EDITORIAL- COMMENT
Omaha, Nebraska, Saturday, March 24, 1945
THE DAYS IS COMING
(by ERIC HASS, Editor, the Weekly People for
Calvin’s News Service)
A few weeks ago the NAACP sent a letter to
President Roosevelt objecting to compulsory peace
time military training on the ground that it would
“perpetuate the separation and humiliation of Ne
gro American youths solely on the basis of race and
color.” NAACP said this was its “principal ob
jection.” It lmted that, if this objection were re
moved, peacetime militarism wouldn’t be too hard
to take. It even spoke of the possibility of Army
training “to live in a democratic society.”
I thnk military service would be hard to take—
with, or without Jim Crow. I think—and' I shall
yrove in this and subsequent dispatches—that de
mocracy has no deadlier enemy than militarism. I
agree wholly ditli the late Senator George W. Nor
ris. who said on August 22, 1940:
“1 am afraid of building up a society based on
compulsory military training in time of peace, for
that leads to dictatorship and ultimately to the
downfall of such government as ours, at least, to the
ending of democracy, just as surely as the sun rises
in the east.”
NAACP’s opposition to peacetime militarism is
weakened! by the qualification that it might be ac
ceptable without Jim Crow. Moreover, the infer
ence that the Army, which has successfully resisted
all efforts to have Jim Crow ousted in wartime,
might alter its policy in peacetime is unrealistic.
Negroes are not segregated in the Army and Navy
today because the brass hats harbor anti-Negro
prejudice. The brass hats—and I’m speaking now
of top-shelf officers and civilians in the War and
Navy Departments who determine policy—probably
are prejudiced. But, even if they weren’t, the ser
vice’s segregation policy would remain unchanged.
Segregation in the services is a reflex of segrega
tion in society. If there were no segregation in soc
iety, there w ould be no segregation in the services.
If Jim Crow can’t be blasted out of his pill box in
wartime—w hen the conscience of the nation is stirr
ed by the contrast between noble sentiments and
ignoble practice—how can he be teased to come out
and surrender in peacetime—when complacency re
sumes its sway over the hearts of men? If the
Army and Navy couldn’t screw up the courage to
defy social race customs in wartime, when they can
get any appropriation from Congress that they ask
for, how can they be expected to champion explosive
reform in peacetime, when Congress tightens up on
the purse-strings?
In no nation on earth has the military organizat
ion dared to step ahead of society in the matter of
reform. On the contrary, militarism relies for its
power and prestige on the conservative and reaction
aiy elements of society, on the properties ruling
class. It does not dare offend these elements. And
history bars me out when I say that, instead of of
fending them by championing progressiveness, mili
tarism has always kotowed to their prejudiced and
agressively supported their reactionary ideas.
It is right that NAACP should cite the services’
Jim Crow practices as an objection to compulsory
peacetime military training. Such training will
surely aggravate both the stigma of separation for
Negro youth and the anti-Negro prejudice in white
youth. * But NAACP should not qualify its oppos
itions. Above all, it should reveal to the Negro
workers that peacetime militarism represents a
grave danger to them, not merely as Negroes, but as
workers—as human beings who, together with the
rest of the working class, face the task of winning
economic emancipation and bringing to birth a new
world.
LAND OF THE NOBLE FREE
(by LAYLE LANE for CNS)
The latest evidence of the progressive deteriora
tion of moral principles in the Big Three leadership
is the bargaining for a place at the April 25 world
conference of nations at San Francisco. In order to
become one of the “peace-loving nations” to lead the
world into the paths of righteousness, a state must
declare war on Germany and Japan by March 1st
and thus participate in'tlie greatest slaughter of all
history.
Several of the South American nations led off and
now Turkey and Egypt are the latest nations to de
clare war—thereby assuring themselves a place in
the United Nations’ conference.
The small and the neutral states are thus being
whipped into line so that there will be no effective
bloc to wield any influence in opposition to the injus
tiees already so apparent in the decisions of the Big
Three. Clerical and lay organizations which hope
to find' in the smaller nations an avenue through
which to channel pressure for a just peace will be
almost completely silenced.
In the midst of this twilight zone of moral inte
gration, it is of immeasurable satisfaction to find
there are still small groups here and there who keep
alive one's faith in man’s spirituality. Such a group
is that of the conscientious objertors, who have been
subleeted to every abuse and villification that can be
heaped upon them.
The army questionnaire recognizes the right of
conscience but army officials make having a con
science an almost impossible possession. Take the
case of Private Henry Weber.
From the time he received his questionnaire, Pri
vate Weber lade it clear his political views would
DYNAMITE
by H. George Davenport *
SEGREGATION
Since 1620 Negroes have been segregated in Am
erica. The Dutch, ancestors of the
same Queen Wilhelmina who was
heard bellyaching when the Nazis
chased ehr out of Holland. There was
a tune in the Belgian Congo when the
eyes of the natives were put out with
red hot pokers, hands and feet chopped
off because the slaves failed to turn in
their quota of work. You can readily
see how this writer shed tears when the
firlflrn HI Belgians were run out of Belgium. Of
Davenport all the slave owners and salesmen —
including France, Belgium, Holland, Portugal,
Spain and others, Churchill’s England was the chief
offender. England thrived then on out and out slav
ery and is thriving now on slavery called Colonies;
she doesn’t sell them, but she exploits their countri
es and this is called legal, blessed by all white nations
and religions, including the Catholic (“my religion’)
In America we have been freed on paper—in Amer
ica, in certain Southern States, slavery exists in all
of its glory. Over the entire nation the ugly head
of segregation bobs up each minute of the day. If
Negroes were smart they could accept segregation
if they could get together. For instance, in Chicago
with 350,000 colored people handled by one Irish
man, we could revolt, we could band together in one
solid mass. To Englestein and Eli the pawnbroker
we could say, “you’ve been fooling us long enough:
if you do not do more for us than you do, wTe will sec
that other merchants get our business. To the may
or, whoever happens to be mayor, “say, Bud, we
want to and so to lead us and we don’t mean maybe
—to the governor the same thing. When 350,000
black souls think the same, stick together and ask
and demand better treatment, the other people will
have o bow. If 350,000 black men and women stood
together no union, AF of L. or CIO. would dare bar
you from membership if you said, “no member
ships, no sales.” The Chinese get along very well
under segregation. Go down there in Chinatown
and you will see Chinese merchants doing business
with each other and they are far fewer than we.
This thing of kicking 350,000 people around is ser
ious. Some of our big newspaper men, insurance
executives, real estate men, ministers, union offic
ials, social service workers, politicians and other
professional big-wigs should be able to tell the may
or, governor and the presirent to go jump in the
lake. Segregation being forced! upon us could be
used as a bat to hit a home run. All we need is new
aggressive leadership—not the “hat in the hand,”
“this is no time to quibble,” “spineless jelly fish
type,” ‘tin cup passers” we have now fronting for
us. When white men find out you want to control
yourselves, they’ll kick in.
They make us live here—let’s control our own dis- j
trict.
_ i
not permit him to kill his fellow man, and he asked
for non combat service. This was not given him;
instead, he was constantly goaded to drill and bear
arms. This he refused to do and was sentenced to
death. Fortunately, there was enough aroused
public opinion to cause the army to reverse the
death sentence and later make a reduction in the
number of years of service at hard labor.
Even as it stands, a sentence of 5 years at hard la
bor, plus dishonorable discharge and deprivation of
all GI rights is a cruel and excessive punishment.
Public opinion must continue to press for an aboli
tion of the sentence of hard labor and dishonorable
discharge.
Though the case of Ur. DeVault is not as drastic;
it reveals ehe same disregard of the right of con
science and the same stupidity in handling. Dr. De
Vault was a former taclier and research fellow in
chemistry in the Uiiversity of California. He asked
for a classification of IV E, since he was a conscien
tious objector. However, oe was given IIA and la
ter IIB, since his research was considered essential.
Someone objected to this status and he was subse
quently classified IAO for non combat service. Dr.
DeVault refused induction into the army and was
sent to prison. After several months, he was parol
ed and sent to a labor camp. Here, in the spare time
leeft after digging ditches and driving trucks, he
conducted research into pencillin.
In his request for detached service in order to con
tinue his chemical research, Dr. DeVault wrote, “It
is not that we object to making sacrifices, because
we do not. It is the uselessness of the particular
sacrifices that the authorities designate for us.”
Another transfer and later a prison sentence for re
fusal to work on anything but research, was the
olv answer to the request. What a waste of talent!
Equally as courageous as these two classes but
less spectacular, is the service of CO’s in hospitals
and mental institutions. Here they are also permit -
ting themselves to be guinea pigs for jaundice re
search. All for the magnificent sum of $15 per
month. Even qualified doctors are getting no more,
and in many of the camps, well trained men are get
tiny $5 per month.
Despite ill treatment, the CO’s have kept faith
with their prineivles. Their example is a challenge
to the Big Three to make some effort to prevent the
Dark Ages from engulfing us again.
KNOM YOUR STATE TRAFFIC LAWS
Remember the old saying: “It’s the last straw
that breaks the camel’s back.” This applies to
trucks too. Overloading shortens the life of the
truck and tires, causing bent or broken frames, axl
es and springs. A bent frame or axle throws the
Aews-letter
: WHAT’S HAPPENING IN
j Washington ]
S> i*S3S%*S5«Si**«*: 0J3&M
—
APTKH V K HA V WHAT f Lt,
Col. Naylor, assistant to WPB chief
of operations says war production
will continue on a 100% basis un
til last shot is fired against Japan.
Others talk of 17% cutbacks im
mediately after VE day. Govern
ment officials fear war production
would drop right now if workers
believe their jobs are to end after
victory over Germany. Armed ser
vies—haveing guessed wrong last
fall on supply requirements—want
no intereference with unlimited
war production. Orders from pro
curement officers which once
would have been pared down be
cause patently excessive now go
through almost without scrutiny.
WPB is unwilling to take respon
sibility for any ^shortages which
might occur and refuses to chal
lenge present demands of armed
services.
But underlying facts indicate
there must be some substantial cut
backs in war production soon after
VE Day. The thousands of cargo
ships diverted from 3,000 mile At
lantic run to 7,000 mile Pacific runs
would be able to make only half as
many trips and therefore could
transport only half as much mater
ial as they are now carrying. To
day perhaps 40% of our war ship
ment are going to the Pacific: 60%
are being carried across the At
lantic. If all our ships in the At
lantic could be switched to the Pac
—which is impossible—our
total fleet could carry only 70%
of our current shipments.
While the transfer of ships from
the Atlantic to the Pacific is being
made, goods will be stockpiled in
this country. Hence at some un
certain date, say three to six mon
ths after VE day, cutbacks far in
excess of 30% must take place.
War on the Pacific front is large
ly naval, air and amphibious. VE
day will cause many changes in
material requirements, and espec
ially in the proportions of various
items. Some war plants will have
100%, termination; some will have
; j___'i'afje 7_
It’s Aot too Late
Give to the Red Cross!
We Invite You to Use this Page,
to Express Your Thoughts, Ideas,
Editorially, whether pro or con
their orders stepped up. Locations
nearer the Pacific coast will be
preferred if they have sufficient
labor suppiy.
‘•ALLENTOWN PLAN" — which
I compels designated employes of
less essential industries to shift to
war plants—now begins to lose ef
fectiveness as novelty wears off,
say reports from some communit
ies where this WMC manpower
draft program has been in operat
ion. Dismissed workers either re
tire temporarily or get bootleg jobs
from desperate nonessential em
ployers.
Some union chiefs wink at viola
tions within their ranks. In most
communities public opinion is an
tagonistic.
O'Mahoney-Kilgore Bill before
Senate simply proposes to give leg
islative sanction to WMC direct ry
es. Washington thinks this has
slightly better chance of becoming
law than stronger May-Bailey Bill
passed by House.
EXTENSION OF RENEGOTI
ATION ACT: Director of Contracts
Settlement, Robert H. Hinckley,
finds that renegotiation aids spee
dy settlement of terminated war
contracts. Reason: when contrac
tors are sure they have already
realized as large profits as they
will be allowed, it doesn’t make
sense to demand additional money
for terminating the contract only
to turn around and give the money
back as excessive profits in rene
gotiation. "Within the limits of
their renegonaoie profits, therefore
many contractors have been willing
to waive claims against the govern
ment," says Director Hinckley.
Hence he supports Justice Byrnes’
recommendation that the Renegot
iation Act be extended to December
1, 1945, "because of beneficial ef
fect of such an extension on the
quick settlement of terminated
contract during high level war pro
duction."
OHEALTHV GADS in capital
values—Morgen thau’s description
of current profits on sales of farms
homes, stocks—are under attack,
ederal Reserve chairman Kccles
would impose 90% tax on profits
from security and real estate sales,
deritcd from purchases made after
a certain "cut-off” date and sold
within, say, two years. Onwership
beyond two years would reduce tax
rate perhaps by 10 percentage
points each year until 25% is reach
ed.
Farmers lead opposition. Say
tax would hold down sale prices
obtainable by farmers ready to re
tire. Another claim: proposed tax
would slow down reconversion.
Would tend to hold off market as
sets needed for business purposes.
ongress so far has no willingness
to pass the required legislation.
30-HOl'K WEEK! Preparing for
reduced industrial activity during
reconversion period, labor unions
are demanding contract clauses to
(bar layoffs of "regular” employes
until work week has been reduced
to 30 hours.
Even after 30 hour week has
been reached, layoffs of “regulars”
could not be made until the end of
a waiting period of four to eight
weeks. Layoffs, of course, would
be by seniority.
Such nonflexible work-sharing
programs are opposed by manage
ment because:
1. Present working force would
be frozen with many inefficient and
marginal workers. Management
should be able to select a reduced
working force of the most efficient
workers for the specialized require
ments of chanegover to civilian
production.
2. 30-hour week would provide
unions with strong argument for
higher base wage rates, not only to
offset loss of overtime above 40
hours, but loss of regular pay be
low 40 hours. Increases would be
sought even if reduced schedules
were temporary.
Some mimngrments yield If con
ceded the right to select for reten
tion S% of nil workers regardless
off their seniority.
truck out of balance, and of course, this leads to oth- r
er troubles.
The state law requires that all trucks shall haul
loads according to the amount for which they are
registered.
If any load extends over four feet beyond the rear
of the body of the truck, it must be indicated by a
red! flag 12 inches by 12 inches. After sunset, a red
light should be displayed.
W eekly Summary
of Editorials About or Concerning Negroes from
Daily Newspapers Throughtout the Country.
(Compiled by the National Association for the Advancement of Col
ored People, 69 Fifth Avenue, New York, 3, New York)
NEGRO NURSES
1. “American armed, forces are short more than
10,000 nurses at a time when their medical needs
show many signs of continuing to increase. Mean
time, of the 9,000 Negro women who are graduate
nurses, less than 300 are in the Army. The Navy
bars them entirely. According to Mrs. Mabel K.
Staupers, head of the National Association of Col
ored Garduate Nurses, applications by members for
Army Nursing Coips commissions are ‘studiously
ignored.; Yet Negro nuhses work with white ones
and care for both white and Negro patients in a
number of civilian hospitals in northern cities. Sure
ly race prejudice among wounded soldiers and sail
ors is not so general as the policy of the armed serv
ices appears toassume.”
(Chicago Sun, January 16, 1945)
2- “ ‘Dear Mr. Winehell: As I listen each Sun
day evening, I am more convinced you are honestly
and conscientiously trying to help win the war and
make possible the winning of the peace. You men
tioned the desperate need for nurses for the armed
forces. Can you as an honest reporter continue to
make the plea for nurses without adding the Army
wants white nurses ? Of the 9,000 registered Negro
nurses, the Army has taken 247, while the Navy
has taken not a one. Yet, we are told that 10,000
nurses are needed at once and may be drafted.
Won’t you say a word about this?”
Richmond-Times Dispatch, January 17, 1945.
I.etter printed in Column by Walter Winehell.)
3. “We received a ‘private' letter the other day
written on American Red Cross stationery from an
army hospital. It was written to express apprecia
tion for a recent editorial about our Japanese-Am
erican citizens. The writer is a lieutenant in the
army, although his last name is distinctly Japanese.
‘Hundreds of American-Japanese (he wrote) now
ile sleeping in the hills of Italy, the plains of France
and the jungles of the Pacific. And thousands
more are gallantly fighting for the Stars and Strip
es all oved the world. Wherever they are, whatev
er they are doing, I know that they are sending you
their blessings and best wishes.”
(Des Moines Register, January 19, 1945)
HOUSING
1. “The Mayor’s Committee on Race Relations
is profoundly right when it declares that ‘controv
ersial’ issues affecting racial tensions cannot be let
alone. .. .The committee has been criticized for not
moving fast enough, but it cannot be accused of
false complacency.... In 1944 the committee ad
dressed itself largely to educational work and ac
tion to relieve immediate tensions. In 1945 it must
aggressively attack the sources of tension Import
ant as other phases are, no field offers a greater
challenge than that of housing. Both in obtaining
immediate construction to ease the wartime emer
gency, and in removing restrictions which confine
Negroes to a badly overcrowded area, the commit
tee lias much hard work ahead.”
(Chicago Sun, January 20, 1945)
EDUCATION
1. “ ‘The Negro does not want equality of ident
ity; he wants equality of opportunity.’ This was
R. I. Brigham, instructor in English at the Univers
ity of Missouri, speaking at a Sunday afternoon
forum of teachers and students, some from Lincoln
University, at Columbia. It was another in the ser
ies of discussions and polls aimed at endng the
wasteful and farcal policy by which the State per
mits university discrimination against the Negro..
St. Louis University and Missouri Bible College
have reminded the people of the State that on moral
grounds, as well as intellectual and democratic
grounds, they must eventually meet an obligation to
give fair educational opportunities to all.”
(St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 20, 1945.)
MISCELLANEOUS
1. “Members of the Mississippi Congressional
delegation met last week to welcome one of their
State’s war heroes—Lt. Van T. Barfoot, of Carth
age, Miss.... Barfoot told some of his experiences
in comabt and tried to answer questions. One of
them finally came from Sen. Theodore fThe Man)
Bilbo on his favorite subject. ‘Lieutenant,’ Bilbo
asked, ‘did you have much trouble with Negroes ov
er there?’ Bilbo was set back on his heels when the
lieutenant drawled: ‘Mr. Senator, I found out after
I did some fivhtin’ in this war the colored boys
fights just as good as the white boys. 1 have
changed my deas a lot about colored people since I
got into this wrar, and so have a lot of other boys
from the South. We’ve found the colored boys all
right ’ Then Lt. Barfoot quietly volunteered this
information: ‘Coming up to Washington on the
train, I went into the diner and found it full. The
waiter told me I’d have to wait, but I could see, be
hind a little curtain a colored Army captain sitting
tain and we had a fine chat.’ Senator Bilbo then
launched ino a long peroration about what a great
friend of the Negro race he is, telling, among other
things, how he proposed transplanting American
Negroes to Liberia.”
(Philadephia Record, January 18, 1945. Column by Drew Pearson)
2. “The Greenville Newrs could, or we hope
that it could, stop its distant rumbling about ‘basic
philosophy’ and tell its readers whether or not the
federal government should be an insurance comp
any, buy up state colleges in South Carolina, seize
Santee-Cooper which is nowr referred to as ‘state
ow'ned,’ abolish poll taxes and sustain Mr. Roose
velt in demand for all artificial restriction on vot
ing. Artificial restricton on votng has always pre
vailed in South Carolina except in ‘Reconstruction.’
If South Carolina shall adhere to the Roosevelt
party it will adopt democracy and! that means ad
mission of negroes (sic) into all the industries in
cluding Greenville’s cotton mills and finally, into
the state colleges. .. .The Roosevelt administration
is democratic, and in a democratic South, white peo
ple cannot live in the coming generations and stay
white.”
Charleston News and Courier, January 15, 1945)
3. “Counties of South Carolina in which are
most of the obese textile corporations and in which
the white population outnumbers the negroes (sic)
seemingly do not produce the tall qualities of state
craft ha grow' luxuriously in counties more given to
agriculture and in which negroes (sic) predominate
in the population... .We believe that it is a safe
affirmation, found on observation of the present
set-up, that Collton, Charleston or Barnwell will
grow' three statesmen to the acre to one that any
Piedmont county can accouche. It may be that
fertilization is better understood and practiced in
the southern districts.”
Charleston News and Courier, January 17. 1945.)
