9
/JUSTICE/EQUALITY HEW TO THE UNE~\
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY PHONE HA.0800
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^ O ^ "Largest Accredited Negro Newspaper West of Chicago and North of KC• ^ "O ^ ^
Entered as 2nd class matter at Post-oftice. Omaha, Nebr., Under Act of n . n mir- _ _
March 8, 1874. Publishing Offices at 2420 Grant Street, Omaha, Nebr SEturtlEy, Sept. 8, 1945 ^ 10c Por Copy Ollr 18th Y6EP—No. 31
Omaha Urban League, Young Citizens Forum Announce Appointment of Teachers in Public School System
“Caldonia” . filmer
N ICKIE OTJA NIKI. AND COCIS JORDAN IN AN INTIMATE SCENE
LOUS JORDAN PROVES CHEAT
AS FILM ACTOR;“CALDONIA"
DERI TS IN NEW YORK CITY
(BY DOLORES CALVIN)
New York City (CNS) "Caidonia'
bas arrived. The film featurett \
stuffed with four new tunes and
adorned with the Bobby Soxer's
King. Louis Jordan, as its star,
makes its initial bow in New York
this week at the New Amsterdam
Theatre in Times Square. It will
be the first time the celebrated
bandleader has appeared on the
screen in a film acted in and at the
same time’produced by Negroes.
The 2 minute featurette, costing
approximately 13,000 to produce,
gives its Negro east a chance to
prove its talents, besides introduc
ing four hit tunes, including, of
course, the sorg Jordan made fam
ous, "Caidonia.”
The film otoiv .s simple but car
ries a direct appeal. There is no
Uncle Tom ism The actors act their
parts not saunter through them laz
ily as "Caidonia" starts off stepping
lively.
Caidonia Jjri an's film sweetheart
is really Nicki O’Daniel whose
whole purpose in the picture is to
keep Louie in New York to be near
her. Nixing a Hollywood contract,
Louie stays. Richard Huey, 250 lb
Bro- dway star of “Bloomer Girl"
convinced Jordan he is a Harlem
producer of note. He hires the Jor
dan band to make a movie in his
studio where, with his brilliant
ideas, he can elaborate on his film
equipment. Unfortunately, as
Huey’s ideas blossom creditors be
gin removing the equipment piece
by piece. Last to go is the piano
and somebody’s still playing it.
All this time a frustrated Jordan
repeats to beautiful but hard-head
ed Caldonia “All this trouble and I
could be in Hollywood.” There’s
the setting for the song hit. How
ever, before the 2 minutes are over,
they managi to include the love
scene of Jordan and Caldonia. the
dance team of Taylor and Harris,
comedians George Wilshire a>d
.Sporty Ode and 3 Sun Tan Girls.
Actually filmed last winter, As
tor IMctures Corp, in New York just
released “Caldonia* August 15th for
country-wide public consumption.
They believe this featurette will be
one. of many by Jordan and that in
its giving unique entertainment to
•he nation, ic wil’ also instil a cour
age in Neg'r > youth to do things for
hemselves.
There’s progress in the theatre as
‘Caldonia” moves n to oeeome, l.ke
Louis Jordar himself, one of the
greatest little attractions in years.
The Red Cross on the Job
MANILA PI—European war vet
erans. first to arrive in Manila by
direct transfer discover the famil
iar Red Cross doughnut girl and
her tray of refreshments. Mrs. Let
tie Warrington Werner of Corvallis,
Oregon, is one of 15 Red Cross
workers who set up mobile canteens
near the railroad tracks when the
GIs moved in from landing craft.
These combat units from Italy de
voured 10,000 doughnuts and 35#
gallons of iced punch.
Final Appeal for Nat’l War Fnnd
will be Made This Coming Fall
XJie final appeal for the National
War Fund will be made this fall,
with the budget set at $ 11 S.OOO.OOO
in order to finance member agenc
ies to liquidation or the end of
1946, according to advices to V. J.
Skutt, general chairman oT Omahas
Victory Fund and Community Chest
Campaign, which raises the funis
?>i National War Fund in Omaha.
Skutt stated that the National
War Fund had advised him that
7-J Day does not signify immediate
end to the work of member agenc
ies of the Fund, with the exception
cf American Field Service.
USO- and USO-Camp Shows must
carry on their programs for our
service men until demobilization is
»u actuality, Skutt said.
While it is expected there will be
shifts and reductions in the ,USO
vudget. the work in the Pacific
.vill have to be maintained at a
high level and USO-Camp Shows
will face expanded programs, for
men w-ho are in forces of occupa
tion.
United Seamen's Service will al
so have to continue its work while
the merchant fleets are engaged in
bringing men and materials home.
No immediate change is in sight
for the budgets of the foreign re
lief agencies which are members of
the National War Fund, Skutt con
tinued. He pointed out that Presi
dent Truman, in his report to the
peoy' after his return from Pots
dar ’ad made it clear that the
people of this nation have a respon
sibility to aid the war victims of
those nationg which fought with us
President Truman said:
“If we let Europe go cold and
hungry, we may lose some of the
foundations of order on which the
hopes for world peace must rest.”
Skutt also pointed out that peace
In the Pfcific also now makes it
possible to render increased aid to
the Philippines and to give all pos
sible aid to China, both in great
need.
In its appeal this fall, the \ ictory
Fund and Community Chest will
urge Omahans t<y “Be Generous in
Victory—We still have a Job to Do!
-— — — ■ . — . ' ~===^~ - '■ 1 -1L- " ■ ... "
Senator Bilbo Denounced
By Fellow Mississippians
_
Southern White Editors
Oppose Anti-Negro Statements
Of Eastland, Bilbo
NEW YORK, NY—New and con-{
elusive prooi tnat tne nate Inspired
Southern Congressional bloc mis
represents Southern opinion in its
outbursts of racial prejudice is con
tained in a poll of 251 Southern
white newspaper editors by the
Southern Conference for Human !
Welfare.
The editors, representing public
ations from all 13 southern states, '
overwhelmingly opposed the anti- !
Negro statement of Mississippi’s
Senator James Eastland “The Negro
soldier was an utter and abysmal
failure in combat in Europe. He
has disgraced the flag of his coun
try," \\ hich created such a wave of
protest from progressive groups
throughout the nation.
Seventy-five and one-hait percent
stated that this view did not reflect
the ‘prevailing opinion of the sou
thern people" Only 10 percent
voted yes on this question, with
14% percent undecided Eighty
three percent scored Sen. Eastlands
canard as a “hazard to the nation's
war effort.” Only five percent up
held hia views.
This denunciation of Sen East
land and the philosophy of his col
league. Sen. Bilbo, is expected to
provide one of the most forceful
arguments when proponents _of
a permanent FEPC and anti-poll
tax legislation presa for Congress
ional action after Congress recon
venes. Dr. Clark Forman president
stated at the Conference's New
York headquarters in releasing the
results of the poll. Both these bills
will receive full support from the
CIO-PAC which has marked them
as “musts” in its legislative pro
gram.
In discussing the survey Dr. Fore
man stated: “Such polls as these
prove conclusively that the south
ern representation in Congress, in
reality, represents only an infin
itesimal fraction of the south's
population. The opinions of these
editors indicates further a growing
realization of the vast econom'c and
social problems that face the south
in the reconversion period. These
problems can only be solved when
the representatives direct their at
tention to specific issues instead of
creating racial friction in order to
maintain their political power.”
Dr. Foreman supported his con
tention by reminding that less than
18 percent of the adult population
of Mississippi voted in the last
presidential election and that Con
gressman Rankin was elected by
only six percent of the voters in his
district.
The Southern Conference is work I
ing in close cooperation with CIO I
unions in the south to elevate that
section of the country to its proper
place in the national economy aa an
area of great industrialization and
production. The Conference was
officially endorsed by the National
CIO last November and received an
added vote of approval at a recent
meeting of the southern^CiO offic
ials.
\OT CONNECTED WITH RAIL
ROAD MEN’S BENEVOLENT CLVB
The OMAHA DINING CAR WAIT
ERS KEY CLUB wishes to convey
to the public that we have no con
nections with the Railroad Men’s
Benevolent Club located at 24th iV
Miami streets. We remain as al
ways at 2409 Burdette Street.
Alexander Smith, President, Alton
B. Goode. Secretary.
To Subscribe for
Omaha’s Greater
Negro Weekly
CALL HA-0800
To Child Welfare
Work in China
V IN'IT A VIRGINIA LEWIS, prom
inent authority on child welfare
formerly with the Children's Bur
eau of the U. S. Department of La
bor, has joined the staff of the Uni
ted Nations Relief and Rehabilita
tion Administration for child wel
fare work In China. She will go
on loan to the Chinese Relief and
R e h a bilitation Administration,
where she will work under Dr. T. F.
Chang, who is well known in Amer
ican social work circles. Miss Lew
is is scheduled to fly to Chungking
in September.
Miss Lewis’ appointment was ap
proved by the Chinese Government
on 15 June, while she was still at
the Children’s Bureau. Generali}
regarded as the best qualified per
son for the post, she was urged by
social worker groups and the Na
tional Council of Negro Women to
accept on the basis of the service
she could render. This considerat
ion shaped her decision.
In China, Miss Lewis will be bring
ing into play all of her distinguished
experience in the child welfare
field, which has included work on a
state and national basis, throughout
this country. She will be working
directly with the Chinese govern
ment and through the Chinese Re
lief and Rehabilitation Administra
tion. She will also work with na
tional figures in the Chinese child
welfare movement, and with volun
tary religious organizations which
have a long history of achievement
in child care in China.
On the basis of the work they
have already done, she will intro
duce them to the progress made in
this country in both public and pri
vate welfare programs, and estab
lish a link between American and
Chinese thinking on the subject.
This is in line with UNRRA policy,
which is to adapt its relief progrr
to government policy and national J
will rather than impose it from
without. i
Programs affecting the care of
children, such as emergency shelt
er, feeding, investigations of condi-,
tions affecting family and Co urn
unity life will also be of direct con
cern to Miss Lewis, who will be con;
cerned with the problems of child
ren in both rural and urban areas.
The homeless, abandoned and de
pendent children for whom Miss
Lewis will be working out a pro
gram will be reaping the benefits of
BILBO CALLED “UNFIT TO SIT WITH
HONEST MEN IN LEGISLATURE”
HEADLNE MAG, SAYS BILBO ACCEPTED
BRIBE TO CHANGE HIS VOTE...
Senator Theodore Bilbo of Miss
issippi was called "unfit to sit with
honest, upright men in a respectable
legislative body” by his fellow Mis
sissippi State legislators, according
to a story of his life in the Septem
ber issue of Headlines and Pictur
es. The occasion for the denuncia
tion was the revelation by Bilbo
that he had accepted a $645.00 bribe
to change his vote when the legis
lators were choosing a man to fill
Mississippi’s vacant seat in the Uni
ted States Senate.
Bilbo’s rise from a small-town
politician from Juniper Grove. Miss,
to become the scourge of minority
and liberal groups in the highest
legislative body in this country is
best explained by the depressed
condition of those whom he repre
sents. Garrulous and vindictive,
he has taRen pride in his role as
the “dead-end kid” of the United
States Senate.
Although many persons would dis
agree with his disscription of him
self as a “marvel of intellectual
brilliance,” he has established him
self as a worthy successor in the
long line of Dixie demagogues.
Individuals and organizations
from South to North have joined in
denouncing Bilbo's most recent
floods of investives against various
minority groups in this country.
Now that he has announced that
he is a candidate for reelection it
remains to be seen if his own small
voting public has been affected by
the wholesale condemnation of
their elected representative.
The story of his life in Headlin
es and Pictures traces his career
from its beginning to the present,
and gives a startling insight into
the circumstances which have pro
duced “The Man.”
Negro Worker
Needs Full Job Bill
WHITE TELLS SENATE UHOH* 0
Washington, DC.—Negro workers |
who got employment largely n e
mergency war time planU ana hi ,
temporary civil service jobs, need
the Full Employment Bill passed ^
by Congress, Walter White NAA
CP secretary, told the Senate Bank -
ing and Currency committee Aug
ust 29th.
Not only doeg the Negro need the j
bill, but his fortunes as a wage I
earner will form an impot tant as ;
reel of the who'e problem of post
war employment,” Mr. Whit-j said.
her years of work with the Negro |
minori y gro> p and her understand- 1
ing of its problems in this country.
As Miss Lewis puts it. work with
minorities requires not only under
standing of the minority and its
problems, but also complete under- I
standing of the entire social and
government setting in which they
live.
Sleeping Car Porters Win Mediation
Board Election on Union Pacific System
Mr. Lawrence Farmer^ Mediator^
from the National Mediation Boards
| conducted a system election on the
I Union Pacific Railroad among
| chair car attendants on that system
The votes were counted in Saint
j Paul on the 29th day of August in
! the presence of M. P. Webster. In
' ternational First Vice President of
I the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car
Porfters, and B. L. Morris. Twin
Cities representative of the same
Organization.
The count for the Brotherhood of
Sleeping Car Porters. AF. of u.t
was 178; for CIO; 1. There were
237 men on the system eligible to
vote so that the vote gives the Bro
therhood of Sleeping Car Porters a
clear majority and the question of
certification as the duly authorised
representative of this group is just
a matter of form.
This adds the last class-ore rail
road to the long list of railroads
where the porters are represented
by the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car
Forters.
JOE MI M os DISCHARGE— New
(CNS) Looking fit and taut, as he
did when he fought Abe Simon in
March> 1942t Sgt- oe Louis appeared
in town this week weighing an edge
over 200 pounds. He was mum as
to whether he might soon he out of
He army. Too he was silent as to
whether he has been secretly train
“While there has been a decided
increase,” he said, “in the number
of Negro workers employed in
what we consider continuing indus
tries. the majority of Negro work
ers have been employed in strictly
war production. According to the
War Manpower Commission's most
recent reports. the Negro labor
force in essential employment is
distributed in the following cate
gories: Shipbiulding 192,000; Air
craft production, 116,000; Ordnance
and communication equipment 122,
•00; Basic metals and rubber 103.
000; other munitions, 160,000. From |
these estimates it will be observed i
that 600,000 Negro workers are con
centrated in the industries tl.at now
suffer most severe cutbacks with
the coming of peace.
"With reference to the post war
prospects of the Negro worker it
may *be noted, on the basis of a
comparison of the 1940 and 1944
figures on the occupational and in
dustrial distribution of the Negro
labor force that (1) the Negro has
made his greatest employment
gains in those occupations (espec
ially semi-skilled factory jobs)
which will suffer the severest cut
backs during the post war period:
(2) further, he has made his biggest
advances in those industries (es
pecially the ‘metals, chemicals and
rubber’ group) which may exper
ience the greatest proportionate
post war declines.
“iFnally,’’ testified the NAACP.
secretary, “it also should be noted
that in those occupations and in
dustries in which the Negro has
made his greatest employment ad
vances, he was generally among the
last hired. Therefore, under senior
ity rules he is more likely to be
• a d off than the average worker in
ing hard for months.
Davenport, la.
Man Wins First
Civil Rights
Case
Davenport, Iowa— Charles yV.
Toney, president of the Davenport
branch of the NAACP, hag announc
ed that on August 8. 1945, the bran
ch won the first civil rights case
ever to be tried in that city.
Mr. Toney and his wife were the
complainants in the prosecution of
a local ice cream parlor proprietor
who had arbitrarily refused to
serve them. The Assistant County
attorney prosecuted the case, but as
a precautionary measure a Negro
attorney, S. oe Brown of Desmoines
was brought in to assist in the pros
ecution of the defendant.
The case was won before an all
white jury which deliberated only
ten minutes.
Parade to Feature
League Opening
Miss Mae B. Taylor, Chairman of
the Omaha Urban League Commun
ity Center's Neighborhood Comm
ittee, announced plans for the Fall
Opening of the League, 2213 Lake
Street, on September 24.
The theme of the opening will be
a Community Fair in which the 1
whole neighborhood will participate
Mr. John Watkins and Mr. Herbert
Patten, co-chairmen of the Parade
Committee, are arranging to have
a parade that will start at the Lea
gue after th moving picture show
for the children on the above men
tioned day and it will include all of
the children present, the Elks band,
Mr. Watkins’ orchestra, and floats
on which will be the crowned King
and Queen of the festival. The
king and queen will be named by
the Committee on Aw'ards led by
Mrs. Madeline Harold, and will be
selected from among the young
people who secure the most pledg
es cards of entrants and partici
pants in the Fair.
The Fair ittself will include an
Old Fiddler's 'CoITTest so any fid
dlers are urged to get in touch
with Mrs. Gertrude Brooks, chair
man -of the Program committee.
Other committee chairmen are:....
Mr. Saybert Hanger, Exhibit Com
mittee; Mrs. Lucille Clay, Arrange
ments Committee; and Mr. Henry
Biddiex, Refreshment Committee.
The Omaha Urban League is sup
ported by the Community Chest.
these occupations.
Mr. White pointed out that wide
spread unemployment and suffering
wrould speed the organization and
influence of organizations like the j
Ivu Klux Klan. The NAACP head I
also urged the enactment of the bill j
for a permanent FEPC, the nation
al housing bill, S. 1342. the Kilgore
unemployment compensation bill,
the Pepper amendment to the Wage
Hour act, the Wagner-Murray
Dingell social security bill, and a
federal anti-lynching law.
Democrats To Be Judged
by FEPC Action, Naacp.
Tells Senator Barkley
New York—Colored people will
judge the Democratic party not by
the statements of one or nvo lead
ers but by what the party's actual
ly able to deliver in the way of |
FEPC legislation and other bills j
affecting their interests. This was I
the message last week to Majority j
Leader Barkley in the Senate from i
the NAACP.
Senator Barkley wrote the NAA-1
CP protesting against a statement J
that the filibuster against FEPC
was "being generally interpreted a
mong colored people as the offic
ial attitude of the Democratic
party.”
The NAACP reply acknowledged
Senator Barkley's personal attitude
favoring FEPC and praised Presi
dent Truman for his attitude, hut
stated that the colored people over
the nation are saying that the elec
tion of a Democratic president
means "handing the government
over to the Bilbos, the Fastlands,
and the most prejudiced section cf
the Democratic party.”
“We can say.” said the NAACP's
letter, "that no single incident with
in the past 15 years has so aroused
and angered and disgusted the Ne
gro citizens as the performance
which the Democratic party perm
itted to be staged in the senate on
FEPC. We use the language ‘per
mitted to be staged’ advisedly be
cause it is inconceivable that a
party which really valued the es
teem and support of Negro voters
located in strategic areas would
have allowed either Senator Bilbo
or Senator Eastland to have made
the shocking and insulting speeches
that were made slandering entire
groups of citizens of the nation.
We repeat that if the Democratic
party had been really concerned a
bout these people it would have in
s.sted, in ways that are known to
11 On Payrolls Now;
Seek More Openings
The Young Citizens' Forum com
posed of aggressive, young men
and women, public spirited, unbias
ed and politically non-partisan com
munity leader3 several months a
go developed the project of placing
Negro school teachers in the Om
aha Public School's system.
Hyland E. Melford, assistant dir
ector, Division of Venereal Disease
Control, State Health Dept, of Ne
braska, was named Chairman.
Mr. Melford immediately laid
plans that have been successful In
placing today, Negro teachers in
the Omaha Public school system.
Working with Mr. Melford were
Mr. Duward R. Crooms. Executive
Secretary Omaha Urban League,
Mr. Arthur B. MoCaw, assistant to
the Executive Secretary. Omaha
Urban League. Mr. Robert Myers,
young business man and Mr. Ralph
Adams, OPA Rent attorney.
The Young Citizens’ Forum work
ing closely with the Omaha Urban
League, were successful in provid
ing the administrative staff of the
school system, headed by the Super
intendent of schools. Dr. Corning,
with many applications, both from
local applicants and applicants
from every section of the United
States, many holding advance de
grees from the leading educational
institutions of the country, with
many years of teaching experience.
Speaking before the school board
at one of it3 meetings for more
than an hour and one half, at tim
es. delivering master-pieces of
rhetoric seldom heard in the oak
panelled former music conservatory
of the Josyln castle, now the office
of the Board of Education, Messrs.
McCaw. Melford, Adams, Crooms,
and Myers urged a reversal of pol
icy toward hiring of Negro teach
ers. Speaking pointedly, almost
militantly Mr. Melford urged on be
half of the Young Citizens’ Forum,
that Negro teachers be placed in
any and every school, teaching any
and every subject on the same basis
as all teachers are appointed, irres
pective of race, creed or color.
Said Mr. Melford, "I am privileg
ed to report, after having talked
with an assistant to Dr. Hobart
Corning, that there are now eleven,
Negro teacher3 in the public school
system and that negotiations are
still underway to place more teach
ers, thus giving the Negro citizens
of Omaha, the representative num
ber of teachers that is rightfully
due them in every respect.
The Young Citizens' Forum believ
es this marks a milestone along the
highway of inter-cultural and in
terracial progress.
Let us pray. God above, that
those who so gallantly met the
challenge, those now lying beside
rows of white crosses in military
cemeteries stretching across the
wide expanse of Africa. Europe and
Asia died not in vain, but that we
»
at home, free men, might have a de
mocracy which i3 a reality and not
a farce. The Young Citizens’ For
um will help Omaha to meet that
challenge.
the leadership, that no such speech
es should be made, although it is
granted that a senator may not be
denied the right to speak. ’
Public Meeting on MVA
Called for Sept. 14th at
Joslyn Memorial Bldg.
A public meeting to discuss the
proposed Missouri Valley Authority
has been announced for Friday,
September 14, in Omaha.
It will be an afternoon and even
ing event at the Joslyn Memorial
Auditorium, sponsored by the Oma
ha Progressive League, an organiz
ation formed to promote wider un
derstanding of important public
questions, with the assistance of an
advisory committee of prominent
Nebraskans.
Both the present legislation for
Missouri River development and the
proposed MVA will b? explained.
C. Petrus Peterson of Lincoln, a
director of the Nebraska Reclam
ation Association, will preside, open
ing the meeting with a statement
of the needs of the Missouri River
region.
Harry Trustin, member of the O
inaha City Council, will appear on
the afternoon program to explain
the present Missouri River legisla
tion and Leif Erickson of Helena,
Montana chairman of the Regional
Committee for MVA, will explain
the MVA as provided in the Murray
Bill, which soon will be the subject
of Senate Irrigation Committee
hearings.
Raymond R. Tucker, chairman of
the St. Louis Pommittee for MVA.
will present the progress of the
MV’A movement to date.
The evening meeting will be ad
dressed by Olenn .1. Talbot, presid
ent of the North Dakota Farmers
Union, and another speaker of na
tional reputation.
Members -» the group serving as
an advisory committee to the con
ference are Mrs. Arthur Smith, Lin
coln, president of the Nebraska Lea
gue of Women Voters; Paul D. Mar
vin, Lincoln, secretary of the Nebras
ka Association of Rural Public Pow
er Districts; Henry Pedersen. Sup
erior. director of the Nebraska Far
mers Union; F. C. Radke, Lincoln
chairman of the Nebraska Commit
tee for MVA; Reverend Ray O. Walk
enhorst, Seward, president of the
Nebraska Rural Christian Fellow
ship; J. J. Ouenther, Omaha, presi
dent of the Nebraska Federation of
Labor; Frank Cronin. Omaha, region
al director of the CIO; Mrs. Mary C.
Hyde, president of the Omaha Lea
gue of Women Voters; Mrs. M. S.
McDuf/ee, Norfolk, former president
of the Nebraska Federation of Worn
en’g Clubs; Mrs. Clayton W. Woods
president, Omaha YWCA; Mrs. John
H. Bath, Omaha. American Associa
tion of the University Women; Oeo
rge J. Paulson, Omaha, lowa-Nebr
aska States Industrial Union Coun
cil; and Albert M. Wltzling. presi
dent. Omaha.Central Labor Union.
Carlyle Hodgkins, chairman of
the Omaha Progressive League's ex
ecutive committee, said the general
public is invited to the meeting and
that its purpose is to promote dis
cussion among Nebraska people of
Missouri Valley development
