Capacity Audience Acclaim The Elks Choral Ensemble
LOCAL 8c NATL NEWS-lOc per^opj “AND WORTH IT’
/JUSTICE/EQUALITY HEW TO THE IIHE\
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY _ PHONE HA.0800
2420 GRANT ST
it it “Largest Accredited Negro Newspaper West of Chicago and North of KC.” ^^
C4TfDnlv ,I4Dr„ 09 mm in.. - Ain n n a Entered as 2nd class matter at Post- of lice, Omaha, Nebr., Under Act of
. ATIRDAY^ MARCH 23, 1946 OCR 19th 4EAR !So. * ★ 10c Per Copy ★ March 8, 1874. Publishing Offices at 2420 Grant Street, Omaha, Nebr.
New “AMVETS” Organization Issued Nat’l, Local Charters
You Are the
RED CROSS
AID FOR DISASTER VIC
TIMS—Red Cross workers an
nually provide thousands with
food, clothing, shelter, medical at
tention, and other care when
disasters strike.
This is the heart of the
people the emblem of
humanity the hand stretch
ed out in comfort to the j
homeless and the hungry,!
the lonely and the troubled
«!l over the world today*.
The RED CROSS is you. and
it is your God-given right to
buy your shares in the worlds
greatest institution of mercy.
Here come the childrei
without shoes, who are hun
gry. Here come the* desti
tute, the people without shel
ter. Here come the lonely
and the cold without comfort
Here come the men and
women who are troubled.
They come, thev look to the
Red ( 'ross. Thev look to
YOU.
If you would seek them,
look about you. Hear then;
speak:
.1. -L .Jt i
~ T T I
It's lonely here in Ger-’
many. It's very cold. Wt
worry here in Germany about
liow it is at borne the wiver
who may be ill, the child
haven't seen, the sweetheart
who eoulft be remembering |
—maybe not. But there's e, j
man here with us who can |
get in touch, straigiiten ou:
the worry, a kind of trouble
shooting guy who wears a
small red cross in his cap.
That man is YOU.
* * =is
In the hospital, the days
take a very long time to go.
The hours are all tiie same.
But there's a girl who comes
through the wards with mag
azines and books and cigar
ettes and stops to talk. She'll
write a letter for you when
your hands are hurt. She'll
read a hook or play a game.
There’ s a small red cross
pinned on her collar. That
girl is YOU.
* * *
The wind swept through
our town one night, leveling
the buildings. It destroyed
our homes. That night was
very cold, lull of cries of the
homeless and the hurt. But
among us moved men and
women providing shelter,.
food warmth. On their uni-J
forms a small red cross
shone. They were YOU.
* * *
I came home from Tarawa
Saipan, the islands where we
fought. I was discharged.
And I was lonely and discour
funds. But there was some
one here to talk to. who loan
ed me money, told me where
to go for help. On his desk
a small red cross stood. That
man was Y OU.
* * *
We are lonely, and the
anxious, and the lost. We are
the cold and hungry people,
the children who have no
shoes, the people without
shelter.
But everywhere among us
is the sign of home stamp
ed on a sack of flour, a crate
of medicine or milk, worn on
a uniform, painted on a build
ing fred and red. It is the
emblem of comfort. It is
the sign of hope. It is YOU.
Remember these thoughts
when the Red Cross volun
teer workers tap on your
door, for the annual cam
paign for funds this year
which got underway on Ylar
ch first and will continue
throughout this month. Re
member these thoughts when
you make your contribution
to fully give your thankful
ness to help raise the mini
mum quota of 8254.500, for
YOU ARE THE RED CROSS
Will Defend Columbia Riot Victims To
Utmost Limits; 19 Organization Pledges to NAACP.
• ___ _ *
St.John Scene of
Outstanding
Music Program
Monday, March 18 at St- Johns
AME Church a full house heard
one of the outstanding musical
programs given this season by the
Elks Choral Ensemble under the
direction of Mr. H. L. Preston.
The renditions were simply bea
utiful to hear, blending perfectly
with colorful attire worn by the
singers. The audience was char
med, enchanted, and enslaved by
th melody and tone quality of the
choral group. Applauses were very
warm and long. The perfection of
each number was presented "as
enough to set the heart strings of
the audienoe reverberating with
each note. The night was filled
with glorious music and song.
The program in all its beauty
and »p! ndor was 'as follows:
Overture.Orchestra
Processional Theme Song...
Invocation.Rev. E. B. Childress
Steal Away Boatney By Ensemble
Instrumental Solo: 'He Loves Even
Me.Lawrence by S. Yancy
“Nobody Knows De Trouble"_
(Spiritual.By Mrs. Marie
Price, Gospel by Chorus
Cocal Solo: "Sun Rises and You”
A. Penn, by Mrs. Lillian
Stevens
“Somewhere Listening” (Gospel)
.....Morris
Special Feature (Piano)..Geo
Wheeler, Jr., 11 years
a. ‘The Gay Butterfly”.Hatch
b- “Warrior Song”__Hatch
Intermission
“Live a Humble”.Spiritual
Vocal Solos.Calvin Philps
a. “Precious Lord”
b. “It’s My Desire”
Selections..Mens Chorus
a. “Were You There”
b. “My Lord What a Morning”
Solo.Mrs. Lula Bryant
“Does Jesus Care”.Dorsey
(Special for M. M. & Aux.)
“My Heavenly Father Watches j
Over Me”
Solo With Chorus.Evelyn Sims
Bass Solo.Mr. McClinton
Robinson—Tm Troubled"
“Unclouded Day”.Chorus
Solo—Mrs. Lula Bryant
“Fall On Me” (Gospel).Chorus
Solo—Mrs. Lillion Stevens
Finis
The Minute Men and Women's
Auxiliary sponsored this excellent
program. Committee" Mrs. |3ara
Walker; Mrs. Alice Sherwood;
Mr. John Faucett; Mason Dever
eaux; Mr. H L. Preston, Director
of the Ensemble and Mrs. Otis
Jamerson at the piano- Mr. A. R.,
Goodlett, president; Mrs. Carrie
Howell, presient of M. M. Aux.;
Mr. Emory Hickman, president of
the Ensemble.
APPEAL TO BE MADE
BY ISAACP IIS FLORIDA
RAIL CASE
New York, N. Y.—Stating that
Mrs. Marta Mae Watkins, of NY
City, was a passenger in inter
state commerce and therefore not
subject to local regulations con
cerning the separation of the ra
ces in jim crow states, the NAA
CP. through its legal department!
announced it would appeal the con
viction last week.
Mrs. Watkins was enroute from
New York City to West Palm
Beach, Flordia, and was riding in
a reserved seat in one of the coa
ches of the Atlantic Coast Line’s
Champion. When authorities askea
her to move to the ‘colored section
of the train she refused to do so.
At Jacksonville, Florida Mrs.
Watkins was taken off the train
for allegedly violating the jim
crow law and isorderly conduct.
Local NAACP representatives Se
cured her release from jail and
furnished counsel for defense. At
the train no disorderly conduct
was shown except her refusal to
move to the colored Section It
was further contended that since
she was an interstate passenger,
she was not subject to local race
separation laws. She was convict
ed an,j fined $25 on each charge.
The appeal is expected to come up
in June.
SPEAKING OF HOUSING*
:
1 X" *'
Goo&
Cau/fesy Appreciate America. Inc.
STAGE AND MAGIC SHOW
If its real entertainment you I
like. Then don’t miss seeing this j
stage and radio artist- A real good I
treat on the program is a girls'
trio which (has appeared many j
times on the radio chain. Also
other entertainers including Don j
Rock with his latest tricks and!
jokes.
St. John’s AME Church is very I
proud to present this show.
March 29th 8:15 pm.
Adults $1.10 inch .tax—Children !
$00 55 incl. tax grade and highj
school,
REGISTRATION IN WEST
PALM BEACH IS HEAVY
Miami, Fla.—According to word
reaching party headquarters here
the registration of Negro voters
for city, county, and state elec
tions in West Palm Beach out
number whites by almost 2 to 1
and it is estimated that of the
2,800 persons who have registered
since the books opened January' 2
three fourths are colored. Prac
tically all Negroes are signing up
as Democrats
NAACP LEGAL FORCE
FILES FOR CLEMENCY
WITH SEC’Y OF WAR
Washington, D. C—The NAA
CP through its legal department
submitted a petition for clemency
in behalf of Ernest Stewart now
confined in a Federal penitentiary
under sentence of a General Court
Martial, to Secretary of: War, Ro
bert Patterson. Stewart was char
ged and convicted of assault with
1 intent to kill upon a white super
ior officer and «as sentenced to
16 years at hard labor. The peti
tion pointed out that Stewart had
been convicted on evidence which
in a civil court, would have called
for acquittal. At the court martial
no proof was offered that Stewart
had firea at his superior officer.
The petition emphasized the gross
errors of law committed by the
court and it alleged that Stewart
would have been acquitted, in all
probability, if it had not been for
his race.
The NAACP urged that the Se
cretary of War remit the remain
ing portion of Stewart’s sentence
and allow him to reenlist to ter
minate honorably his service to
his country.
NAACP DONATES $200 TO
SOUTH AFRICAN DROUGHT
SUFFERERS AND INDIAN
FAMINE VICTIMS
New York. N. Y.—A donation
of $100 apeice to the India Lea
gue of America and the Council 1
on African Affairs for relief pur
poses was voted by the NAACP!
board of Directorss at its March;
meeting.
In making the donations the
board pointed out the necessity of
giving as much aid as possible to I
the natives of South Africa and
India who face an immediate fu
ture of starvation and famine.
CLEMENCY ASKED IN ‘GT
DEATH SENTENCE
Washington, D. C_Clemency
has been asked the Secretary
of War in the death sentence im
posd upon Leroy Steen by a court
martial in France last May. He
was found guilty of first degree
murder, but Thurgood Marshall
and Franklin H. Williams of the
NAACP legal staff contend the
charge nas not proved bekond a1
reasonable doubt.
NEW AWARD FOR
NAACP BRANCHES
New York, N. Y.—Ike Smalls,
member of the Board of Directors
of the NAACP, from Des Moines
announced at the March meeting
of the board that he would don
ate a loving cup each year to the
branch of the Association which,
on a percentage basis, shows the
greatest increase in membership.
In making the announcement,
Mr. Smalls said that he hoped the
first award would be made at the
1947 Annual Conference of the
Association which would be for
I achievement made in 1946
A similar award was set up for
Youth Councils and College Chap
ters of the NAACP in 1944. The
Youth Council sup was won by
the Boston, Mass, council.
Mr. Smalls is president of the
Iowa State Conference of Bran
ches of the NAACP and a mem
ber of the executive board of the
Des Moines branch.
Appoint New Associate Dir.
of Omaha Community
^ elfare Council
Tom E. Wintersteen, newly ap
pointed associate director of the
Omaha Community Welfare Coun
cil, "ill have charge of program
activities of the council, it was
announced by John F. Merriam,
council president.
The council is the coordinating
tody for all social welfare organ
nations in Omaha and Douglas
County. It conducts planning and
survey studies of social problems
in the fields of recreation and lei
sure time education, family wel
fare, child care and public health.
It also collects social statistsics as
£ basis for research. In addition,
the council manages the Social
Service Exchange and the Volun
teer Bureau.
Wintersteen, in social work for
rearly 23 years, formerly was a
rational board member of the
innerican Association of Social
Vorkers.
He attended Westerr^'Peserve
iniversity school of Applied So.
cal Sciences, later worked at
Cleveland and Buffalo, NY, and
Pom April of 1940 until he en
tered the armed forces in May
cf 1943 he was executive secre
tiry of the Family Service agency
at Chattanooga, Term.
During hig military Service, he
vas a captain in the army serving
a3 public welfare officer for nine
provinces centering jat Bologna,
ialy.
Wintersteen at one time Served
ii boys’ work at the Fremont and
Columbus YMCA’s and later as
joung mens’ secretary for the
,Omaha YMCA.
7J _
New York, N. Y—Nineteen na
tional organizations today pledg
ed their total cooperation to de
fend all of the Negroes charged
with various offenses in connect
ion with the Columbia, Tenneset
“riot” started February 25th at
a conference in the Wendell Wil
kie Memorial Building by the NA
ACP. Those pledging their aid in
clude the Americans Committee:
the Council for Democracy; the
March on Washington Movement;
the Brotherhool of Sleeping Car
Porters; Independent Citizens
Committee of the Arts, Sciences
and professions: New York Coun
cil for Permanent FEPC: the Na
tional Lawyers Guild; The CIO
PAC: the American Civil Liber
ties Union; the American Jewish
Congress; the National Urban
League, the Federal Council of
Churches of Christ in America;
the Methodist Federation for So
cial Service; Imperial Lodge of
Elks; the National Federation for
Constitutional Liberties; the Anti
Defamation League of B’nai B’nth
the Southern Conference for Hu
man Welfare; Friends of Demo-'
cracy; Freedom House and the
YMCA. It is expected that other
organizations who were unable to
send representatives to the con
ference held today will also par
ticipate in the vigorous and un
compromising fight which will oe
made in the courts of law and of
public opinion. j
The steps decided upon include
the supplying of all necessary le
gal defense. The NAACP has al-1
ready retained Maurice Weaver, I
young southern white lawyer of
Chattanooga and Wordld War II
veteran and Z. Alexander Looby,
well-known Negro lawyer of Na
shville, Thurgood Marshall. NAA
CP Special Counsel, is leaving for
Tennessee shortly to perfect, in
cooperation with Messrs. Weaver
gnd Looby, plans for defense on
the basis of the Maury County
Grand Jury Action.
Other steps decided upon at thei
conference today included an ap- \
pointment of a delegation to con
fer with President Harry S. Tru
man and Atty. General Tom Clark
■to insist upon more vigorous fe
deral action aginst the mob who]
attempted to lynch Mrs. Gladys J
Stephenson and her son, James
Stephenson because the young
Negro war veteran defended his
mother when she was kicked and
struck by William Fleming, white
radio repair man.
Because the newspaper stories
written by Columbia and Nash
ville newspapermen conspicously
failed to mention that the initial
assault had been made by Fleming
and not by the Stephensons, and
gave only the mob’s side of the
story, a nationwide campaign of
publicity through paid advertise
ments, radio broadcasts, and the
publication of literature, the hol
ding of mass meetings and other
means of informing the country
of the truth of the Columbia riot
was voted. Plans were also made
to raise as speedily as possible
the necessary funds for defense.
All the defendents excpet one have
I requested in writing that the NAA
CP defend them.
Particular emphasis was put by
the conference on the necessity of
bringing the real culprits in the
Tennessee tradgedy to justice,
particularly the state militia, state
highway patrolmen and other
agents of the state of Tennessee
who were responsible for pillaging
sarch ad seizure without warrant
beating and otherwise manhand
ling the helpless Negro defendents
destroying Negro business esta
blishments and homes, the hold-,
I ing of Negro defendants incom
1 municado and the tapping of tel
ephone wires
It was pointed out that punish
ment of the real culprits uncom
promising defenced of the Negro
victims would deter other mobs
both in the South and North from
attempting similar violence and
frame-up.
Z- Alexander Looby, telephoned
the National Headquarters today
that John McKizen, 26, married
and father of two children 4 and
6 and Robert Gentry, 24, who were
arrested subsequent to the riot
have been freed on bail of $5000
each. The charge against them
is attempted murder. Mr. Looby
reports that all of the Negro de
fendents have now been freed of
; Who Wouldn’t
1 ..II -— III _
NO WONDER Gt’S CLAMOR
FOR MORE AND MORE USO
CAMP SHOWS! Who wouldn’t,
when they present such talented
beauties as Ida James. Miss James,
who used to sing at New York’s
exclusive Ruban Bleu and the famed
Macambo in Hollywood, has been
entertaining service men in war-torn
Manila and the remote cities of
Japan for the past five months and
will continue for another four.
Union Services
Union Services will be held this
coming Sunday night, March 24tr.
at Zion Baptist Church, 221C.
Grant St. Devotional Serviceg at
7:30 pm. Sermon at 8:00 pm. by
Rev. E. V. Wade, Pastor of the
Cleaves Temple CME Church
Music by Cleaves Temple Choir.
jail. No presentments have yet
been made to the Maury County
Grand Jury. Local authorities have
indicated that they would begin
to prerent material to the Grand
Jury ‘some time next week’.
____
TWO SUB-CHASER SHIPS
MAMMA) Dl RIMG W AR BY
MOSTLY MEGRO CREW
DE-COM MISSIOM ED
The PC 1264, a sub chaser, one
of the Navy’s two fighting ships
manned during the war by pre
dominantly Negro crews, has been
decommissioned
The final entry wag made in the
log of the patrol craft in Febru
ary when she was stripped and
Sent to the Newark Bay Excess
Berthing Site, Navy Yard, New
York, to be disposed.
The ship, commissioned in April
194o, initially had a complement
of 53 Negro petty officers and
Seamen, eight white leading pet
ty officers and five white com
missioned officers. Six months la
ter after the commissioning, Ne
gro crewman qualified to take all
Petty officer duties and they were
promoted and the white officers
transferred. Later a Negro officer
was made Executive Of£4cer of
the ship.
The PC 1264 was given varied
duties, from patrolling the sea,
alone as a part of a submarine I
killer group to escorting convoys
between New York and Cuba and
intermediate waters.
In early January, 1945, the ves
sel was transferred from convoy
escort duty to become, with other!
anti-submarine vessels, part of a
far sweeping Atlantic Patrol The
ship took part in 10 of these pa
trols, many during bitter winter
weather. With the increase in en
emy submarine activity in the
latter part of March, 1945, the PC
1246 was reassigned to escort du
ty.
During these various assign
ments the ship contacted enemy
submarines several times and a
depth charge and ahead thrown
attacks were carried out. How
ever, damage to enemy submar
ines was never actually confirm
ed.
Shortly after cessation of hos
tilities in Europe, the vessel was
overhauled in preparation for ser
vice in the Pacific. In July the
ship departed but before reaching
the Pacific, Japan surrendered.
Ordered back to Norfolk, Va,
the ship began to feel the effects
of the demobilization program.
On October 27, 1945, the PC 12
64 took part in the Navy Dav
Fleet review by President Harry
S. Truman in New York Harbor.
Participation of the vessel in the
review proudly symbolized the
contribution of Cue Negro sailor
to our battle for victory.
BILLY COMM TO ARRIVE
AT GREEXWOOD LAKES
New York—(C)—Billy Conn is
expected to arrive at Greenwood
Lake April 1 according to Sol H.
Gold, "ho has gone ahead to see
that all is in readiness for the
challenger to the heavyweight
crown.
Lilly will do his most vigorous
training at Greenwood Lakes be
for his June 30th meeting with Joe
Louis
MOXTGOMER Y AND
PELLOXE PASS TESTS FOR
XOX-TITLE MATCU
New York—(CNS)—Bob Mont
gomery and Tony Pellone, rootca
as one of the outstanding fighters
in the 135 lb. class, breezed into
the State Athletic Commission
offices to take their preliminary
physical examinations prior to
their non title lightweight encoun
ter at Madison Square Garden
H. McCaw
Heads New
Vet Setup
TAKE OVER RAILROAD
MEN'S BUILDING
Charters both National and
Stale, have been granted to
a newly organized group of
World War II veterans, who
will he known henceforth as
; “The American Veterans of
| World War II, ‘AMVETS'
) Post No. 2” with lieadquar
| ters in the former Railroad
j Men's Benevolent Club build
j ing at 2'4th and Miami Sts.
I A group of these veterans
met at the Club rooms ot»
Thursday, March 7, 1946,
and set up this organization
and elected the following
veterans as officers:
HERERT L. McCAW.
COMMANDER,
.. WOODROW F MORGAN,
ADJUTANT,
WILLIAM A- DAVIS.
1ST VICE COMMANDER.
RAYMOND ALEXANDER,
2ND VICE COMMANDER
i COLUMBUS McMORRIS.
3RD VICE COMMANDER
Other positions: Trial
Judge Advocate; Finance Of
ficer, Provost Marshall, etc.,
were left to be filled by ap
pointment at a later date by
1 Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee is
composed of ail the elected
offieers.
The American Veterans of
World War II, AM VETS,
Post No. II, is organized in
serve primarily the interests
of the veterans of the latest
conflict.
The officers of the AM
EVTS have already outlined
an aggressive program which
keeps the particular inter
ests of the veteran foremost.
Their first action was to be
gin an intensive membership
drive with the objective of
obtaining the membership ot
most, if not all, of the veter
ans of World War II.
★ If you are a veteran of
World War II, you owe it to
yourself to became an active
member of the AMVETS, . .
your own oragnization.
The AMVETS have negot
iated and obtained as their
Club rooms, the building
formerly occupied by tiie
Railroad M«*n's Club, at 2fth
and Miami Streets. These
club rooms will he redecoral
ed and refurnished for a
grand opening in the near
future. Watch for further
announcements in The Great
er Omaha Guide.
COMING SOON TO ST. JOHNS
A sound film. “Journey Into
Faith. H L. Preston will sing. Be
on the lookout in next weeks is
sue for the date!
FIRST NEGRO APPOINTED
TO NY BOARD OF
HIGHER EDUCATION
New York—(C)—The appoint
ment of Rev. John Coleman, Brook
lyn Negro Catholic to the Board
of Higher Education was highly
welcomed in some circles and the
other circles appeared not to be
pleased. By appointing Dr Cole
man, who has had a distinguished
career in interracial affairs. May
or O’Dwyer is being congratulated
for placing the 1st Negro on the
board which governs the city-own
ed colleges. On the other hand,
since a vacancy was left on the
Board of Higher Education which
is a much larger and more pow
erful board than the secondary
school machinery, many Negroes
feel we should have had an ap
pointment on the Board of Educa
tion.
However, Mayor O’Dwyer has
given out the information that he
felt it a necessity to appoint a
Catholic to fill the vacancy on
the Board of. Education since the
position was formerly occupied by
a Catholic, Daniel P. Higgins, who
resigned last December. Mean
while, many circles are exclaim
ing that they never heard of Dr.
Coleman. Why couldn’t a more
outstanding personality have been
appointee as Dr. Channing H. To
bias ?
Dr. Coleman was sworn in on
Tuesday, March 5th, and his term
will last through Jung 30, 1952.
Barring unforseen accidents, there
will be no more vacancies until in
1952.
NAT HINES DIES FROM
RING INJURIES
Philapelphia, Pa —(C) —Twenty
four year old Nat Hines, light
heavyweight boxer, died this week
from ring injuries. Hinea knocked
out in the 6th and final round of
a bout with Billy Eck at Allan
town. Pa., last Friday night.
Bedford Park’s
Beautiful Lots Are on the Market F or Sale Now!
Call Realty Improvement Company 342 Electric Bldg.MA-7718 or JA-1620; “Small Down Payment Will Do the Job”.