/JUSTICE/ HEW TO THE LINEN
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY PHONE HA.0800
_CttK) (jKANI __
VOL. XXI—No. 16. _ THE OMAHA GUIDE OMAHA, NEBR. Saturday, May 15th, 1948 ONLY TEN CENTS PER COPY
the case AGAINST UMT I
Should World War III ma
terialize, March 19th will no
doubt be known as its begin
ning. For on that day, Harry
S. Truman, president of the
United States, called for the
return of the Draft and Uni
versal Military training.
In. the three years since
Roosevelt’s death, the Truman
administration has turned the
United State s foreign policy
towards war, without making
any desirable effort towards
peace.
Truman has stated that Am
erican sons are “needed to
save our soil.” From whom,
Russia? Mere folly to assume
that Russia is preparing ag
gression against the United
States, or any nation as a
matter of fact. All of our bu
reaus, including the Federal
Bureau of Investigation, the
House Un-American Commit
tee, the President’s Loyality
Board, have not presented any
evidence that would prove any
of the accusation against Rus
sia. As illustrated in the cases
that have come before the
courts, the government and its
police were made laughing
stocks of the world with their
hearsay evidence against the
so-called “Red spys”.
But it is upon such a case
that the Administration has
cooperated with the “Brass
Hats” to work up their hope
for the Draft and the UMT.
The case against the draft
and UMT is so complete, that
the President must resort to
methods involving hysteria
and • mob-like emotions to
whip thhe American people in
to the ‘correct" frame of mind
for UMT.
On no other question is
there such widespread opposi
tion as there is on the question
of UMT and the Draft. Even
the most “right” elements,
such as the American Legion,
VFW, Catholic hierarchy, etc.
have voiced certain opposition
to the military measures.
Nearly every church organiza
tion, civic club, and promin
ent person of liberal standing
has come out against UMT.
Cardial Dennis Dougherty,
ranking prelate of the Cath
olic church in this country, has
stated (and I most heartily
agree with him’) :
—It is against the tradition
of this country.
—Where it is in existence is
precisely where most wars
have taken place.
—Said training would re
move young men, at a critical
age. from their home surround
ings and safeguards.
—It would throw them, with
all their inexperience and with
out adequate safeguard, into
frightful temptations calculat
ed to undermine their morality
and physical health.
—Epxerience shows that
military officers are frequectly*
corrupt and set a bad example
to those under them.
—\ ernereal disease would
rise in a frightful degree and
break down the health of fut
ure fathers of families.
—The exense of universal
military training would involve
annually millions, if not bill
ions, of dollars to be paid by
taxpayers.
J There seems to be no need
in this country of UMT, which
is boosted most soldiers, par
ticularly Army Officers, who
covet promotion and higher
salaries.
—binally, the chances are
that hereafter battles will be
fought in the air, rather than
on foot; and in that case
large armies will not be need
ed.”
The Cardinal’s nine reasons
speak for themselves. Manv
pro-UMT'er maintain that
UMT will make our nation
strong. Will it? The Indians
had UMT. All the male youth
had to prepare for war. The
Romans, too, tried conscrip
tion, and the Empire disap
pearance caused “flop” to be
added to the dictionary. Mus
solini tried it with the Italians.
Germany tried it for the utn
teenth” time under Hitler.
Too, the Japanese tried it, and
it led them to Pearl Harbor.
Historically, conscription has
been followed by disaster.
Then, too, if it is a large
army we want, why not ob
tain it on a volinteer basis?
The army has discouraged
many who would volunteer
because of its undemocratic
princials. The American Vet
eran’s Committee has brought
forth in a letter to the Presi
dent some very good propos
als (in my opinion), which if
included by the Army, would
certainly increase the rate of
enlistments. The proposals are
—Lifting the quota of Ne
gro enlistments.
—Implementation of the
Doolittle recommendations for
improvement of the court-mar-1
tml system.
—A return to war-time,
■g™1 ...
! REGISTRARS AND DEAN S MEET AT TUSKEGEE INSTITUTE
hittv deans of colleges and
34 registrars attended the twe
nty-second annual meeting of
the National Association of
| Collegiate Deans and Regist
rars in Negro schools when
they met recently at 1 uskegee
1 institute. Dean B. R. Brazeal,
ninth from left, front, of More
( |
house college, president of the
Association presided over the
sessions. Dean Betram \V. Do
yle, Louisville Municipal col
lege, Louisville, Kentucky,
eighth from left, was elected
president for 1998.
standards as to eligible scores
on the Army’s General Classi
fication Test.
—Immediate action to
change the Army’s policies of
segreation in line with the
President's Civil Rights Re
port.
If “Joe” must be given a
present on his eighteenth
birthday, then give him a
chance to go to school (college
2 years minimum), the chance
to learn a trade, the chance to
receive adequate medical at
tention. Those are the things
“Joe” really lacks. The money
spent for UMT could revol
untionize the chances for an
education to Joe and all other
Joes, if sent for education and
an adequate health program.
No, UMT is not concerned
with the true needs of the
American youth. It is concern
ed only with the exploitation
of all youth, American and
European. UMT seels intim
idation and fear to the French,
Italian, and Greek youth who
dares to defy Wall Street. At
this writing, two American
youth have died on the Greek
battlefields while wearing the
American Army uniform. That
is the future of UMT, death
for our youth.
Henry A. \\ allace made a
statement, March 19th, which
throws a lot of light on UMT
and its supporters. He stated,
“We (the people) must de
mand that our Government
accept its share of the respon
sibility for the world crisis.
We must demand firm alleg
iance to the United Nation.
The price of self-righteousness
is war and depression.
“Let us remember that mil
itary might has never imosed
a good idea nor sustained a
bad one. Recall with me the
words of the prophet Isaish:
‘Woe to those Avho trust in
Chariots,
Because they are many
And in horsemen, because
they are mighty.'
YOUTH HEALTH CON
FERENCE TO STRESS
MODERN PROBLEMS
Central YWCA May 21
The Youth’s Organizations
Steering Committee announc
es the following program for
their second annual health con
ference being held on Fridav
May 21, 5 to 10:30 P. M. at the
Central YWCA.
Registration 5:00 P. M. to
6:00 P. M. Dinner at 6:00 P.
M. following by an address by
Dr. Aaron McMillan on the
subject “The Medinine man
and Modern Medicine”. Three
panel discussions will present
the following topics and lead
ers: “Want to Live to be a
Hundred?”, Dr Wesley Jones,
leader, “Planning for Marrage
Mrs. Mary Frances Fredricks,
Board of Education Family
Home Life Instructor, leader
and “How Your Physical and
Mental Health effects your
Social Behavior” Miss Fran-|
ces Edwards, Chief Psycholo-j
gist, Omaha University, lead
er.
The panel discussion will be
followed by a social hour in
tration 25 cents and dinner
$1.00. Dinner tickets must be
purchase before May 20th.
Tickets may be obtained from
the Northside YWCA, North
Branch \ \\ CA, Woodson Cen
ter and the LTrban League.
THE BROWN
RAILROADER
Negro Rail Workers Consti
tute Largest Industrial
Unit
The one hundred and forty
thousand Negro men and wo
men who work for the major
railroads of the nattion con
stitute the largest industrial
family among that racial group
anywhere to be found. By all
odds, their employment is the
most consistent of any Amer
ican industry and their tenure
outranks every other large
the structure of that group
by immeasurable limits.
These one hundred forty
thousand people are potential
ly a tremendous power in the
i Negro scheme of things in
this nation. Economically,
thhey were hit less by the pro
longed depression than any
otner working group, fewer
of their number were dismis
sed during the frightful years
than in any other of the in
dustries in which Negro em
ployment is an appreciable1
factor. And, on the whole,
the earnings of a great protion
of them did not take the
droop-headed air which char
acterized salaries in a major
portion of the industrial fields.
As compared with steel, for
instance, Negro railroad work
ers have a much more consis
tent employment record. When
the demand for steel is iow,
the smoke-chutes of that in
dustry show it. In the manu
facture of iron products, in
which Negro employment is
high, the overall demand may
be a rather spurty thing. The
employment of men also takes
on somethiny of that air. And
so it is in shipbuilding and
mining and on down the line
of the heavy brackets. In
railroads, however, the picture
has been different.
1 hroughout the depression,
when railroads were taking'
thhe licking of their economic
lives and striving desperately
to both earn a dividend for
skeptical stockholders and
keep their rolling-stock from
actually collapsing within yard,
limits, Negro emloyment was
kept almist at peak figures.
Indicative of that fact is the
truth that despite the almost
immeasurable load whichh rail
roads have been called upon
to carry throughout the war
years, the increase in Negro
employment was smaller
among them than in any of
the major industrial brackets.
The hundreds of millions of
meals which have been served
by individual roads during the'
turbulent w-ar years, for in
stance, have been largely of
fered by men with service
stripes of long standing. And
if a look could be made into
the kitchen personnel of the
far-flung diners of the various
systems, in all probability the
the truth would show that
the men who prepare train
meals, looked upon as “some
of thhe best cooking in the
world,” have been at it right
through the years.
The unsung men of the rail
road, despite race, are those
who keep prepared the road on
which equipment must move.
An airplane, much like the
four winds, goes where it likes
(Continued on page 4)
RACES
£
Face the Music
In the bitter ideological war
between communism and the
democracy, too many Ameri
cans forget what the commu
nists never let others forget
that democracy in the U. S. is
far from/ perfect. Last week
those Americans got a joAing
reminder from deep voiced A.
Philip Randolph, president of
the Sleeping Car Porters’ Un
ion. Testifying before the Sen
ate Armed Services Commit
tee, Randolph declared blunt
ly. If a draft like that of a
World War II was enacted, it
would result in mass civil dis
obedience on the part of the
U. S. Negroes. Said he, Neg
roes have reached the limit of
their endurance when it comes*,
to going into another war for
democracy, a democracy, they
have never forgotten. Grant
Reynolds, chairman of the co
, mmittee against Jim Crow in
i
Military Service and Training,
soberly agreed Randolph de
manded abolition of all racial
discrimination in the armed
services and under universal
Military Training. He minced
no words to the rank and file
Negro in World War II. Hit
ler’s racism osed a sufficient
threat for him to submit to the
jim crow Army abuses. But
this factor is not present in the
power struggle between Stal
in and the U. S. Since we can
not obtain an adequate con
gressional forum for our griev
ances, we have no other re
course. The Senators were
shocked. Oregon’s W a y ne
Morse asked whether Rand
olph realized that such civil
disobedience would probably
be prosecuted for treason. He
.did and added, “We’d be will
ing to absorb the violence, ab
sorb the terrorism, for the mu
sic, and take whatever comes.’’
F E P C
Please, (Citizens help the
fight for a ermanent, Fair Em
ployment Practice Commiss
ion.
You can do this by writing,
to Senator Taft, on a penny
post card or letter saying. We
Urge and demand that you in
the interest of the people to
lead the F. E. P. C. project,
Senator Taft. 930 F St. N.
W. Washington, D. C.
IT TOOK COURAGE!
Mr. George Brown, of 2216
Willis Street was rescued from
a tree, May 12 about 6:30 p. m.
He was sawing a huge bran
ch of the tree when it fell ac
ross his foot and held it in the
fork of the tree. It was quite a
painful job, but the rescued
men were sawing the limb a
.way but not fast enough for
Brown, who let out a few re
morseful cries of pain. He also
took the saw and helped to
release himself.
LIVESTOCK SHOW AT
SOUTHERN UNI.
Scenes above were taken at
the fifth annual livestock and
poultry show and farmers’
short course held at Southern
university, Scotlandvllle, La.
More than 1,000 farmers, NFA
PICKETS PROTEST
POLICY OF ARMY
Led bv A. Philip Randolph,
an inter-racial picket line par
aded for an hour along Penn
sylvania Ave. in front of the
White House in Washington
Friday afternoon in protest
against Army segragration.
Mr. Randolph, leader of a
proposed civil disobedience
camaign against jim-crow
carried a sign which read. “If
we must die for our country
let us die as free men not as
Jim-crow slaves.” He led the
picket line which included
eight others. During the picket
parade, Mr. Randolph passed
out leaflets to which were at
tached the “Don’t Join Jim
Crow Army” lapel buttons.
The pickets moved continous
ly and were not molested al
though secret service agents,
assigned to protect President
Truman, were on the alert
throughput the picketing none
of signs carried by the picket
ers in Truman. Rev. Donald
Harrington, white, assistant
pastor of Community Church
of New York. Dr. John Holmes
Haynes. In the picket line
boys, 4-H club boys and girls
and professional workers, from
42 parishes in Louisiana at
tended the event. Three short
courses were held during the
four-day period, one for farm
ers, one for rural youth and
one for professional and rural
where Albert Black Washing
ton, chairman, of Anti Jim
Crow committee, Lynn Seitter
whhite chairman of local inter
racial workshop, Robert May
hew, Howard Student, Barbara
Henderson, Jim Peck, white,
New York Labor Journal ed
itor, William J. Fleming.
the freedom train
Do you remember the Free
dom Train pageant a few wks.
back, well for those that did,
they will never forget, and for
those who missed it, here’s hop
ing a repeat performance will
enable them to see it. This
brings us to the coming of the
Freedom Train, let’s all go and
see, read and remember what
we read and try hard and we
can, to re-enact upon these
documents, and make the liv
ing realites and not just words
on a piece of old historical
paper. We as loyal Americans,
and as a heritage to our free
dom to work, to think, to go
and do as we please as free
Americans, we should strive
hard for a better America to
live in peace and harmony with
one and all.
leaders. Principals at the gen
eral assembly program includ
ed Sen. Gilbert F. Hennigan.
Dr. F. G. Clark, Southern’s
president; T. J. Jordan, assist
ant state agent for work with
Negroes; and J. W. Fisher,
Southern’s director of agricul
ture. (ANP.)
The Freedom Train—May
14th and 15th between Cass
and Davenport.
Passenger travel is more
than three and one-half times
safer in this war. In 1917-18,
there was one passenger fatal
ity for every 107,917,000 pas
senger miles of service per
formed. From January 1, 1942
to December 31, 1944, there
was only one passenger fatal
ity for every 417 million pas
senger-miles of service per
formed.
The higest point reached by
a railroad in the United States
is the summit of Pike’s Peak
in Colorado, 14,109 feet above
sea level, reached by the Mani
tou and the Pike’s Peak (Cog)
Railroad.
The famous Lucin Cut-of,
carrying the tracks of the
Southern Pacific Railroad
across Great Salt Lake in Utah
is the longest railroad bridge
structure in the United States.
It is of pile-trestle construction
, 12 miles in length, and was
completed in 1903. j
RANDOLPH ANNOUNCES
BROTHERHOOD VICT
ORY OVER C. I. O.
New York April 29th— Pres
ident A. Philip Randolph an
nounced today that the Broth
er hood of Sleeping Car port
ers (AF of L) soundly thrash
ed the United Railroad Work
ers Union (CIO) by a vote of
52 to 23 in a representation
election held on the New York,
New Haven and Hartford Rail
road by the National Mediat
ion Board from April 22 to 27,
1948.
“The secret ballot election
settled the dispute by better
than 3 to 1” stated Mr. Rando:
therhood of Sleeping Car Por
ters to represent the parlor car
porters and space assigners on
the New Haven Railroad.”
International Field Organi
zer B. F. McLaurin conducted
the victorious organizing cant-,
p a i g n for the Brotherhood
while the vanquished CIO un
ion’s efforts were in charge of
Mr. C. E. Kendrick.
“The Brotherhood of Sleep
ing Car Porters has successful
ly met every challenge hurled
by the CIO affiliate and re
sulted in President John Green
on March 31, 1948 issuing in
structions to all directors as
signed to the United Railroad
\\ orkers Union to discontinue
all pullman porter organizing
activities,” said Mr. Randolph.
Mr. Randolph concluded by
stating that 95 per cent of the
porters on all railroad trains
in the United States are organ
ized into the Brotherhood of
Sleeping Car Porters.
YOUR FAMILY’S FOOD
Red Cross Nutrition Director
By Mrs. Evelyn Halm,
MEAT TO MEASURE
An aid to thrifty meat buy
ing is knowing the number of
servings to expect from a
pound of meat of the different
.cuts. Specialists from U. S. D.
A. give the following handy
guide which groups cuts accor
ding to the amount ob bone
they contain, and shows how
far a pound is likely to go in
good sized main dosh servings
of lean meats:—
Much bone or gristle—a lb.
yeilds 1 or 2 servings, or less.
Examples are shank, brisket,
plate, a short rib, spareribs,
Medium Amount of Bone a
pound yeilds 2 or 3 servings
Examples are whole or end
cuts of beef round, veal leg or
shoulder, ham with bone in;
also steaks, chops, or roasts
frfcmi the loin, rump, or rib
sections.
Little bone— a pound yeilds 3
to 4 servings. Examples are
center cuts of beef round, pork
shoulder, or ham; also lamb
or veal cutlets chuck.
No bone—a pound yeilds 4
servings. Examples are grOun
meat; 'boneless stew meats:
liver or other variety of bone
less meats.
NEW RECEIPT BOOKLET
Money-Saving Main Dishes
is the titile of the new free cook
book prepared by the' U. S.
Department of Agriculture to
Aid homemakers in feeding
the family nutritious yet th-1
rifty meals. This booklet gives |
meal-planning and buying tips
plus 150 receipts'os. ,n_q,
plus 150 receipes for meat, pou
ltry, fish, eggs, cheese, bread,
and cereal and potatoes. The
quickest way to get this new
free cookbook is to print your
name and address on a post
card an address the card to:
Food Conservation, Washing
ton 25, D. C.
From the date of the Pearl
Harbor attack to the end of
March 1945, the railroads
transported approximately 39,
200,000 members of the Unit
ed States army, navy, marines,
and coast guard in special
troop trains or in special troop
cars attached to regular trains.
This does not include many
millions of railway journeys
made by uniformed men and
women traveling singly or in
small groups in line of duty
or on furlough.
f
SECRET ARMY DOCUM
ENTS TO FEATURE JIM
CROW PROBE
Secretjimcr^w Army orders
and transcripts of court mart
ial, now in the possession of
Grant Reynolds, former Army
chaplin, will highlight testimo
ny o wartime treatment of Neg
ro GI’s on Saturday and Sun
day. May 8th and 9th, at the 12
th Street branch of the YMCA,
1816 12th Street N. W. Wash
ington, D. C.
The two-day hearing before
the Commission of Inquiry in
to the effect of segregation on
colored troops will be featured
by Negro and hite witnesses
and by introduction into the
record of secret War Depart
ment orders placing lestrict
ions on Negro servicemen. Me
mbers of the Commission in
clude :
Margaret Halsey, author,
“Some of My Best Frieds are
Soldiers”, “Colorblind”. Dr. Ed
ward C. Lindeman, New York
School of Social Work. Dr. Ch
aning H. Tobias, member, of
President’s Committee on Civil
Rights Max Lerner, Author.
Dr. Kenneth B. Clark, psy
chologist, City College of the
New York Kermit Eby, CIO
education director.
Thurman L. Dodson presid
ent of the National Bar Assoc
iation
James 1. barrel!, autnor
Dr. Goodwin Watson, Tea
chers College, Columbia Uni
versity
Dr. John Haynes Holmes,
chairman American Civil Lib
erties Union.
Dr. Robert S. Lynd, social
ogist, Columbia University
Morris A. Rubin, editor,
“The Progressive” magazine.
Mrs. Elsie Elfenbein, exec
utive director, National Coun
cil of Jewish Women.
Father Allen P. Farrell, edu
catio editor, “America” maga
zine
In announcing today the for
matio of the Commission, Gr
ant Reynolds and A. Phlip Ra
ndolph, chairman and treasur
er, respectively, of the Com.
mjttee Against Jimcrow in the
Military Service and Training
217 West 125th Street, New
York City, stater that it was
at their request that the Com
mission had been organized to
hold immediate hearings in
Washigton during the debate
on conscription legislation. He
Philadelphia, shortly before the
Republican and Democratic
conventions.
Randolph, who will open the
hearigs on Saturday at 3 p.m.
Washigton time with a state
ment on the mood and temper
of veterans and other Negroes,
declared:'“I recently reminded
the Senate Armed Services co
mmittee that large numbers of
white Americans are still blis
stully unaware ot the extent ot
physical and psychological ag
gression against the Negro
soldier. Neither the Senate nor
the House has shown the least
inclination to fulfill the 1944
Republican commitment for a
Cogressional investigation of
the Negro GI grievances.
“This eminent group of Neg
ro and white citizens has there
fore agreed to sit as a Commis
sion and to hear the sordid st
ory of the Army jimcrow. On
the basis of the testimony, re
commedations pertaining to U
MT and draft legislation will
be made to Congress and the
people in order that Negro yo
uth may never again be threat
ened with compulsory military
segregation. The Commission
will welcome written state
ments from GI’s and others un
able to journey to Washington
to testify in person. ”
Reynolds, member of the
New York State Commission
of Correction, stated: “In be
half of the Commission we are
appealing to Senator Robert
A. Taft and Speaker Joseph W.
Martin, Jr. to delay floor act
ion on UMT and Selective Ser
vice until the Commission’s re
port is available to Congress.
Members of both Houses have
only a smattering of informat
ion on Army jimcrow, and the
views are understandably col
ored by the propaganda of ex
pediency that the Pentagon
has long fed them. Since Neg
roes are sorely distressed by
the inaction on civil measurers,
it is the firm belief of the Com
mission that the House Repub
lician Steering Committee and
the Senate GOP Policy Com
mittee should postpone consid
eration of this avowed jimcrow
draft legislation until Negro
(Continued on page 4) t
