15he STREET and thereabouts by LAWRENCE P. LEWIS OUR GUEST Column Editadhy Varna P. Harris BY ROCF.lt N. BALDWIN, DIRECTOR American Civil Liberties Union The greatest racial discrimination in American law does not affect Negroes as commonly supposel, but Orientals. The United States is the only major nation in the world which puts up a racial bar to citizenship. By the Orien tal Exclusion Act of 1924, it excludes from citizenship and immigration all Orientals, except the Chinese, to whom special exemptions as allies was gran ted during the war. None of the orien tal peoples except the Chinese, with a quota of 105 per year, may enter the l nited States as permanent residents. Those who are here either came in be fore 1924 or secured temporary per mits. This wholesale racial discrimination against Oriental peoples is an affront to almost half the popuaton of the ear th. Its origins go hack to the eary days of slavery when in 1790 citizenship was confined to "free white persons”. It took the Civil War to extend it to Negroes. It took World War I to ex tend it to American Indians. It took W orld War II to extend it to the Chi ese. There we have stopped. No resident Filipino whose compatriots fought with the American armies can become a IS citizen. After Philippine indepen dence in July, we will graciously per mit the mmigration of 100 Filipinos a year. But such retail measures are not enough. The gross injustice of this wholesale racial barrier can be correc ted only by the total repeal of the Or iental Exclusion Act, putting all the Oriental nations on exactly the same quota basis as all other nations, and extending to their citizens precisely the same rights of U. S. citizenship. The fear of organized labor that such action would result in a wholesale in vasion of cheap labor is without found ation. On the basis of the 1890 cen sus. on which all quotas are figured, only 650 could be admitted annually from all Oriental countries. If it is ob jected that Japan as a recent enemy nation would be included in the re peal, it may be answered that Japan's quota for immigration would be less than 100, and that those now resident in the United States are as much en titled to citizenship as any other Ori entals. The disloyal were interned dur ing the war and later deported to Ja pan. Furthermore, the loyal were fa thers and mothers and close relatives of 20.000 American boys of Japanese extraction who volunteered for mili tary service and covered themselves with glory on the battlefronts of Eu ^ rope. We have a further moral responsi bility to the Japanese in the U. S. They were the victims of one of the worst racial tragedies ever suffered by a minority in American life. As a mea sure of ‘security’ the entire 115,000 people of Japanese blood on the Paci fic Coast, two-thirds American born, were removed from their homes, jobs and schools, and evacuated to con centration camps in the far West. And there for two long years they were kept behind barbed wire, guarded by soldiers, living in barracks, .solely on the ground of their racial origin. That the discrimination was wholly racial is .proved by the fact that no other Axis nationals were removed from the Pacific Coast, nor indeed from the At lantic Coast where the danger of at tack, sabotage and espionage was even greater. Racial discrimination against Jap anese and other Orientals in our fed eral law has brought other disabilities. ^ estern states hostile to them have adopted laws prohibiting land owner ship or occupancy by persons “ineli gible to citizenship”, and denying them licences for professions. Their attemp ts to put property in the names of their American-born children have been fru strated by court actions. Their chil dren are in many places segregated in public schools. Economic competitors in agriculture have resorted to vigi lante action against Japanese Ameri cans. The vast losses in property from the hasty evacuation will never be com pensated, though their valid claims will be presented in the courts and Con gress. The Oriental population in the Uni ted States is a tiny fraction of the whole, .less than 500.000 people, with over half of these in Hawaii. But over half the people of the earth in the Oriental populations, against whom the discrimination is directed, are re sentful of American prejudice em bodied in law. They know that Amer ican law is based on white supremacy. Yet they see the United States cham pion world democracy and they read the pledges in the United Nations ch arter against racial discrimination. Our segregation laws at least put up a pre tense of equal but separate accomo dations, denied by all facts; but our racial bars to immigration and citizen ship make no pretense to equality. Only total repeal of the Oriental Ex clusion Act will abolish the greatest singe obstace to realizing our moral claims to democratic leadership. We on Our Street will make the Car ver's Savings & Loan Association a success or a failure. If we support the Carver's Savings & Loan Association, success will be assured. What is good for our community is good for the peo ple who abide in it. An organization of this kind is an outstanding achieve mene for Our Street. “Good afternoon, Urban League”, said a soft, low voice over the tele phone. I was waiting to speak with Mrs. Grayce Bradford, who was at this time attending a staff meeting, so I began a conversation with the Urban Lea gue’s polite and soft-spoken Office and Employment Secretary. “How long have you worked here”, I asked. The young lady looked from her work, quietly sat her pencil aside, and answered, “Four months”. She seemed a little startled at my questioning her and I smiled, saying, “1 write a column for the Omaha Gui de. I write about people, about busi- j ness, oh, I write about almost anything and at the present time 1 would like to write about you”. “Gosh, I’d better be careful about what I say”, she said. “What do you enjoy most about your work?”, I asked. “It is really hard to say”, she answ ered, “but I enjoy meeting people, and I come in contact with so many of them, and before I realize it, the day has passed. I am forever calling people to come to such and such a meeting”. Miss Ovalyn Grice stood up, walked to the pencil sharpener, and began sharpening her pencil. She seemed tall and slender while standing, yet while she was sitting, I got the impression that she was small. “You attended school in Omaha”?, I asked as she returned back to her desk. “V es, I went to Tech”, she answered, j “I have been away from Omaha for j three years and I meet so many people ' that I do not know. It has been a plea sure meeting you, Miss Grice. Social work is important work, and you seem to be very capable of doing your job well”, I said. Miss Ovalvn Grieg smiled, nodded goodbye as I closed the door behind me, and I could faintly hear her say ing as she answered the telephone, “Good afternoon, Urban League”. A few years ago I worked on a din ing car with Voyal V. Watson. During numerous conversations I found out that Mr. Watson was not completely satisfied with his work on the dining car. I met Voyal Watson last week for the first time in three years, and he seemed satisfied, so I asked him if he was still working on the dining car. Of course I found that he was now in bus iness, owner and instructor of the (Last Word Beauty Salon ). Yesterday I visited Voyal Watson’s School of Beauty. I was amazed at the neatness of his school, the curtained booths, the modern equipment, the tidy classroom, and the daintiness of thh ladies in their starched white uniforms and the men in their white jackets. “Come in, Lawrence”, he said as he shook my hand. “I’m certainly glad to see you”. “W ell Voyal, you got something here” I said after glancing around. “How and when did you get in this line of work?” “It happened like this”, he answered “I was not using up all my time, and you know me, I've got to be doing something, so I decided to learn this business. The more I learned, the more I enjoyed it. I couldn’t be satisfied just being an operator, so I opened up this school. I The Last Word Beauty Salon ) "What do you think about men in this line of business”, I asked. “In all fairness to the ladies who now dominate this type of business, I believe that men are more conscious of their work and are more -concerned about how the women look. More men are entering the field every day and it won't be long before men will catch up with the women as operators”, he an swered. '“Who are the ladies that are now taking the course”, I asked. “At the present time there is Mrs. Max Williams. Mrs. Lucille Summers, Mrs. Ruby Lee Bodie, Mrs. Rebecca E. Evans, Mrs. Angaline McSuare, Mrs. Alice Singleton, and we have one man. Mr. Vernon L. Estes. Of course I be lieve more men will soon enter the field. Veterans can take the course un der the G I Bill of Rights, you know”, he answered. Voyal stopped working on a ladie’s hair and we walked around the salon. He pointed out the different rooms and the different equipment. “Everything is sterilized and is kept that way. I have a complete line of products which run into hundreds of dollars. At first many thought it was strange that I undertook this business as a career, but more men are being trained as operators everyday. It is an open field for men, and more men should take it up. As soon as two of my students get their license I intend to study further at some school in New York or Chicago”, he said. Voyal V. Watson today is a success ful operator and instructor. It is not easy to go against convention and suc ceed, but Mr. Watson has done just that and now gets great pleasure and satisfaction in passing on his knowled ge to others. I spend many of my evenings re hearsing for the play (The Whole Town's Talking ) now in rehearsal at the Urban League. A young lady, very intelligent and talented, a Miss Jeannie Rudd, gave me a clear cut view of our Omaha, and somehow I have not for gotten it. “Miss Rudd, you tell me that next year you will graduate from Omaha U. and you plan on going East to enter some kind of social work. Why, Miss Rudd, do you have to go East?”, I ask ed. Miss Rudd studied a moment, and then answered, “There is so little op portunity in Omaha. I want to be suc cessful and in order to accomplish that which I want, I must go somewhere else. I can broaden my education and my knowledge of social activities by traveling. After graduating, Omaha has so little to offer the educated Negro”. “How true”, I said. My thoughts stayed on that state ment (so little opportunity in Omaha ). How right this lady was. How little Omaha has to offer the young educated asof oj pjojja jbaojoj »m or) -ojSaj^ the best amoung our youth to another city in the East or in the West or in the South. World It MCA Representative to^&peak Monday Aight Paul Moritz, YMCA World Repre sentative in China, now in this coun try on furlough, will be the dinner guest of the local YMCA World Ser vice Committee on Monday night. May 20th at 6:00. Moritz will speak at 7:30 in Room 203 of the YMCA to which the public is invited. Paul Moritz was President of the ^ MCA at Kansas University, Presi dent of the Westminister Council and of the Field Council of the Rocky Mountain Region. He held several na tional posts before going to China in 1939 as a soecial ambassador for lh< American Student Christian Move ment. Moritz has for several years been closely connected with student affairs both at hime and abroad. Wei ilueated, widely experienced, and witl 1 i through understanding of student teeds and problems, he is well qual fied for the responsible posts he tolds. LOCAL AND NATIONAL NEWS | Per Copy AND WORTH IT- “To Sell It, ADVERTISE” 'JUSTICE/EQUALITY EQUAL OPPORTUNITY ALL THE NEWS WHILE IT IS NEWS 2420 GRANT ST HEW TO THE LINE PHONE HA.0800 SATURDAY, MAY 18, 1946 Our 19th Year—No. 15 10c Per Copy Entered as 2nd class matter at Post- oftice, Omaha, Nebr., Under Act of March 8, 1874. Publishing Offices at 2420 Grant Street, Omaha, Nebr. BRIGGS - WASHINGTON RECITAL DRAWS PRAISE OF CRITICS Elks Endorse C. C. Galloway for STATE SENATOR C. C. Galloway ELKS FAVOR CARVERS LOAIf ASS’N SUPPORT COCA-COLI Ai00,000.„j INVESTMENT By Bro. Ellsworth G. Dover cans NEW AMVETS’ BAR, LOUNGE AND BALLROOM OPENED Standing before the Mew Bar in the recently opened Mew AMVETS Headquarters are reading from left to right are: H.L. McCaw, Commander; Woodrow F. Morgan, Adjutant; Columbus McMorris, Vice Commander; Harold C. While side, Finance Officer; and Paul B. Allen, Manager. .. A well pleased crowd of about 400 witnessed the brilliant recital of Mes sers. Paul Briggs, baritone, and Book er T. Washington, virtuoso of the Ste inway, last Sunday afternoon at the Amvets Club. Truly this dist>ursti;<> or such mag nificent local talent is a rare treat for music lovers of this community as many others have made their war con tributions likewise to these two artists. They spent nearly four years fighting the horrows of war to emerge with none of their musical ability lost, as was very vividly displayed in this re cital. The program was opened with Ma lott’s “Lord’s Prayer” which was rev erently rendered. This number was not programmed, .this is the usual meth od used by such celebrated artists as Roland Hayes, Paul Robeson and Ma rian Anderson. Group 1 consisted of “The Blind i Ploughman” bv R. C. Clark; “The Builder”, by Cadman; and “Morning” by Oley Speaks. This group of songs are trying in any presentation but were well rendered in this particular case. In the “Morning’ selection, the higher range of Mr. Briggs wasn’t quite up to par, but as forsaid the group in its entirety was well rendered. In the second group Mr. Briggs gave fourth tremendously with “Div Pas senta". This was one of Mr. Brigg’s best presentations. The song was pre sented in Italian and the change of moods and tempo, crescendo and de minuendo had t tremendous effect on the enthusiastic audience. The third group of vocal offerings consisted of Handel's “Where’er You Walk” and Ischaikawsky’s “Pilgrim Song”. In this respective trey bracket the initial number gave Mr. Briggs a chance to exhibit some fine breath control which he broke the popular strain losing effectiveness although his accentuations and subdued tone quality were well placed which initia ted this effect for the baritone, “The Pilgrim's Song” a typical baritone mim her was tvpicallv rendered with double forte still predominating the higher I range. Group four brought fourth the ini mitable Mr. Booker T. Washington the very ardent and efficient accompan ist. concertist. and composer. For his i'Mitribution, Mr. Washington gave lourth with one of his own composi tions “Imorovis'ons” with the assur ance of Iturbi the composition of him self as Rubenstein, Mr. Washington performed magnificently displaying a surplus of the song title “Improvisions’ the music hungry audience readily re ceived this. Mr. Washington was re called to the piano for an encore. He paused momentarily and then played a five second ditty that any first year student could have handled with one hand. This was to come under the fCONTINUED ON P. 8 IROQUOIS LODGE No. 92 I. B. O. E. of W. At the last regular session of Iro quois Lodge No. 92; Charles 11. Dav» Exalted Ku er, gave a ve:y interesting discussion on the Negro in Omaha tak ing rare of 'ts own and looking forwart to the building up of his community. Mr. Davis was proud to say that the month of May will mark a milestone for the Nearro P’sf'f* in anl in coherance with this statement Iro quois Lodge endoises the following events: Carver BuiL,:ng and T.oan Ass’n. Mr. C. C. Galloway, Candidate for State I e->’i'U-e from the 5th District. $300,000 plant to be erected in this district by the Coca-Cola Bottling C*. Iroquois Lodge has completed nego tiations for pircVsine the property of 2811 Caldwell Street for the purport of converting the said property mt* o home for a"ed and disabled mem bers of this order. A vote of thanks w*^ given to Bro. Herbert Mayberry, for the work that has been done by him self and his committee in the select ing of this property. The Annual O-atorical Contest wa* held at the Elks Hall. 2420 Lake St. Friday, April 18. 1945. The iu-'g« awarded first prize to Miss Aneany N*. tCONTINUED ON P. 8 FORMER OMAHAIS VISITS GLIDE C. C. Galloway greets boyhood I friend, Irving W. Gray in front of the' Guide building. Mr. Gray, now of Chcago, was impressed by the intri cate machinery and presses used ia the publication of The Omaha Guide. ^M_VEJS A Name to Conjure With” (By George H. McDavis) “At long last’..These memorable words were last spoken by King Ed ward when he abdicated the throne several years ago. Little did I know, or dream that in my generation there would ever be an occasion for me to repeat these words. On Friday evening, May 10, I was privileged to be an invited guest at the opening of the AMVET Post No. 2 Club Room and Lounge. I have al ways mainained that Omaha was be hind the times in comparison to othet cities of equal Negro population. 1 wish to retract that statement and to doff my hat to a courageous group of men that has been my privilege to know. These men have banded toge ther and provided the needed stimu lous to a dotish populace. COME WITH ME ON A SIGHT SEEING TOUR ON THIS MEMORABLE OCCASION: The bar and lounge are comparableI to Chicago s Club De Lisa or thej Rhumboogie . Any type of drink may be had from a Tom Collins to a Pink Lady. The cusine is perfect presided j over by the capable Mrs. Craig. Soft j lights, the tinkle of glasses, the effi cient waitresses, such dignitaries as Val Peterson, Candidate for Govern-1 or, John Eckstrom, Candidate for Sheriff, Jack Chase, Chairman of the Liquor Commission, Jimmy LaHood, Democrat Candidate for Sheriff, and many other political aspirants, all in attendance to make this opening one' long-to-be-remembered occhsicyi. Now j let us move in to the Ballroom where' “Basie Givens” is giving out with his sophisticated swing. On my left I see Dr. and Mrs. Solomon; C. C. Gallo way, Editor of this Publication; Mr. and Mrs. McCaw, of the Urban Lea gue; Mr. McGowan, Salesman for an Insurance Company and many others. all having a good time in an atmos phere that was clean and wholesome. The patrons presented a cross section of “Who's Who?” \ es, at long last we have a place where we can take our friends for a perfect evening of dancing or dining without the fear >f embarassment. Conspicuous by it s absence was noise and boisterousness. Not a detail was everlooked to make this Club a place to be proud of. closing, I wish to announce on ™T'lf the, members of the AMVETS, that due to the last min ute rush in opening; and to the in complete mailing list, lots of their friends failed to receive an invita tion. The AMVETS wish to take this opportunity to apologize for this over sight, and extends a blanket invitation to one and all to be their guests at anytime. REV. C. C. REYNOLDS TO DENVER CONFERENCE This coming Sunday, May 19th, will mark the close of five years for Rev. Reynolds at Clair Methodist Church. He will leave Monday night for Den ver, Colo., to attend his Annual Con ference. Various churches and pastors have joined with Clair Church this past week in observance of his fifth anniversary at Clair. The anniversary will close this coming Sunday after noon at 3:30 with the Rev. R. W. John son and his choir and people in charge and several other churches and pastors will cooperate with Rev. Johnson in the promotion of this service. Rev. Reynolds extends to all the members of Clair, and his family and many friends of Omaha invitations to worship at Clair this coming Sunday. He will speak on the morning worship hour on “How reads your score card?” Yours”1 Sunday "ight “Affectionately The Royal Jubilee Singers will be ST. PHILIPS EPISCOPAL CHURCH trill Present Their CORONATION Ball & Pageant MONDAY, JUNE 3, 1946 at The AM VETS Hall 24th & Miami —MUSIC BY— LLOYD HUNTER'S OrcHestrs honor guests in the services at Clair Sunday, and will charm our hearts by their songs of praise. SUBSCRIBE TODAY1 Places for VOTERS’ REGISTRATION will be found on Page 8 “FRIENDS FOR HALF A CENTURY” George W. Watson, Real Estate Dealer, C. C. Galloway, Publisher of the Omaha Guide and Irvin W. Gray, Headwaiter at the Exclusive Del Pra do Hotel in Chicago since 1921. held a reunion last week upon the visit of Mr. Gray to Omaha. Messrs. Watson, Galloway and Gray frst became acquainted more than 40 years ago while serving as waiters at the Loyal and Rome Hotels. Al though now engaged in different en deavors. they still enjoy getting toget her at intervals to discuss their exper iences of the past and their hopes for the future. While in Omaha Mr. Gray was the house guest of Mr. and Mrs. Watson, 2413 Lake St. He was the recipient of many social courtesies and renewed many old acquaintances. How To Have Good Government The responsibility for good government in a democracy you and me. We are the ones who make the choice. We are free people who select our own candidates. If they are bad, we have no alibis, for we choose them. If they are good, we can take the eredit. The choice of our leaders is our responsibility. We must not elect a mediocre man because we like him, or be cause he feels entitled to the job. Wre have done that too often in the past, at too high a price. We must select our candidates not from the bias of party, but on the basis of past record, ability and character. But we must not only select. We must be willing to act. The express obligation of all men is to exercise their right of franchise. Furthermore, we must be willing to serve. If able men say they are “too busy” to run for local offices they have only themselves to blame if they find nincom poops the incumbents at whom they rail because of their inefficiency. Popular government can only be maintained if the peo> secrated to the ideals of democracy, not a master state. Any attempt of the state to rule would mean the death of the na tion. The men of our choice must, like the prophets of old, be capable of inspirational leadership in time of peace and in time of crisis alike. “We must4’, according to the words of the prayer book, “make choice of wise legislators and faith ful councilors, who, soberly, justly and with a godly gpirfe ma enact things just and wise and merciful for the benefit of all people.” They must be men whom we can trust—«■ that we can confidently follow them. Great is the need for leaders. Great is the need for »—t of vision who can face facts with courage, see things realis tically, state truths honestly, accept responsibility humbly— and never lose sight of the unalterable ideal upon which tUs nation was built—a government o ftbe people, by the pen* pie, and for the people. “O Thou, who didst touch the prophets’ lips with fir^ send us Thy prophets for our dreadful days.”