world will be fastened upon us
in our exposition of sound principles
for a post-war world, particularly in
war-torn Europe. Her appearance
was a stimulant to the membership
membership drive being conducted by
the local branch of the NAACP.
"This is the nation which has the
hope of the future before it con
stantly,” she stated. “I think we
must remember that what we do is
very important because it points the
way for bigger things than what we
accomplish in this country.”
Mrs. Roosevelt noted that the job
of world adjustment is not going to
j be achieved “overnight", observing
! that the children of Europe in partic
ular have been indoctrinated with
Nazi teaching. Before America can
change this thinking, she said, they
will “have to be shown that the peo
ple who tell them certain things real
ly do those things in their own lives"
Mindful that this has not a’way=
been the practice here. Mrs. Roose
velt considered that if “we are to be
a useful people, ''we have got to be
gin at home. She enumerated justice,
equal opportunity for education and
equal economic opportunity according
to ability as the basic rights of all
citizens. "We have learned that it
is not the color of your skin, your re
ligion or your race which makes you
more able to do certain things than
oth t people." she asserted.
"People are not bom with discrim
ination.” she continued. "It has to
be taught them as a rule."
i Roosevelt then warned against the
| use of “generalities'' in describing
likes and dislikes of peoples, and
! added the hope that "eventually all
peoples throughout the world wHo
have had the chance • -> be fvrne anr;
I conform to the general requirements
i of citizenship will be able to par*ic
Saturday, June 3, 1944 OUR 17th YEAR—No. 17
Entered as 2nd class matter at Post-oftice. Omaha, Nebr„ Under Act of
March 8. 1874. Publishing Offices at 2420 Grant Street, Omaha. Nebr.
Rouse Guests
MISS MARJORIE CLAYTER.—
house guest of C. C. Galloway for
the past week, has returned to Atch
mson. Kansas where she is stopping
with her parents. She will return to j
Detroit. Michigan soon where she has
made her home.
Marjorie recently returned from an
extended visit to Toledo. Ohio and
Chicago. While in Chicago, she was
assistant manager of the Neighbor
hood Grocery, located at 655S Champ
lain and operated by her aunt.
Miss Clayter recently took a civil |
service examination for radio techn- j
ician work. She was highly enter
tained while here by relatives an"*
friends of Kansas City, her former
home. j
Poppy Sale Nets $106.00
Mrs. Butler of the Le
gion Auxiliary reports —
$106.00 for Poppy sale.
(see page 4, Aux. News)
Breakfast for Servicemen
Sunday, June 4th the
USO Club Hostesses will
hold a breakfast for the
servicemen, (see C. S. O.
News, page 4)
hattie McDaniel an
EXPECTANT MOTHER
Los Angeles, June 1 (ANP) Hat
tie McDaniel famous motion picture
actress and the first Negro to receive
the Academy award, is an expectant
mother, according to a studio ann
ouncement this week.
The wife of Lloyd Crawford, for
mer Detroit real estate man. Miss
McDaniel is trying to complete three
pictures with Fox, United Artists and
j Universal beiore the blessed event.
Th studios furnish a private car and
attendant to take the movie star to
and from work.
■ 1 =
ipate in government.”
Concluding she said: “We will
strengthen our own nation if we
work together. I do not believe that
there can be a real democracy which
is not based upon the Christian relig
ion. upon the principles that Christ
preached and lived.
‘'Peacefully we are working out
our destiny. If we can workit out
with constant pressure, but peaceful
I ly pressure and cooperation, then the
world can work out its problems be
: cause we heer have all the nations of
t the world in our one nation."
Following the meeting. Mrs. Roose
velt was presented with a gift by Mrs.
Beatrice Martin, co-chairman of the
local membership committee of the
j NAACP. Earlier in the program
I greetings on the part of the city of
Baltimore were delivered by Linwood
! Roger, assistant solicitor. The Mor
gan State iollege chorus provided mu
sical diversion.
I
MISS L7JRA MAE HILL, of
Hanford, Washington, who is visit
ing relatives, friends and was the
house guest of C C. Galloway, ha*
returned to Washington. She is em
ployed as a Postmistress for the Ohm
pta Commissars- Co., Hanford. Wash.
She also is the niece of Mrs. Genora
Godsbv, who was formerly a resi
dent at 2420 Erskine St., but is now
Mrs. Genora Wallingford of Atchin
son, Kansas. Miss Hill will also
stop m Atchinson. Kan?., to visit her
mother, Mrs. Alice Hill, relatives
and friends.
Mac ARTHUR REDUCES DEATH
SEXTENCES FOR FIVE TO
LIFE
New York—The sentences of death
by hanging imposed on four Americ
an Negro soldiers and one American
Negro merchant seaman, after con
viction on a rape charge in Austral
ia. have been commuted to life im
prisonment by General Douglas Mac
Arthur, the NAACP learned last
week.
Following the receipt of a letter
from the law firm of O'Sullivan and
Ruddy in Townsville, Australia, the
NAACP sent a cablegram to Gener
al MacArthur asking permission to
file a brief appealing from the sen
tences. In replying to Walter
White's cablegram MacArthur's head
quarters cabled:
“Prior to receipt of your message
General MacArthur has carefully re
viewed and adjusted the case. He
confirmed the findings and sentenced
but commuted the latter to life im
prisonment. The case, in accordance
with law, is now being finally check
ed for legal suffiiency by Board of
Review.”
Thurgood Marshall, N'AACP spec
ial counsel, said that as soon as the
record in the case arrives from Aus
tralia an appeal brief will hi pre
pared by the N'AACP. which has
cabled once more for permission to
fife it even though the sentences have
been commuted to life in prison.
The five men. Hazzard. Johnson,
Seymour. Nelson and Davis, were
accused of criminally attacking a
white American Red Cross worker
on the night of January 10, 1944. af
ter she had hailed their truck for a
hitch-hike ride back to her quarters.
She admitted she had been on a
drinking party but had become angry
with some members of it and had
started out for home. She said that
after the men had taken her on a long
ride, they dragged her out of the
truck and successfully assaulted her.
Four men testified that they had had
relations with her but that she was
willing and cooperative The fifth
defendant. Nelson, the merchant sea
man. refused to take the stand.
CHRISTEN TUBMAN JUNE 3
Washington. June 1 i'AN'P) —The
date for christening of the S. S. Har
riet Tubman, a liberty shin, has b-»en
changed from May 30 to June 3, the
War Shipping administratior. annc-unc
i ed last week.
The-1
| World |
ithis
| Week |
(BY JOHN PITTMAN)
D-DAY AND THE LONDON
WORLD LABOR PARLEY
WEST INDIES PROGRAM
GANDHI AND EBOUE .
D-Day—it's almost come, brother.
My Lord, what a morning! Hell's
fire and brimstone. Retelling earth.
Rain of splintered steel. Man-made
meteors bursting. The belching can
nons' din. Tanks grinding. Propel
lers roaring. Men shouting, cursing,
screaming. Men running, dodging,
falling, killing. Men dying. Death’s
own private day. Masses of frag
mented flesh. The Channel dyed
crimson. White men's blood. Black
men's blood, too.
What's it mean to you. brother?
Belated integration? Yes, but the
racial myth crushed to earth. The
debris of a lie swept into the garbage
bin of history. Death for old Jeff
Davis' spiritual offspring, the rat
taced man with the trick mustache
and the unruly forelock. Death for
all the bastardized progeny of this
Twentieth Century Simon Legree. A
million Aryan supermen de-Aryaniz
ed. Mein -Karnpi fcmtsfcjg to the
privy. Ten million Bilbos silenced.
Exorbitant fraternity? Yes. but
Africa's rape avenged. Retribution
for centuries of lynchings. The slave
mart's memories effaced.
Equality to die? Yes. but an un
forgettable lesson for the world. At
tack's lesson on a Boston Commons
one hundred and fifty years later in
Europe. Peter Salem's lesson on a
Flanders’ Bunker Hill. Fred Doug
lass' lesson in a Belgium Washington.
Booker T's lesson in a German At
lanta. They all said: Brother, toget
her, we can make a better world. To
gether, we will all be free."
How long to learn a lesson. Lord!
But so that mankind will remember
it this time, thanks for D-Day.
MOMENTOUS MEETING
Others, too. mean for the lesson to
stick this time. They're meeting next
week. June 5, in London. They rep
resent those with the giggest stake in
victory and the biggest stake in peace
They represent world labor. It’s the
most important labor confab in our
time.
We'll have many friends there.
Latin America will have delegates.
V incente Lombardo Toledano will
speak. He spoke this month at the
In-emational Labor Office meeting
in Philadelphia. He denounced rac
ial prejudices. He said Latin Amer
ica could give Uncle Sam a lesson.
And Lombardo's a big man with a
big voice.
Soviet trade unions will be repre
i rented. They're the biggest unions in
the world. And in their country, if
a man discriminates on account of
race or color, he's jailed. So they'll
C ntir.ued on Page 3^" _
MR. LEONARD OWEN
DIES ..
Mr. Leonard Owen, 240:; North
2Pth Street, died Wednesday, May
24th. He had been a resident of O
maha 34 years. He had been em
ployed at the Paxton Hotel a num
ber of years as a waiter and at the
time of his death he was Captain and
was a former Head-waiter at the
Happy Hollow Country Club. Mr.
Owen was a veteran of the First
World War. He is survived by his
wife, Mrs. Cora Owen. Omaha,
mother. Mrs. Clara John-it, sister,
Mrs. Juanita Henderson, both of Los
Angeles, California, two cousins. Mr.
i Leslie \\ ebb. Mr. Ravmond Davis of
Omaha.
The body lay in state at the
Thomas Funeral Home until the
funeral hour. Service- were held
| Saturday afternoon at the St. John's
j A ME. Church with Rev E. F. Rid
ley and Rev. P. W. McDaniels of
ficiating. Roosevelt Post No. 30 of
the American Legion in charge of
j the military services, with burial at
i Prospect Hill Cemetery.