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/JUSTICE/EQUALITY HEW TO THE LINEN
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY PHONE HA.0800
2420 GRANT ST
_'it “Largest Accredited Negro Newspaper West of Chicago and North of KC. ^ -Sy ^
Entered as 2nd class matter at Post-oftice. Omaha, Nebr., Under Act of « , , .... . „_
March s. 1874. publishing offices at 2420 Grant Street, Omaha. Nebt Saturday, March 10,1945 ★ 10c Per Copy ★ Our 18th Year, No. 5
Huge Attendance At U.S.O. Opening
“Mutiny” Charge Not Supported By Evidence Says Naccp
MURDERER OF
THOMAS DOUGLAS
STILL AT LARGE
TWELVE MEN AND A COURT
OF JUSTICE SAID SO.
Omaha Guide Offers
$200 Reward for the
Murderers Apprehension
Leroy Smith is a free man today. The late, Mr
Thomas Douglas’ death is still a mystery to this
community. The County Attorney’s office and the
defense were well represented in Leroy Smith’s
trial. The evidence submitted by the County At
torney’s office in the trial was properly assimilated
and well defined by the representatives of that of
fice. We just do not know anything they could
have done in the way of presentation of the evidence
they had to the court and the jury. The defense
council put up a good battle and won for their client
his freedom.
$200 REWARD
The Omaha Guide Publishing Company offers
$200 Cash Reward for the arrest and conviction of
the murderer or murderers of Thomas Douglas, who
was killed at 1816 North 24th street, February 11,
1944. Any information that anyone has m this
community or anywhere in the United States that
will assis in bringing about the arrest and convic
tion of the murder of Thomas Douglas, will receive
the above reward.
IS YOUR LIFE AND MY LIFE SAFE?
Is anyone’s life safe in a community with a mur
derer or murderers running loose after committing
a crime of cold-blooded murder upon a man who
lived a clean, Cristian life in our community: Who
was Thomas Douglas? In our opinion Thomas
Douglas was one of Omaha’s No. 1 citizens. We
had known him for 30 years, and we in the newspa
per business do have occasion to go in and out of
all kinds of places of business and observe the good
and bad in all walks of life. Thomas Douglas was a
hard working, honest, Christian citizen. He would
not harm a hair on a cat, and in the 30 years I had
known him and in the many conversations I have
had with him, 1 have never heard him express an ill
word about any individual in the whole of my ac
quaintance with him. He was a self-made man and
a hard worker. He taught himself the jewelry
business and in my opinion, he was as good as any
jewelry smith as i have ever met. He has done
work on clocks and watches for me for 30 years,
and I have never had to return one for poor work
manship- When the jewelry repair work was dull,
he was found looking for and doing odd jobs to
make an honest living. I never saw Mr. Douglas
anywhere in mr entire acquaintance with him ex
cept around in the block where his place of business
was located, in a restaurant getting his meals or at
the Morning Star Baptist Church, where he was a
deacon for sometime. He was liked and respected
by everyone who knew him. I claim he was one of
Omaha’s outstanding, Christian gentlemen.
The man or men who murdered him should be ap
prehended. This is why The Omaha Guide Publish
ing Company, 2420 Grant street, today is offering a
$200 Cash Reward for information that will lead to
the arrest and conviction of the man or men who kill
ed Thomas Doublas. Say what you will or may,
but one one’s life in the community is safe where
such vicious crimes are committed and the one who
committed it walking the streets as a free man. Not
even you Mr. Reader are safe.
_ * ’_ , i . ii i i l_ ~
Thomas Douglas was brutally murdered da a
crack-brained assailant. On the witness stand the
County physician said that cither of the blows that
Mr. Douglas received on his head would have re
sided in death. It was also brought out in the trial
that the lick he received on the head, crushed his
skull in three different places, sufficiently for brain
matter to ooze from the wounds. The licks Thomas
Douglas receiyed and which caused his death were
fully unexpected. Evidence showed that he was
sitting on his stool at a work bench, working on a
watch, and when he was turned over by the detect
ive and his hand was opened, a watch was clasped
in his hand and the face of the watch was found on
the Avorkbench Avliere he Avas working. The stool
he was sitting upon Avas turned oA'er near where his
body fell. Xoa\\, what does this indicate to anyone
with common kense, It indicates that the man avIio
murdered Thomas Douglas Avas someone he knew
and someone he least exepcted Avas going to strike
him It AA'as someone lie thought he kneAA- Avell
enough to hold a conversation Avitli while he was do
ing his Avork, and someone Avhom he did not think
intended to harm him.
I am sure that the Omaha Negro citizens of this
community want to see a hard criminal of this type
put behind the bars for life Avhere he belongs. Do
you knoAA- that there is someone in this communitA*
avIio knoAvs who killed Thomas Douglas? If you do
and read the above item, avc hope your conscience
and justice AA-ill pre\’ail upon you to let us have the
information Avhich will lead to the arrest and con
viction of the criminal.
It Avas revealed on the Avitness stand that Thomas
Douglas had in his possession a few days before he
was killed, the sum of $750, ond it wos also testified
to that the denominotioi of the bills was remember
ed by one who counted said money, to be two $100
bills and others of smaller denomination.
Do you know tiat it is rmnoed on 24th street to
day, that some man won some part of one of those
$100 bills in a gambling place in the city of Omaha?
Now, Mr. Omaha Citizen, be fair to yourself and
your family and help put the man who committed
this cold-blooded murder behind bars where he be
longs.
: THE LIVING■’
S SOUTH :
Q (BY HAROLD PHEECE) £3
(Copyright, 1945. by New South
Features;
The Negro in
Latin America
Mr. Welles Finds the
Colored Peoples
Back in 1916, the Unit
ed States marines were
occupying Haiti to col
MR. HAROLD PREECE
lect a debt for Wall street
—a debt that had been
lorced upon the little Ne
gro republic in the first
place. One of the apolo
gists for that disgraceful rape of a
sister republic was the career dip
lomat, Sumner Welles.
The Mr. Welles of that particular
age in human history argued that
the occupation of Haiti was justi
fied because Haitians were Negroes
and therefore “incapable” of gov
erning themselves.
The Mr. Welles of this new age
occupies the same body as the Mr.
Welles of that pirate era when the
Stars and Stripes was planted as
the symbol of "white supremacy'1
on the shores of Haiti, Mexico, Nic
aragua, and the Dominican Repub
lic. But the body seems to have
become endowed with a new soul,
revealed in a new book, “An Intel
ligent America's Guide to the Peace
recently published by Dryden Press
of New York and prepared under
the general editorship of Mr. Welles
Now, I’ve been saying for a long
timein this column that the racism
afflicting many white people is a
disease but not an incurable disease
like arthritis or glioma. Mr. Wel
les proves it. For in this age, the
forces of life are stronger than the
forces of death. The forces of life
are manifest in this book which
tells in warm, human language of
the peoples and the social systems
of SO-odd different countries includ
ing these countries of the Western
Hemisphere which we have come t.>
call the Americas.
No popular book on Latin Amer
ica has recorded the great paper
played by the Negro in the building
of Latin America more sincerely
than has this book of Mr. Welles
and his associated writers. For
Mr. Welles, having experienced his
own cure, believes that the isdease
of race prejudice can be wiped out
if we but understand the peoples of
other countries. He feels that this
understanding is essential for any
permanent peace, and certainly we
must agree with him as the world's
statesmen prepare to gather in San
i Francisco on April 25th to draw up
plans for a permanent peace, which
(Continued on page 3)
I
Doing His Best to Wreck the Express
l X i
Rankin-Hook Fight Menace To F. E. P. C.
And Common Man Savs N. A. A. C. P.
Washington, DC.,— Following
fisticuffs last week in which Con
gressman Frank Hook of Michigan
was struck in the face for his es
pousal of FEPC, the NAACP warn
ed branches in a letter from the
Washington Bureau, that “the wel
fare and security of the Negro and
the Common man in post-war Am
erica is being seriously menaced
by the reactionary group in Con
gress led by Rankin, Bilbo, Taft
and Co."
Not only were branches directed
to prepare now for the defeat of
every member of the House and
Senate following the Rankin-Bilbo
Taft line, but to let respective Re
presentatives and Senators know
that such an affront as occurred on
the House floor is under severe
scrutiny. “This cowardly attack,’’
wrote Leslie Perry, NAACP assist
ant "clearly indicates the length to
W’hich these reactionaries will go
to intimidate Congressmen work
ing for the passage of progessive
legislation. Rankin made this at
tack only because he knew Jhat he
had the support of a large bloc of
Republicans and Democrats of
which he is the titular head.
“While there have been no fisti
cuffs in the Senate,” the letter con
tinued “Senator Robert A. Taft of
Ohio is working overtime to con
fuse the issues there. In the hope
of divorcing any lukewarm support
er of the FEPC bill in the Senate,
Taft has introduced a phoney FE
PC bill of his own which would re
duce the FEPC to a mere study
commission without powers of en
forcement. Taft now is reported to
be preparing a trick Federal Aid
to Education bill.”
Protest N. H. A. Transfer Of
$60,000 School To Whites!
m aauuigLuii, xtv.—in it letter pro
testing the National Housing A- j
gency's plan to deprive Negro j
children use of the $60,000 FWA I
school originally planned for them |
in connection with the 200 unit j
housing project transferred to I
whites in New Boston, Texas, the
NAACP told Major General Philip ;
B. Fleming, Administrator, Federal
.Works Agency_
“It is our information that the
original justification for the erec
tion of this school resulted from a
survey conducted in the area by
FWA showing a continuing emerg
ency need for increased and im
proved school facilities for colored
children snce ne schoiol was des
troyed by fire in 1943. and the re
maining school structures are woe
fully inadequate. Your survey
showed no such comparative need
for whites.
“It is our further understanding
that selection of New Boston as
site for public war housing was
wictated in part by the fact that
the school in question could serve
the need of new war workers tak
ing up residence there, while, at the
same time, meeting th long stand
ing emergency school need for the
section. Our experience shows,
that local groups all too often use
the need of Negroes to justify the
construction of public works and
when the same is approved and e
rected proceed forthwith to convert
such projects to the use of whites.
In this connection, we are informed
that although the Superintendent
of Public Schools for New Boston
had recommended the construction
of this school for Negro children,
yet as a member of the local hous
ing authority, he actively urged
that the housing project be chang
ed to white occupancy and that the
school be changed with it.
"As te possession and control of
this school property is vested in
your Agency, we strongly urge
that the New Boston school be re
tained for Negro pupils irrespect
ve of any change which may oc
ur in the racial occupancy of the
idjaeent housing project.”
Home Nursing Course
Offered at Y. W C. A.
A Class In Home'Nursing is be
ing oraginzed at the Northside YW
-CA. and we are urging all women
to take this course. We are cer
tain that as more and more casu
alties are returned from the thea
tres of war, need will arise for
mothers, sisters, wives and friends
■f our boys, to help them regain
their health and recover from their
wounds. Do not wait until they
are hack to take this course. En
roll NOW! The Home Nursing De
partment of the American Red
Cross is in charge of the course
and instruction is Free. Classes
will begin Wednesday, April 4 th,
at 2 pm. and continue for six
weeks.
Omahan, J. C. Carey
Buys Oklahoma Farm
Mr. J. C. Carey, Past Commander
of the American Legion and assoc
iated with other business enter
prizes of Omaha and owner of the
Jewell Building which is the new
ome of the new USO., just return
ed from a business trip to Okla
homa. While in Oklahoma he pur
chased a 70-acre farm, four miles
from Okmulgee, Okla., on highway
75. Mr. Carey stated that his pro
perty is surrounded by oil wells,
and he believes his property has
capped oil wells on it now.
Tulsa is the Negro Capital
of the World
The above statement is true be
cause fully 95 percent of all busin
ess of the 35,000 Negroes in Tulsa
area go through the hands of Ne
gro business men, says J. C. Carey
who has just returned from recup
erating in the southland. This
high percentage olds good with
the farmers as well as the city
dwellers. Their clinging together
lias developed the new high in Ne
gro economics life. The area in
which they live is policed by 15
fine police Sergeants and police
officers. They have 10 first class
hotels with private baths, running
hot and cold water, telephone in i
each room with bell service. They I
also have their own finance com
panies. financing siding and insul
ation of store buildings and homes
The shoe and dry goods business
ha3 its representation too. Their
high chools is on the accredited
lists and have a football team e
lual to the best. Even the pawn
-hone and small loan businesses is
well in hand.
support Your local Red Cross Drive
Call I A-0H0n tn Renew Subscription \
p
THOUSANDS INSPECT
NEW CLl'B
Approximately 5,000 people at
tended and participated in the for
mal opening of the new USO Club
over the weekend. Activities be
gan with a formal dance in the
spacious and beautiful ball room.
Hundreds of servicemen and cit
izens of Omaha thrilled to the splen
did music of the fine Hastings Na
val Ammunition Depot band and
the beautiful surroundings. The
affair surpassed anything that O
maha has seen in a long time.
Service men and women and beau
tiful hostesses attired in splendid
gowns, made a picture pleasing to
observe.
Highlights of the affair was ren
dition of the number "Embraceable
You” by the choir and band. As
the musicians rendered this num
ber a hush fell over the auditor
ium and "G.I. Joe” embraced the
young lady closest to him. It was
a moment which will long be re
membered.
All day Sunday, March 4, friends
of the club thronged in and out in
inspection and praise. Everyone
was greatly impressed by the beau
ty of the building and the thor
oughness with which It was equip
ped. Many remarked that it sur
passes any USO. Club thfey have
seen.
At 3:00 there was a concert by
the joint choir and band of the
Hastings Naval Ammunition Depot.
The large audience was held spell
bound for one hour by the rendit
ions of these splendid musicians.
Formal dedicatory services began
at 4:00 with Mayor Dan B. Butler
extending greetings. Many dis
tinguished citizens and represent
atives of the armed forces, were
represented on the program and on
the platform. Major General Dan
ielson, Commanding General, 7th
Service Command represented the
Army on the program. His speech
complimented the services render
ed by the club and the USO in gen
eraf. Lt. P. J. McDonnell, Comm
anding officer Naval Barracks of
Hastings, represented the Navy.
William Frazier, tState chairman,
USO, Milton Abrahams, Chairman,
USO Council and John Hopf, As
sociate Regional Executive YMCA
USO represented the USO on the
program. Raymond Brown, Execu
tive Secretary Urban League, ex
pressed the appreciation of the
community. Program was con
cluded by a ceremony trnsferring
the keys of the building from the
government to the USO by Dan
Farrell, Federal Works Agency,
to Joseph P. Mosely, USO. Director.
Ralph Adams, chairman of the
Management Committee acted as
master of ceremonies. Father
Sanchez, pastor of the St. Pihilips
Episcopal Church and Father Jos
eph Moylan, pastor of St. Benedict’s
Church gave the invocation and
benediction.
Expressions of appreciation from
the community were numerous.
Organizations and individuals fill
ed the club with floral offerings .»
Messages of congratulations came
from all over the state.
Despite inclement weather many
service men from bases scattered
all over the stat were present.
Their interests and appreciation
were demonstrated by their con
tinued use of the building.
The staff, management comm
itee and volunteers are appreciat
ive of the many expressions of
good will and take this opportun
ity to express their sincere thanks
to all who aided in making the en
tire affair a success.
CLASSES TO BEGIN AT
NORTHSIDE YWCA.
Beginning Monday. March 4, reg
istration began for classes in gram 1
mar, history and spelling and will
be held at the Xorthside Branch,
YWCA, from 9:00 am. to 10 pm.
Anyone wishing to take any of
these classes may come in and reg
ister. Classes will begin on Thurs
day, March 15th from 7 to 9 p.m
and will be held each Thursday
evening at this hour for three
months. The fees are 50c per
week. Mrs. Thelma Hancock. In
structor.
—
“Only One Negro USO.
in Omaha” says Mosely
CSO DIRECTOR ADDRESSES
MINISTERIAL ALLIANCE
Mr. Mosely, the director of the
only Negro USO. in the city, was
elected a new member of the Min
isterial Alliance. Mr. Mosely spoke
to the Alliance on the proposed
South Omaha USO. He stated that
it was a great error on the part of
the reporter as we have one and
only one Negro USO. in the city.
The new USO. on 24th and Grant
streets, will open on the 4th of
March. It will meet the commun
ity’s expectations as an ideal re
creational center for the boys and
girls in the armed forces. There
* NAACP Files Brief
for Seamen with
Navy Dept. Board
IV2 Min.’ Deliberation
Court Gives “Only
(with time-out for
lunch) to Each Boy’s
Case Charges Assoc.
Give-out Publicity to
Discredit Negro
Seamen.
WASHINGTON, DC.,—An exhaus
tive brief in behalf of the 50 Negro
seamen convicted of "mutiny" in
California last year was filed here
March 2 by the legal department of
the NAACP.
The brief submitted to Admiral T
L. Gatch, Judge Advocate General
of the United States Navy, asserts
that the trial did not establish the
guilt of the accused to the crime of
mutiny, that mass trials are unfair
and generally condemned by legal
authorities, that the trial took 80
minutes, including the lunch hour,
to study the record and arrive at a
decision, even though this record
occupied 1,435 single-spaced type
written pages on legal size paper,
and that the verdict should be set
aside as there could not be any
reason for a mass trial "other than
a deliberate attempt to discredit
Negro seamen.”
The brief points out that when
the trial was started on September
14 1944, the Navy Department re
leased publicity pointing out that
this is the first mutiny trial of this
war and the first large mutiny
I trial in the history of the Navy.
This publicity carried with it the
I pictures of the men for the purpose
of showing that they were Negroes.
The brief points out also that
mass trials are roundly condemned
by most authorities. This is espec
ially true in this case, for example,
included among the fifty men, all
| tried for the same crilme, was one
man, Berlin Kelly, who w'.as on sick
call during the time; another, Ollie
Green, had his arm in a sling dur
ing the alleged disobedience of or
ders; another, Julius Dixson, a 104
lb. boy was instructed by Navy doc
tors to be used as mess cook only
and not for the purpose of loading
ammunition. However, all of the
men were tried together in the mass
trial.
In commenting on the type of jus
tice received by the men, the brief
declared: ‘•Although the trial of
this case involved fifty men, in
cluded the testimony of all fifty of
the men, plus the testimony of the
prosecution and defense, and al
though the record of the actual
trial of the case includes 1,435 pag
es, single-spaced and on legal size
paper, the court arrived at its find
ings of guilty between 11:55 a.m.
and 1:15 pin. W~ tssrime that dur
ing this eighty minute period the
court also had time for lunch. Ev
en if we assume that the entire 80
minutes were spent in deliberation
on this case, each individual accus
ed received about a minute and a
half of deliberation. This callous
disregard of even perfunctory jus
tice is amazing.”
After analyzing all the evidence
produced on behalf of the prosecu
tion, the brief concluded that there
was no legal evidence whatsoever
to sustain the charge of mutiny
and that the evidence in regard to
the refusal of oby eand order was
in dispute and in grave doubt. The
brief pointed out many instances
of obvious prejudicial conduct bas
ed on race or color by Lieutenant
Commander Coakley, the prosecut
or, in his efforts to emphasize the
question of race during the trial.
In requesting that the conviction
of these men be set aside, the brief
pointed out that there could not
possibly be any reason for such a
mass trial for the charge of mut
iny other than a deliberate attempt
to discredit Negro seamen. The
NAACP, at the time of filing the
brief, requested an opportunity to
make oral argument at a subse
quent date re-emphasizing its re
quest for n iampartial investigat
ion by the Secretary of Navy of the
conditions leading up to and fol
lowing the mutiny.
Carver Savings & Loan
Purhases Property for
Permanent New Home
It is officially announced that
the Carver Savings and Loan As
sociation has closed the deal for
their permanent home by purchas
ing the two store rooms at 204
and 2416 Lake street now occupied
by the Bell Cafe and Devereaux
Hardware store. As soon as suit
able remodeling can be done the
opening of the first Building and
Loan as owned and operated by
Colored Citizens of Omaha, will be
for^th *°oSerVe the PUb,ic' Watch
tor the Grand opening date.
will also be a council room for the
e.l th ^ iThe A1Iiance,has accept
the ISO. tspeonsibility of
smith college conc erned
A BOI'T POST-WAR NEGRO
E X PECTATIOXS
-Northampton, Mass—What Negro
X oath Expects In the p„st W ar
ed in and to which Mrs. Rub, Hur
ley, NAACP youth Secretary Z
dressed herself in three sociology
lectures here February 27 and 2S
of theTobI ' Wlth mere -ion
or the problems presented student,
WSM , '-naptn House,
hile on the campus Mrs u,,.i
W'as the guest of prof tlev
«. Ralph Ha, ow %?£*** Mr"
a member of the XAACP Z ” *“
Hoard of Directors. NatlonaI
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