It Is Our Duty as a Newspaper to
print the Truth. You and You
ONLY Must decide the issue!
Tuesday, November 7th, is the World’s great
est day in the history of civilization. The American
voters will be privileged to go to the polls and cast
their ballot on this day which will decide a very im
portant issue.
We, the Omaha Guide, do not attempt to tell
you how to vote, our duty is to give our readers the
full picture of facts according to the records made by
the office seekers and let them use their own judg
ment as to whom in their opinion is qualified to fill
the office.
The following is two news releases; one from
a writer who tells you how you have prospered in
the last 12 years; in other words, under a Democratic
regime, and one from a former Captain in the United
States Army. Both deserve your serious considera
tion.
Why I
am
Anti
Roosevelt
by |
Former Captain-Oiaplain
Grant Reynoldi*
By an Act of Congress, an American receiv
ing a commission in our military and naval services
becomes an officer and a gentleman. The Ninety
fifth and Ninety-Six Articles of War which govern
his conduct substantiate the assertion. While I am
in somewhat dubious agreement with his becoming
an officer by such legislative action, I am unalter
ably convinced that Congress cannot make a gentle
man — white or black. The facts bear this out. In
the case of making officers it has too often taken the
equivalent of an act of God to confer this honor upon
Negro service men.
No group of America’s fighting men have
faced quite the same ignominious treatment as the
Negro officer. His has been an uphill fight all the
way with the cards squarely stacked against him.
Repeatedly ignored, more often merely tolerated,
frequently humiliated, the Negro officer has run the
gauntlet of everything insulting and debasing that
America could offer. Yet there has never rested
upon any group greater responsibility. The War De
partment’s reluctance to commission Negroes in the
first place, added to the convictions strongly held
by many military brass hats that “it is inconceivable
that niggers should become officers” has made it
incumbent upon Negro officers to make good in spite
of the dirty deal they have been given. Shifted about
from place to place without reason or common sense,
denied promotions and the opportunities to qualify
for same, given unassigned status because the War
Department in many instances indicated that it did
not know what to do with them, segregated in mess
halls, officers’ clubs, and barracks, the Negro officer,
in spite of his failures in some instances, has made
a most creditable record in this emergency.
In a regiment to which I was once attached
there were two colonels, although the Table of Or
ganization called for but one. In another regiment
to my knowledge there were two medical officers
with the rank of major although the T. 0. in this case
too called for but one. In another instance a group
of colored officers, among whom were men in the
field grades, was sent from Michigan to the state of
Washington. When these men arrived and it was
discovered that they were Negroes, the military au
thorities told them that there was no place for them
to serve out there. They, therefore, sat around, em
barrassed and ashamed of their nation while the
military authorities frantically sought to transfer
them to some post where there were colored troops.
Many weeks passed and these men sat around in
idleness while the nation pretended to prepare itself
to resist its enemies. Still another parallel situa
tion existed when a group of officers was transferred
from my regiment to a post in Utah. A loyal wife,
several months pregnant, followed her husband into
this situation and died of heartbreak and childbirth.
At Fort Huachuca, Arizona, Negro officers of
an infantry regiment of the 92nd Division who work
ed along with white officers throughout the training
hours during the day, were jim crowed in the regi
mental mess hall. It is to the credit of these men
that they refused to eat under the circumstances.
They withdrew in a body and ate their meals else
where at great expense to themselves. Incidentally,
the colored chaplain in this case was severely reprim
anded by the division chaplain (a colored officer re
ferred to contemptuously by the enlisted men as a
“long coat”) for sympathizing with the colored of
ficers. The officer who thus showed his manhood
by resenting such an insult was soon relieved of his
assignment and shipped off into the South Pacific.
At the same post scores of Negro officers as-|
signed to the 92nd Division were court martialled for
what in many instances were petty offences. There
never was a white officer so disciplined. The Com
manding General of the Division organized a dis
ciplinary school for so-called “inefficient officers” to
which only Negro officers were sent. The white of
ficers in this Division equalled, if not outnumbered the
colored officers. I suffered the personal embarrass
ment at this post of having been made subordinate
to a white officer with the rank of first lieutenant
while I held the rank of captain.
THE NEXT PRESIDENT MAY DETERMINE
NEGRO’S STATUS FOR THE NEXT DECADE
by Noah C. A. Walter
The election of the president of the United
States on November 7,1944, is of great importance to
13 million Negroes.
The Negro has enjoyed grater basic progress
in the last 12 years than any time since 1865. Here
tofore only a few individual Negroes were affected
by the national policy of the Nation. Here and there
it was called to our attention that the Negro was
making great progress whenever the individual
Negro showed particular distinction. While all
Negroes warmed with pride on the achievements of
individuals of the race, the individual achievement
changed little the general status of the Negro as a
group. The Negro community prior to 1932 was a
scene of stark poverty with exceptions here and there.
In the South one always looked to the area near
the railroad track or by the lowlands of the river for
the Negro section of the town. When you reached
this section you expect to find rows of tumbled down
clap-board shacks unpaved streets, uncollected ref
use, ragged children playing in weedy filled yards.
The living conditions in Northern areas were little
different. Outside of the professional group such
as teachers, doctors, lawyers, druggists, undertak
ers, etc., the most ambitious young Negro man sought
employment in the government service for security.
But only a small proportion could expect jobs there.
Others were related to the most menial laborious
work regardless of skill and education. Negro women
workers outside of the professional groups were tak
en for granted to be in domestic employment.
Since 1933, the Negro community has steadily
progressed physically. Where slums bred crime, sick
ness and death, from Miami, Florida north to Chi
cago, 111., from New York City west to Los Angeles,
California, there has arisen beautiful roomy, garden
bordered housing projects for the low income fam
; ilies. Also schools, hospitals, recreation centers.
During the darkest days of depression the gov
ernment under its National Youth Administration
! program took boys and girls out of the streets and
| trained them for useful occupations. The old folks
(who once were on the mercy of their kin or charity
now are protected by old age pension and may live the
balance of their days in reasonable dignity. There is
plenty more we today enjoy that we have never had
before.
Many youths still consider employment in gov
ernment service and professional occupations as best
for security, however more than a million and a half
Negro men and women today are employed in the na
tion’s many industries from the manufacture of air
At Tuskegee, home of the famous 99th Pur
suit Squadron, but derisively referred to as the home
of the “BLACK BIRDS” by the Alabama crackers,
there are so many Negro officers that as many as five
are assigned to one squadron as adjutant. The rea
son for this surplus is the insistance upon War De
partment policy of sending Negro airmen to Tuske
gee alone. A similar unjustifiable arrangement ob
tained at Fort Huachuca’s Medical Officers’ Replace
ment Pool. Here the Army assigned all newly com
missioned medical officers of color when no immedi
ate position with troops could be found for them.
Many of these men went to Huachuca from the Army
Medical Training School at Carlyle Barracks, Penna.
there they would be given temporary assignments
m the Jim-Crow hospital until the brass hats in
Washington could decide what to do with Negro
medical officers. Permanent assignments were often,
found for these men within a few hundred miles of
Carlyle. But the army would have to bring them
back from Fort Huachuca to such an assignment, a
distance going and coming, of more than 4,000 miles.
At one time during my stay at Fort Huachuca there
were more than twenty (20) medical administrative
officers temporarily assigned to the Jim-Crow hos
pital. The hospital authorities were not only bela
boured in trying to find suitable assignments for
these men, but sleeping accomodations were so ex
hausted by the surplus that many of them were forced
to sleep in the recreation hall.
When it is understood that Army officers re
ceive eight cents per mile for traveling expenses, in
addition to their pay, some idea is gained about the
great expense involved in maintaining Army segre
gation. Some enterprising statistician will some day
figure the cost of the War Department’s segregation
policy and the figure obtained will come as a great
shock to American taxpayers.
rl he story of the Negro officer in this war, as.
well as that of the Negro enlisted man, is one so sor
did and pregnant with insult and degradation as to
outrage the sensibilities of any decent American—j
white or black. Officers have written me accounts of.
being refused food at railroad junctions, while at the
same time and place white prisoners of war were be
ing led in the dining room. How this nation can, in j
time of war thus destroy the manhood of its fighting
men, and then expect them to pay gladly with their
lives for its protection is one of the imponderables
of the ages. If there is a moral foundation to the
democratic system, our country has by its treatment
of its colored soldiers rent that foundation asunder.
But what else can be expected when the nation’s mil
itary leadership is in the hands of southerners who
are totally void of human understanding because
their very souls have been corrupted by a fetid and
foul color phobia. The Arkansas born Lt. Gen. Bre
hon Somervell has spoken for this leadership when
he announced his plan for returning Negro service
men. Said he: “I’d throw the coons in the middle of
the desert.”
America might just as well understand that
the returning Negro veteran will be quite different
from the sheltered boy who left home to join the
Army. He will be a hardened man, into whose training
has gone the most diabolical methods of destroying hu
man life. In addition to learning how to kill with the
rifle, bayonet, hand grenade, and mortar, he has been
taught in many instances to annihilate a human body
with his bare hands. These men, many of whom will
have faced death from enemy fire and from the
dreaded diseases which infest the jungles of the
South Pacific cannot, and should not, be expected to
assume their former role of subservience to white
men blinded by color. Nor will they ever accept with
grace the role of American’s forgotten men. If in
pursuit here at home of blessings for which they were
ordered to die abroad they precipitate bloody con
flict, the conscience of humanity must act as their
judge.
Mr. Roosevelt and the barbaric southern mob
which surrounds him have laid the basis for the most
bloody outbreaks of violence after victory that this
country has ever seen. Unless this mob is repudiated
at the polls in November the blood of Negro veter
ans will one day water the streets of American cities.
For the Negro voter the die is cast. Either he will
use his vote to help avoid this impending disaster or
he will perpetuate in office the blood-thirsty and dead
ly mob which threatens the very lives of his loved
rmes. A vote for Roosevelt is a knife struck into the
back of a Negro service man.
HOW WOULD YOU
LIKE YOURELF?
by Ruth Taylor
Feeling low? Discouraged? No
one appreciates you? You’re misun
derstood
Stop looking from within- Get
outside and examine yourself from a
distance. From that vantage point—
how would you like yourself?
You want others to treat you dif
ferently. Then why not be different!
No one is glad to see you? Well,
why not be so pleasant that everyone
who knows you is happier with, you
tahn away from you. Happiness is
contagious and a person who enjoys
life always has friends
You never get a chance to show
what you can do? But do you do
your bit in the little jobs that come
your way? Are you faithful in
small things? Is your work always
good? Cas your family and friends
rely on you?
People treat you badly? Did you
ever step to think how difficult it is
to be rude to a polite person who is
not looking for trouble. Take that
chip off your shoulder!
No one has confidence in you?
Have you faith in yourself? Learn
how to do well what you do and be
sure of your own ability- Respect
THE OMAHA GUIDE
A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Published Every Saturday at 2420 Grant Street j
OMAHA, NEBRASKA—PHONE HA. 0800 \
Entered as Second Class Matter March 15, 1927 *
at the Post Office at Omaha, Nebraska, under 1
Act of Congress of March 3, 1879.
3m: —
C. C. Galloway_Publisher and Acting Editor
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yourself and you will find other peo
plt will take you on your own valu
ation. But don’t forget you’ll have
to make good on that self-estimation.
If you want a different place in
the world, then make yourself dif
ferent today. It is up to you. No
one can make you likeable but your
self- If you want consideration, be
considerate. If you want friendli
ness, be friendly
Face the fact of how you’d appear
to yourself if you were a stranger—
—and then go to it!
It isn't so hard—because it doesn't
have to be done all at once- And, no
matter how many times you fail,
there is always tomorrow on which
to begin again.
I’ll give y oua present which may
help vou. Once when things were
very dark for me and I couldn’t see
a step ahead, I found this little para
graph and copied it on a card which
I still carry in my purse. Try it —
it works!
“Any one can carry his burden,
however heavy, till nightfall•
Any one can do his work, how
ever hard, for one day. Any one
can live sweetly, patiently, lov
ingly, purely, till the sun goes
dmrn- And this is alt that fife
ever really means-” .
■ -1T 11
planes to precision tools. Negroes are found work
ing in practically every skill and trade. The day of
the “Negro” wage has about disappeared.
Will the next President of the U. S. continue
to support the policy and program that has been such
a great progress for 13 million Negro Americans?
Has the candidate for president you intend to vote
for promised that he will do all this and lead our na
tion with a policy that will protect all people no mat
ter in which section of the country they may be ?
In recent weeks many organizations have been
calling upon Negro voters, every Negro citizen eli
gible to vote, to register to protect the right to vote
in November. Registration for voters in many states
has been completed.
On November 7th, go forth to the polls and
j support that candidate that will protect that progress
we have enjoyed thus far and who will support a pro
gram for a fuller, prosperous and more just democ
; racy for all Americans!
THE PROOF OF GRISWOLD’S ABILITY
Particularly worthy of note is Legislative Bill
97, which empowers the Board to sell any of the bonds
under its management and trusteeship, for the pur
pose of reinvesting the proceeds in United States
Government bonds. This bill has been extremely ef
fective in increasing the various Trust Funds of the
state. Due to the policy of the federal government
in discontinuing the issuance of tax free securities,
and since the state is not required to pay taxes on
any securities, either taxable or tax free, we were,
under the provisions of this bill, in a position to ex
change $3,725,000.00 tax free government securities
for taxable securities which netted a profit of $207,
997.50. Five sales of municipal bonds have also been
held netting a total profit of $257,382.68. As a re
sult of the exchange of government securities and
the five sales of municipal bonds, a total of $457,382.88
has been credited to the Temporary School Fund to
replace unearned premium. Through the enactment
of this legislation, the Board has a definite yield basis
policy in-disposing of bonds and reinvesting the pro
ceeds in 2-1/2 per cent United States Government
securities.
_Under the direction of this Board, an audit
of the Permanent School Fund, from its inception in
1867 to June 30, 1944, was made in order to deter
mine the amount of loss sustained by the fund. The
audit, showing a loss of $685,566.83 was submitted
to the Legislature. $181,637.73 of the amount was
acknowledged as rental from saline lands which had
been erroneously credited to the Temporary School
Fund. Legislative Bill 85 was therefore enacted as
a corrective measure, and the loss to the Permanent
School Fund definitely established in the amount of
$503,929.10. Following the recognition of a definite
loss, Legislative Bill 147 was passed, providing for
a one-tenth of one mill levy to be imposed upon all
taxable property in the state, except intangibles, for
the purpose of reimbursing the Permanent School
Fund for losses sustained therein. The records of
the office of the State Treasurer show a collection
of $145,195.95 under the provisions of this law.
Upon the recommendation of the Board of Edu
cational Lands and Funds the legislature approved
and declared $145,000.00 North River Irrigation Dis
trict bonds held by the state, a loss to the Perma
nent School Fund. This loss, in addition to the proven
loss of $503,929.10, denotes a grand total loss to the
Permanent School Fund of $648,929.10.
All personal property which has escheated to
the State of Nebraska during the past three years
has been sold under the provisions of Legislative Bill
12 and the proceeds from the sales deposited with
the State Treasurer for the benefit of the Permanent
School Fund.
It was brought to the attention of the Legis
lature that the records of this office show consider
able land has been taken by public power and irriga
tion districts and railroad companies; also, a large
amount of land was taken for highway purposes
without compenstion to the state. A special appro
priation of $13,900.00 was therefore made to cover
the expense of investigation and litigation necessary
to recover the loss sustained thereby to the Perma
nent School Fund. The help of Mr. Robert A. Nelson,
Assistant Attorney General, and legal adviser for
this department, has been of tremendous value during
this biennium.
I wish'to direct your attention to the report
on the reappraisement of school lands which shows
a total of 772,954.06 acres of school land mapped,
classified and reappraised during the biennium. As
a result of this reappraisal the total appraised valua
tion of school land has been increased $833,203.92,
with an increase of $49,992.24 per annum in the reve
nue from the land.
There are 1,636,307.29 acres of state educa
tional lands held under 5,980 school land leases. All
land is under lease or contract with the exception of
30 acres. The records of the office show 38,864.27
acres of educational lands under 452 sale contracts.
During the biennium, all accounts forfeited because
of the failure of lessees and contract holders to pay
their delinquent rentals or interest have been rein
stated with the exception of four accounts. The
state stands to lose more than $174.05 in delinquent
rentals by reason of these delinquent accounts. The
total rental collection for the biennium is $875,809.97.
At the end of this biennium it was necessary to send
delinquent notices to 169 of the 5,980 lease holders,
and to 3 of the 452 sale contract holders. These lessees
and contract holders have ninety days before for
feiture date in which to reinstate their accounts. It
is my opinion that no more than five of the accounts
will remain unpaid and thus necessitate their sale
at public auction.
Asks Time-out for War
Workers to Vote_
Vice Admiral Emory S. Land,
USN (Retired), Chairman of the
United States Maritime Commis
sion, today announced he had sent
the following messages to the four
regional offices of the commission.
“Please communicate the follow
ing commission policy to shipyard
with Maritime Commission con
tracts in your region. Every prac
ticable assistance is to be afforded
workers eligible and desiring to
vote to exercise right of suffrage.
State law requirements are by no
means uniform. Within the limit
of two hours’ absence from work
on the day shift, for eligible vot
ers desiring to vote, under such
arrangements as employer may
deem best calculated to maintain
greatest production under circum
stances, the commission will, if
the same is required by State law,
! recognize payment for such ab
! sent time as an allowable cost as
defined in administrative instruc
tion 13. In States where law does
not require compensation for ab
sence for voting, commission is
definitely jn favor of excusing
such employees as may desire to
absent themselves without compen
sation for not more than two
hours.”
The commission’s regional of
fices are situated in Philadelphia,
New Orleans, Chicago and Oak
land, Calif.
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