Largest Accredited Negro Xevrspcp er I Vest of Chicago and North of KC
Saturday, August 19719440111717th~YEAR^N o. 28
Entered as 2nd class matter at Post-oftice. Omaha, Nebr., Under Act of
March 8. 1874. Publishing Offices at 2420 Grant Street, Omaha, Nebr.
Governor Dewey Confers With Negro Leaders
Let’s Keep Away from a
Depression
The review and outlook column
of the Wall Street Journal warns
us to be on the safe side and don't
let a return of 1933 and 1937 re
appear. There were very many
reasons for the depression that
we had no knowledge of and our
experience has enlightened all of
the United States and as we are
on the verge of another National
election let us do some very care
ful thinking. The Republican Party
has made a united effort to offset
an uprising of the set backs that
will be detrimental to the people
of the good old United States.
Register and vote at the November
election.
Handy Remembers the
Good Old Days
A Fireside Chat With Father of
the Blues
by Dolores Calvin
New York City—“I am a great
admirer of Will Marion Cook; he
influenced me when 1 was down
behind the sun.” With these words,
a famous old gentleman, nearing
71, bespeckled and white-haired,
rested in an easy chair for a few
moments in his office, the Handy
Brothers Music Publishing Com-:
pany on Broadway, and relaxed as
he reminised back through the
years. The grand old man, of
course, is W. C. Handy to whom
the world of music owes a great
debt.
We were interested in knowing
about his relationship with Will
Marion Cook, a great composer
who died two weeks ago. We want
ed to know how they first met, how
he impressed him and above all,
what he thought of his music. So
he told us.
“I was teaching music at the
A & M Coliege near Huntsville
when Will Marion's brother, Hugh
O. Cook, was Professor of Math
ematics there and we used to slip
off and have very interesting
talks about Will Marion. 1 got my
sidelights from his brother, and
longed for the day when I too could
pick up a pen and write music that
would fascinate. I had travelled
throughout the country at the head
of a band, and in our show we had
performers from New York, and
they told me much about Cook. I
played some of his music in the
band, and later played his “Dark
town Is Out Tonight" and “On
Emancipation Bay” when the
syncopation of ragtime was accen
tuated by pride of race.
“Well, I did get to be a compos
er.” Handy went on, “throwing
away my ambitions to be a Master
of the Classics and digging deep
er into folklore, fortunately found
a place with the blues.
“And I came to New York when
Cook was conductor of the Clef
Club. Although I had a very fine
band, I never heard any music
like that of the Clef Club, and to
watch him conduct with no baton
was a iessan in itself. I met men
like Jessie Shipp and Alex Rogers
who had worked with him on the
producing end; men with unusual
talents and through them I learn
many facts unknown to outsiders
about Cook and his genius; his
creative genius.
“Will Marion Cook was more
than a composer; it would be as
difficult for me or anyone of this
generation to evaluate his contri
bution at this time, as it was for
contemporaries of Wagner and the
people of his time to evaluate him.
We see “Othello” being played by
one of our own after Shakespeare
has gone, and we hear the music
“Carmen” in “Carmen Jones” por
trayed by our own actors and sing
ers. What about “In Dahoney”?
What about “Abysinnia”? Will
this generation ever see it again,
or will time wait for other gen
American Bar Association, the As
N'ew York.—The State Commis
sion Against Discrimination, ap
pointed by Governor Thomas E.
Dewey for the express purpose of
studying practices of discrimina
tion and of recommending legisla
tion designed to eliminate such
practices, has announced the an
pointment of Attorney Charles H.
Tuttle as its counsel. The an
nouncement was made by the Com
mission's chairman, Irving M.
Ives, Majority Leader of the As
sembly.
In accepting the appointment
Mr. Tuttle declared he would serve
without pay. and further that he
would personally handle the work,
and do all in his power to produce
legislation that would be effective
in smashing discrimination in the
State.
Mr. Tuttle, one of the nation’s
most distinguished attorneys, ad
mittedly is a wise choice for the
work that will fall upon the shoul
-
ders of the counsel. He has been
requested to analyze existing laws
in this and other states and coun
tries. and prepare recommendations
for new legislation prohibiting dis
crimination in peace time.
He was graduated from Colum
bia (A. B., in 1899 and LL. B. in
1902). On graduation from the
University’s law school he entered
the office of Davies Stone &. Auer
bach and became a member of that
firm in 1907. He resigned from
the firm in April, 1927, when he
was appointed by President Cool
idge as U. S. Attorney for the
Southern District of New York,
and remained in that position until
September. 1930, when he was nom
inated by the Republican Party for
Governor. After election that
year, not having been the victor,
he joined his present firm of
Breed, Abbot & Morgan. 15 Broad
Street, NYC of which Mr. William
C. Breed and Mr. Tuttle are the
senior members.
Mr. Tuttle is a member of the
sociation of the Bar of the City
of New York, and the County
Lawyers’ Association, and has
been a member of the Board of
Trustees of the College of the City
! of New York, since 1913.
For many years he did special
legal work for the NAACP in con
nection with the so-called anti
lynching bills, and served as chair
man of the Inter-Faith Committee,
: City of New York, of which Com
mittee Monsignor Lavelle and Rab
I bi De Sola Poole were vico-chair
; men. The purpose of the Commit
tee, was, through inter-faith co
j operation, to stimulate community
; consciousness for the need of re
1 ligious education.
Mr. Tuttle is also a member of
the National Conference of Chris
! tians and Jews, and is at present
chairman of the Division of Re
i
| ligious Education of the Protes
tant Council of the City of New
York.
e rations to discover the genius of
a man whose musical ideas were
out of step with the time that
still want to think of the Negro
in characters like “Uncle Tom’s
Cabin.” He is more than a com
poser. To write the music that
Cook wrote and Wagner wrote,
they had to be historians. Cook
had the fighting spirit of Frede
rick Douglass.
“I know I wrote the blues to
keep from writing something that
would make a man feel like taking
up a sword, and people have danc
ed and sung the blues until they
gave me the power, the ability and
the money to turn my attention
to Race History as is expressed
in my new book ‘Unsung Ameri
cans Sung.’ Will Marion Cook
thought in the same direction, and
I believe our people have made a
serious mistake by its failure to
rally behind men of our race who
have the power to think indepen
dently.
“Years ago I was criticized for
cot sending the St. Louis Biues to
a Philanthropist who is friendly
I to our group to get its endorse
i ment. If he had written that it
; was no good, I guess it would have
gone in the trash barrel. If a
man writes a good play, he has to
go through this process.
I pray for the day when our
people will be able to read a book
and judge its merits and say it is
a good book regardless of what the
reviewers say. Charles Gilpin was
just as good an actor before “Em
peror Jones” as he was after. I
still believe in the old song that
I used to hear our people sir.g
1 down home: “God Moves in a
i Mysterious Way His Wonders to
- Perform.”
“Cook was one of the first mem
bers of the American Society of
Composers, Authors and Publish
ers (ASCAP) along with Harry
T. Burleigh, J. Rosamond John
son and other Negroes who helped
Victor Herbert’s dream — the pos
sibilities in getting some of the
money that songs made for others
by a tax on music performed for
profit. For a long time this didn’t
work. They got small dividends
out of it. Cook. I think, helped
j set this in motion. I was with
! them when we took in sixty thou
| sand dollars in one year, and we
| were all happy over this, black and
white, Jews and Gentile. That
was sixty thousand dollars in one
year for performance of our music
over the radio and other places
and it has grown to six million
dollars in this country alone.
Others who never did as much for
music as Cook received a larger
share. This is no reflection on
ASCAP. We men of today are
j building it for the benefit of the
generation that follows.
‘"No, we cannot evaluate Will
I Marion Cook's contribution at this
time,” concluded the heavy-set, still
handsome master of Negro music.
| “He influenced me and he influenc
| ed so many others who are influ
; er.cing others that it will take an
| other generation who will be more
| fortunate and have time to exploit
: the works of such men and revive
I them and give them back to the
I people.
Thus we close a musical inter
view with one of the best of mu
sicians.
Greed Killed Franklin in
Jersey Ring
New York.—The arrest the other
week of heavyweight boxer Larry
Lane, 26, of Trenton, N. J., on a
technical charge of manslaughter
growing out of the death of Lem
Franklin. 26-year-old fighter from
Chicago via Cleveland, was an idle
gesture. To my way of thinking,
the whole thing is a farce. Frank
lin is dead because somebody en
couraged him in a dangerous prop
osition that he was still capable
of earning his living fighting with
his fists long after his usefulness
and ability in the ring had passed.
Franklin died of injuries he suf
fered in a bout July 24th with Lane
at Newark, N. J.
Franklin died, declared Dr. Har
rison S. Martland. chief medical ex
aminer of Essex County. N. J..
from a “type of injury where sur
: gery offered no hope." The autop
sy revealed, he said, “that Frank
i lin had been struck in the middle
of the forehead and multiple con
cussion hemorrhages of the brain
i resulted." The doctor said that
subdural clots form and an opera
1, tion usually may save the injured
; person's life.
istate Athletic L ommissioner of
New Jersey John J. Hall said at
Trenton that there was no sign of
any pre-existant injury evident
when Franklin was examined by
a commission physician on the day
! he fought Lane. "Accidents such
I as the F ranklin case have occurred
and will continue to happen as
■ lone as contact sports carry on.”
! he said. "We must admit this
as well as the fact that medical
Governor Dewey confers with
Negro leaders whom he addressed
during his visit to St. Louis. Stand
ing with Governor Dewey is W. A.
Morant, St- Louis member of the
State Committee. — Continental
Photo.
science has not yet found a way
to tell, prior to a contest, the com
plete story of conditions inside an
athlete’s head.”
“Franklin.” he pointed out, “who
had boxed and won by a knockout
in Chicago a fortnight before he
came to Newark, passed for this
Jersey bout, the usual exacting
examination given by Dr. John E.
Staknevich." According to the
commissioner, the ring padding at
the Meadowbrook Bowl where the
fight took place was in excess of
the retired one inch in thickness
and that the gloves used weighed
eight ounces each in compliance
with laws governing boxing in New
Jersey.
Lem Franklin, born May 16,1916
at Mobile, Ala., weight 202 pounds.
He got the boxing spotlight in 1936
—hen he was a Chicago Golden
Gloves champion before being turn
ed professional by Jack Hurley,
well known fight manager, and
Leon Matts, Negro sportsman,
both of Chicago, who managed him
jointly for quite some time. Hur
ley was manager of record at the
time of Franklin’s death. As a
pro, Franklin developed a terrific
reputation backed up by an im
pressive record. On his list were
victories over Charley Belanger,
Lee Savold, Abe Simon, twice.
Perk Daniels, Willie Reddish, Elza
Thompson, Eddie Blunt, Andy Mil
ler. Paul Hartnek, Jimmy Bicins,
Eddie Simms, Curtis Sheppard.
Tony Musto, and many others. At
his peak. Franklin had 21 straight
victories, 19 by knockouts. His
decline was rapid and started with
the knockout he suffered at the
hands of Bob Pastor at Cleveland
in 1942.
Jack Hurley declared in Chicago:
j “He wanted to fight and liked the
money that went with it, and I
could not do anything to make him
quit. I knew he wasn’t going to
get any place in the fight game
and I finally made him retire last
August but he insisted on a come
back. He insisted on another fight,
so I let him have the Lane fight
with the agreement that it would
be his last. I took his father with
me to the Lane fight to talk him
into retirement again. I hold noth
ing against Lane; it was just one
of those things.”
Hurley is right. He shouldn't
hold anything against Lane. But
boxing should hold something
against him. AH that talk about
Franklin insisting on another fight
and how “I let him have the Lane
fight” adds up to the fact that
Hurley put money ahead of the
fact that the man he managed, his
own charge, was in condition to
go into any ring. Sure, a complete
I boxing commission examination
stamped him O. K. for the fight.
Many fellows get in the army aft
i er passing the most rigid physical
test on record, but that doesn't
prove they belong there based on
I their endurance and ability to keep
; up with the rest of the GI's.
Hurley could have disowned
Franklih completely. There was
I no gun on him forcing him to get
j fights for a cracked up boxer. Lar
ry Lane fought to all known re
ports an honest, fair fight. That’s
all he could do. That Franklin was
the victim of greed was no business
of his. That is why Lane’s arrest
seems so absurd. It's a complete
farce. Exonerate the boy!!
Another Ft. Huachuca |
“Sweetheart"
Miss Gertie Gee jerrrey mu re
cently been selected by members
of Company “A,” 1316th Engineer
Regiment, at Fort Huachuca, Ari
zona, as their "Desert Sweetheart."
Miss Jeffrey is a glamorous lead
ing lady of a USO show, now play
ing in Orlando, Fla.
New York.—Under the inspired
leadership of Gov. Thomas E.
Dewey, New York has taken the
lead among states of the Union
in a move to establish a perman
ent FEPC to end employment bias
and to wipe out discrimination in
other fields. The need for such
legislation will become increas
ingly important as reconversion
from war production to peace pro
duction gets underway.
In order to accomplish this task,
Governor Dewey appointed a Com
mission Against Discrimination.
In requesting the Commission to
concern itself with establishing
laws to combat discrimination in
peace time, the Governor pointed
out that the exigences of war
would cut down discrimination
now, but a sound legislative pro
gram was necessary to meet the
needs of the post-war world.
The Commission thus has begun
a significant job as it plunges in
to the task of mapping legislation
to prohibit discrimination in peace
time. A report and recommenda
; tions of the Commission are to be
, submitted to the Legislature next
! year.
At a meeting here last Monday,
the 23-man Commission set up the
machinery for studying practices
of discrimination in the State on
account of race, creed, color or
national origin. It named sub-com
mittees to study different phases
of discrimination, and appointed
counsel to prepare an analysis of
existing laws in this and other
states and countries, and to pre
pare recommendation for new leg
islation prohibiting discrimina
[ tion in peace time.
The Commission has specificial
ly declared itself in favor of law
establishing a permanent FEPC,
j aimed directly at eliminating dis
' crimination in employment on ac
! count of race, color, creed or na
tional origin. No other state has
I taken such a forward step to safe
guard the rights of minority
i groups against racial and religious
bigotry.
Former United states Attornej
Charles H. Tuttle has accepted the
position as counsel for the Com
mission, and will serve without
pay. Mr. Tuttle, who was the Re
publican candidate for Governor
of New York in 1930. said that he
would handle the work personally
and would do everything in his
power to produce laws that would
smash discrimination in this State.
Mr. Tuttle, one of the nation’s
most distinguished lawyers, for a
number of years performed special
| legal service for the National As
sociation for the Advancement of
Colored People in connection with
anti-lynching bills.
Negro members of the Commis
sion are the Rev. George H. aims.
New York City; the Rev. Elijah
; J. Echols, Buffalo, N. Y., and Dr.
1 C. B. Powell. New York City.
Attorney Charles H. Tuttle, for
mer United States Attorney, South
i era District, New York; and
| New York Gubernatorial candidate
in 1930, who has been elected coun
sel for the New York State Com
mission Afrainst Discrimination
created by Governor Thomas E.
Dewey.—Continental Photo.
L__ _ _ _
Electing Young President
to A. & M. Breaks
Souther’s Tradition
Dr. Wm. H. Gray. Jr_ Youngest
Major College President in
America
J acksonville. Fla.—The recent
election of Dr. William H. Gray
as president of Florida A. and M.
College is being regarded as start
ling evidence of the recognition
now accorded Negro leadership by
progressive elements in the South,
i r. Gray at 32 becomes the
laid-grant college pres
icent in the country. That the
State Board of -Control and the
State Board of Education would
select this young and dynamic
personality to head the educational
program for Negroes in Florida
implies that new recognition is bo
ng given to ability and merit. Al
though Dr. Gray has had a rich
background of educational experi
ence. having served as college pro
lessor, principal of the demonstra
tion schools at Southern Univer
sity, and for three years as presi
dent of Florida Normal and Indus
trial Institute at St. Augustine,
the selection of such a youthful
leader to this responsible position
evidences a definite break with
southern traditions.
Gray is considered a brilliant
' and fearless, yet tactful speaker.
His administration at Florida Nor
mal has been featured by a tre
mendous increase in the financial
support of the school, over $40,
000.00 having been raised from
Negroes in Florida during the past
year. The Signal Corps and War
Industry Training Programs ear
■ ried on at the college have won
national recognition, and the in
structional program has expanded
with an approved four year pro
gram and the institution has been
rated “A” by the Southern Asso
j ciation of Colleges and Secondary
Schools.
President Gray is the youngest
Negro president holding the Ph.
D. degree. He is a product of St.
Paul's Polytechnic Institute: Blue
| field State Teachers College; and
the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Gray is a member cf Alpha
Kappa Mu, National Honorary So
ciety; and has been generally rec
ognized for his research ability.
He has had a varied career rang
ing from playing on semi-profes
sional baseball and basketball
teams in the east to sports editor
of the Philedelphia Independent
| and the Baltimore Afro-American;
he is a regional director for the
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, and
a member of the Commission on
Higher Institutions of the South
ern Association oi coucges ana
Secondary Schools for Negroes.
Editorial Comments
The Atlanta Daily Wor d voiced
the general reaction of the South
to his election in an editorial ap
pearing in their July 15th issue:
“A Doctor of Philosophy he is
reputed the youngest land-grant
college president in the nation for
j Negroes. Dr. Gray brings to his
j new work the happy combination
' of scholarship and youth, without
the sacrifice of the maturity of
outlook so necessary in engineer
ing the destiny of an educational
institution. We congratulate and
wish for him and the institution
a long and fruitful career of serv
ice and leadership.”
The Christian Review under the
caption “Like Father Like Son”
commended Reverend W. H. Gray,
Sr., father of the educator, who
pastors one of the largest churches
in Philadelphia. The Baptist Wit
ness, a white publication oi rior
ida, expressed the following edi
torial views on the selection of
Dr. Gray to the presidency of
Florida A. and M.: "We have
known Dr. Gray for several years.
He is a fine man. able and devout,
a great scholar, but humble and
spiritual. He knows the North
but loves the South. He is at
ease among all people but he has
dedicated his life for the education
of his people. We are sorry to
lose him from the denominational
ranks but congratulate the State
on keeping him in Florida. We
knew he was destined for great
things.”
Arnelta Williams, Reporter.
i
First Pictures: NEGRO ARTILLERYMEN BLASTING NAZIS IN FRANCE
Beicaacd by U. S. W«r Department, Bnreav of Public Bciatmaa
f~ Showing utter contempt for “Master Race” divisions facing them in France, T7. S. Negro Artillerymen, firing 155-mm howitzers, are blasting German installations and troop concentrations. Above are four scenes showing one of the howitzer sections in action in the
vicinity of La Haye Du Paits. In left photo, the gunner (center) traverses the weapon on receipt of commands from the telephone operator. Second photo shows a member of the section preparing the powder charges which send the shells hurtling into space. In third
photo, a cannoneer prepares to place the powder charge into the breech of the howitzer and in extreme right photo a cannoneer inserts a primer which, when the lanyard is pulled, will ignite the powder charge. And the thrilling part about it all is—the Nazis are ou
the receiving end. (Photos by U. S. Army Signal Corps.)