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/JUSTICE /EQUALITY HEW TO THE IM\
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= 1^nlfiiAV~6cTOBEB 12, 191ft' Our 19lh Year—No. 36 'oS£A1.
OUR
GUEST
Column
Edited by Verna P. Harr in
MILITARY RACISM
By Conrad Lynn
Note to readers:
D..ri ig the war, in conjunction
wit the American Civil Liberties
Uni-a Attorney Conrad Lynn de
fen; a in federal courts his bro
ther Winifred Lynn, who challen
ged j incrow practices of Selective
uer. ce and the Army. Since on a
techn cabty the U. S. Supreme
Court refused to hear the case,
segrc ,'.tion still reigns triumphant
in the armed forces.
The wave of attacks on racial
mir, r,ti<- * sweeping the country
just ::.iw can hardly be called a
moral let-down from the war fer
vor World War II was not fought
by Americans as a moral crusade
in contrast to World War I. Few
declared we were fighting for no
ble ideals. Those who did, like
Roosevelt, met with widespread
cynicism and understanding, .an
under tariding that HE was sup
posed to ta'k about ideals as a
funct >n of his office. At best the
war idelogy was AGAINST cer
la.n principles as distinguished
fr in being FOR their opposites.
The armed forces command and
also fie common soldiers and
sailors, for the most part, clearly
appreciated this. With commen
dable frankness the army declar
ed itself against integrating Ne
groes into the general fom^c 0f
the nation because that would be
a ’social experiment'. The army
was not interested in social ex
periments But the generals went
further. They threw off the mask
on the fare of American depio
t »* m u in an to
phi- •> --- -v. When Negro
and white hovs from small towns
traveled t' getter to induction
centers thev v-ere peremptorialy <
ordered to separate as soon as
thev had taken the oath to defend
their native land. The army may
have been figting nazism and its
race »ovth.s but it was definite!'
for the segregation and humilia
tion of its black detachments
During the Battle of the Bulge
when HQ became jiterv over an
imminent German breakthrough.
Negro cooks. QM trucks, truck
drivers and laborers were co-op
ted for the infantry and thrown
into white divisions. Admitted!
they acquitted themselves cc”
ageously and skillfully. A torren
•f pious rhetoric poured out of
the Information and Education
Section of the army. Negroes ware
men.
Immediately after the victory
•ver the Axis fascism a committee
•f genet ais headed by General
Gillem was appointed by the Chief
of Staff to investigate the pro
blem of Negro troops and report .
The committee reported that in
tegration was feasible and desire
able if dene in a gradual fashion.
At once the papers, including Ne
gro weeklies, ran streamers. The
Army Abolishes Jim Crow Now
the real facts are out of the hag
Recently the army put into effect
Its new policy for Negro soldiers.
They will be used as jiw crow
regiments attached to the six field
armies
A higher proportion of the offi
cers will be- Negroes in order to
win the loyalty of middle class Ne
groes. No more Negro volunteers
will be accepted in order to pre
serve the desired ratio of blacks
to whites.
So the actual legal status of Ne
groes in the armed forces as
brought out by the Lynn case has
in no way been altered. The Uni
ted States Circuit Court of Ap
peals was frank in declaring that
a law of Congress in 1866 made
Jim crow units a pattern for Uni
ted States forces and that this
law bad not been affected by the
1«H0 amendment to the draft law
which ostensibly forbids discrim
ination on account of race or co»
or in the selection and training
of men for service.
How convincing must American
protestations of equality and bro
therhood sound to Indians and
Chinese and Indonesians and Eth
iopians and Latin Americans in
in the forum of the United Nations
when they contemplate this mel
ancholy situation.
—APA—
VETERANS FORM
Bl FFET CU B
L«e« C. Brooks. 526 So. 51 St .
veteran of the Bataan Death
March and three years a prisoner
of war In Japan was elected presi
dent of the Veterans Buffet Club
last night In an organization meet
ing in the director's room of the
CStr Natl Bank building.
Charles A. <Doc> Irvine, 4340
Chicago St.. Marine Corps veteran
of the Marianna. Marshall. Gilbert
and Okinawa invasions and hold
er of the Purple Heart was made
secretary.
The purpose of the club is to as
sist in the re-election of Congress
man Howard Buffett. Mr. Brooks
•aid that the veterans of World
Representative Douglas, Robeson
TO URGE THE REMOVAL OF BILBO
Seeks Bilbo Campaign Probe J
Percy Greet, editor of the Jackson (Miss.) Advocate, shows Wil
liam J. Schieffelin (center) chairman emeritus of the board of Tus
kegee Institute, and Paul Robeson (right) a copy of the petition filed
with the Senate Campaign Expenditures Committee asking that
Senator Bilbo’s recent priamry campaign be investigated. Mr. Green
one of the signers of the petition, will be back in New York to at
tend a dinner at the Hotel Pennsylvania under the auspices of the
Civil Rights Congress on October 17. when he will tell how Bilbo
deprived the Negroes of Mississippi of the right to vote in the July
2 primaries.
BILBOS VOTE BEING
CHECKED BY SEN. PROBERS
WASHINGTON. D. C. (CNS) —
Two representatives from the Sen
ate Campaign Investigating Com
mittee. are reported to have been
ent to Jackson. Miss, to investi
Tate r'^ro-es against Senator The
i odore Bilbo.
According to Riley Shanks, chief
counsel for the committee, a sworn
statement signed by 50 Mississ
ippi voters occusing Bilbo of con
ducting “an aggressive and ruth
less campaign to bar Negroes”
caused the probing by the comm
ittee. The voters asked the com
mittee to recommend that the Sen
ate impeach Bilbo.
Mrs. Hayes, N. N. C. Delegate
Returns from Washington Conference
Mrs. G. Aneita Hayes, delegate
for the Omaha Council of the Na
tional Negro Congress has just
! retorted to the city after two busy
weeks in Washington. D. C., where
she attended the American Cru
sade to End Lynching Meet held
n Washington on Monday, Sert.
?3rd at the Metropolitan A. M. E.
I Church. The meeting began a 100
j dnv campaign and will continue
until the opening of the 80 th Con
gress. Mrs. Hayes said over 3000
j delegates attended the convention.
Delegations were selected to visit
President Truman, Attorney-Gen
eral Clark, the Democratic and Fc
nubliran Nat’l Committees. A de
legation of nine delegates, headed
by Paul Robeson conferred with
President Truman at the White
House. Many other prominent
leaders were in attendance, among
them being: Howard Murphy of
the Afro-American; Mrs. Harper
Sibley. National Council of Church
Women: Rabbi Irvin Miller of the
American Jewish Congress; Dr.
Max Yergan: Abrey Williams and
Joseph L. Johnson.
Mrs. Hayes was one of the de
legates to go to the Democratic
National Headquarters at the May
flower Hotel.
At the conclusion of the days’
meeting, a large crowd gathered
at the Lincoln Memorial to hear
Mr Robeson sing and talk under
an umbrella. Mr. Robeson, noted
baritone, sang three songs and
n ru ui icujr.
“We have to back leaders like
Wallace", he said. ‘‘I cannot go
along with Mr. Truman’s state
I ment that we must support Amer
ican Foreign Policy. It is a policy
that is bound to lead to war".
The conference meeting opened
with a talk by Percy Green, edi
tor of the Jackson (Miss.) Advo
cate. Mr. Green urged the im
peachment of Bilbo and stated
that he was a Mississippian and
intended to stay there.
In visits to Democratic and Re
publican headquarters, the confer
ence delegates urged that in the
forthcoming elections, all party
candidates adhere to and support
the enactment into law of an anti
lynch bill.
A highlight of the evening’s
meeting at the Lincoln Memorial
were eye-witness accounts of lyn
chings and events preceeding and
following them as told personally
by the widows, relatives and the
friends of lynch victims.
three-point program was set up
to fight lvnchings. ‘The Appre
hension and Punishment of every
Lyncher. ‘Passage of a Federal
Anti-Lynch Bill”. “Keeping the
Klan Out of Congress and “No
Seat for Bilbo”.
Mrs. Hayes went from Washing
ton to the New York office of the
War II feel that they should take
an active part in the election of
members of Congress who have
assisted veterans in their purpos
es and have consistently fought for
the people rather than outside or
foreign interests.
National Negro Congress where
she was in conference and receiv
ed directives. She also visited the
offices of the Council on African
Affairs and conferred with Dr.
Max Yergan and Mr. Robeson's
■secretary. In Washington, Mrs.
Hayes was guest at the National
Council of Negro Women at its
home, 1318 Vermont Avenue.
COUNT BASIE SIGNS
$2,000,000 CONTRACT
COI NT BASIE and BEX NX GOOD
XIAN playing together during a .Jam
Session.
By Jim McCarthy
NEW YORK—Count Basie has
returned to the William Morris
Agency under the terms o fa new
ly-signed contract that guarant
ees his earnings to be in excess of
$2,000,000 for the next three years
it was annonced this week by his
personal manager. Milton Ebbins.
In signing tie new William Mor
ris pact, Basie also received a bon
us of $15,000 and further guaran
tees of important theatre and lo
cation bookings and specific film
| and radio work.
j Basie departed the William
: Morris fold last February to go
under the banner of the Willard
Rep. Helen Gahagan Douglas of
California, Paul Robeson and Dash
iell Hammett will be among the
speakers at the '‘Unseat Bilbo”
dinner of the Civil Rights Congress
in the Hotel Pennsylvania Octo
mer 17 it was announced yester
day.
The dinner will focus attention
on the case of the People of the
U. S. vs. Senator Theodore Bilbo’,
according to the invitation being
mailed by the organization.
The Civil Rights Congress has
given advice and legal aid to a
group of Mislissippians who
charge that Bilbo won renomina
tion in the recent primaries thru
fraud and violence. And its legal
staff prepared a petition urging
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an investigation of Bilbo’s cam
paign which was sent by the
Mississippi group with its affida
vits to the Committee on Cam
paign Expenditures and the Com
mittee on Privileges and Elections
of the Senate. As a result of this
action, two investigators of the
Senate Campaign Expenditures
Committee have been sent to Miss
issippi.
The bill of particulars drawn up
by the Civil Rights Congress
points out that Bilbo admits he
is a member of the Ku Klux Klan.
that he has insulted racial, nation
al, political and religious minori
ties; and that he has flouted State
and Federal laws of the U. S. Con
stitution fcy inciting violence a
-’•'Mnst Negro voters in Missippi.
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Community Chest To Include
All Capital Funds
The Omaha Community Chest
will deny all requests from mem
ber agencies for permission to con
duct capital funds campaigns in
1947 it has been announced by
Morris E. Jacobs, president.
Mr. Jacobs has outlined reasons
for such action taken by the board
of directors of the Chest in a let
ter received this week by a repre
sentative cross section of contri
butors. The letter is an explana
tion of the inclusion in the Chest's
campaign goal of an item for
needed repairs and remodeling of
member agencies’ properties.
The Chest board, Mr. Jacobs
said, acted in accord with the sen
timent expressed by a vast ma
jority of this same cross section
group which voted earlier on the
question of including an amount i
in this years’ goal in lieu of in- i
dividual appeals.
Although it was impossible to
write all 72.000 contributors to t^p
Chest, som£ 3,000 letters went
out at that time Jacob1’ r‘-'
turn cards revealed a vote of 7-2
in favor of including such needs
in the campaign that is currently
being organized under the chair
manship of Harold D. LeMar.
It is anticipated that a practical
program can be worked out after
the close of the current campaign
which will make it possible to a
dopt this policy of no supplemen
tary funds campaigns for all times
Mr. Jacobs states in the letter.
Alexander Agency, headed by Wil
lard Alexander, former chief of
the William Morrie band depart
ment and had been booked on one
niters on a non-exclusive deal by
Billy Shaw of the Gale Agency. It
is understood that Basie's anxiety
to be affiliated with a major office
was the prime reason behind his
decision to return to the Morris
Agency which office had been hand
ling his bookings since his split
with Music Corporation of Amer
ica in early 1941.
In releasing the news of his
signing with the Morris Agency,
a sudden move that electrified the
entire music industry, the Count
announced that he will remain un
der the exclusive personal man
agement of Milton Ebbins. the
man who guided his destinies for
the past seven years. Ebbins, who
is regarded as one of the shrew
dest and most efficient band hand
lers in the business, is also resp
onsible for the piloting of the
sensational Billy Eckstine.
The Count and his bandmen are
currently touring coast-to-coast
and open their annual west coast
invasion by playing the week of
October 15 on stage of the Lincoln
Theatre in Los Angeles.
The letter reads in part: “We
know that many people have been
making special contributions to in
dividual agencies for specific pro
jects such as a new roof, fire es
cape, or to make is possible for
the kiddies in our children’s in
stitutions to have more comfort
able and less crowded living con
ditions.
‘‘We are counting on your sense
of fair play to add that contribu
tion to your regular gift rather
than penalize these agencies for
joining in this more economical
and time-saving method of secur
ing the necessary funds”.
Mr. Jacobs declared that if sup
plementary campaigns were to beb
permitted, the result eventually
would abolish the usefullness of
the Chest to its agencies and de
feat the Chest purpose of uniting
appeals of accredited agencies wil
ling to subscribe to its principles.
RECORD VOTE!
An all-time Mid-City voting re
cord was set in the recent Omaha
Guide-Amvets Popularity and
Beauty Contest when the 26 can
didates polled more than 7,000
votes.
Miss Johnnie McGoy, Omaha
Guide office secretary, is shown
holding the official ballot box con
taining the votes.
In Columbia Riot Charges
PAC CHIEF PRAISES
NAACP. DEFENSE
NEW YORK, N. Y.—“The ac
quittals in the Lawrenceburg trial
freeing 23 Negroes are a trium
phant note for all progressive for
ces who have fought injustice and
bigotry in America”, Jack Kroll,
Director, CIO Political Action Com
mittee declared this week.
The PAC chief praised the work
of the National Association for
the Advancement of Colored Peo
ple for its efforts in defending the
Negroes on trial. “Working under
difficult conditions, the NAACP
deserves commendation for what
it achieved at Lawrenceburg", de
clared Kroll.
The PAC leader pointed out that
the Lawrenceburg verdict should
focus attention on the discrimina
tion issue during the forthcoming
j Congressional elections.
“The virus of racial hate in Am
erica will never be stamped out if
| we have another ‘do-nothing’ Con
I gress like the last. Before the peo
' pie vote in this election, they must
i make certain that they know how
the candidates on the ballot stand
on the Fair Employment Practices
Act. If it is going to come up for a
vote in the next issue of Congress,
there must be strong" forces in both
Houses ready to fight for its pas
sage.
“The proposed Federal civil
rights bill to punish lynching is
another test for candidates. It wiP
take brave, honest men to make
the fight against discrimination in
the next Congress. The American
voter has a serious responsibility
in making certain the candidate
he picks will work for the people's
interest in Washington”, asserted
Kroll.
The jury composed mostly of
farmers decided that the 23 Ne
groes were not guilty in connec
tion with the shootings at the riots
in nearby Columbia. Robert Gen
try and John McKivens were the
defendants found guilty of an at
tack on Patrolman Will Wilsford
of Columbia.
The two who were found guilty
were the only ones against whom
the State brought anv kind of
nrnof m connection with this shoot
ing. Observers reported that this
was not very good proof and the
•‘Gunreme Court of Tennesee is
j likely to throw out the case.
COST HF RdNVERTING filS
JPPLWNCES WILL PE PHD
BY UTILITIES DISTRICT
CONVERSION NECESSARY
NEXT SUMMER REGARDLESS
OF NATURAL GAS ELECTION
OUTCOME
Conversion of gas appliances to
some form of richer gas is a cer
tainty for next summer, accord
ing to officials of the Metropoli
tan Utilities District, regardless
of the outcome of the Natural Gas
election November 5. District offi
cials explain that if Natural Gas
is defeated then Omaha will have
to go to a 75 percent Natural Gas
mixture, now permitted by state
law. If Natural Gas is approved
then the way will be open for full
Natural Gas service.
In either case, appliances will
have to be converted to use the
new gas. The process of changing
to mixed of full Natural Gas is
just about the same.
The expense of converting your
gas appliances will be paid for
entirely by the Metropolitan Utili
ties District. Whether the change
is to full Natural Gas or mixed
gas, you wall pay no charge what
soever. either for materials or la
bor. No bond issue or public debt
will be necessary in order to ef
fect the changeover.
District officials point out, how
ever, that a mixed 75 per cent Nat
ural Gas would only meet the ci
ty’s gas needs for a short time,
and that eventually Omaha must
go to straight Natural Gas Ser
vice. The city has been advised bv
leading gas engineers that Natural
. Gas~ is the only economical and
| permanent solution of Omaha’s
gas problem.
LONG SCHOOL PTA
TO HOLD OPEN HOUSE
The Long School Parent-Teacher
Association will hold open-house
at Long School Thursday, Oct. 17
at 2 o’clock. A garden exhibit
i featuring flowers, vegetables, can
; ning and fruits will be presented
I and a silver offering for the
March will be taken.
Mrs. Thelma Murray, publicity
22nd St. Emergency Housing
Unit Gets Its First Tenants
Former Navy Fireman 1st Class, Rudolph A. Smith, shown with
his wife Kathryn and daughter, Norma Jeai, standing in front of
their newly acquired apartment which is a part of the 9-unit Em
ergency Housing Project located on 22nd at Burdette St. The
Smiths’ were the first family to occupy one of the apartments and
were very well pleased with their spacious living quarters includ:ng
two large bedrooms; a living room; kitchenette; 2 clothes closets;
showers; refrigerator; an army circulator heater and other conveni
ences. Mr. Smith is employed by the Lions Products Company.
Two other veterans and their families are scheduled to move in
at an early date. They are Goodard G’-een anrf William Bates.
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Douglas Corbin Opens Grocery & Mkt.
Douglas Corbin, standing in front of his well-stocked Grocery
and Market with his brother, Raymond Corbin. Douglas resides with
his mother, Mrs. V. Corbin. 2011 No. 28th St. He is the brother of
Lester Corbin, well-known Omaha baritone. During the war, Corbin
was with the 25th Infantry of the 92nd Division serving 18 months
in the Southwest Pacific. He is inviting his many friends and ac
quaintances to-pay him a visit at his new place of business located
at 27th and Maple Streets.
Before entering the army, Corbin was employed as a butcher in
a local retail market.
ARMY CLARIFIES BENEFITS
OF Gl BILL AFTER OCT. 5TH
Although midnight October 5th
was the deadline for enlistees to
be guaranteed the full benefits of
the G. I. Bill of Rights including
a free college education, men who
enlist after that date will still re
ceive benefits of the GI Bill, pro
vided they serve ninety days pri
or to the ending of the present
war emergency.
Applicants who enlist is the Re
gular Army after the 5th oe Oct
ober and serve 90 days prior to
the official termination of the war
will receive a guarantee of twelve
months of schooling, plus an add
itional munth of schooling for each
month served before the end of the
war.
Example: If a man enlists in
the Regular Army now for a two
year period and the war has not
been officially declared ended at
the expiration of his enlistment
period, he will receive 12 months
of schooling, plus 24 months, or a
total of 36 months of schooling. If
the state of war continues for one
year after the date of his enlist
ment, he will receive 12 months of
schooling, plus 12 months (num
ber of months he served prior to
the end of the war) or a total of
24 months of schooling.
JA((KIE ROBINSON'S
BASEBALL TEAM TO
I
PLAY IN THE BUFFS
Jackie Robinson, widely-pubb
cized Negro farmhand of the
Brooklyn Dodgers will bring at
all-star team into Council Bluffs
Tuesday night. His team will play
a picked crew from the Commun
ity League at 8 pm. Robinson, lat
Negro in modern baseball history
I to earn a major league try-out,
i will have two fellow Internationa!
i League players on the squad. The
! stars from the Negro National
j League will include: Toy Camp
j aneila; Newcombe; Wright; Monty
Irvin; Doby; and Pearson. Other
members of the roster include:
Taborn; Lovell; Jay Scott; W
Pope; Warren Parker; Bunsher;
; and Frank McCalister.
An invitation has been extended
to Robinson to appear at the Near
Northside Branch YMCA Tuseday
afternoon October 15th to speak
to school children. It is sponsored
by the Near Northside Branch ‘T’
and the City Recreation Depart
ment. The Frontier’s club is plan
ning a dinner at 5:30 in honor of
Robinson.
Lincoln University Has Healthful Enrollment of Freshmen Students
ISegroes Hold Majority In 58 Congressional Districts Says CIO-PAC
NEW YORK CITY.. (CNS) —
In a 58 non-Southern congress
ional districts, Negroes hold the
margin of victory, so reports the
CIO Political Action Committee.
The report shows that in 23 of
these very 58 districts, congress
men failed to sign the petition to
bring to the House floor the pro
posal to establish a permanent
Fair Employment Practice Com
mission.
Though the other 35 Congress-'
men signed the petition, they were
too few in number to bring about
a discharge of the bill from the
committee.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo, Oct—
Pictorial proof that Lincoln uni
versity has a record enrollment
this year is this group of fresh
man students, who make up a
healthy percentage of the 1,020
persons studying at the Missouri
school during the first semester
of the 1946-47 school year.