r
Navy Asked To Reopen *Riot**Cases On Guam
■ LOCAL & NATL NEWS-lOc per copy “AND WORTH IT” ■
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY PHONE HA.0800
^ "Largest Accredited Negro Newspaper West of Chicago and North of KC•_^ ^ ^ -c>
_ , , .. .... _ _ __ , , Entered as 2nd class matter at Post-oftice. Omaha, Nebr., Under Act of
Saturday, Nov. 24, 1945 Our 18th Year,—No. 42 ★ 10c Per Copy ★ March 8, 1874. Publishing Offices at £420 Grant Street, Omaha. Nebr.
Lester B. Granger Gets Tirst Hand Information in 25,000 Mile Tour of Pacific Naval Bases
Lester B, Granger, executive secretary of the Na
tional Urban League and special Adviser to the Secretary
of the Navy, has just completed a 25,000 mile inspection
tour of Pacific Naval bases. He talked with ranking na
val officers and with thousands of Negro sailors. In this
way he obtained first hand, facts regarding the adminis
tration of the policies of the Bureau of Naval Personnel
on the level where the men are directly affected. Mr.
Granger wnt aboard Navy ships like the USS BOREAS,
which had in their crews Negro sailors with general ser
vice rates (center photo). He visited with some 47 Nav
al establishments stretching across the Pacific. In Ha
waii he talked with Negro radiomen handling fleet com
munications, men who work on the docks and those who
man small craft (photos on left). In San Pedro Bay off
Leyte, P. I., and at Saipan he saw the men of Navy log
istic support companies (lowest center and upper right
„ I
photos). In addition to Navy line personnel, the Special
Adviser inspected Seabee Special Battalions, some quar
tered on Navy APL’s or floating hotels (lower right) and
Marine AAA Battalions on Eniwetok and Guam (top cen
ter photo). This was the third inspection tour Mr. Gran
ger has made at the request of Secretary Forrestal. The J
first two Covered Naval establishments in the United |
States. (Official U. S. Navy Photograph)
Call National Emergency Meeting on Jobs and Security
Nineteen joint sponsors. among i
them Bartley C. Crum, Mrs. J.
Borden Harrlman, Phillip Murray,
Rev. Daniel Poling. Bishop Bernard
J. Sheil, Walter White, A. F. WThit
ney and Rabbi Stephen S. WTise.
announced the calling of a national
emergency meeting on jobs and se
curity to be held o December 7th
in Washington, DC.
"America is in Danger,” the call
to the meeting states. "Millions of
her citizens face unemployment
throughout the coming year. But
the majority of Congress has re
fused to provide for the human side
of reconversion and lay the basis
for a national economy of full pro
duction and full employment.
"We the ■ undersighed, subscribe
( to the minimum program outlined
l>v President Truman in his Septem
j her 6th message to Congress. We
1 are convinced that unless it is sub
I stantially enacted soon the country
j is headed for a more serious de
pression than we have ever before
! experiencd__
"We are calling this meeting to!
stimulate action and not for the
passing of resolutions."
Organizations in\-ited to send rep
resentatives to the conference in
clude church groups, labor unions,
Negro professional, consumer, vet
erans, farm an<j women's organiz
ations.
Other sponsors are C. B. Baldwin.
Mrs. Rachel S. Bell. Elmer Benson,
Mrs. Mary McLeo<j Bethune, Morris
L. Cooke, Jo Davidson, Clark Fore
man. Willard E. Givens Robert W.
Kenny, Kirtley Mather, and James
Patton.
The meeting will be held in the
National Press Club auditorium,
beginning at 10 a.m. on Friday Dec
ember 7th, and concluding at j;J0
p.m. the same day.
Protests To Atlee On Indonesian And Palestine .Strife
— * ' ■ 1— i . ==—z-=. i
New York_Sharp protest against
the "slaughter of Indonesian and
Palestine youths” by British troops
was voiced to Prime Minister Cle
ment Atee, who is visiting Ameri
ca, by the NAACP.
Declaring that the victory over
the Axis will have been lost "if
allied nations perpetuated upon de
pendent peoples the same slavery
Germany and Japan would have
imposed,” the NAACP wire said,
"it is all the more inconceivable
that a Labor government should be
a party to the perpetuation of hu
man slavery." The complete tele
gram:
"American citizen*, are perplexed
at the contradiction between your
statement to the Congress that the
British government is working for
the interests of the common man
everywhere and ‘to bring homo to
all people before it is too late that
our civilization can only survive
by the acceptance and practice in
international relations and in our
national life of the Christian prin
ciple we are members one of an
other' while at the same time Brit
ish troops bombj strafe and other
wise slaughter Indonesians and
Palestine youths. Your govern
ment. Mr. Atlee has sent you to A.
merica to ask for a multi-billion
■dollar loan to the United Kingdom.
We ask this blunt question which
we have a right to ask because that
money, if loaned to your country,
will come from the pockets of all
ATTENTION WORKERS! <
14 Points on Row I
'To Make Good !
I '
1. Don’t argue or sulk on the job, but do youi*|
' work quietly, quickly and pleasantly,
| 2. Join your fellow workers in all of their or-’
jganizations. \
3. Leave your ideas about the race problem at,
I home. Your boss wants work not debates.
i 4. Be on time, give your boss a full day’s work,'
don’t lay-off. The fellow who is on the job ev-|
ery day and on time is the fellow who is last to be
fired when the slump comes. '
Omaha Urban League Community Center,'
Industrial Relations Department, |
Duward R. Crooms, Executive Sec’v.,
(• Watch this Space each Week for TIPS) ,
Americans white and Negro Jews
and Gentile. The question we ask
is how much of the Multi-billion
dollar loan, if made, will be used
to perpetuate empire and to sup
press by force of arms or otherwise
the legitimate demands of colonial
peoples that they too share in the
fruits of victory which Allied arms
have won. All Americans admire
the sturdy an,j courageous fight
your country made to prevent total
itarian government from imposing
their will upon the world. But
that victory will have been lost if
Allied nations perpetuate upon de
pendent peoples the same slavery
Germany and Japan would have im
posed. It is all the more inconceiv
-able that a Labor government
should be a party to the perpetuat
ion of human slavery. We beg of
you to be worthy of the confidence
and assistance you have come to A
merica to ask."
NOBEL DINNER PLANNED
AMID ARMING WORLD; OUT-;
STANDING NEGROES INVIT
ED
.. I
New York City (lNS) The Ne
gro and white scientists who pro
posed and help develop the atom
ic bomb in the south and west
today hold the fate of millions of
colonial and other peace loving
people in their nands,
The race to produce death deal
ing atomic electrons is now on; a
few days ago in self defense, Sov
iet Russia announced a Hydrogen
type which is more powerful then
the type produced in this country.
Last week a Swedish scientist an
nounced that atomic bombs can
be produced in that country with
in two months and in America
the forces for war to rule the
world are busy, but the scientists
I -
PARADES AND DEMONSTRAT.
IONS THROUGHOUT PALESTINE
Jerusalem, Palestine (Soundphoto
On the anniversary of the issuance
of Britain's White Paper of 1939
that banned immigration of Jews
into Palestine, parades and demon
strations were held throughout
Jewish settlements in the Holy
Land. This parade was held in
Jerusalem. There was no disorder
here. The inscription on banners
reads (translation) “We tear the
White Paper”.
who know that there is no such
thing as "Secret Science” to
Scientists” have decided to do
their own political thinking and
the Peace Organizations are also
on the job. The first announce
ment towards peace this week
was that the Nobel Anniversary
Committee will hold its annual
dinner meeting on Dec. 10th and
that many Negro and white sci
entists would proclaim the princ
ipal of peace for all so the world
can progress and not be destroy
ed by any Hitler-minded people.
Among the outstanding Negro
es to be invited are Dr. W. E. B.
DuBois, Dr. Max Yergan, Prof.
Wm. Knox, one of the Negro at
omic workers, this writer and
many others. The Nobel Anni
versary meeting will be at Hotel
Astor Dec. 10th and master of
ceremonies will be Sen. Fullbright
who has headed hearings on need
for a government to aid small bus
-inessmen, scientists and invent
ors to bring prosperity for Amer
ica without war against minorit
ies, colonial people or Soviety j
Russia, etc. Let no one be guilty J
of helping destroy the world |
peace,
• For The Latest
m*r
(See Ed. Patton'* Ad
(ON PAGE THREE)
PACKING-HOUSE WORKERS
TO HOLD MASS MEETIN6
The Packing House Workers of Omaha, CIO Affliate will hold a
Mass meeting next Thursday, November 29th, at 8 p.m. at the Omaha
City Auditorium, 15th and Howard streets. Prominent National
speakers will explain the wage increase demands and strike vote now
pending before these workers. All friends and affiliates of the CIO
re urged to attend this important and vital meeting. This is a city
wide issue and concerns all citizens.
RADIO BROADCASTS
Flash!
A New National
Radio Program
“CIO for AMERICA”
Hear President Philip Murray’s
dramatic plea for a decent wage
for all Americans. Hear his care
ful analysis of the need for full
employment, importance for all
groups in our national life.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26TH
10:00_10:15 p. m., EST. American
Broadcasting Company (Blue Net
work!.
• Organize listening groups in
your home.
• Discuss the program. “CIO for A
merica with your friends.
• Do your share in the fight for
FULL EMPLOYMENT and DEC
ENT WAGES for all by building
and the listening audience for this
program.
• Send your comments on the pro
grams to Philip Murray. President,
CIO 718 Jackson Place, N. W.,
Washington 6, D. C.
CURRAN TO BROADCAST
OVER MUTUAL NETWORK
NOV. 27 ON VITAL ISSUE ON
SPEEDING RETURN OF
OVERSEAS TROOPS
New York_The latest facts be
hind the failure of Washington a
gencieg to provide sufficient ship
ping for GI’s stranded overseas
will be made public in a nation
wide broadcast next week by Jos
eph Curran, President of the Nat
ional Maritime Union, over the Mu
tual Broadcasting System.
Entitled “We Have the Ships—
Speed Our GI’s Home!" Curran's
talk will be aired on Tuesday ev
ening, Nov. 27 from 11:15 to 11;30
pm. Eastern time over Station
WOR and the Mutual Network.
Straight Talk
About The
Victory Loan
Washington, D ,.C,.—The war is
over , but that’s not the whole
story, Let’s finish the job! This
was the appeal by the War Fin
ance Division of the Treasury as
the Victory loan passed its half
way mark.
Why must we have a Victory
Loan ?
(1) To pay the bills for muni
tions still unpaid.
(2) To pay the cost of guarding
Germany and Japan.
(3) To pay for the care of our
wounded and disabled.
(4) To pay off and provide bene
fits for over 9,000,000 veter
ans to be discharged by
next July.
(5) To keep the lid on price in
flation.
The Victory Loan Drive opened
October 29 and extends through
December 8, 1945. Its eleven bil
lion dollar quota includes a four
billion dollar goal for individual
Americans. A lot of money!
THE MONEY IS NEEDED
Why?
The Treasury must meet the
enormous obligations incurred in
the achievement of victory. Gov
ernment expenditures are being
drastically reduced, and this will
continue. Despite this, however,
the aftermath of war carries
grave responsibilities that must
not be shirked, and in facing this
task every American’s help is
needed. Before the end of 1945,
the people’s Treasury must look
to the people for support.
ARMY AND NAVY
A substantial Army and Navy
must be maintained until order is
restored throughout the world. It
means a fighting force to stand
watching and waiting, and hop
ing, but still watching. It means
supplying occupation forces with
equipment, supplies, pay small
indeed compared to the value of
their precious extra days away
from home, but all adding up to a
lot of money. •
The Army estimate is that as
late as July 1, 1946, some 1,630,
000 of our finest will remain on
guard overseas. There are 500,000
in hospitals.
The Navy plans to discharge
2,839,000 by September 1, 1946,
leaving only 550,000 in service by
then. ..but that’s a year away. The
Navy still has a big job to do.
BRINGING OUR BOYS HOME
Millions of homes are waiting
for the millions of our boys and
many girls who have been away
too long. We must bring them
back quickly, with every attention
to their needs. Travel is costly;
it’s an expense we'll gladly pay.
A fair estimate of the cost of
bringing our forces home is $1,
400.000,000.
CARE OF THE WOUNDED
We cannot pay this deot. We
can only do our best. Our hund
reds of thousands of youngsters
who face a future beset with han
dicaps look to us for help. Our
poor answer is that anything
money can buy is theirs., hospit
tliation, treatment, artificial limb
vocational training and our well
documented guarantee that their
suffering must insure that Amer
can children will face a better
future.
There are 500,000 American
bovs who will need medical care.
S.-Sgt.L. P. Lewis
Writes From...
the PACIFIC
(by S/Sict. I,anr.nce f, Lcw(k
“I’M COMING HOME ”
Most men in the Armed Forces
have wanted to say just those few
words for s<> long a time. They
have thought so often that they
would never see home again <t» .U
to the most of us it seems that a
miracle has happened, an act of
God.
Here in this part of India, men
are so eager to start for home that
everyday seems like a month. This
place was one of utter dislike even
when one was doing his* duty for
his Country, and although there
may be other places on this earth
which are not as good, one had not
better mention | to tliese men here,
because they would be snowed un
der with words not so nicely used.
I often stroll over to the Re
placement Depot, which is Just a
cross the road, and it brings joy to
my heart just to see their faces.
Men waiting so eagerly, so patient
ly, to hear their names called over
the loudspeaker. Almost every
man >'ou pass will ask you tne
same questions. What outfit are
they calling now? How long have
you been here? Where do you live?
How many points do you have?
Day after day, the same questions
from different men.
They carry no longer the faces
men who killed the enemy, with
hate in their hearts; they are no
longer the men who braved the
jungles of India and Burma, fight
ing for their very existence; they
are no longer the men who did
dirty, sweaty, and bloody work,
cursing the heat and the rain, as
they built the Ledo Road. They
carry smiling faces, young and hap
py again, talking about their sweet
hearts, wives and families; about
school and jobs, some about fish
ing, hunting and vacation!^. All
have their dreams they wrtw ful
filled, thinking of them a million
times a day.
Across the road is just the be
ginning of their long way home.
Many days must be spent in the
air, or on the train taking you to
the ship. Days going back will
not be like the silent, mysterious
days we traveled coming over.
There will be much joy in the sea
sickness this time and no longer
will we envy the sailor who must
Stay on the ship.
1 know what these men want be
cause dreams do not vary much
with men over here. They want
it not only for themselves, but for
the rest of the world as well. Men
endured beyond their own belief
of endurance, and they want sus
tained those dreams they have been
dreaming when it was impossible
for their fulfillment. Each sold
ier has his own dream tucked away
in his heart, and all he asks is ful
fillment.
We are thankful that find saw
fit that we would survive. God
was our life, our strength, our
courage. Through peaceful and
quiet prayer, God gave us a faitii
which many of us have never
known. The brave soldiers that
gave their lives so that we can say,
“I am coming home,” shall never
be forgotten, an one forget a man
that gave his life so we could live?
We’ll never forget and the gener
ations to come shall always remem
ber too. The millions of soldiers
returning shall pledge their lives,
to insure that those who gave their
lives shall not have died in vain.
SUN, BRIGHTEST IN THE
EARLY MORN,
CLOUDS. HIDE SPLENDOR
NO MORE
SUN, I NOTICED YOU NOT
BEFORE_
YES, GLAD THAT I WAS BORN.
I am a poet and don’t know it.
Thanks for reading,
S-SGT. LAWRENCE P. LEWIS,
3107th QM Service Co. APO 620.
C/O Postmaster NYC.,’ N. Y.
» ’
This means the expenditure of
many millions of dollars in the
next year.
MUSTERING OUT PAY
Returning soldiers and sailors
must have a stake to start again
in civilian life. The law provides
up to $300 per man. If our reduc
tion in armed forces goes as per
schedule, this item adds up to
more than $2,000,000,000 in the
next year. (The E-Bond quota of
the Victory Loan is just $2.,000,
000,000.)
RECONVERSION
War contract terminations in
volve an estimated 4 or 5 billion
dollars. This must be met before
orderly reconversion can take
place. Reconversion means jobs.
INFLATION
Apart from the need of money
to finish the job of paying f0r the
war is the^ danger of inflation.
I American workers will have earn
ed more than $150,000,000,000
during 1945, of which $20,000,000
1000 will go for personal taxes.
Consumer goods and services a
vailable during this period are a
round $100,000,000,000. The dif
i ferences of $30,000,000,000 must
i be absorbed by savings, or com
petition for available goods will
push prices through the ceilings,
| which would mean inflation. Dol
New York—A request that the
Navy Department reopen the case
in which 46 Negro Navy men were
convicted following a ‘■riot" in De
cember, . 1944, wag made last week
by Walter White, NAACP Secret
ary, who was present in Guam
when the men were tried, and who
acted as defense counsel at the in
vitation of the island commander.
White’s letter to H. Struve Hen
sel, Acting Secretary of the Navy,
asked not only for a reopening of
the case, but for permission for
NAACP counsel to examine all per
tinent records.
It has been the contention of the
NNACP that the court-martial on
Guam failed to take Into consider
ation the long series of attacks
which had been made on Negro
pemonnel by white Marines and
others and th« failure of whit- of
ficer* in charge of the Negro units
to take any steps to protect their
men. These circumstances created
such a feeling of desperation am
ong the Negroe* that they broke In
to a supply depot to secure weap
ons and ammunition with which to
defend themselves.
The NAACP contends that the
court-martial concerned itself sole
ly with the incidents of December
24 and 26. 1944 "nd like so many
military courts, adhered strictly to
incidents at hand and the part
icular violation of regulations
charged, with no attention to the
factors of prejudice, unfairness and
color discrimination known to exist
‘‘Prior to the so-called disorders
of December, 1944" the NAACP let
ter said, "there had been a series
of unprovoked, unchecked and un
punished anacks on Negro service
men on Guam, particularly Negro
Navy Bus*- Company personnel, by
white servicemen, chiefly by white
| Marines. These acts of agreBSlon
had consisted of the throwing of
mlsiles, including empty beer bot
tles, stones, pieces of coral and up
on two occasions, han<j grenades,
into the camp occupied by four
Navy Base Companies located on
the side of the Agat-Sumay Road
near the Navy Supply Depats, In
addition there had been repeated
attacks by white aMrlnes upon Ne
gro servicemen when the latter had
gone on leave into the town of Ag
ana.
•■The majority of the officers of
the four Negro Navy Base Comp
anies were distinctly Inferior.
When their men had reported acts
of aggression against them to these
officers nothing whatever had been
done by the officers except at
tempts to dismiss these reports as
unworthy of investigation or ac
tion. As a result the Negro Navy
personnel were led to believe it
futile to report such attacks to
their commanding officers. As I
frankly stated to the Board of In
quiry, I believe such failure to re
port assaults and insults based on
skin color was a mistake on the
part of the aggrieved men. t shar.
ed then and share now their belief
that no corrective action would
have been taken.”
The NAACP letter also cited to
Mr. Hensel the very light sentenc
es given to white men convicted of
crime on Guam in contrast to the
sentences imposed on Negroes.
"I believe it is not Improper to
point out,” Mr. White said, "that
a sentence of five years and a BD
CD reduced to three years with
further provision for probation ftp
on satisfactory completion of eight
een months confinement seems
wholly inadequate for the cold
blooded and uprovoked shooting
and killing of a human being as
was brought out in the testimony
on this case before the Navy Board
of Inquiry. I wish further to
point out that a sentence of twen
ty dayg confinement (which con
finement was remitted) and one
month EPL) appears to me wholly
inadequate punishment for one who
confessed in writing that he had
thrown a smoke bomb into a fuel
dump in which Navy Base Comp
any personnel were handling 100.
octane gas. While on the Island of
Guam I saw the written confession
of Pfc. Charles S. Mariott Jr. who
>
was the Marine who threw the
smoke bomb. Apparently no pun
ishment was given the other Mar
ines on the truck with Mariott. at
least one of whom, If my memory
serves me correctly, also confessed
to throwing a missile at the Negro
servicemen.
“Yet the record ghowg according
to the report of the Island Comm
ander, that "approximately forty
men’, all Negroes, were tried, con
victed and sentenced to prison
terms because they defended them
selves against attacks when they
had reason to believe and did be
lieve that they would be afforded
no protection by the responsible
authorities, including their own
officers, on the Island of Guam.”
Mr. White observe^ that when he
was requested to act as defense
counsel he consented to do so on
condition that no legal right of
any defendant would be jeopardiz
ed because he (White) was not a
lawyer and that the court permit
the introduction of background ma
.terial. However, Mr. White point
i ed out. he wag not given access to
j the secret, confidential and r. strict
I ed Navy records nor did he have
I any investigator to dig up m&ter
| ial for him. On the contrary, the
'Judge Advocate who prosecuted the
men did have these facilities.
Iar3 saved now will protect the
value of future dollars.
INVESTMENT
For every American. U. S.
Bonds are the world's finest, saf
est investment. oFur dollars
Come back to you for every three
dollars in E. Bonds held to matur
>ty.
PARTNERS IN GOVERNMENT
The needs of the Government
are plain. There are other needs.
During this war 85,000.000 Amer
icans have bought partnership in
Government. People just folks
.. .who never before saved for a
rainy day have, through War
Bonds, established a new habit
a habit of savings. They have
bought a share in our Govern
ment. They should continue in
this sense of partnership. It has
meant during war. .UNITY,
