Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The Omaha guide. (Omaha, Neb.) 1927-19?? | View Entire Issue (Jan. 12, 1946)
! ■ LOCAL & NAT’L NEWS-lOc per copy “AND WORTH IT” ■ /JUSTICE m HEW TO THE LINE \ EQUAL OPPORTUNITY PHONE HA.0800 d^UOKANI ST ^^ ^ **.Largest Accredited Negro Newspaper West of Chicago and North of KC _ _ Entered as 2nd class matter at Post- oft ice. Omaha, Nebr., Under Act of Saturday, January 12,1946 Our 18th Year—No. 49 ★ 10c Per popy ★ Marcti 8, 1874. Publishing Offices at 2420 Grant Street, Omaha, Nebr. Jgr .. .. - —■ .... - ■- — ■ - 1 ;; "i:M '! " "" t; — “ 1 — ■ ■ 11 Weekly Feature Launched To Promote Race Harmony ± Every Week, we shall present “Our Guest Column,” a non-profit service of the American Press Associates devoted to furthering SEdi*&dlbyeEi^dpnJitorris, noted journalist, our new weekly column will feature prominent guest contributors who will review current developments on the minority group front and suggest local and nationwide action. Coming soon as guest columnists are Pearl S. Buck, A Philip Randolph George S. Schuyler, Dr. Ira De Reid. Rev. Howard Kestcr, Elmo Roper and other leaders in the fight for equality. Clemency Granted to 83 Tort Chicago’ Sailors OUR GUEST Colurn,,,, Edited toy ERNA f " Lillian Smith, the a courageous book an 'Strange Fi :t’, told N :w York recently* C it ter of racial and it -.•itera.-ic* America has i.st abcut where Germany was in ' Mi. wh> :i Hitler came Into pow er » -kith’s opinion, if correct i*, far ;m comforting. We can not dispute what she says on the grounds that the pure and vtrtu-* tuous American people would au tomatically reject an American Hitler of an official policy of an ti-Semitic and anti-Negro bigo try. The 5,000 odd victims of lyn ching in all sections of the coun try and the Negro casualties in race riots would certainly testify to the mob spirit in placid, run of the mill Americans. Colored citizens .have no illu-1 sions about the farce and pre tense of a square deal for all. But unfortunately, a considerable num ber of America's focal minority do not take time out from their own woes to spot the mote in their own eyes. As fantastic as it seems from a logical standpoint, a fair share of anti-semitic prejudice and bigotry are to be found in the hearts of 15,000,000 Negroes Of course its easy to explain why members of minorities echo the sterotypes of defamation of other minorities. But it still can not be justified. Psychologists tell us that a man who is kept down by someone more powerful feels the need to kick still another per son in order to bolster his pride and ego. Thus on the Texas bor der we find exploited Negro wor kers blindly helping their cracker bosses to oppress even further the illiterate and hapless Mexican im migrants. Thus also in our big urban centers we find even intel ligent and educated Negro pro fessionals slandering Jews and Catholics. Sometimes it seems reasonable to hope that a new day among minorities is developing. We got a glimpse of it during the war when many a Negro felt a kin ship and bond of despair with the persecuted Japankso-Americans. ©nite a few Negroe soldiers bit terly tesented the racist epithets that various admirals and gener als hurled at our yellow-skinned enemy. Certainly the times are ripe for a growth of solidarity be tween Jews, Negroes, Nisei and other victims of discrimination The FEPC has found that equal job opportunities are denied to all these minorities. If anything, the problem is getting worse. A crisis is ahead for America. Sometimes people react intelli gently to the needs of the hour and unite, as in the 30 ties. The CIO and unization of mass indu stries was a principal result of this solidarity. On other accasions we become panicky and strike out blindly, clinging to the straw of individualism and sinking a knife into the backs of our fellow men in an effort to keep afloat These are the two paths ahead. Let us hope that we Americans of color analyze the situation at hand and choose the rational course. Then no longer will any of us mouth the Hitler-like doc trines of anti-semitic, anti-Jap anese or anti-Catholic bigotry. NO JOB COLOR LINE, SAYS AMERICAN AIRLINES New York—American Airlines and its subsidiary, American Overseas Airlines, Inc., have writ ten the NAACP that they do not discriminate as to race, creed or color in the employment of per sonnel. This statement was in re sponse to an NAACP letter in quiring about employment oppor tunities for war-trained Negro aviators. However, American Overseas Airlines declared that since they operate to overseas bases only Union Services To Be Held at Zion Sunday Night 8 p.m.; Rev. E. V. Wade will ArMraco Audience Ui es will be held at t Z\ - ^/Church, 2215 Grant ay, January 13th ' vices at 7:30 pm, *0 pm. The speaker S V Wade, pastor of la CME Church. Mu. 3 Tfemple Choir. § ,_ ILiAp*. 3 Home 1st-SGT. HERMAN M. STEVENS Will Display War Souvenirs on Return First Sgt. Herman M. Stevens, son of David and Myrtle Stevens, is expected home Thursday, Jan. 10, and expects to be discharged soon. Sgt. Stevens is connected with a Quartermaster Company and has served overseas for two years in Belgium, France and Germany. He was in charge of 400 men in his Company which is quite a re sponsibility for any first sarg eant. He will have in his posses sion a large accumulation of sou veniers, and expects to place them on display sometime after his ar rival home. At the time of his induction, he was attending Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo- and has spoken several times of resuming hi8 education, pending discharge Sgt. Stevens will be entertained by close frie-ds and relatives of the family. our minumum qualifications for pilots are higher than those of domestic lines. They prefer col lege graduates, not more than 6 ft. 2 in tall, or more than 200 lbs. in weight The age bracket is 23 28 years. At least 1500 flying hours are required, with a minium of 800 hours on fo'ur-engined planes. The company states that it has at present its full employment of pilots and is able to recruit pilots with experience considerably in excess of the minimum qualifi cations shown above. However, they offer to put any qualified person on their waiting list. ATLANTANS PLAN TO BETTER THEIR COOKS AND MAIDS Atlanta^ Ga.—-Believing that whether a job be as maid or cook it should be done well, a group of Atlantans are launching a train ing center to turn out better wor kers in the low income group- The aim of the center will be to pro duce better maid, laundresses and thirteen other low income groups. Said Ruby Blackburn, an em ployer of the Atlanta board of Education of the movement. Our people want a fair day’s pay for a full day’s work. We have been half paid, it’s true, but we’ve been half trained and sometimes not trained at all. We want every job a good job. “We’ll even be an employment bureau, we’ll send out trained, courteous workers. When they quit, they will be required to give notice and they’ll expect notice in return. We’ll keep our books balanced, expecting fairness from the employer and employee’, Hurry! Hurry! You will have to hurry if you want one of those beautiful lots in Bedford Park addition. They are going like hot-cakes in March. Don’t wait another day, call the owner, JA-7718 and arrange for your first small down payment. Get started. Become a home owner.. .20 years from today you won’t be sorry. Did you know when you get your lot paid for, you are right on the road to build your own home according to your own design, without putting up another dime. ! The government will furnish the funds for you to build your home. YES SIR, we say that you will have to HURRY, if you want one of those beautiful lots in' Bedford Park addition. Call JA-7718 and make arrange ments for your deal. Where is Bedford Park addition? It is right in the heart of the most beautiful spot in the city of Omaha—30th from Wirt to Spencer. Don’t be sorry, don’t wait another day. Start now to be come A HOME OWNER, Owners of Vacant Lots Urged to Loan Land for Vet Housing Rastie To Be Named \irgin Islands Governor Washington, DC.—President Truman has de cided to appoint Judge William Henry Hastie, j Negro dean of Howard University an and out standing leader of his race, as Governor of the Virgin Islands, to succeed Charles Harwood of New York. The appointment will go to the Senate when it reconvenes January 14. » .. - Bishop David Wm. Short Accepts Voting Membership in Fraternal Council of U. S. Ftegro Churches Most Bishop David William Short, national president, bishop and founder of the National David Spiritual Temple of Christ Church Union., incorporated, of the Uni ted States of America, represent ing the ‘Orthodox Christian Spi | ritual Inter-racial Faith of All Na* tions,’ was offered and accepted a voting membership in the Na tional Fraternal Council of Negro Churches in America, which has headquarters in Wilberforce, O. This national council was founded in 1934, for the improvement of civil, economic, industrial and general social conditions in Am erica, particularly as they affect the Negroes. Bishop R. C Ransom, Founder; Bishop A. P Shaw, President; Bishop R R Wright, Jr-, Executive Sec’y, Rev E W Perry, Vice-president at large; Rev J H Moore, Recording Sec’y; Rev E L Hickman, Assistant Re | cording Sec’y; Dr. V M Townsend Treasurer; Rev Dr. J M Bracy, Statistician; Rev W A Cooper, Chaplin; Rev. H B Hawkins, Au ditor; Dr. J L# Horace, Chairman of Executive Committee; and Dr. Luther Stewart, Sec’y of Execu tive Committee. Bishop Short, has been assigned to the Committee on Race Relations. Bishop Short is the very prominent pastor of David Spiritual Temple of Christ Church with office and headquar ters at 1115 West Cherry St., Milwaukee 5, Wisconsin SECRETARY POSITION OPEN AT URBAN LEAGUE The Omaha Urban League, 2213 Lake Street, has a job vacancy open for a girl as Office and Placement Secretary to Mr. Crooms, Director of the League. The qualifications necessary for the job are that the applicant must have a high school education; some experience in book keeping ; and knowledge of short hand and typing. Call WE-3020 for further information. NAVY OFFICER PREFERRED NOT TO LOAD NEGRO TROOPS New York—The commanding officer of the US aircraft carrier Croatan did not refuse to load 123 Negro troops at Le Havre, he only stated to Army officers that he ‘preferred not to do so.’ This is the official explanation offered by the Secretary of the Navy James V. Forrestal in his letter to the NAACP and to other groups and individuals who pro tested when the incident was made public. Secretary Forrestal implied that the final blame rested with the Army, saying, the army authori ties were not obliged to give any weight to the Commanding Offi cer’s preferance, but they evident, ly elected to do so, removing the Sinatra and Kaye v' Cited For Racial Tolerance The Chicago Defender, national weekly Negro newspaper, has ci ted CBS stars Frank Sinatra and Danny Kaye in the paper’s annual honor role of Americans who in 1945 have worked to improve race relations. The award went to Dan ny Kaye f°r having a Negro mem ber of his radio program in a re gular role disassociated from stock Negro characters; and to Sinatra for his ‘one-man war’ against intolerance. Mrs. Versie Winston Bailey Heads Beauticians Omaha Unit No. 101 of the Na tional Beauty Culturists League held a meeting Sunday afternoon at the Railroad Mens’ Club, 24th and Miami Streets The following beauticians were elected officers: President, Mrs. Versie Winston Bailey; vice-president, Mrs. Viney Walker; secretary, Flossie Morris treasurer, Cassie Murrell. The meeting was well attended with 25 shops represented. The election was under the supervision of the State Organizer, Mrs Chri stine Althouse. The next meeting is January 14th. All licensed beauticians are asked to attend. 123 Negro troops from the Croa tan’s embarkation schedule. Secretary Forrestal said that the Commanding Offocer was fol dowing what he believed to be the Army policy of segregation, but this belief that the Army policy, whatever it may be, should be controlling aboard his ship was an error on the part of the Com manding Officer. That no such misunderstanding shall arise in the future, the attached instruc tions have been issued to all Navy ships and stations The attached order to all ships and Naval station states clearly: ‘No distinction is made between individuals wearing the Naval un iform or the uniform of any of the armed services of the United States, because of race or color.’ Land Would Be Tax Ex Utilities Would Become Mr. Duward R. Crooms the Omaha Urban League list any vacant property t able for Veteran housing, announced that property* ] empt as to the owner duri used for temporary housir extend utilities to the bui] become a permanent impr Mr. Crooms also announced thad the services of the League would be available to service men in securing housing. He also urges that any property owner who has available space to list this with the Urban League. In extending the service of the Urban League, Mr. Crooms said that he thought that there was a definite need for housing among the service men that has not been made vocal, and that many of the service men are doubling up’ with relatives and creating a crowded condition. He urged all veterans to list their needs with Urban League. empt During Loan Period Permanent Improvement , Executive Director of , urged all lnad owners to hat could be made avail Mayor Leeman recently oaned would be tax ex ng the time it was being g and that the city would ding site and this would ovement to the land. Open House The new Community center fac ilities located in the Jewell Building anh sponsored by the YWCA., Ur ban League, City Recreation De partment, Youth Centers, Inc., and the YMCA., will have its formal opening to the public orr Sunday af ternoon, January 20th at 3:30 pm. A program, including musical sel ections and talks by outsatnding O* ! mahans has been arranged. G. Bernard Shaw Drops A Bomb Into Racial Talks With his traditional outspoken ess, George Bernard Shaw has written in less than forty words what may well prove to be bomb shell in racial discussions. When this renowned playwright was asked for a statement on minority problems, he sent a postcard on which he had written: “The color question is not one of my subjects but beyond a notion that the next great civilization may be a black one I have nothing to say worth publishing. The heroine of my most popular tale is a Negress. Mr Shaw, who is now in his 90th year, has been said, to have achieved a legendary fame while still alive, in contrast to most of the great men who are long dead before their names acquire a crust of legend and fable. It is true that his fame rests as much upon his ready wit and on his willingness Bowles Commended for Stand on Job Bias MULZAC CHARGE DISMISSED, CASE CLOSED, SAYS COAST GUARD New York—A charge of mis conduct against Captain Hugh Mulzac, of the Liberty Ship Boo ker T. Washington, was dismissed after a hearing and the case has been closed, the NAACP was ad vised last week by Rear Admiral L. Spencer of the US Coast Guard. An incident was reported from Marseilles as having taken place November 23-24 in which Captain Mulzac was accused of assisting 1 a young German woman to board j his ship for illegal passage to the I United States. The NAACr wired (the Coast Guard December 26, as soon as the Booker T Washing ton made port, asking for an in vestigation of the treatment of Mulzac. Admiral Spencer wrote: j The record in the case to which you refer shows that a charge of misconduct supported by four specifications was preferred on and against Captain Mulzac and after hearing was dismissed. The record further shows that enptnin Mulzac was ably represented by competent counsel and lucre was no indication that the Examining Officer went beyond his duty in preferring the charge ant. in pro vi*r’ *-. .fr ♦***» Washington, D. G.,—Chester Bowles, OPA administrator, drew praise last week from the NAACP for his forthright charge that government agencies were turn ing down Negroes and other min ority group workers, despite many vacancies and many requests from agency heads for workers. Bow les made his statement after he found that colored OPA workers being laid off by that agency, were being turned down elsewhere because of their color. We commend you for forthright stand, wired the NAACP, taken on question of employment of Ne groes in government agencies. Fair Employment Practice Com. mittee impotency makes imperat ive heads of all government agen cies take firm stand for employ ing all persons qualified regard less of race, creed, or'color. Your outspoken criticism of certain a gencies relative to the question of employing Negroes sustains hope of all minorities that they wih re ceive fair and equitable treatment in reconversion period. Phone Us Your Social Local News # JA-3215 ask for Miss DeLore Hall to say what he thinks regardless of consquences, as on his plays. He has startled people, delighted | them or annoyed them, but they ralize always that there is truth behind everyone of his barbed re marks. At his advanced age he has managed to add to, rather than subtract from, the tremen dous powers of penetration that were his as a young man. Now he has seen the meergence of colored people all over the world; he has noted the gradual formation of a new race that is the product of much inter-racial mixing, despite all the efforts of bigoted people to stop it. Correct y, he deduces that this is inevit able, and he interprets it not as something to be avoided, but as something to anticipate. A few years ago Mr. Shaw spent part of every week at his business offices in London, and part in Ayot Saint Lawrence, a quiet little village where he could work uninterruptedly. He has now given up city life entirely and he stay3 in the country the week around, working an a new comedy to be presented at the resumed Malvern Festival next year. Some of his many plays are “Pygma lion’,, ‘ Major Barbara ”, and“ Cae sar and Cleopatra’ (all of which have been filmed as well as “The Apple Cart’. NAMED CONSULTANT FOR WOMEN VETERANS ■ ■ ■ i Washington, D C, Soundphoto— Lieut. Col Margaret D Craifhill, who has been appointed consul tant for the medical care of wom en veterans, the first position of its kind in the Veterans Admini stration The announcement was made by Gen. Omar N. Bradley, Administrator of Veterans At I '-^g. i---O | Honorable Discharge Eighty-three Negro sailors con victed in 1944 by court martial in the Port Chicago mutiny and the Guam rout cases have been gran, ted clemency, according to offi cial word received from the Navy Department by Lester B. Granger Executive Secretary, National Urban League. Information was given to Mr. Granger in his capa city as Special Adviser to Secre tary Forrestal Forty-seven of the 50 men who were charged with mutiny grow ing out the Port Chicago explosion in July 1944 have already been released and returned to overseas duty on probation. Of the three remaining, two are in the hospi tal, and a 3rd will not be released because of bad conduct record. All 36 of the men charged with rout in the Guam court martials in December 1944 will be released by January 15. Sentences for the 83 men ranged from five to twenty years. Eligible for Honorable Discharges All of the men will serve until their points make them eligible for regular Navy discharge, Gran ger stated, and assurance has been given that at the end of their ser vice they will be given honorable discharges if their records are satisfactory. The Secretary’s action, Granger continued, in releasing practically all of the 86 Negroes court mar tialed in California and on Guam closes a unhappy chapter in Navy history The wise policies the Navy has adopted, and the stren uous efforts being taken to make these policies effective will, in the future, result in smoother rela tions between personnel and in greater Navy morale and efficien cy. Granger Report Presented Appeal The clemency action was taken by Navy Secretary James Forre stal as part of procedure releasing 1700 servicemen imprisoned for various causes. Favorable action on both cases had been urged by the NAACP and other civic or ganizations, and officially in spe cial reports presented by Mr. Granger after visiting Port Chi. cago and Guam. Walter White, NAACP Secretary, reported tbe Guam arrests on his return from a tour of the Pacific. Granger visited Port Chicago last June and Guam in October as a part of his inspection of 67 Naval bases made upon the Secretarys’ request. In urging that the Navy relax the severe sentences impeded in both cass, it had been pointed out to the Navy Secretary that above the enlisted mens’ guilt of the actual charges preferred against them, there waa a background of unsatifactory personnel conditions which contributed to poor morale among Negro service men, and was a prime factor in promoting their offenses. The Port Chicago case Degan July 17, 1944, when the explosion of an ammunition vessel wiped out 300 Negro enlisted men who were loading it, together with five of their white commissioned officers. Shortly afterwards, a company of these Port Chicago personnel were transferred to Mare Island where they were assigned to identical duty- The explosion-shocked Ne groes, many 20 years or younger, protested against allegedly unsafe working conditions and refused to load the vessels. The majority subsequently went back to work, but 50 continued to refuse and were arrested and court martialed on charges of mutiny. In the Guam case 36 Negroes were convicted and sentenced on charges of rout and illegal posses sion of government property. The men had been involved in a series of fights With white marine guards and one of their number had been shot and killed by a white sailor. In desparation they finally seized naval arms and trucks to invade the Marine guard barracks in revenge for the attack committed against their own bar racks. NAACP Reports Men Restored To Duty New York—Word has reached the NAACP that the 50 sailors involved in the Port Chicago, Cal ifornia, explosion and subsequent ly convicted of mutiny have been restored to duty on probation. Major H C Sparks, executive officer at the US Naval Discipli nary Barracks at Terminal Island, California, wrote: ‘Please be informed that these men have been restored to duty on probation and are now presu mably oversea.’ The 50 colored sailors were | tried during September, 1944, by a Navy court in San Francisco. | They were charged with refusing ! to continue loading ammunition following an explosion at Port Chicago in which more than 300 of their comrades were blown to bits. Thurgood Marshall, NAACP special counsel, attended the trial as an observer and declared that I in his opinion the men w®^ being tried because of their color and race. /Following their conviction and sentences to long prison terms, all 50 men signed a request that the NAACP handle their ap peal. Briefs seeking to set aside the convictions were filed by Marsh all in Washington and oral argu j ment was made by him before the Judge Advocate General and a'so before the entire board of the j Judge Advocate General on April ' 3, 1945. Bedford Park’s Beautiful Lots Are on the Market F or Sale Now! From $450 to $600 Call Realty Improvement Company 342 Electric Bldg. JA-7718 or JA-1620 “Small Down Payment Will Do the Job .
