★ ^ ^ ★ "Largest Accredited Negro Newspaper West of Chicago and North of KC•
Entered as 2nd class matter at Post-of tice, Omaha, Nebr., Under Act of ~ , n i_ __ n ^ , __ __ __
March 8, 1874. Publishing offices at 2420 Grant street, Omaha. Nebr Saturday, February 3, 1945 Our 17th Year—No, 52
The Rev. Thomas S. Bowdern, S. J.,_ "HARVEY S. FIRESTONE
Creighton Uni. Pres. Will Address Urban League GETS LIBERIAN AWARD
At Annual
Meeting
“Urban Re-development and Com
munity Planning” will be the subject
of the talk by the Rev- Thomas S.
Bowdern, S. J-, Creighton Univers
ity President, at the 17th Annual
Meeting of the Omaha Urban Lea
gle Community Center, Tuesday,
February 13. Because of Father
Bowdern’s deep interest in post-wai
urban pltnning and because of the
study Creighton University is mak
ing of this subject- he will have «
special message for the citizens of
this community
Although the Omaha Urban Lea
gue has been holding annual meet
ings since 1928, the year of its or*
igin. this will be the first dinner
meeting for this occasion. It will
be held at Zion Baptist Church, 2215
Grant Street, with dinner served at
6 :45 p. m
Mrs. Doreene Holliday, Chairman
of the Program Committee, in mak
ing this announcement, wished to
cal] attention to members and friends
of the League that reservations for
the dinner must be placed at the of
fice, WE-5020, before noon Febr
uary ^th
in addition to a turkey dinner,
those attending will have opportun
ity tc enjoy special music and to par
ticipate in the other events planned
for the evening. New members to
the Urban League Board of direct
ors will be elected at this meeting.
• Editorial Comments
We have for the next week's is
sue of the Omaha Guide a series of
editorial comments from 25 daily
newspapers throughout the country,
gathered by the National Associat
ion for the Advancement of Colored
People, 69 Fifth Avenue, New York
NY- These summaries of editorials
concern Negroes from South Caro
lina to Newr York and from New
York to Frisco. They will be print
ed in a series of eight installments.
■■ ' • -—_ ’ 1
Nebraska Power Co. Will
Comply 100% with WPB
“Brown-Out” Order
The Nebraska Power Company
will comply 100% with the recently
released ‘brownout’ order, effective
February 1, Mr- J. E. Davidson
president, said today- He asked that
all customers of the company make
every effort to help this program,
which is designed to relieve the crit
ical fuel shortage. He further stat
ed that everyone is asked to start
the program voluntarily before Feb.
ruary 1
Tht War Production Board’s an
nouncement of the nation-wide
‘brownout’ order gives detailed in
formation about the types of elec
trie usage which will be prohibited
Utilities Order U-9, the new restric
tion, practically eliminates use of e
lectricity for outdoor advertising and
ornamental and display lighting, and
it is estimated tat the order will save
2,000.000 tons of coal annually
Under terms of the new WPB or
der, effective February 1- no elec
tricity may be used for the follow
ing purposes:
1. Outdoor advertising and out
doot promotional lighting.
2. Outdoor display lighting ex
cept where necessary for the con
duct of the business of outdoor est
ablishments.
3 Outdoor decorative and out
door ornamental lighting
4- Show window lighting except
where necessary for interior ilium- j
ination.
5- Marquee lighting in excess of
60 watts for each marquee
6. White way street lighting in
excess of the amount determined by
local public authority to be necessary
for public safety.
7. Outdoor sign lighting, except
for:
(a) Directional or identification
signs required for fire and police
protection, traffic control, transpor
tation terminals or hospitals: or dii -
ectional or identification signs for
any similar essential public services
the lighting of which is specifically
certified to be necessary by local
public authority. Certification shall
be made in writing to the appropr
iate electric supplier and need not be
in any particular form:
(b) Directional or identification
signs using not more than 60 watts
per establishment, for doctors and
for hotels, and other public lodging
establishments
As one of the penalties for non
compliance, the new order- which is
effective throughout the nation, pro
vides that WPB may direct the dis
continuance of electric service to
any consumer who wilfully violates
the order- This order was drafted
by the Office of War Utilities of
" after consultation with rep
resentatives of te electric industry
from all parts of the country.
5 White House release, the
I resident stated that in view of the
iact that residential dwellings are to
be kept at a 68 degree temperature
to conserve fuel, it was also essen
To Renew vour 19-15
Subscription,. .
tALL HA-0800
Consolidation of Negro’s Labor Gains Dependent upon Maintenance
High-level Postwar Employm’nt
1940-44 Gains Made
Rre In Areas In Which
Post War Adjustment
Will Be Severe
Although the defense and wartime^
civilian employment of Negroes in
creased by approximately 1,000,000
jobs between April 1940 and April
1944, the consolidation of the Ne
gro's gains in the postwar period
will be largely dependent upon the
maintenance of a high level of post
war employment, the Monthly La
bor Review, official organ of the
Unifed States Department of Labor,
declares in its January 1945 issue
Revealing that the employment of
Negro men rose from 2,900,000 to 3
200,000 during the four year period
and that the number of employed
Negro women increased from 1,500
000 to 2,1000,000, the periodical
points out that “the Negroes’s great
est employment advances have beer,
made in precisely those occupations
industries and areas in which the
postwar adjustment will be most
severe.”
The Review's summary on "Wa
and Post-war Trends in Employ mem
of Negroes,” prepared by Seymour
L- Wolfbein, of the Occupational
Outlook Division of the Bureau of
Labor Statistics, states:
"The 700,000 Negroes in the Army
have their civilian counterpart in the
more than five and a half million
Negro workers in the United States.
This civilian labor force has exper
ienced marked changes in both its
occupational and industrial attribut
es, which are significant as indicat
ors not only of wartime change but
also of postwa. employment oppor
tunities
“Employment of Negroes in civil
ian jobs increased by almost a mil
lion between April 1940 and April
1944, the number of employed men
rising from 2.9 to 3.2 million and the
number of employed women from 1-5
to 2-1 million. The outstanding
changes in Negro employment that,
occurred during the 4 year period
were a marked movement from the
farms to the factories (particularly
to those caking rlunitions of war),
a substantial afoutit of upgrading for
Negro workers, but little change in
the proportions occupied in unskilled
jobs. As the Negroes’ greatest em
ployment advances have been made
in precisely those occupations, indus
tries and areas in which the postwar
adjustment will be most severe, the
extent to which these gains can be
retained will be largely dependent
upon the maintenance of a high level
of postwar employment.
1 hese facts shown in the present
article are based upon an analysis
of data on the occupational and in
dustrial distribution of employed
\ Negroes for April 1940 (shown by
the 16th Decennial Census.) as
compared with April 1944 (shown
by the Monthly Report on the Labor
borce of the Bureau of the Census.)
CHANGES IN OCCUPATIONAL
DISTRIBUTION, 1940-19.',}
"The proportion of the employed
male Negro labor force on farm?
declined form 47 percent in April
1940 to 28 percent in April 1944, oi
by 13 points; the proportion in in
dustry increased by the same amount
The remainder of the major occupa
tional groups showed changes ol not
more than about 1 point betweei.
1940 and 1944.
“The shift from the farm to the
factory, therefore, is bv far the
tial that outdoor advertising, and
ornamental and display advertising '
be prohibited for the same reason.
He added that he would insist upon
the compliance of all government a
gencies, including the White House.
Mr- J. E. Davidson, in a letter to
all commercial and industrial cus
tomers of the Nebraska Power Com
pany, explained the restrictions- and
offered special information or as
sistance in interpreting the ordet
whenever needed.
(most outstanding change that took
place in the male Negro labor force
during the war. Between 1940 and
1944, the number of Negroes em
ployed as skilled craftsmen and fort
men doubled, as did the number en
gaged as “operatives,” i- e. perform
ing the basic semiskilled factory op
erations- Altogether, the number in
both categories rose from about 500
000 to a total of about 1,000,000 dur
ing the 4 years covering the Nation
al Defense Program and the entr)
of the United States into the war
In contrast the number on farms,
either as farm operators, or laborers
decreased by about 300,000. In
terms of the total numbers involved
the other changes were small
“The number of Negro men work
ing as proprietors, managers, and
officials increased 50 percent in the
4-year period, but in April 1944 still
had not reached 75,000.
“Slightly over 7 of every 10 em
ployed Negro women were in some
service activity in April 1940, and
the great majority of these were
domestic servants. After 4 years,
the proportion in the services had
decreased only slightly, although a
significant internal shift had occurr
ed. The proportion working as do
mestic servants showed a marked in
crease, while those engaged in the
personal services, e. g. as beauticians
cooks, waitresses, etc-, showed a cor
responding increase- It is interesting
to note, in this connection, that the
actual number of Negro domestics
showed a slight increase between
1940 and 1944 (about 50,000), but
it was not enough to counterbalance
the decline of 400,000 among white
domestic servants
“Asa mong the men, the most pro
nounced occupational shift among
Negro women was the shift from the
farm to the factory. In April 1940.
16 percent of the entire female Ne
gro labor force was on farms; 4
years later, that propotion had been
halved- The total number of Ne
gro women employed had increased
by about a third; the number em
ployed on farms had decreased by a
bout 30 percent. On the other hand
Negro women employed as crafts
men asd foremen and as factory op
eratives almost quadrupled during
the same period.
“No significant changes occurred
in any of the other major occupa
tional groups. Percentage increases
were large; the number of Negro
women working as proprietors, man
agers, of officials tripled, those work
ing as saleswomen almost doubled,
and those engaged as clerical work
ers rose to a number five times a
great as in April 1940. The actual
numbers involved were very small,
however, and made little difference
in the occupational distribution of
the employed Negro women.
NEGROES' POSITION IN
TOTAL LABOR FORCE.
1940 and 19U
“It is evident from the foregoing
that Negro workers have experienc
ed a considerable amount of upgrad
ing: by April 1944 both men and
women were engaged in skilled and
sem:skilled factory operations which
few had performed before the war
Nevertheless, a considerable propor
tion of the Negro labor force was
still engaged in unskilled occupations
and service activities- Thus. 1 in ev
ery ■> Negro men was working as an
unskilled laborer in April 1940: af
ter 4 years, the proportion engaged
in that activity remained the same.
The same situation was found in
practically every other major occup
ational group.
"The employment distribution of
Negro women followed the same pat
tern. Despite their large increases,
already noted, in clerical position
and as saleswomen, the total in thess
occupational groups numbered les
I *an 100,000 in April 1944, as com
DECLARE PILGRIM BAPTIST’ PULPIT VACANT
By order of the Chairman of the Pilgrim Baptist, Church, effective, January 31, 1945, the pulpit of the
church was declared vacant. This all came about at a recent meeting when a motion was made that the
pulpit be declared vacant. The motion was carried by a majority vote.
READY OX THE FIRING LINE—Soldiers of a field artillery battalion in Germany swap palaver in their
dug-out wTiile they await firing orders. Medic on duty with them (wearing red cross on helmet) Is Pvt. Veer
land Thompson, Newport, Virginia. Others are left, to right: Pvt. Lester Rutland, Sylvester, Georgia, Cpl.
Robert Jones .Longbranch, Texas; Pfc. Lafayette Owens, Anniston, Alabama; Cpl. Ellis W. McNeal, Eufau
!a, Oklahoma; Pfc. James P. Laney, Beaumont, Texas and Pvt. Lloyd E. Arrington, Chicago, Illinois. U. S.
Signal Corps Photo from Bureau of Public Relations. ._&.e
^4s Aazi Shells Rained on Bastogne
Negro Artillerymen
Stuck To Their Guns
pared with a total of more than j V2
million white women in the same
occupations in that month. Further
-more, comparatively little gain was
made by the Negro women in such
other fields as professional and semi
professional endeavors and in the
proporietary and managerial groups
"After 4 years of wartime change
over 98 percent of the clerical and
sales force in the country is still
white, while about 95 percent of the
professional, proprietary, and man
agerial group also remain white. On
the other hand, the proportion of
the unskilled jobs filled i>y Negroes
is larger than it was. For example,
the total numebr of male laborers,
(outside of agriculture) decreased
but there was a slight increase in
the number of Negroes in such jobs.
The same sort of development oc
curred among female domestic ser
vants- The greatest gain in employ
ment opportunity has come from ths
opening up up of jobs to Negroes as
semiskilled and skilled workers,
principally in factories
CHANGES IN INDUSTRIAL
DISTRIBUTION, 1!)',() to I!)',)
"The changes in the industrial
distribution of the employed Negro
es between April 1940 and April 1944
reveal again the shift from the farn.
to the factory, showing a marked de
cline in the proportion engaged in
agriculture and a corresponding in
crease in the proportion in manufact
uring. The gains in factory em
ployment. however, have occurred
in the munitions industries. Thus
the most important fact disclosed
the concentration of the increase of
Negro factory workers in the “met
ais, chemicals, and rubber” group—
the so-called war-industry category
which includes the basic heavy in
dustries such as iron and steel antt
machinery, as well as transportation
equipment (including aircraft and
shipbuilding). The actual numbei
of Negro men in this group increas
ed by well over a quarter of a mil
lion between 3940 and 1944, tripl
ing in 4 years.
“Essentially the same pattern of
war-time change in industrial dis
tribution occurred among the Negri
women. The data show a similat
trend from farm to factory, a!th<
the decline in service activities and
the increase in employment in trade
is particularly marked among the
women. Here again, by far th?
most important change in employ
ment in the manufacturing field wa>
j also in the “metals, chemicals, and
rubber” group. Fewer than 3.000
c
Negro women were employed in this |
group in April 1940; 4 years later j
50 times as many were so employed, j
"One other field of employment !
which deserves special mention is
government service- Negroes in pub
lie employment in April 1944 num
bered about 200-000 in contrast to
fewer than 60,000 in the same month
in 1940
NEGROES' POST-WAR
EMPLOYMENT PROSPECTS
"With reference to the post-war
job prospects of the Negro worker, ;
it may be noted, on the basis of a '
comparison of the 1940 and 1944 fig- j
ures on the occupational and indus- ,
trial distribution of the Negro labor j
force, that (1) the Negro has made |
his greatest employment gains n- i
those occupations (especially semi
skilled factory jobs) which will suf
fer the severest cutbacks during the
postwar period, (2) further, he has
made hi biggest advances in thosi
industries (especially the “metals,
chemicals and rubber" group) which
will experience the greatest postwai
declines.
In addition, it should be pointed
out that the Negro gains have taken
place in congested production areas
where considerable readjustment of
the labor force will be necessary.
In general’ the Negro has been able
to get his war job in areas where a
substantial proportion of the labot
force was also engaged in war work
information for four major congest'
ed production areas (Mobile’ Charl
eston. Detroit, and Willow Run, and
Hampton Roads) shows that among
the more than half a million in-mi
grants, about 1 in every 4 was a Ne
iji-w ‘asjnoo jo ‘sapp asaqj_ -oj3
. tun} joqe[ ajqe-iapisuoa aauauadxa
over in the immediate postwar per
iod.
"Finally, it should be noted that in
those occupations and industries in
which the Negro has made his great
est employment advances, he was
generally among the last to be hir
ed. Therefor under seniority rules
lie is more likely to be laid off that,
the average worker in these occupa
I tions.
"The war has given many Negroes
their first opportusity to demonstrate
ability to perform basic factory op
erations in a semiskilled and skilled
capacity. The consolidation of the
Negro's gains in the postwar period
(and this is true, of course, for a
sizable proportion of other worker*
as well) is dependent in large mea*
ure upon the volume of employment
1 that then prevails ”
BROKEN BOW NEBRASKA
MAJOR IN CHARGE
OF OPERATIONS.
WITH U. S- FORCES I N
FRANCE—So close to German in
fantry that mortar bombs fell on
them “like rain,” men of the 969th
Field Artillery Battalion, a Negro
155-mm howitzer outfit- stuck to
their guns and fired all around the
compass during the defense of en
circled Bastogne
The battalion, which landed in
France last July- was attached to the
28th Infantry Division at the titm
of the German attack
On the morning of December 17, I
the battalion was informed by its
forward observor that the Germans
were moving in to attack. There
was heavy- artillery fire- “Then",
said Captain William J- Wood.
Communications Officer, of Wichi
ta Falls- Texas, “our communication*
w-eip' put. j^rry artillery knocked
out damn near-all communications
in the whole sector. He seemed to
know the location of every switch
board”
Unaware of the situation, the bat
talion moved back toward LaRoche
where it was attached to an artillery
group and ordered toward Neufcbat- .
eau. Enemy tanks and infantry at
tacked from the east and south
Twice the battalion went into firing
position to repel threats to the col
umn
Mortar file and enemy artillery
grew heavy. Other battalions in the
artillery were knocked out- Under
dioreclion of the 101 st Airborne Div
ision, the 969th moved to Villeroux,
w-here it set up its guns- Enemy
tanks and infantry approached. With
the help of a few scattered tanks
and a handful of infantry, the 969th
made Jerry keep his distance.
At one time the enemy was so
close that the battalion commander
ordered all classified material des
troyed
Enemy mortar fire grew even
more intense. Small arms fire rain
ed on the gun positions- Individual
exploits were many. The battalion
medics evacuated both German and
American wounded undei enemy
(Continued on Page
THANK OMAHA POLICE FOR
HKTI'RN OK STOLEN POCKET
HOOK LAST DEC. .10
(by J. E. Smith)
Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Porter of 2013
| Vorth 23rd Street wish to thank
I the Omaha Police for the quick ser
| vice which was given in the find
ing of the pocketbook and con
taining important papers of their
njece Mrs. Leona Porter King of
Kansas City. Mo., who was held up
jid rohed on Saturday night, Dec.
'30, 1944.
NEW YORK, Jan. 23—For in
valuable service to the Republic of
Liberia. Harvey S- Firestone. Jr.,
President of The Firestone Tire and
Rubber Company, has been awarded
the degree of Commander of the
Order of the Star of Africa, Walter
F. Walker, Consul General of the
Republic, announced.
The citation, conferred by
President W. V. S. Tubman of
Liberia acting in his capacity as
Grand Master of the Order, is
the highest presented by the Re
public.
Membership in the order is
limited to individuals who have
made an outstanding contribution
in the fields of public service,
science, politics, art or literature.
Only a very few persons from
countries other than Liberia re
ceive this high honor and those
selected from outside the Repub
lic must have won world-wide
recognition in one of the fields
for which the decoration is given.
President Tubman notified Mr.
Firestone that the award was
being made as “an indication of
my personal esteem and gratitude
of the government and people of
the Republic of Liberia for the
invaluable assistance rendered in
the economic and social develop
ment of the Republic by the es
tablishment and progressive ex
pansion of your company in Li
beria”.
The Firestone rubber planta
tions were started in Liberia in
1925 when the late Harvey S.
Firestone, founder of the Fire
stone Company, began his crusade
for Americans to produce their
own rubber”. •
Foreseeing just such a situation
as occurred when the Japanese
cut off the major portion of the
natural rubber supply, Mr. Fire
stone sent Harvey S. Firestone,
Jr., to survey the rubber produc
- Outstanding Contributor
Mr. Harvey S. Firestone, Jr.,
President, of The Firestone Tire
and Rubber Company, Akron,
Ohio.
ing countries of the world to de
termine where Americans could
best grow their own rubber. Li
beria was selected after the most
careful consideration and now
has become the largest producer
of rubber in Africa.
Since Pearl Harbor th'e Firestone
plantations, where 51,000 acres of
trees are in production and about
30,000 additional acres are being
developed, have become one of
the principal sources of natural
rubber for the United Nations.
The plantations produced 36 COO,
000 pounds of rubber in 1944 and
the figure is expected to go high
er in the future. "
AEmtASKA BOYS HELP BATTALION WIN THIItll BATTLE STAR _
Twv boys. Corporal John H. Bowen, 3528 North 29th St., Omaha, and
Private First-class Sanford W. Hern, Nebraska City, are among the
members of the Sixth Army sroup in France, who have won their Third
Battle Star for participation in as many major campaigns. Their group
is the 385th Engineer battalion of the Continental Advance Section, sup
ply organization for the Sixth Army Group and the 7th Army In France.
Hats Off Omaha Citizens To A...
Group of Race Men
Sponsoring Carver
Bldg. & Loan Assn.
Omaha citizens wish to congratu
late the distinguished gentlemen for
being the first in the history of Ne
braska to organize a much needed
financial institution.
The officers of this organization
are in hopes of conducting its affairs
so that it will be acceptable to every
man, woman and child in the mid
city section as a place to start their
savings accounts, and thereby build
ing a financial institution which
knows and can best serve the district
wherein we live.
All Omaha’ in fact- everybody, is
wishing the Carver Building and
Loan Association a successful career
in their efforts being put forth to
serve a group of people who have
never been acceptable to any Build
ing and Loan Association in Omaha
as a borrower, as any other citizen.
Negroes today have $176,000 in fin
ancial institutions in Omaha, which
is being used to give employment, to
build homes, buy homes and to fin
ance business in every section in the
city except the Negro section. Col
i lectively, you can put it in, but in
dividually you cannot get it out
where it will give the service that it
is giving to others. Yet it belongs
to you.
This Carver Building and Loan
Association has been granted a char
ter to do business under the laws of
Nebraska, clearing through the bank
i mg department in the capital of out
| state- It will be under the super
vision and subject to check and bal
ance by the State Banking Depart
ment. Every officer will be a man
of experience and proven community
pride, and under a bond according
to their respective responsibilities in
the capacity in which they are ex
pected to serve. So your savings
for your future anticipations from
$1.00 to $5,000 for the education of
that boy or girl, for a savings for
your old age or the security of the
things that makes life worth while,
and that is a home to live in, can be
started by opening a savings account
from $1.00 to $5,000. Start yout
savings account today.
WHERE TO FIND OUT MORE
ABOUT THE CARVER BLDG.
AND LOAN ASSOCIATION
We, The Omaha Guide, have had
many inquiries from our readers a
bout who to see and get in contact
with about the Carver Building and
Loan Association. Attorney Charles
F. Davis, who was elected secretary
and treasurer of this organization,
is officially in his office at 2420
Lake street from 7 to 9 pm. each
evening except Sunday, or can be
called at WE-4189. Mr. Davis will
be glad to hold an interview with
anyone wishing to know more about
the Carver Building & Loan Associa
lion
Fighting, Fighting,
iYes, Hard Fighting
By Beginners Who Want q
to Go Places
Pvt. James Simms of the Har
vard Army Air Field will be one
of the Negro favorites in the
Midwest Golden Gloves tourna
ment at the City Auditorium Wed
nesday and Thursday of next week.
A former lightweight champion
of the Keesler Field, Miss., army
base, Pvt. Simms has won nine
out of ten fights in a brief amateur
boxing career.
The air mechanic from Savan
nah, Ga., worked as a sparring
partner for Bob Montgomery when
the latter was preparing for his
title bout against Beau Jack last
summer.
The Boys Town team, coached
by Paul Hartnek, also will be led
by a Negro, Middleweight Kenny
Morris. In this same class will be
James Watson .younger brother of
Larry, who has been going strong
as a pro boxer since winning the
Omaha light heavy Golden Gloves
title last year and progressing to
the semifinals at Chicago.
Watson will represent the Lo
gan Recreation Club, along with
Flyweight Joseph Taylor, Welter
Charles Grimes, and Middleweight
I
I ~ ~“——
Emil Jordan.
There will be about H5 bouts
each night, February 7th and 8th,
in the City Auditorium ring, with
the eight class champions being
the Midwest representatives in the
Chicago Golden Gloves Tournament
of Champions the last week in
February.
BOY SCOUTS TO OBSERVE
35TH ANNIVERSARY FEB. K-14
The 35th Anniversary of the
Roy Scouts of America will be ob
served the week of February 8th
to 14th.
HWDOPH SAYS NEGROES
RALLYING TO FEPC
Columbus, Ohio—In a large and
enthusiastic public meeting in De
troit and Indianapolis, A. Philip
Randolph, Co-Chairman of the Na
tional Council for a Permanent FE
PC., stated that no question has
conte before the Congress affecting
Negroes since the 13th, 14th and
15th Amendments to the Constitu
tion which is as fundamental, vit
al and important as the LaFoll
ette-Dawson Bill in the House and
the Wagner-Capper Bill in the Sen
ate to make the Fair Employment
Practice Committee a permanent
post-war agency. Local muneils
have been established in Detroit
and Indianapolis and are mobiliz
ing public sentiment and raisin^
funds for the fight for the Dills
In Detroit, the Rev. Mr. Horace
White was chosen as the coordinat
ing Co-Chairman and in Indiana
polis, the Rev. Audies.