’ Helping Or Hindering The Advancement Of The Negro? and 0 i I /JUSTICE / EQUALITY HEW TO THE LINE \ EQUAL OPPORTUNITY PHONE HA.0800 + ^ ^ ^ "Largest Accredited Negro Newspaper West of Chicago and North of KC■ ^ ^ Entered as 2nd class matter at Post-oftice, Omaha, Nebr., Under Act of r. j. j a -i i a *nA- , , _ _ _ . _ __ March 8, 1874. Publishing Offices at 2420 Grant Street, Omaha, Nebr ScLturd&y, April 14, 1945 ^ 10c Per Copy OliP 18th Ye3X, No. 10 .—----- :■■■ . .- - '1 • .. . .- .===== .-=-= Primary Election i i :. ) fgJByift .IfZ? ^aamfmumisMmm;witte: » Are “Race Relations’ Advisors’ Negro Business Independent Enterprises Losing Trained Personnel To Latest ‘Negro Profession’ by Thyra Edwards •) NEW YORK — President Roose telt's New Deal will be important in tile history of the American Negro mainly because it created a new pro Q fessional outlet for college-trained colored men and women, providing an avenue for lucrative careers in the business of "advising" white people in high places what to do jwhen Negroes demand too much or shove' signs of exploding from too ’much economic and social preasure. O Negro business, independent en 0 terprise are suffering from a short age of trained personnell in the ex pansion of insurance companies. development of Negro banks, chair stores and cooperatives and tlx bringing of modern techniques ol news gathering and reporting intc the Negro publishing field, the field of professional politics is also suf fering as is to some extent, the field of education. The drain on the av ailable trained persons for such tasks has been brought about main ly because Washington's countless bureaucrats need ''instruction” on how to handle Negro problems. That is why the so-called “race specialist" the "race consultants,” the "advisors (Continued on JigF’page 8) “I Always Wondered What Hell Might Be Like.Now I Know” (1REAT RAKES, IRK., April 9— ■“I always wondered what Hell might be like. Now, I know. I was in the assault on Peleliu." These are the words of a former Chicago mechanic, Rossie R. Purdie Seaman, First Class of 4115 Indiana Avenue, Chicago, 111., who is now recuperating in the IT. S. Naval Hospital here. Purdie was a member of the 17th Special U. S. Naval Construction Battalion that landed at Peleliu on “D” day and fought with the Mar ines to take that tiny island from the Japs in one of the bloodiest bat tles of the Pacific war. The Sea bees were to serve as litter bear ers and ammunition carriers; but when they hit the beach the Jap re sistance was so fierce, they' were called into combat and in the words of Purdie, “Everybody turned to, there wasn't a goldbrick on the is land." Purdie was in the sector designat ed “white beach.” In spite of val iant fighting there, our forces at 0 the close of the first day were still close to the water's edge. Here's how Purdie describes the scene: "Jap fire had kept us pinned to the beach. At nightfall we were pretty well dug in. Word was pass ed not to shoot because we didn’t waKt to give our position away. Anyhow, we eouldnt see the Japs so we just lay in our holes not knowing where the Japs were and hoping they couldn't find us pray ing and waiting for morning. Then, when dawn came, hell broke loose The sneaky Japs during the night had crawled Into our lines. They wpre all among us before we knew it. But when we did find out, we went to work. We were too bunch ed up to shoot. So we had to use our knives in hand-to-hand combat, ft was awful. IT *T hadn't been trained in how to use the knife I'm sure I wouldn't be here today. We finally beat them back after thinn ing them out a little." On the ninth day of the battle, Purdie got a bullet wound in his hip but he applied first aid to himself and kept fighting. As he says, "when you see your shipmates drop ping al laround, you just can’t quit" On the tenth day, however, this plucky Seabee was knocked out by an exploding mortar shell and had to quit. His mates in the 17th Sea bee Battalion stayed in the fight with the famous First Marine Div ision until the coveted airstrip on ItOSSIR It. PI RDIRj—<“He Wear* the Purple Heart" (Official Ut S Navy Photo) C.REAT LAKES, ILL., April! Rossie R. Purdie, Seaman, First Class 4115 Indiana Avenue, Chicago 111., was a member of the 17th Spec ial IT. S. Naval Construction Battal ion that landed at Peleliu on TV day and fought with the Marines to take the tiny island. He is now at the U. S. Naval Hospital here. For eight days he weathered Jap fire as the Americans advanced inch by inch from the water's edge. On the ninth day, he was wounded in the hip. He applied first aid to himself and kept on fighting. "When you see your shipmates dropping all around, you can't -—_/ ed win a war. I reckon that those boys inthe 411 Infantry are finding out what all the rest of us white Southerners are beginning to find out—that our neighbor of a different color never had anything that was real against us, and that we got took in by Jim Crow's lies when we thought him our enemy. I reckon that Dixie is finding out who the real enemy is. I just reckon he's a mean old bird that we've let roost in Dixie too long. I"""1 ———■ 111 ' trained. After receiving their recruit train ing at Hunter College, New York City, and the usual recruit leave, these WAVES were given further training in the Navy's Hospital Corpsman School at the National Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland. Upon graduation they were advanc ed in rating and sent to the U. S. Naval Hospital here. Waves Inez Patterson and Kath erine Horton are assigned to the re cord office of the hospital. In this work, they are able to combine their civilian work experience and Navy training. Before entering into the service Inez Patterson. HAlc was a file clerk for a New York realty company. While Katherine Horton, HA2e was employed in the office of a contracting firm. Ruth C. Isaacs, HAlc is assigned to one of the wards of the hospital. These duties provide one step toward her ambit ion to be a nurse for she intends to enroll in a nurses training school after the war. ALL WOMAN JURY ACQUITS STABBER The first all-woman jury to serve in Omaha last Friday night acquit ted Tyler G. Butler. 28, of 2224 Maple street, accused of manslaugh ter in the death last November of Edward Mease. The jury received the case at noon, returned with the verdict at 10:30 pm. Butler contended that - M/ ase, who was stabbed during the fight at 24th and Lake streets, called him bad names and provoked the fight. An ex-serviceman with a medical discharge, Butler testified that in self defense he stabbed Mease with a pocket knife. Mease died soon afterwards. WOMAN FINED IN STABBING Mamie Harvey, 2120 North 27th avenue, arrested last Friday night after an altercation in which John Wright, 63, same address, was stab bed in the shoulder with a pair of scissors, Saturday was fined $25 by Municipal Judge Wheeler. Call For Probe at Fort Devens New York—Declaring that the voiding of the sentences of four Negro WACs and their restoration to duty settled only "their indiv idual predicament," the NAACP re newed its demand for a thorough investigation of discriminatory treat ment at Port Devens, Mass., in a letter to Henry L. Stimson, Secret ary of war. "It seems to us." wrote Acting Secretary Roy Wilkins, "that the War department in taking this ac tion (voiding sentences) recognized the eristence of conditions which would provoke so serious an action as a violation of the 64th Article of War.” The NAACP reminded Secratary Stimson that it had written on March 15, four days before the trial of the WACs, urging a complete in vestigation at Devens and the re moval of Colonel Walter M. Cran dell, Si/isetiuently' (Colonel '"ran dell was given a thirty day leave. WALTER WHITE RETI RAS FROM PACIFIC San Francisco—Walter White, NAACP secretary arrived here April 5 in a B-24 plane after a 381 hour trip from Australia. Mr. White who has just returned front a four months trip as New York Post War correspondent, observing the treat ment and role of Negro soldiers in the Pacific, is expected to make a first-hand report to the Board of Directors meeting in the national office Monday afternoon, April 9. Since his departure, from the States last December 4, the NAACP secretary has visited Hawaii, John ston Kwagalein, Guam, Saipan, the Philippines and Dutch Guinea, and has conferred with high army anc navy officials. SUBSCRIBE NOW! * BRANCHES READY FOR KICK-OFF IN CAMPAIGN j Omaha Branch j Campaign Not Ready As Yet NEW YORK—The annual spring membership campaign of the NAA CP is ready for the kickoff April 15 in the greatest nation-wide drive in the history of the 36-year old civil rights organization, according to Ella J. Baker, director of branch es. The goal for 1945 is 600,000 mem bers. Some local units already have held their drives, racking up gains as high as 100 percent over 1944. Some cities will campaign next fall, but the vast majority await the go signal April 15 and will comb their' communities between then and June 30th. Those determined to step up mem bership objectives far in excess of 1 944 figures in the April 15 group include: St. Louis, Mo.; Washing ton, DC ; Dallas, Texas; New Or leans, La.; Atlanta, Ga.; Birming ham, Ala.; San Antonio, Texas; Ba ton Rouge, La.; Elizabeth, NJ.: Columbus. Ohio; Trenton, NJ.; Cor pus Christi, Texas; Portland, Ore gon; Louisville, Ky.; and Cincinnati Ohio. Other branches listing later cam paigns include: Bessemer, Ala.; Montgomery, Ala.; Little Rock, Ark. Lon Beach. Calif.; Tulare, Calif.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Albany, Ga.; Brunswick, Ga.; Decatur, 111.; Ev ansville Ind.; Muncie, Ind.; Keokuk, la.; Lawrence, Kansas; Topeka, Kan sas; Monroe, La.; Butler County, Mo Orange, NJ.; Perth Amboy, NJ.; Montclair, NJ.; Winston-Salem, NC; Dover, Ohio; Trumbull County, Ohio Youngstown, Ohio; Willow' Grove, Pa.; York. Pa.; Aiken, SC.: Austin, Texas; Beaumont, Teras; Longview Texas; Tyler, Texas; Newport News Va.; Loudon County, Va.: and Mor gantown. W Va. Field Secretary Daisy Lampkin is now in the midst of the Cincinnati campaign, while Donald Jones and Mrs. Irvena Ming will conduct driv es in Memphis and Dover, Delaware beginnng April 15. New York wTill open with a radio broadcast featuring work of the N AACP in a half-hour program over station WNYC, 4 to 4:30 pm. w'ith speakers Arthur B. Spingarn, presi dent National Board of Directors, Roy Wilkins, acting NAACP Secre tary Edward R. Dudley, assistant special counsel and Miss H. Maude Turner, financial secretary of the New' York branch who will serve as chairman. Ferdinand K. Smith Reelected Secretary of Nat’l Maritime Union HONEST BALLOT ASSOCIATION REPORT ENDORSED AT MEMBERSHIP MEETING New York, April 2—Ferdinand C. Smith nationally prominent Negro leader who resigned last November asc secretary of the National Mari time Union, CIO, has been re-elected to that post, the Union announced today. Results of the special bi-election, which ended March 15, were endors ed by the membership at a meeting here Thursday evening following a report by George J. Abrams, chief investigator for the Honest Ballot Association, which supervised the counting. There were four candl dates for the office. Neal Hanley, a National Director of the Union, who had been serving as secretary pro tern, was runner-up in the balloting. He was the first to congratulate Smith stating he would give him "unqualified support in carrying out the policies and pro gram of the Union. That is the sent iment of the entire membership.” As part of his duties, Smith will help carry out the long-range decis ions reached at the Union's recently concluded National Council meeting to make more effective the Union's program to speed victory in the war and to achieve improved wages and working conditions for all merchant seamen. The membership meeting Thurs day also approved National Council decisions supporting the Crimea Conference, Dumbarton Oaks pro posals, the Bretton Woods plan, and continued labor-management coop eration after the war. ) We know that you are powerful ly busy these days, working and the like,—but remember your boys : and girls who are overthere battl ing for this very right we beseech you to exercise—IT IS YOUR DUTY AND YOUR PRIVILEGE TO VOTE! Keep the Home Frdnt Intact until its over, over there. Omaha* city primary election will | be held on Tuesday. April 17th. The J final election will be held May 15th. I That means that it is time, once a gain, for ail Omahans on the home front, to carefully evaluate the var ious candidates, and decide who shall represent us on the City Coun cil for the next three years. GET OUT AND VOTER! Changes in Polling Places It is the constant aif of the Elec tion Commissioner’s office to main tain the various polling places at the same locations for each succes sive election so that the voting public may know where to vote without the necessity of inquiring at each election for such informa tion. Where changes in polling places are necessary, postal card notices advising of such changes are mailed to each house number of which the Election Commissioner's office has record in the voting dis trict affected. These cards will be mailed in the n§xt few days. On election day all our telephone lines are in continuous use and the demand for this kind of informat ion is so great that it is impos sible to install enough telephone lines and train sufficient number of map experts, for a single days em ployment, to handle the hundreds of telephone calls that swamp this of fice. V\ e therefore respectfully urge voters who have changed their res idence sine the last lection or Nov. mber 7, 1944, to ascertain from their neighbors, residing in the same block and on the same side of the street, the location of the polling place for that particular district. This is a quicker and more satis factory method than waiting until election day to call the Election Commissioner’s office. Following is a list of polling places which have been changed since the last election. FIRST WARD Formerly: 4 ist. Frailer Furnace and Sheet Iron Works, 2920 Mere dith Ave„—NOVV Omaha Public Li brary, Nortr Side branch, 4503 No. 29th St.. North Entrance. Formerly 14 Dist. Stark Drug Store, 3423 North 30th St.,—NOW Stark Drug Store, 3501 North 30th. SECOND WARD Formerly 10 ist. Sewing Shop, 191S North 24th St., vow Crosstown Dressmaking Shop, 2022 North 24th Street. THIRD WARD Formerly 5th Dist. Church N. E. Corner 19th and Cass St., vow De pendable Mfg. go., 1908’ California St., West entrance. Formerly 8th Dist, D & F Rrok crage Co_939 North 24th Street— NOW Barber Shop, 2422 Cuming St Formerly 10 Dist. Palace Ambul ance and Liery Co., 2124 Cuming St., NOW Douglas County Assist ance Bureau, Entrance in rear, 2101 Cuming St. FOURTH WARD Formerly 4th Dist. F E Daven port and Co., 2034 Farnam St., NOW Sol Lewis, G. E. Electric Appli ances 2020 Farnam St. FIFTH WARD Formerly 8th District Dietz Meth odist Church, Easement, 1422 South 10th St., NOW' jChrist Child Center, 1248 South 10th St., (Gymnasium) Formerly 13th Diet. Monarch Fur niture Co., 1617 Vinton St.. NOW St. Patrick's Hall (Basement) East entrance, 14th and Castellar St. EK.HTII WARD Formerly 14th Dist. Kounlze Mem orial Mission, 60th and Walnut Sts, NOW Washington School, 55th St. and Mayberry Ave., So. entrance. ninth ward Formerly 1 41li Dist. Coca Cola Bottling Co., 3852 Farnam St. NOW It. I Scott Machine Shop, 4009 Far nam St. TENTH WARD Formerly 4th Dist. Austin Apart ments No. 1, Basement in rear 3711 Davenport St., NOW Joslyn Castle Garage, South entrance, 3902 Daven -port St. ELEVENTH WARD Formerly 16th Dist. Texaco Ser vice Station, 45th and Lake Streets, NOW Clifton Hill School, South entrance, 3902 Davenport St. The polls will be open from 8 A M to 9 P M , which is the time for City Primary Elections. However, the Special Election relative to the Charter Amendment pertaining to the Municipal Stadium will close at 8 pm , this election being controll ed by the general election laws which specify 8 pm as the closing time for all elections except the City of Omaha Primary'. Joseph A Vojir, Election Comm issioner of Douglas County, N'ehr. niLLKIB IS LACIIRI) FOR VISION AND FAITH New York—The ate Wended L. WillkSe wan lauded Saturday by Gov. Raymond K Baldwin of Con necticut as a man ‘‘who reached be yond the minds of people to their aspirations." Speaking at, a program fostering good will between the United Stat es and Africa, the Governor paid tribute to the 1940 Republican pres idential nominee for his vision and faith in the concept of one world for ad men, and added that unversal freedom is the only foundation for a lasting peace. ANTI DISCRIMINATION HILL GAINS IN NEW JERSEY Trenton, NJ , The New Jersey House of Representatives last Fri day passed a fair employment prac tices bill designed to outlaw dis crimination in employment because of race, creed, color, national orig in or ancestry. The measure, sponsored by Rep resentative James O. Hill Negro Rpublican from Newark, was ap proved by a vote of 5l’ to 2. It now goes to the Senate.