LOCAL AND NATIONAL NEWS Per Copy AND WORTH IT— “To Sell It, ADVERTISE**
/JUSTICE /EQUALITY HEW TO THE LINE\
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY _ PHONE HA.0800
2420 GRANT ST
★ ^ ★ SATURDAY, NOV. 23, 1946 Our 19th Year—No. 42 ffigt ^»SgiglSa onS&flft SgSiu’jfrgfr.&iilS. &.,f
bilbo SaysRe Will Be A Pall-bearer at Funeral of Opponents
OUR 1
GUEST
Column
(Edited by VERNA P. HARRIS)
Cornel W ilde
Minorities
By Cornel Wilde Currently star
ring in the 20th Century'Fox
production, “The Homestretch”
Racial discrimination was born
and nourished by the lack of know
ledge and a true understanding
of the characteristics and the pro
blems of other peoples.
If for instance, we knew other
racial and religious groups as
well as we do our own, much of
the discord in our country and
throughout the rest of the world
would be eliminated.
Each group acquires ideas about
other groups, which, more often
than not, are entirely lacking in
foundation. Malicious and stupid
people spread propaganda which
others too frequently accept as
truth, without taking the trouble
to investigate.
In the larger cities there are
usually several sections, or little
communities, each composed of
a preponderance of one nationality
or another. One group perhaps
will dislike another for some petty
reason, and the second group pro
bably has little use for the first
most likely for the same cause.
The idea takes root and continues
to grow until it becomes a mean,
ugly monster. However, this ha
tred and distrust could be dissipa
ted were the two groups to get
together and try to understand
each other.
History reveals that no one race
or religion or nationality has a
monopoly on contributions to the
sciences, arts and literature. On
the other hand, no crime or char
acteristic is peculiar to any group.
Murderers, thieves, and extortion
ists come from every group, just
as do the men who have contri
buted magnificently to the pro
gress and the welfare of all hu
manity.
Strangely most people with
violent prejudices are unable to
advance a logical reason for their
detestation. If you ask them why
they nurture a dislike for a par- |
ticular group, the stock answer.
will be. T just don’t like them. I
that's all." This is where propa- I
ganda feeds itself and extends itr (
Vicious tentacles.
Just what do we mean anyway
when we label these groups “min
orities’’ ? All of us are Americans
whether our forefathers came here
from Austria, Ireland, Finland or
Greece, or whether we were forc
Ign-born and became naturalized
citizens. Let's analyze this a bit.
There are 1.237 000 naturalized
Germans as compared with 621.
975 from England and 138,000
from Denmark. Now would we
call the English a minority group I
to the Germans, and the Danes j
a minority so far as the English
are concerned ? There are more i
Protestants than Catholics in the
tlnited States, but would we con
Robinson May Get
Brooklyn Berth In ’47
Jackie Robinson being greeted
during his recent visit to Omaha.
Los Angeles. Calif.—Leo Duro
cher of the Brooklyn Dodgers, a
guest at a breakfast given by Jack
Benny in Los Angeles last week
stated that Jackie Robinson had
a good chance of becoming a mem"
by C. C. Galloway, Publisher’
Omaha Guide Photo—
ber of the Brooklyn team. The
Dodgers will have two or three
other good infielders next year,
but Jackie will get the job if he
can out play them”, Durocher said.
FREDDIE H. WILLIAMS
KILLED IN AUTO ACCDENT
Freddie H. Williams. 40, 2512 N.
Twenty-fifth Street, killed in an
automobile accident Saturday on
highway 6 near Ashland, was a
resident of Omaha five years. He
was employed by a local packing
house and a World War II veter
an. He is survived by his parents
Mr. and Mrs. John Williams, Fine
Bluffs, Ark. Funeral services were
held Tuesday afternoon, Novem
ber 19th from Thomas Funeral
Home with Rev. C. C. Reynolds,
officiating. Burial at Mount Hope
Cemetery.
__—___ i
Belmont Loan
Company Robbed
Harry Eelmont, proprietor or |
the Belmont Loan Co. at 1819 N.
Twenty-fourth Street, reported to
police that nearly $200 dollars
was taken from a register in the
store Friday night.
sider a German Catholicc as a
minority to the Dane who, altho
outnumbered, belongs to a Protes
tant church? In the last four pre
sidential elections, the Democrats
outnumbered the Republicans, but I
would we catalogue the Republi
cans as a minority?
These are ridiculous compari
sons. of course, but no more so
than when we single out a race
or a religious group of several
millions and stamp them with the
detestable brand of "Minority’1. >
The Omaha Council of the Na
tional Negro Congress of which
Mrs. G. Anita Hayes is president,
working in cooperation with the
UPWA-CIO has planned m a busy
week-end for Edward E." Strong
of New York City, National vice
president, organizer, and national
director of the Congress. Mr. Ed
ward will be in Omaha November
22-23-24. He will begin his sche
dule on Friday with an interview
with Ray Clark over Station WOW
at 12:45 p. m.
On interracial dinner meeting at
the Elks Club on Dodge Street,
will be held at 6 p. m. with Mr.
Strong as keynote speaker, con
ferences and meetings with civic
leaders and the metropolitan joint
council of UPWA-CIO union lo
cal and other key people will also
be a part of his schedule Sunday
morning, November 24, Mr. Strong
will be guest speaker at the 11
o'clock service at Trinity Metho
dist Church at 2011 Binney St.,
of which Rev. E. H. Unvert is
pastor.
Mr. Strong’s visit will end with
a Mass Meeting on Sunday after
noon, November 24 at Mount Mo
riah Baptist Church, 2602 No 24
Street.
.V CLASSIFIED AD WILL SELL II I
iiimimiimiiiMiimiiiiiiiimiitiiimMiimiumwnMiulHmiliHimiiitiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiimniiiim*
Edward Strong
To Be Weekend
Speaker
By G. Anita Hayes
Prominent Surgeon Vacations in States
After Fifteen Years in West Africa!
OLD HOME WEEK—For Dr. Aaron McMillan (left) of Angola.
West Africa. Harry L. Anderson (center), manager of the Ordi
nary Department. Atlanta Life Insurance Co., and J. Benjamin
Horton Jr. (right), advertising manager of the Louisville Defen
der. when they met last week at the DEFENDE11 office. All
three hail from Omaha, Jfebr.
»
By STAFF WRITER
Louisville Defender, Louisville, Ky
“It's great to be back in the
States on vacation, but I have no
intention of giving up my work
in Africa”, declared Dr. Aaron
M. McMillan of Omaha, Nebr.,
who has spent the past fifteen
years in Angola, West Africa.
Year's Leave ;
Dr. McMillan, who was sent to
Africa by the American Board of I
Foreign Missions, will be in the
United States one year and will
then return to Angola where he
i is Medical Director of a 130-bed
hospital.
Most of the time during Dr. Mc
Millan’s year leave of absence will
be devoted to the study of health
conditions and methods of public
health and disease control used in
this country. When he returns to
Africa, he expects to institute de
cided health improvements in ^his
present set-up and to install new
supplies and equipment.
Only American Medic
Dr. McMillan is the only Amer- -
ican doctor on the staff of the
Angola hospital which has an op
erating staff of 65. Many of the
medical assistants are natives,
some of whom have gone abroad
i to study.
Angola, which has a native pop
ulation of 4H million and a Euro
pean population of 54,000 was un
touched by the war in Africa. The
only news they received came
through news reports via radio.
‘Jungle Doctor’
Dr. McMillan is a graduate of
Meharry Medical College at Nash
ville and studied for two years in
France and Portugal. He also pur
sued special courses in surgery at
the University of Lisbon. He has
! World War III
| Would B e
24 Hr. Affair
i -
ATLANTA, Ga., Special—Bruce
Thomas, who was the only Amer
ican platform personality to he
given full accreditation for cover
age of the Bikini atom bomb tests
i told the Spellman atom bomb tests
j on Friday that the reporting of
i the tests was wholly inadequate
| and frequently misleading. The
reason he gave was that manv of
the reporters wrote from their im
aginations rather from the actual
occurence. Mr. Thomas gave a
thrilling account of the happen
ings and told the audience how
even after the animals had been
destroyed, in some instances their
shadows were seen clearly pho
tographed on the decks of the ship
when the smoke from the bomb
had cleared away. According to
the speaker, so terrific and pow
erful is the atom bomb that in
the next war “our righteous in
dignation which has enabled us
to win battles in the past will not.
stand us in good stead, for with
the bomb, another war would pro
bably last not longer than 12 or
24 hours”.
To protect the peace of the
world, Mr. Thomas believes we
should first of all be sound in our
thinking and then pin our hopes
on the atom bomb along with de
cency and integrity. He warned of
the enemies on the inside as well
as the outside and stated that ur>
til the gangster peoples can prove
they have our brand of decency,
we will have to be tough. Prais
ing our way of life he stated, ‘you
have to live in other counter's to
know how good it is to live in
America”.
Mr. Thomas described the re
education of the Japanese children
that is taking place under the
wise leadership of General Mac
Arthur and predicted that the new
Japan will be our ally of the fu
ture.
Not too hopeful of the situation
in China, the speaker was critical
of present Chinese leadership. He
praised General Marshall and the
American ambassador, Dr. John
Leighton Stuart.
-j
LOCAL AND NATIONAL NEWS
in THE OMAHA GUIDE Columns
EVERY WEEK!
Spiegal Hardware
Store Burglarized
Richard Spiegal, operator of the
Spiegal Hardware Store at 2522
North Twenty-fourth Street re
ported two money sacks, each
containing $10, were missing from
his store. He said a back door of
the building had been forced open
authored a magazine article “Juu
pie Doctor”, which appeared in the
May, 1942 issue of the “Reader’s
Digest”.
Collects Curios
His hobby is collecting African
objects d'art and curios which
collection is now on display at the
University of Nebraska. He adds
to it from time to time, despite
his almost endless routine of at
tending and administering to the
sick in Angola. Dr. McMilan has
found time to indulge in a little
’lion hunting’ and has five ‘Kings
of the jungle” to his credit. Their ,
heads can also be found in the
Nebraska museum. Although Afr
ica is noted for huge snakes. Dr. i
McMilan has not .encountered any i
of them.
In private life. Dr. McMilan is
happily (married and has three
lovely children, the youngest of
whom was born in Africa.
Rae Lee Jones’
Orch. in Movies
The International Sweethearts1
of Rhythm, famous all-girl orch- i
estra, have signed to a special I
booking contract with Associated
Booking Corp., joining Lionel
Hampton: Louis Armstrong: Andy
Kirk; Benny Carter; Ethel Waters
Billie Holliday; June Richmond;
Mary Lou Williams; Noble Sissle;
Lil Green; John Kirby and other
top headline band attracitons and
entertainment world personalities
directed by Joe Glaser, ABC pre
sident.
Daniel M. Gray, public relations
director and Mrs. Ray Lee Jones,
co-owner of the famed all-girl mu
sical attraction, wrho jointly an
nounced the newT ABC booking af
filiation, also disclosed plans for a
special national advertising and
publicity campaign, greatest pro
gram yet devised to exploit any
major dance band attracton.
While in New York to fulfill a
I Former Omahan
i
; Visits Whitehouse
Meets President’s Wife
2lth and Oklahoma Ave., N. E.
Washington, D. C..
November 17, 1946
Following are impressions re
i ceived by a home-town-person who
| was a guest of Mrs. Truman, wife
of the President.
We met promptly at nine o’clock
in the auditorium of the Temple
of Labor located at 14th and Con
stitution Ave., N. W.. one of our
beautiful commanding buildings
of the Capitol, a huge auditorium
seating about 1500 persons. There
was a fine group of women re
presenting a large number of
states; well dressed and refined,
teeming with interest and agres
sive in every respect, for the
rights of women in every phase
of progressive enterprise.
Admission cards, with a shadow
picture of the White House ir
the background with our names
thereon, .were distributed to the
nearly four hundred guests, after
which, Mrs. Bethune, our worthy
president, gave us a patriotic lift
as to our right as citizens and tax
payers to be received as guests in
our White House. Instructions as
to our line of march, general ap
pearance and conduct.
Promptly at eleven o'clock a. m.
we were ushered through the east
gate entrance, guards stationed
there noted we had our cards, .we
entered the spacious hallway re
splenderit with fernery and pot
plants on either side that led to
the East Room. This room is re
markable for the lovely chande
liers of crystal three in number.
A beautiful large grand piano
supported by eagles, large paint
ings of George Washington and
Martha Washington, beautiful
drapes over the windows, settees
placed appropiately. After obser
ving this room, we were ushered
into the Green Room, equally as
beautiful. Aides were stationed at
each door to supply information
we desired.
We passed into the Blue Room.
Each room was furnished as one
would expect the official home of
the nation to be. We were received
by Mrs. Truman in the Red Room
and we marched single file and
presented us to her. She smilingly
acknowledged us with an air that
made us feel welcome.
To the right of Mrs. Truman,
our first lady of the National Coun
cil of Negro Women stood, a liv
ing monument as it were, .to pro
gressive womanhood. We entered
the State Dining Room with its
lovely walls of carved mahogany.
Beautiful clusters of candle sticks
(six in each cluster) at intervals
around the walls of the room. A j
large double cluster of silver can
dlesticks suspended from the cen
ter ceiling, a large portrait of A
braham Lincoln over a beautiful
marble mantle.
We proceeded to the Main Front
Lobby. There we were awed in
silent tribute to a portrait of our
departed Commander in Chief,
whose efforts in behalf of world
fellowship will go down in his- ]
tory as the greatest of all Presi
dents. Other portraits were there,
Taft, Hoover. Wilson, McKinley.
We met and shook hands with
some of our outstanding leaders
in Washington Civic History, Mary
Church Terrell, Julia West Ham
ilton, others too numerous too
mention. Mrs. Mae Frank Rhoades
(white) a Nebraskan, who lived
in Omaha, was affiliated with the
board of directors of the Omaha
Urban League, a member of the
Unitarian Church and engaged in
interracial work through her
church connection while in Oma
ha was among the visitors receiv
ed by Mrs. Truman in our group.
Respectively submitted,
Dorothy E. Lee,
Midway Hall
_ -
contract for Manor records, tne
Sweethearts also completed a full
length feature film, produced oy
Associated Producers of Negio
Motion Pictures. The celluloid pro
duction, as yet untitled, will soon
be seen on local movie house
screens.
ALABAMA GOV. SPARKS
URGES ‘ABSOLUTE
SEGREGATION FOR
THE TSEGRO
MONTGOMERY. Ala.: (Global 1
In a written answer to a list of
questions submitted to him by the
Associated Press, Gov. Chauncy
Sparks declared last week that Ne
groes can live together peacefully
and harmoniously only if they re
cognize that “absolute segrega
tion” is the “first essential of a
workable racial society.”
One step in the direction of bet
ter Negro-white relations in Ala
THANKSGIVING DAY
By H. W. Smith
We are on the approach of an
other day to give thanks and to
my way of thinking, we should
do every day as we are blessed
in many ways. To follow the cus
tom of celebrating the fourth
Thursday in November at our
homes and churches as did the
Pilgrims as Thanksgiving. They
thanked God for giving them safe
passage across the ocean which
enabled them to serve Him the
way they wished too. We can be
thankful for that and so much
more today. We should make all
days days of thanksgiving and
praise God for his mercy and His
goodness endureth forever to all
who serve Him.
bama, he said was the tightening
up on voter qualifications design
ed to “prevent a flood of Negro
registration”.
GARY SCHOOL BOARD
ADOPTS POLICY OF
ISOY-DISCRIMMA TIOIS
NEW YORK—“Snot light on
Gary’’, the National' Urban Lea
gue’s first publication on its Com
l munity Relations Project was re
leased officially this week. The
text, ■written by Manet Fowler,
newly appointed Public Relations
Consultant for the League, pays
tribute to Gary, Indiana, as the
city with the most outstanding re
cord of accomplishment of any
visited by the Project during its
first year of operation, 1944-45.
The 32-page publication, with
graphic spot-line drawings by
Russell Sherman, noted artist, is
designed to illustrate the princi
ple of “American Teamwork
Works”. It is a highly readable
treatment of information material
presenting Gary’s story as one of
people and a dream-^-of Ameri
can people, in an American town
who found a big fear growing that
wasn’t American at all. and or
how they began to kill the fear, to
make the Peace wrork, to help the
Dream grow.”
While the publication is a tribute
to Gary’s progress in interracial
cooperation, the emphasis is not
upon completed accomplishment in
this area, but upon the city’s cour
ageous change in attitude and
its evident determination to con
tinue its healthy growth. An ex
ample here is the fact that the
Gary school board has only re
cently announced a non-discrimin
ation policy for all schools, to be
come effective September, 1. ’47
after a preparatory period of ed
ucation this year to meet the
change.
Waiter’s Key Club
A statement issued by the Wait
er’s Key Club today, stated that
the Club would be forced to can
cel many of its activities and do
nations to worthy causes if the
proposed curtailment of slot ma- ,
chines becomes effective Jan. 1st. I
NEW YORK, Nov 14th—Repu
blican leaders meeting on Novem
ber 14th to discuss procedure and
legislative program for the Re
publican dominated 80th Congress
were urged by the National Assn,
for the Advancement of Colored
People to place on their agenda for
critical consideration the passage
of Federal legislation neeeded to
j guarantee the constitutional rights
and safety of 15 million Negroes
and members of other minorities
in America. The recommendation
was outlined in a letter addressed
to Senator Wallace H. White (R.
Maine) which was forwarded over
the signature of Walter White,
Executive Secretary of the
NAACP.
In his letter Mr. White declared
“may we urge that there be plac
ed on the agenda the following
items:
1. Federal anti-lynching legis
lation to check the current and
exceedingly dangerous wave of
mob violence. We ask that the Re
publican Party pledee itself to sup
port of Senator Wayne Morse’s
proposal to adopt rules on the 1st
day of the new Congress to pre
vent filibustering in the Senate
or the bottling up of legislation in
the House Rules Committee. In
any event, we urge the Republi
can Party to go on record to
support cloture in the event of a
filibuster against the anti-lynch
ing bill or on items 2. 3, and 4
below.
2. Enactment of a Federal Fair
Employment Practice Commission
as has already been pledged in the
1944 Republican Platform
3. Passage of federal legisla
tiin to outlaw the poll tax.
4. Amendment of the Civil
Rights Act to give greater power
to the Department of Justice and
other federal agencies to protect
the basic civil rights of American
citizens when the several states
fail, refuse or neglect to guaran
tee such civil rights.
5. To deny a seat in the 80th
Congress to Senator Theodore O
Bilbo of Missippi for his open
advocacy of mob violence to pre
vent Negro citizens from exercis
ing their constitutional right to
vote, his admitted membership in
the Ku Klux Klan and for his
violation of federal statutes pro
hibiting the acceptance of certain
campaign contributions, if invest
igations now underway by con
gressional committes prove these
charges.
May we also urge inclusion of
provisions for federal aid to edu
cation, housing and the extension
of social security”.
The NAACP recommendations
were expected to stimulate signi
ficant interest among Republican
leaders in view of the traditional
non-partisan political nature of
the Association whose 535.0'JO
members represent a cross sectic:
of political party leanings. Mr
White has consistently warned
leaders in both major parties of
the profound effect the rapidly)
growing Negro vote will have In j
the coming presidential election ■
and in his HERALD-TRIBUNE
column of October 18th he stated
“There is constant emphasis. .thxt
the one unequivocal pledge mad'
to Negries in the 1944 Republican j
anti-discrimination law. But Ne
groes know that 118 out of 183
Republican members of the House
of Representatives refused or fail
ed to sign a discharge petition to
bring the FEPC out of the House
Rules Committee. Had only 53 of
the 118 signed, the necessary 218
signatures would have brought to
the floor of the House the FEPQ
bill, where it would have passed
by a better than 2 to 1 vote..
“How the Negro votes in 1948
will depend in a large measure j
upon five crucial issues with
which the Eightieth Congress
will be confronted. If the Senate
and House of Republicans contin
ue to play ball with the reaction- >
ary Southern Democrats as at the
moment there seems to be every |
liklihood of their doing, any hope
by the Republican Party that it '
will once again have the support |
of the crucial Negro vote might
WASHINGTON. D. C. The Sen
ate Investigating Committee is nof
yet through with Sen. Theodore
Bilbo (D., Miss.;), his alleged deals
with war contractors, and his pri
vate '‘dream house” complete with
artificial lake.
The committee interrupted by
the election campaign, will check
into Bilbo’s relations with war
contractors soon after the election
and the Klansman may have to
talk fast to explain assertions that
he used his Senate office to get
contracts for his friends, who in
turn remodeled Bilbo’s Poplarville
Miss., estate as a Christmas pre
sent in 1941.
On November 16 the senate cam
paign expenditures committee or
dered public hearings on accusa
tions tvat Sen. Bilbo won re-elec
tion by preventing Negroes from
voting in his state. The commit
tee’s action came as the movement
to bar Bilbo from being sworn in
for his new term was gaining mo
mentum in the senate.
The committee will begin hear
ing-; in the Bilbo inquiry not later
than Dec. 2. Sessions will be held
in Jackson, Grenada and Hatties
burg, Miss, that they may be read
ily accessible to witnesses in all
parts of the state.
Affidavits in the hands of the
committee charge Bilbo with using
his influence to keep Negro voters
away from the polls in the pri
mary, lest they try to defeat him
on the grounds that he is anti
Negro.
Republicans have made is knowm
that if the evidence warrants ac
tion will be taken to prevent Bilbo
from being administered the oath
of office for his third term when
the new congress convenes. This
would require a majority vote of
the senate. Should he be given the
oath, a two-third vote would be
required to expel him from the
senate.
(The Man) Bilbo who has dis
| graced the United States for 12
years, will be asked to “step aside’
when he presents himself to take
the oath of office for a new six
year term beginning January 3.
The strategy of trying to ex
clude Bilbo rather than seat him
and then try to expel him appar
ently was based on the belief that
his conduct has been such as not
to warrant his being seated in the
first place.
If the request that Bilbo step
aside is resisted by southern Dem
ocratic Senators, the issue will be
decided by a simple majority vote.
If the test comes when he appears
to take the oath of office, only 29
Republicans, including Senator
elect Baldwin, and 12 Democratic
holdovers, will be eligible to vote,
despite the fact that Republicans
will hold down 51 of the 96 seats
in the Eightieth Congress. The
other newly elected or reelected
Senators will not have been sworn
in.
Friends of Bilbo said Bilbo may
not be able to attend the opening
session of the senate Jan. 3. He
has a serious malady of the mouth
and has not recovered from a re
cent automobile accident.
But Bilbo's defiance, to the com
mitee, from Hattiesburg, Miss.,
gave no Indication that he isn't
feeling so well. Informed of the
committee action, he snapped:
“You can tell them I will be a pall
pearer at the funeral of every
person who predicts that I will
not be seated in the Senate.”
as well be abondoned. If on the
other hand, the Republicacns keep
some of the promises they so
eliquently and frequently make to
Negroes, the present Negro re
sentment against the Bilbo-Tal
madge-Rankin-Byrnes domination
of the Democratic Party may de
velope into a force strong enough
to decide v'ho will occupy the
tWhitfc House and control Con
j>erson who predicts that I will
gress in 1948.”
Dining Car Waiters
Elect New Officers
At a general executive board
meeting of Protective Order of
Dining Car Waiters, Local Noi
465 officers were elected.
The new officers elected are as
follows: Mr. Arthur H. Reea,
general chairman; Mr. Willis Por
ter, Jr., secretary-treasurer.
More information of this meet
ing will be given at a later date.
ELKS ENSEMBLE Presents 1st Annual CONCERT
By Dt. Marianna McFadden
The Elks Ensemble was pre
sented in its first annual concert
on Monday November 18th at
the Elks Hall. The Ensemble con
sisted of forty voices, all members
of Iroquois iLodge No. 92 and
Cherokee Temple No. 223 IBPOE
of W. A record audience was in
attendance and many people were
turned away due to the capacity
gathering.
The Elks band entertained with
many fine selections. This concert
will be an annual affair. We sin
cerely hope that you will keep it
in mind in the future.
The members of the Ensemble
wish to thank each one for their
fine support in making this con
cert a grand success.
We hope to make this Ensemble
one of the finest in the mid-west.
The Elks Ensemble officers are
Emery Hickman, pres.; Lillian
Stevens, vice pres.; Lulu Bryant,
sec’y; Anna Johnson, asst, sec’y.;
Anna McCowan, chaplain.
The executive committee: H. J.
Johnson, chm.; Rose Lee White
George Douglas. Mabel Thomas!
H. Sherwood. C. Arnold, J. H. Jack
son. Mr. H. L. Preston is musical
director and business agent, Frank
L. Spencer, publicity chairman,
and Mrs. Otis Jamerson, pianist.