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LOCAL AND NATIONAL NEWS 1 Per Copy
/JUSTICE/EQUALITY HEW TO THE UNIX
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY PHONE HA.0800
* = SATURDAY, JANUARY 4, 1947 Our 19th Year—No. 48 . off L,* x,fc.
'OUR 1
GUEST
Column
(Edited by VERNA P. HARRIS,
THE COLUMBIANS
By Ralph McGill,
Editor, Atlanta Constitution
NOTE TO READERS:
A principal reason that the flatnbo.v
ant Columbians have not achieved the
position of power they obviously an
ticipated is that Mr. McGill has vig
orously fought this latest hate move
ment in the columns of his paper. 'I he
ATLANTA CONSTITUTION is one of
the country's most influential dailies.
* * *
Rapists and wife deserters are the
leaders of the exhibitionist punks
who make up the visible body of
the order called “The Columbians'
This little gang of crackpots, men
tally sick and sex-perverted yap
pers in Atlanta cannot get far for
the simple reason they are not
smart enough.
You take Homer Loomis, now.
Homer is a card. All the poor,
worried people who don’t like
their neighborhood to be "invad.
ed” by Negro families might like
to know about Homer. Once a
Park Avenue resident in New
York, he eloped with a good de
cent girl.
She stayed one day. She said
Homer was a queer fellow. On the
honeymoon night he turned out all
the lights but one and made her
read aloud a horror story out of
a murder story. There were other
things, too, —unprintable. They’re
not nice. She got the marriage
annulled.
Homer married another decent
girl. But he deserted her and their
two children and came South to
trim suckers at $3 a pitch. Nice
bov, Homer. He now has been
joined by brother James Coursey
who also wants to save the coun
try.
n seems, nowever, mat orotner
Coursey will have to wait a while.
The unfeeling law officers of Car
roll County have been looking for
him on a charge of criminal as.
sault. He is wanted to answer
for charges of assaulting a 19
year old girl in the county, de
serting his wife after beating her
soundly, presumably just to show
what sort of a world leader he is.
They will try him on that before
they let him become our Fuehrer.
Nazis are all alike, whether in
Germany are parading in Musso
lini’s Black Shirts. The Nazi-type
mind is cracked and lends itself
to all sorts of abberations, includ.
ing sex abberations. You can
count on Homer, though. He is
going to save us from the Negro
es and the Jews. Good old Homer.
We need his sort of character and
integrity to lead us to a good and
cleaner life.
The Columbians’ headquarters
is frequented by sexually delin
quent young girls. Their audien
ces at meetings, however, are
almost enti-ely good, plain per
sons of little or no education, of
little working skills, therefore in
a very low income group. The
spellbinders, their ringers itching |
to get those S3 initiation fees,
talk to them with a certain logic,
about as follows:
“You are interested in bread
and meat and a living wage. That
is what we are going to do ior
you".
That is the line, .not merely of
the Columbians, but of all such
groups who seek to create mass
discontent. They talk to people
whose lives are rather dreary at
best. They work on peole in the
poorest, most squalid slum areas
and. to a person perhaps unable
to read and write, or to one with
no more than a third grade edu
cation knowing no trade or skill
the appeal has logic. No person
ever liges to admit his own failure
and this technique explains satis
factorily to a failure, why he or
she is a failure. It removes any
personal responsibility. It places
the blame on someone else.
Some of the blame, assuredly,
should be placed on our whole
society. We have gone along with
a large number of people whose ,
preparation for being a first-rate
citizen is inadeguate. They are to
be found in every city and com
munitv, and as long as we do not
do a better job they will provide
material for the promoters of
hates and prejudices who make a
good thing financially for them- |
selves out of the discontent of
others.
_ APA —
Hire Negro Yellow Cab
Drivers in Milwaukee
MILWAUKEE. Wis.—'The Bcyn. j
ton Cab Company here broke a
precedent on November 27 when i
four Negro drivers started work [
as regular drivers of the Yellow
Cabs. This is the first time in the [
city'3 .history that Negro drivers !
have been used in this capacityj
according to Miss Virginia Huer- j
ner of the fair employment divi. I
sio.n of the Wisconsin Industrial |
commission.
Originally, it was proposed that '
the colored drivers should operate j
cabs with red tops, hut this sug- ]
gestion was strongly oposed by |
Negro leaders as being discrim
inatory,
John T. Wagner, president of
the company..then submitted a list,
of applicants for the jobs to* John
J. Williams, editor of the 'STiltVau.
kee Globe, a local Nefgrb newspa-.'
per, with the, request* that* he' se
lect the four men.* ■As'V •'<
The men have mpt with no. re
buffs from the public. < •
——__:_, ^ w
Supreme Court Denies
Tke Ppll jax.jiptfe^;*..:
Washirtgthn:; fGNSl i WAA-'S a t-:
tempt by DM jqf^frop'bf 'Grefhje1
County to hia>e the TfeYin^see pojit,
tax declared, unconstitutional'was
set back..l£st,»week,'when rtfe ’Su
preme potrrt dem'efT • %isr. j fCppe^l
and upheld a previous deCnsforuef *
the S ^SuIif4tn»'.y.CouWi‘• ■ Zfco *
Tennessee -151 ate-VYegtaStCtbre'. ■
ftealed the boll tax.-ip 1943 but the.
Sister Tharpe Accused of
Duplicity, Contract'Breaking
Ten States Oppose
Ku Klux Klan
NO KLAN CHARTER
RECORDED IN NEBRASKA
Governors and Attorney-Gener
als in ten states oppose the Ku
Klux Klan and will take any nec
essary le^al action to suppress it.
a survey made by the commission
on Law and Social Action of the
American Jewish Congress reveal
ed today. In fourteen states the
Ku Klux Klan holds no charter
State Supreme Court declared the
Appeal, void Mr. Johnson paid the
required ?2. poll tax under pro
test and sued for the return of
his money. His suir was dismis
sed by a Circuit Court and this
action was affirmed all the way
up to the Supreme Court
Talmadge Funeral
Mocks His Life
ATLANTA (CNS)—A quartet
sang at the funeral of Governor
elect Eugene Talmadge last week
apd through the choice of his fa
vorite hymns was revealed the
stupidity of his life spent in agi
tating for white supremacy. There
were Negroes among those who
stood outside the church to mourn j
Talmadge while the quartet inside
sang /'The Old Rugged Cross!
“When They Ring Those Golden |
Bells” and “Beautiful Isle of Some
where”. They might have been the j
choice of any humble Negro in j
the crowd, who lived in deep spir
itual love, and v.-ho recognized
that it is one of God’s command- ■
ments to love our neighbors as |
ourselves. In death, Talmadge
dared admit the existence of a
God he defied in attempting to j
keep Negroes at the lowest human
level.
ROBESON SPEAKER AT
“END LYNCHING”
CONFERENCE
Paul Robeson, singer and Negro ,
leader, wll be he principal speaker j
at a two-day conference to be held
in Washington January 2 and 3, 1
under the auspices of the Ameri- i
can Crusade to End Lynching, it
was annoimced today.
Over 250 delegates representing ,
community, church, veteran, union j
and social organizations will attend j
the conference which was organiz- I
»d the Crusade to deman effective
Federal legislation against lynch
ing. The conference will also de- j
mand that Theodore G. Bilbo be
denied a seat in the 80th Congress.
The conference marks the end of
the 10O day period during, which !
the American Crusade to End Lyn' ■.
chipg-ha? beent.i active i^a earn-, j
in.Parm the American peo'-J
nle that'8.1aTTe segment of Ameri- ;
cgns are still being denied the bar
sid *»ghts of eitizenship- .guaran
teed under the Constitution,. . • i
Delegates representing the con
ference jvill call oj. Congressmen
afid'Senators jt^e iaorning. of.Jkn
nahy 3r<f/ before Cbrrgreg cohyerfes
ito,.’tirg(» them fo nake action on
’botti. ting . Federal AntLLjTiqhipg
'Biit- ar®. the rjgmov%|.' .of Bilbo.'
, HeAd^ijarte^s for, the.-conference
*wi7f*'-be*Lab6rer’»';Haft, Joj'klit'
N^v^Jersey Ave> NW.
Delegate cailje^isfer at heacTquar-'
iters the afternoon Of Janu^r£.2*, ^
Aims.'
and in ten additional states the
Klan is reported to be inactive.
These findings were based upon
replies from 32 states to an in
quiry addressed to the Governors
and Attorney-Generals of 42 states
from Rabbi Irving Miller, chair
man of AJC’s Executive Commit
tee. California, Georgia, Kentuc
ky, New Jersey, New York and
Pennsylvania were omitted from
the usrvey since they have al
ready instituted proceedings ag
ainst the Klan. Rabbi Miller’s let
ter emphasized the growing threat
of the revived Klan and urged the
law enforcement agencies of the
state "take appropriate action to
remove the cloak of legality un
der which the Klan contiuues to
function.”
Two states, Oklahoma and Del
aware, announced their intention
of investigating Klan activities
with a view toward instituting pre
venattive action against any re
surgence of the organization. Two
other states, Indiana and Wiscon
sin, have instituted action to re
voke the Klan charter. James A.
Emmert, Attorney-General of In
diana, has announced that while
no Klan activity is evident in In
diana. action has begun to forfeit
the defunct Klan’s charter for
failure to file reports. On Decem
ber 10. a circuit order was issued
in Wisconsin revoking the Klan's
charter in that state. Earlier in
the year Klan charters were re
voked following court action in
California. Kentucky, New Jersey
and New York.
The usrvey indicates that a char
ter for the KKK was refused in
1922 in Colorado. Illinois revoked
their charter in 1937. In Maine
the charter is dormant and can
not be revived. Eleven other states
declared that no Klan charter was
on record. They are Nebraska
Arkansas, Connecticut. Minnesota,
Mississinoi. Missouri; Nevada,
Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont
and Wyoming.
States declaring the Klan to be
inactive included Alabama; Ari
zona; Montant; New Hampshire
(where a charter was granted in
1924). North Carolina. Oregon. S.
Dakota; Utah; and Virginia. Of
ficials in a few of these states,
where the American Jewish Con
gress is investigating reports of
Klan activities, may not be aware
of the cross burnings and Klan
actions reported in their state
newspapers.
Opposiion to the Klan was deT
dared by officials in Arizona^
Connecticut, Delaware, Florida'
Indiana. Maine. Minnesota; New
Hampshire; South Dakota and !rr
Virginia.;
Florida’s Governor Millard F.
Caldwell asserted that while ynder
the
authority to take any action to
ward revoking the Klan’s charter
he was “extfemei^ •> in^r^sted’tn
preventing any. ■violation' . of -oijr
state, laws by the Ku Klux Klan
or 'apy other organization and you
may' be 'assured ‘of my ctfopgmtion
if such instarfcfeS arise.” - • f
Attorney General Clair John
Killoran of -Delaware.* jJecla/eiJ'
^at-“Vou may rest assifred. that
•this, state, througif JJiis crfftse, Wflt
utilize is full power to search out ■
.and. investigate $be Ku Kltrx Klan
New York. N. Y. (Global) Ac
cording to Mr. Foch P. Allen, for
merly of Omaha, and now head of
the Allen Artists Buerau of 307
Lenox Avenue, Sister Rosetta
Tharpe, who is called America's
greatest religious singer, jumped
thirty-two religious concerts in
Southern states to play nightclubs
in Denver, Colorado,
Mr. Allen, who is General Man
ager of the Bureau, further ac
cuses Sister Tharpe of refusing to
heed the advice of President Jam
es C. Petrillo, of the American
Federation of Musicians, to abide
by her contract and of using
some o fher old songs—“Tall Skin
ny Pappa and Trouble In Mind”
during her appearances in Den
ver's most exclusive nite spots.
Charging that she is “fooling the
American religious people,” Mr.
Allen feels that the religious pub
lic is beginning to wonder just
what Sister Tharpe’s intentions
are—since he claims that she
“jumps from Church to bands.”
$10000 DAMAGE SUIT
THREATENED
Mr. Allen, who feels that Sister
Tharpe can’t get nightclub life
out of her blood despite her pro
mise some months ago to the A
merican public that she had quit
the stage, bands and nightclubs,
declares that the noted singer will
be sued for ten thousand dollar
damages for contract breaking.
He insists that her booking of
fice has repeatedly advised her
not to play nightclubs and thea
tres and then double back to the
religious role.
activities in this state and that
appropriate proceedings will be
instituted to have the court;,'Re
voke any charter or license that
may be granted to said organi
zation by any State authority.”
! Governor Ralph Gates of Indi
ana stated that he stood “100 per
cent against all un-American or
ganizations" and “readv at all
| times to take such action as is
necessary fro ma state level to
1 defeat them.” He expressed his
belief that “Communist groups”
; were the only ones he now knew
! of which “might become alarbing’.
Governor William Tuck of Vir
| ginia declared that “I am apposed
I to such an organization” as the
Ku Klux Klan, and “shall do my
utmost to suppress it in every way
; and if you hear of any activities
; of the Klan in the Commonwealth
of Virginia and have any evidence
i thereof, will you not kindly sup
| ply it to me.”
Governor Frank J. Lausche of
Ohio stated the matter “is receiv
ing my deep consideration.” and
I Governor Clarence W. Meadows of
West Virginia advised that “we
are keeping an eye on this mat
ter.”
! Several officials expressed ap
preciation for CLSA’s report on
state action against the Klan and
stated that it was “enligheninr”’
and “interesing.”
Red Cross Increases Its
Negro Staff In Germany
WTESBABEN, Germany—Four
additional American Red Cross
Negro women workers have ar
rived in Germany where they
were assigned to Red Cross-staf
fed clubs serving Negro' troops in
Hersfeld. They are:
Josephine Adams, Patterson, N.
J., previously assigned to the Pa
cific Area, who attended Howard
University; Mercedier de Freitas,
Chicago, who attended Lincoln U.
Missouri; Amanda Garrison, of
Brooklyn, N. Y., formerly in the
Pacific Area; and Elizabeth
Green of Pittsburgh, a graduate
of Howard University.
Powell Attacks
Film Sliirs
New York iCNS)—Abie’s Irish
Rose and Walt Disney’s Uncle
Tom Opus, Song of the South,
will be withdrawn from circula
tion in New York if the protest
of Congressman Adam Clayton
Powell is successful. Last week,
Powell called upon License Com
missioner Fielding to close down
the showing of both films, now
playing to fair audiences, on the
ground that they are not only ’an
insult to American minorities, but
an insult to* everything that A
merica as a whole stands for’.
Bing Crosby produced Abie’s
Irish Rose which ran a a success
ful play in he 1920‘s. New York
critics panned both films, and
Jimmy Fiddler, Hollywood com
mentator, called ■ the Abie picture
a “black eye” on Hollywood. Po
well Plans tc* fight, until both pic
’tur’eg a'fg'\Vifficfrawn‘' t >
ROBINSON IN BIG BASEBALL
jnWKE.jA iDgFINlTp
'ei'Jgine'Ere'S' p'lan '
. Whether Jackie Robinson, first
in organized .baseall* makes
gdocPwith the Brooklyn’’Dodgers or
not. hiss “breaK” is not an acci
fiept definite plan engineer
ed by Branch Rickey, Brooklyn
’(bwn^r; '-’according - to ttfd current
Sport Magazine. »*•»•
RicH,ey_d£cldji* that |boJUJ*«^of
Bar Association Moving To
Lift Ban On Negroes
CINCINNATI, O. (WDL)—Steps
toward ending the Cincinnati’s Bar
Association's ban on Negroes are
being taken by the group headed
by Paul W. Steer, who resigned as
treasurer following the associa
tions’ rejection of William A. Mc
Clain, Negro lawyer.
Answering a leter of congratu
lations from the legal committee
of the Workers Defense League,
Steer said: “The decision to
make a public protest to the bar
association’s regretable action was
difficult only in one respect, that
being the resulting unfavorable
publicity to the bar association,
does many fine and good things
both in and out of the profes
sion. I took counsel with several !
persons and we concluded that un
favorable comment against the
association was not unjustified in
view of the larger and lasting be- I
nefits that could be achieved by '
highlighting the shortsightedness.
“Several of us are now getting
underway to do comething about
it, and it seems to be already evi
dent that the protest which gave
the press and others a chance to
show indignation is helping.”
upholding Steer’s contention,
the association's executive com
mittee recently approved a spe
cial committee’s recommendations
for constitutional amendments
that a majority of the five-man
membership committee instead of
four affirmative votes shall be
sufficient for recommending an
applicant and that a majority
membership vote instead of 80%
shall be sufficient for accepting an
applicant. It was the 80% require
ment which caused McClain to be
rejected. The commended amend
ments will be acted upon at the
association’s February quarterly
membership meeting.
Seek To End Discrimination
In New York Medical Schools
Against Minority Groups and City College Grads
NEW YORK. Dec. 23rd—Five
major recommendations to end dis
crimination in New York medical
schools against members of min
ority groups and graduates of
City colleges were adopted today
at a special meeting of the New
I York City Council called to con
sider a report by W’alter R. Hart,
Chairman and counsel of the
Council’s special investigating
comrrtittee. This committee wa3
appointed last September to in
vestigate charges of discrimina
tion in professional schools made
by the American Jewish Congress
the New York Committee Against
Discrimination in Education, and
other organizations.
The Committee's 84-page report
substantiates these charges and
makes the following recommenda
tions:
1. That a bill embodyng the
principles of the Austin-Mahoney
bill be passed at the next session
of the State Legislature. This
‘would forbid discrimination by
schools and create a commission
which, after hearings on com
plaints. can issue judicially en
forceable cease and desist orders.
2. That the City Council re
quest Governor Dewey to include
in his message to the Legislature
a direct request that such legis
| lation be enacted, so that in the
; words of Governor Dewey, we
; may reach the “goal where no
| young man or woman shall be
denied a higher education because
of his race, religion or color.’’
i 3. That the Governor also in
clude in his message a request to
, the Legislature that a bill be en
| acted into law providing for the
I creation and jnaintenance of a
I State university, which shall in
clude medical and dental schools.
4. That the Board of Estimate
of the City of New York be re
I que’ted to embody in all future
! contracts with all schools which
; use the facilities of the City hos
! pitals for the instruction of their
1 students a provision providing for
j the cancellation there of upon
I proof that such institution is guil
ty of racial or religious discrimin
ation in the acceptance or rejec
tion of students.
5. That a Local Law be passed
providing for the appointment of
a committee consisting of the
Commissioner of Hospitals and
the Presidents of the various City
colleges, cm-lowering it, on its own
motion or on motion of any per
son aggrieved, to inquire into con
ditions involving or charges of dis
crimination against applicants for
admission to colleges or institu
tutions of higher learning which
use the facilities of the hospitals
of the Citv of New York and that
the said Committee be empowered
to subpoena witnesses, examine
records of such institutions ana
issue such order and have such
other powers as may be necess
ary to effectuate the purposes of
such Local Law.
In its report the Committee
presents a thorough investigation
of the' admission practices of Co
lumbia University’s College of
Physicians and Surgeons and Cor*
nell University’s Medical College,
based on private and public hear
color- line in baseball was inevit
able. according to Sport, so he
sent three top scouts scouring the
Negro leagues. When they came
up witfi Robinson as potential big
league timbre. Rickey assigned the
Negro star to the Dodgers’ Mon
treal farm team'in the' Interria
i'. nal league for a final test.
■ What Robinson did. in. Montreal
! fn'ade baseball history. last season.
He fed the.ieacue in batting-with a
of highest peerage ever f con*
dijed by a Montreal .player.-- He
stoli pnly- lln
errors' playing sown debase -and
•fhortafeap; JHrhe« -won 1
'the .ViLfttle-WoUd . Caries’frpm
Louisville, Monfcfeak*'crtfters oapriea
•Robinsohv wjth teara streaming
[ tfnwn, hie fact, arcup^ field in
rjjibiatioir.1 <’ ’’ *
j - iLe Negrq star. hasj.gv good
'Chance to beeo’nle-'a' Dodger regu
lar,Igfljrrfldfcya. •< * n*#* v
’f. I -
ings of leading members of the
faculty and statistics presented by
the schools and yy the Commis
sion on Law and Social Action
of the American Jewish Congress.
Relevant statistical tables of ad
missions to New York Medical
College (Flower Hospital). New
York University College of Medi
j cine and Long Island College of
Medicine are included.
The evidence gathered by the
Committee shows conclusively
that the medical schools have a
1 quota directed against students of
Jewish, Italian and Negro extrac
! tion. The existence of a quota a
| gainst Jt'.’is at 'Cornell* was ad
j mitted in a letter by the former
dean of the Medical College. Dis
crimination at the other schools
J is shown by the statistical tables
[ of admissions of graduates -from
City-supported colleges. These col
: leges have higher scholastic stan
| dards than other schools, but a
majority of the students stem
from the minority groups which
predominate in the City of New
York.
In the last six years CCNY ha3
been keeping a record of its grad
uates who have attained the above
average scholastic record of A or
j better and who have applied for ad
| mission to the five medical schools
located in the City of New York.
The tables show that the over
whelming majority of these stu
dents were rejected without per
sonal interviews. At the Commit
| tee’s hearings, however, it was ad
mitted by faculty members that
the medical schools had accepted
| students from other colleges with
an average of B or less.
"In the absence of a personal
interview", the Committee report
.statr4, “The excuse that these
; applicants were rejected because
of lack of emotional stability or
personality cannot be accepted.
I There was on evidence adduced
that the records of these men, for
warded by City College, showed
them to be emotionally unstable
or lacking in personality. The
fact of the matter is that almost
without exception, these students
(Continued on Page 4)
“ROTH IMPARTIAL”_I
— • ^ ^| . f^jr r £ r
LEADERS MAKE
POLIO APPEAL
NEW YORK, N. Y_In the
wake of the worst epidemic of
poliomyelitis in the history of the
National Foundation for Infantile
Paralysis, many important nation
al leaders have joined in appeal
ing for support to the March of
Dimes, January 15-30. Among the
many endorsements received by
the National Foundation are those
from: Archie A. Alexander, ar
chitect and pres, of Wilkie House,
Des Moines, Iowa; George A
Beavers, Jr., Chairman of the
Board and Agency Director for
, Golden State Mutual Life Insur
ance Co; Dr. Roscoe C. Brown,
(Chief, Office of Negro Health
j Work, United States Public Heal
Jth Service; Mrs. Mary W. Block
er. former president. National
! Congress of Parents and Teachers
Dr. George D. Cannon, secretary
of the New York City Physicians
Forum: Mrs. Mae Wright Down3,
national president of Delta Sigma
Theta sorority; Col. B. O. Davis.
J . of the IT. S Air Corps: Karl
Downs, president of Samuel Hou
ston College; Dr William H. Gray,
Jr., president of Florida A & M
! College; Mrs. Edna Over Gray,
j national president of Alpha Kap
! pa Aloha sorority; Raymond E.
j Jackson, Imperial Potentate of
l the Shriners; Dr Charles S. John
son, president of Fisk University;
Attorney Poindexter A. Orr, pres
ident of the National Bowling As
■sociation; Kelsey Pharr, president
Greater Miami Negro Civic Lea
gue; W. H. Pipes, president of A1
corn College.
Also, Mrs. Fannye Ayer Pon
der. past president. Florida State
Federation of Colored Women's
Clubs; Muriel Rahn, concert ar
tist; E. Washington Rhodes, pu
blisher of the Philadelphia Tribune
Mrs. Gertrude Robinson, national
president of National Sororitv of
Phi Delta Kanpa; Jack»e Robin
son, first Negro plaver in organi
zed baseball club: H. C. Ruseel!.
president of West Kentuck” Vo
cational Training School; Frank
L. Stanley, pre'-idc.nt. Negro Nevs
paper Publishers Association; H.
Councill Trenhol.n, executive se
cretary of the American Teach
ers Association; James B. Simm
ons. Jr., City Councilman of To
ledo. Ohio: j. Finley Wilson. The
| Grand Exalted Ruler of the Elks;
Dr. Walter A. Younge, president
j of the National Medical Assn,
j The infantile paralysis epidem
i ic of 1946 was the worst in more
than a quarter of a century, ex
ceeded only by the great 1916 ey>
lidemic. .worst in the recorded hi
I story of the United States, accord
| ing to figures released by the Na
; tional Foundation. To aid in the
j fight against the crippling disea
se, the National Foundation for
; Infantile Paralyses sent upwards
of $4,500,000 of March of Dimes
funds to 39 states where the epi
demic depleted the treasuries of
National Foundation chapters iir
; providing hospital and medical
care to victims of the disease,
without regard to age, race, creed
or color.
Need for funds has never been
! greater to enable the National
Foundation for Infantile Paraly
sis to lead, direct, and unify the
! unceasing fight against this di
sease. The American people, al
ways generous in supporting the
March of Dimes, will be even more
j generous this year hecau.se they
| know that this fight is their fight.
Assumes Greater Importance
i Dear Editor:
I The March of Dimes campaign,
January 15-30, 1947, assumes
greater importance than eveir this
1 year since America has recently
■ suffered its greatest eoidemic of
infantile paralysis in thirty years.
Last spring and summer saw
24,000 people, mostly children, fall
victim of the disease.
In carrying out its pledge of
providing care and treatment for
every victim, regardless of age,
race, creed or color, the resources
of the National Foundation have
been extremely strained. As a re
sult of this financial drain, it be
comes more imperative than ever
'that the coming March of Dimes
! campaign should be an unquali
fied success.
Aa you have learned through
personal experience and from my
| reports t ■ on, the National Foun
dation's pledge, as it relates to
, to Negro people, is upheld through
i out the nation. The enclosed facts
folders give you facts pertinent
to the pledge.
The National Foundation knows
that the press has proven to be
one of the most outstanding cour
ces of support to the March of
Dimes and we are again counting
on your newspaper to join with us
: in the fight against infantile pa
ralysis. As in past years we shall
jsend advance copy to your vari
ous editors for, release during the
i March of Dimes.
We deeply appreciated your con
j tinned interest and the support of
your newspaper in this never end
ing battle against a disease which
eri pies so many children.
! Sincerely Charles H. Bynum,
Xi States Launch Campaign
T© Enact L©cal EEPC. Laws
i ouuiig urives are under way
I to enact FEPC legislation in a
[ number of northern states when
j legislatures convene this month.
| Reports to the Commission on
i Law and Social Action of the A
! merican Jewish Congress reveal
! that State campaign committees
are already functioning in Conn
! ecticut, Illinois, Michigan and in
| Pennsylvania, while Indiana, Ohio
and Rhode Island are now organ
izing and bills are being readied
fee Maryland. Oregon, Colorado,
Minnesota and West Virginia.
The Connecticut Fair Employ
ment Practices Committee has
! opened an office in Hartford and
j has begun organizing on a state
: wide basis. Henry R. Silberman,
; New England Regional Director of
j the American Jewish Congress.
[ has been acting as chief consultant
| to the committee which includes
| representatives of the AFL. CIO
j NAACP. A VC. Connecticut Coun
[ cil of Churches and local Jewish
community groups.
I Connecticut Democratic, raem
i bprs of thg legislature are expec
i ted to vote favorably fpr a strong
I measure.' but both the Senate and
j AsseinBMy Save ftepublcau ma
jorities. The GOP has opposed
strong enforcement provisions in
• tlje -past. Chances of getting the
j necessary votes of about . eight
! Republican Senators v8pcJ* 'seventy
Republican Representatives , are
considered gopd. Formation of..35
or 40 local committees will be
necessary as' Connecticut’?' “rot
ten . borough1’* system- allows only
two representatives from .-any- g-i
ven citron to^n._
; Gilbeijt..CyrdQ*^ Jtfid&’est^jtegion
al Director of the Commission on
Law and Social Action of the AJC j
has drafted a strong FEPC Bill
for Illinois and has been appoin
ted Legislative Director of the
Illinois FEPC Council. Wide org
anizations, the NAACP. the Cath
olic Labor Alliance, the Church
Federation of Greater Chicago,
the CIO, and a number of large
AFL unions. Legislators have al
ready been circularized with a
draft of the proposed bib and pu
blicity is under way.
Reports from Michigan indi
cate that the drive for signatures
on the FEPC initiative petition
has gone over the top. Detroit a
lone is reported to have secured
more than the repaired number for
that state feight percent of the
last gubernatorial election void
with one Ford local of UAW-CIO
obtaining nearly 40.000 signatur
es. While the success of the ini
tiative campaign does not assure
enactment, .as the recent Califor
nia election has shown..the elec
torate ■vvi’f-have ajv;opportunity to
vote on the meastfre at trie "next'
general election -if it. is .not. pas's-'
cd intact in the forthcoming leg
ists de session.' *
‘The Pennsylvania," Committee
for FEPC. aftep •stu^Jyipgi a num
ber of, bills, hps selected' a mea
sure presented-American
Jewish Cong’^ssXRe^ional Direc
tor for introdyy.i'o’h .in’ tH^ sessftjn
of the .QeneTnl ".‘As^rrljily ‘^gin
ning J’affllftry ‘7. 'A detailed”
of strategy was worked out at a
state-wide .confer Afcjp' 'id Harris
burg on December 7. and'end or se
rrfents* fpr the measure ufre.. being,
' '' '.C V«A•'
secured.
In Rhode Island bills have fail
ed of passage twice'in the past
but the outlook this year is con
sidered favorable, particularly in
contrast to a number of other in
dustrial states where nnal legis
lators predominate. With a Demo
cratic Governor and House (where
a bill passed last year on a voice
vote), the problem is primarily
one of gaining six or eight votes
in the Republican Senate.
A n Administration approved
FEPC measure for Minnesota was
in the offing as those close to Gov
ernor-elect Luther Youngdahl in
dicated that the new Chief Execu
tive would seek such legislation
when the 1947 legislature conven
es in January.
The Governor's Interracial Com
mission has gone on record for
FEPC legislation.
Ohio and. Indiana are also or
ganizing statc-Y’ijg committees
and readying legislation. In Ore
gon a Committee Tor'5 a*' Fair, Em
ployment Practices Act has been
.formed to. press-for the enactment
of 'legislation;Ip; that gUfe. In Co
lorado the 4)cr.^*,jtjrited'Council
is laying pljms., Toro, the introduc
tion of a afatV FEuPC bill in the
legislatureiibr*' nfcrrth "(January}.
JdMnwhife gyur 'C6pr>misSipn> oft
.W*and £«*oii #f-tljje A
•fpewban Javvi^LpoVigri^so is , con
tinuing to 'troKie -technical as
sistance to all interested /orgarti
zations on both leg£l (gicU.rgapri
zational problems. In ,a<fSi'ffi>n to
'model bil^m mjnuaJPohmiIt" o¥
ghnizing a Stafe FEPC_OTn.pai
is "availabTb cctrohuesicT’ Ivir'*'*:
-.’MiMiv, iTh&
