Minneapolis spokesman. [volume], December 25, 1942, Image 1

About Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000

Image provided by: Minnesota Historical Society; Saint Paul, MN

                
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EACH AND EVERYONE
This newspaper from newsboy
to publisher wishes for all the
merriest land of Christmas. May
the Lord bless you each and
every one with special prayers
for our boys in foreign lands.
VOL. 9, NO. 20
NAACP Asks McNutt If
Draftees Will Be Able to
Choose Service Branch
NEW YORK—Urging that Negro Americans be accorded the right
to share fully in the duties and responsibilities of the war crisis, the
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People addressed
this week to Paul McNutt, director of the War Manpower Commission,
a group of questions bearing upon the effective utilization of Negro
manpower and womanpower in the armed forces and in industry.
The N. A. A. C. P. reminded Mc-
Nutt of ‘his recent statement that
drafted men would be allowed to
state their preference concerning
the branch of the Army, Navy,
Marine or Coast Guard in which
they wished to serve since the
Selective Service System has been
placed under WMC and will be ad
ministered through the WMC chair
man. The N. A. A. C. P. asked if
this statement meant that the pref
erence of draftees to serve in the
Navy, Coast Guard and Marine
Corps will be respected without re
gard to race, creed, color or na
tional origin. The Association fur
ther‘asked if the present practice
of excluding Negroes from serving
at commissioned officer level in
each of these services would be
abandoned.
Pointing to McNutt’s authority
to issue regulations with reference
to the training program for the
armed forces, including reserve
components and women’s auxiliary
Hotel Must Pay Four
Southernaires for Refusing
_ Them Service in Cafe
New Girls Worker
at Wheatley House
Miss Grace Walker of Boston,
Mass., chosen by the Board of Di
rectors at Phyllis Wheatley Settle
ment House for director of girls’
work at the House, arrived to take
up her duties last week.
The new staff member comes to
Minneapolis with an unusual ex
perience and educational back
ground. She graduated from Em
erson College in Boston, later re
ceived a Bachelor of Arts degree
in literary interpretation from the
Boston University, attended the
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in
London, Eng., for two years—and
the School of International Social
Studies in Geneva, Switzerland.
Miss Walker taught English cre
ative and community drama at
Tuskegee Institute and has been
employed in Lincoln Settlement
House, Boston, Mass., and Robert
Gould Shaw House, Glencove, Long
Island, N. Y.
The public is invited to attend a
reception for new staff members,
given by the auxiliary at Phyllis
Wheatley Sunday, January 3, at
4 p. m.
Merry Christmas!
Rites Held for
Mrs. McCullough
Mrs. Verne McCullough, who
died in Cleveland, Ohio, on Decem
ber 6th, was brought to Minneap
olis for burial by her sister, Mrs.
Nettie Allen of 2737 Longfellow
Ave., and her niece, Mrs. Dorothy
Dennis, 947 Aldrich Ave. N. Ac
companying Mrs. Allen was Mr.
Clyde McCullough, husband of the
deceased and her daughter-in-law
of Washington, D. C., who came to
Minneapolis for the burial services.
Last rites were held on December
13th with Rev. F. Chaney of St.
Paul officiating.
She is also survived by two sis
ters, Mrs. Mattie Landers and Mrs.
Annie Mitchell of Minneapolis.
Interment in Crystal Lake ceme
tery. '
Merry Christinas!
Verne Stone
Verne W. Stone, veteran barber,
of 527 Bryant Ave. No., who died
at his home Sunday, Dec. 13, is
only survived by his son, Kelley,
of Minneapolis and three brothers,
two in Des Moines, la., and one in
Baltimore, Md. Of five brothers,
three were barbers.
Greetings From
St. Paul Branch
National Association
for the
Advancement of Colored
People
Rev. C. T. R. Nelson, Pres.
Richard L.-Stokes, Sr., First
Vice Pres.
Frank Boyd, Second Vice Pres.
Atverta Corum, Secy.
Cyrus Lewis, Asst. Secy.
Wi B. Walker, Trees.
BRidgeport 3595
groups, in non-federal educational
institutions the N. A. A. C. P. asked
if McNutt intended to issue an or
der that "all such facilities be open
and available to qualified persons
without regard to race, creed, color
or national origin.”
The N. A. A. C. P. communica
tion also reiterated that the Presi
dent’s order which conferred addi
tional authority on the WMC had
been slanted for the most effective
mobilization of manpower and
womanpower and the elimination
of waste due to disruptive recruit
ment and asked exactly what steps
the WMC would make to rectify
the continuance of situations in
whichx employers and unions re
fused to accept qualified Negro
workers because they are Negroes.
McNutt was also asked if in the
event of his establishing an ad
visory committee composed of gov
ernment or private groups, Ne
groes would be appointed to such
a committee.
According to the Associated
Press despatches from Rochester,
N, Y., four members of the South
ernnaires, Negro radio and concert
singers, Thursday won jury ver
dicts of $245 each against the Sag
amore hotel for alleged racial dis
crimination.
The quartet, Spencer Odom,
pianist; Lowell Peters and Homer
Smith, tenors, and Jay Toney, bari
tone, all of New York City, claimed
that when they came here for a
concert appearance Feb. 15, 1941,
they were denied use of the dining
too mof the hotel where they were
registered guests. They spurned
an offer to serve them in their
rooms.
Busy With the
War Effort Too
Eddie Cantor's chief
cook and bottle
washer on his NBC I v 1
program. Hatful
McDaniel is one of E
Hollywood s busiest
stars when it comes J
to entertaining the *4
boys in »he service X
member the
AWVS the Oscar BF
winner >s tilling in
everv spare moment
stagme shows to-
Negro troops sta
tioned in California
hattie McDaniel
Nash Coffee
Offers 60
Cups to Pound
Nash’s Famous Coffee is the
brand which is economical for war
time coffee users.
Sixty cups per pound is the proud
boast of Nash’s better coffee.
Doris Schofield
Goes to Kentucky,
Weds Christmas
Miss Doris Schofield, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. H. F. Schofield,
5127 James Ave. N., arrived in
Louisville, Ky., Sunday night. She
will be married on Christmas day
to Rev. Carl M. Jones of that city
by his father, Rev. H. W. Jones,
pastor of Green Street Baptist
Church, Louisville.
The couple will spend a week in
Indianapolis on their honeymoon
and then go to Brooklyn, N. Y.,
where the groom has been assigned
to his first charge as assistant
pastor.
Miss Schofield, a graduate of
tion, for all humanity.”
North High school, was a junior
student at Hamline University and
expects to resume her college work
in Brooklyn.
Candlelight Services
At Mt Olivet Dec. 27
The third annual Candlelight
Service at Mt. Olivet Baptist
church will be held Dec. 27 at 8
p. m. sponsored by the Anna 0.
Jordan Foreign Missionary circle.
Red candles for the living and
white for the deceased will be
burned. A cross of red, white and
blue lights will be lighted for the
boys in the armed forces. Miss
Viola Nash is president, Mrs. Wilda
Hopkins, secretary.
Colored Ink
One of First
Negroes in State
Warner Strader, age 72 years,
pioneer farmer of Aitken, Minne
sota, and member of one of the first
Negro families to settle in Minne
sota, died December 16 from a heart
attack. He was stricken while tend
ing, his stock and succumbed before
aid could reach him.
Joins Minnesota Colony
Twelve Negro families left Ken
tucky in the early days for Minne
sota among whom were Gaines and
Annie Strader, parents of seven
children including Warner. These
twelve families settled in and
around Lake Mille Lac and Aitkin,
Minnesota.
Set High Standard of Citizenship
Warner Strader was highly re
spected by the entire county, his
family being the only Negroes in
the district. Living in Aitken for
45 years he took an active part in
civic affairs and had the reputation
of being a progressive farmer and
citizen.
Fights Church Discrimination
The pioneer was one of the lead
ers in the fight several years ago
against an attempt to segregate
Negroes in the Methodist Church in
Aitken. The white pastor desired to
hold separate services for Negroes
each Sunday after he had preached
to the white members. This action
so enraged the Negroes and a num
ber of whites that the Negroes
walked out and about 50 white fam
ilies followed them, establishing the
Aitken Baptist Church where he
was a member until his death.
Mr. Strader leaves a widow, Mat
tie, two sons, Bluford, and Oliver;
three daughters, Hallie Jones, Alma
Mack and Dosie Daniels; nine
grandchildren; two brothers, John
Strader of Indianapolis and Samuel
Strader of Duluth; one sister, Hallie
Hall of Duluth; many nieces and
nephews throughout the country.
Pallbearers were all white, con
sisting of the sheriff, owner of the
mill, station master, city physician
and farmers.
Interment at the Aitken ceme
tery.
Buy War Bonds Today!
Next Issue
Out December 30
Correspondents, advertisers and
readers should have material for
January Ist issue in our Minne
apolis office by Tuesday night,
December 29, at 8 p. m.
The January Ist issue will be
printed Wednesday, December 30,
so subscribers will receive their
papers New Year’s Eve Day.
Credit Union
Offers Christmas
Saving Services
Don’t wait to begin your 1943
Christmas Savings is the advice
from the Associated Negro Credit
Union. Savings should begin im
mediately in order to receive
Christmas Plan checks by the first
of December next year, as they
think most shoppers prefer.
This service is something new
with the credit union in an effort
to serve its members as fully as
possible. Information and account
books may be secured from Clar
ence Smith, Lo. 6631, Minneapolis,
or Earl S. Weber, Ce. 5104, or El.
3196. The plan includes 25 and 50
cents or SI.OO .each week. Those
getting in late may catch up back
payments.
Cancelled Dinner
Plans Accepted
Very Gracefully
Appreciation has been expressed
by Mrs. Raymond Scallan for the
courtesy and understanding shown
by Negro women when they were
notified that soldier and sailor boys’
Thanksgiving day leaves had been
cancelled thus upsetting plans of
many housewives who had invited
the boys to their homes for dinner.
After a vigorous telephone cam
paign to secure invitations for
these boys of all nationalities a last
minute order prevented a large
number from leaving their posts
which included all of the colored
boys. It is said that some other
women did not accept the disap
pointment so graciously.
With permission of those who
had invited the service men to din
ner their names have been placed
on file at the Service Men’s Center
for future use in securing the oc
casional comforts of home life for
service men—especially those far
away from home.
Mrs. Scallan, who had charge of
the Thanksgiving dinner arrange
ments, is chairman of the recrea
tion department of the Health, Wel
fare, Recreation and Service com
mittee, a part of the Women’s Ac
tivities of the Minneapolis Civilian
Defense Council.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN., FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25,1942
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Elks Annual Tree
The annual Ames Lodge Kiddies’
Christmas tree will be on Christ
mas Day from 2 to 5 p. m. at the
Elks Rest, 148 Hyland Ave.
Children will be presented in a
Christmas program. Gifts and
Christmas goodies will be distrib
uted free.
AKA’s Fete Kiddies
at Christmas Party
Eta Chapter, Alpha Kappa Alpha
Sorority, were hosts at a Christmas
Party for children on Tuesday, De
cember 22, from 2 to 4 p. m. at the
Hallie Q. Brown House. After
playing games, and singing songs
with Juanita Schuck and listening
to stories told by Vivian Vassar,
the children were presented gifts
and served ice cream, cookies, pop
corn balls and candy canes.
Guests were Eugene, Charles and
Richard Schuck, Allen, Marty and
Elroy Callender, Myrna Garcia,
Mildred, Freddie and Jessie Peas
by, Marcella, Shirley and Donna
Sayles, Lee, Harry, Edward and
Gaynelle Ballard, Dolly Nelson,
Rosie, Donald and Jo Ann Johnson,
Connie, Anita, Dorothea and Ar
thur Hill, Theresa, lone and Isaiah
BroWw.
Committee in charge was Sorors
Alice Balenger, chairman: Laura
Jeffrey and Bella Shelton.
on Christmas Day
Merry Christmas!
I Rir -
iff
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TOKIO OR BERLIN NEXT STOP —This young Negro worker in a large
Midwest airplane plant "degreases” a powerful aircraft motor before it is
shipped for assembly for one of our fighting planes. He is one of several
hundred Negro workers engaged in airplane manufacture in this plant.
DCF AND a prayer.
Christmas Counterpart
Somewhere near some southern Bethlehem,
To some dark Mary will be bom
A son upon this blessed Christmas morn,
And there shall be no room for them.
Bright in the eastern arch of sky,
Though Peace be distant from the Earth,
Perhaps, a star shall light his birth,
And God alone shall know the why!
As this dark Mary holds him to her heart,
She knows he is not holy child,
Conceived immaculate and mild,
And yet sees him as strange counterpart.
A manger and a cabin, blessed by God,
Her dark child bom in humble codicil
To test, as Christ did, man’s good will,
And bear the trials of storm and accolade.
Irony is strange, and sad’s the commentary
Of great humanities which spew unholy dread
That lets dark mothers look too far ahead
On sorrows never dreamed by Virgin Mary.
O, little brown mother, let the chimes,
That ring through to your poor abode,
Give you the joy to bear your heavy load,
The hope of Peace ahd better times.
Perhaps, God will not let them crucify
Your son upon the cross that he must bear,
Pray each new Christmas brings a share
Of Peace and Good Will this present will deny.
Christ always comes again to every heart
That thinks of Him on Christmas day,
And you and your son in a modest way
Become our Christmas counterpart.
—James T. Logan.
Oftcial OWI skate
PRICE $2.50 A YEA
Man Grabs Revolver From
Guard’s Holster, Shoots
Self, Man and Wife Held
John L. Armistead, Jr., 976 Carroll avenue, 25 years old, is in a
critical condition at Ancker Hospital from a self inflicted gun shot
wound in his left temple.
Armistead turned the gun on himself Saturday night, Dec. 19,
after snatching it from the holster of Ransom J. O’Neal, 28 years old,
550 St. Anthony avenue, a guard at the Twin Cities Ordnance plant
near New Brighton
Say Guard leaded Pistol
According to testimony given by
witnesses, Armistead and Ransom ;
O’Neal were in a St. Anthony ave
nue tavern at about 8 p. m., Sat- j
urday evening, December 19, when |
O’Neal was flashing his pistol and, 1
according to eye witnesses, loaded I
the gun while in the tavern.
Friends of Armistead were sup- '
posed to have tried to get him out !
of the tavern and finally when he ■
and O’Neal did come out, they
walked up the street together,
when Armistead suddenly grabbed
the loaded gun from its holster
and shot twice in the air and once
in the left side of his head. Ar
mistead is left-handed.
O’Neal had been off duty at the
Ordnance Plant where he is em-i
ployed since 7:30 a. m. Saturday;
morning but was still wearing his 1
uniform and carrying a gun.
Several witnesses were ques-1
Churches Plan Special
Christmas Services Here
SOUTH SIDE CHURCHES,
MINNEAPOLIS
St. James A. M. E. Fourth
Church of God in Christ and St.
Peter A. M. E. churches will join
Bethesda Baptist church Christmas
morning at 9:00 a. m. for their
Christmas Day worship service.
ST. JAMES A. M. E. AND PIL
GRIM BAPTIST, ST. PAUL
St. James A. M. E. Senior Choir
will be presented in the Christmas
pageant “The Nativity” at 6 a. m.
Christmas morning. Mrs. Florence
Hibbs is chairman, Mrs. S. E. Ware
will play, Gloria Williams will sing
between scenes and the Melody
Maids will appear on the program.
Rev. S. E. Ware, pastor of Pilgrim
Pearl Buck Said:
“Our own colored people are not
closer to us at the end of this year
than they were at the beginning.
Military victory is not enough to
lift their hearts . . .
Be Not Deceived
“Let us face this moment in this
year, therefore, and not be deceived
in the nature of the struggle that
lies ahead. I am not afraid to speak
to you boldly. The victory over
the Axis does not mean the victory
over Fascism and you and I must
know this, we must acknowledge
it, we must reckon with it.
“Only by acknowledging it, and
reckoning with it, can we do our
part to save civilization—not only
the civilization of Europe, of our
own country, but human civiliza-
Double Victory
Musical Tea on
Sunday, Dec. 27
The chairman of the Double Vic
tory. Musical tea to be given at St.
Peter A. M. E. Church parsonage,
Sunday, December 27, promises a
brilliant as well as patriotic affair.
The unique affair from 3 to 6 p. m.
will be under the auspices of the
First Aid group of the church. The
parsonage is located at 3756 Fifth
Ave. S.
Mrs. Wendell Jones and Mrs.
Josephine Chambers will pour tea.
Hostesses are Mmes. Mae Marshall,
G. Fassett, E. Bowman, B. Mitchell,
F. Brown, B. Mason, V. Hughes
and C. E. Newman. Mrs. C. N.
Hunter will furnish a musical back
ground. Mrs. Hallie Ewing is ar
ranging a program including some
of the most outstanding musicians
in the Twin Cities. Miss Irma
Clardy will register and take the
silver offering.
Rev. C. T. R. Nelson, the only
speaker, will talk on "The Signifi
cance of the Double Victory.”
Mmes. Thelma Wade, Dorothy
Payne and Hallie Ewing are mem
bers of the committee. Mrs. W. G.
Maxwell is chairman.
Mount Olivet Group
Wins Bible School
of the Air Quiz
For the second time in a few
months a team from Mt. Olivet
Baptist Church placed first in a
Bible quiz over the Bible School
of the Air program, radio station
WCCO, last Sunday morning. Mem
bers of the team on the program
conducted by Rev. Edwin Randall
were Edith Massie, Barbara Hamp
ton, Horace Collins and Eloqzella
Everson. The opposing team was
from a Hopkins, Minn., Lutheran
church.
KEEP THAT SMILE!
With Christmas here and the
New Year upon us, let's make a
resolution to extend that merry
feeling, that infectious smile and
firm handclasp to the coming 365
d'ays of 1943.
tioned Monday, December 21, in
cluding O’Neal’s wife who was
technically held as a material wit
ness. Police said evidence gath
ered thus far, indicates the tragedy
was the result of a deranged mind
on the part of Armistead and care
lessness on the part of O’Neal.
Armistead is supposed to have
had a nervous breakdown early in
1942 when he was brought in off a
railroad dining car handcuffed.
Several months after that occur
rence, he was examined in a sanity
hearing and sent to St Peter. He
was later released to the custody
of his parents.
At press time Armistead was
still unconscious and the O’Neals
are held pending the outcome of
the wounded man.
O’Neal will probably lose his job
as Ordnance Plant guards are for
bidden to visit public taverns in
uniform.
Baptist church, will give the invo
cation.
MOUNT OLIVET BAPTIST,
ST. PAUL
Mount Olivet will not observe
Christmas at the church December
25th, but on Sunday, December 27
at 6 p. m. the annual Sunday school
program will be held at the church.
There will be a “Tree” and gifts.
ZION BAPTIST, MINNEAPOLIS
At 7:30 a. m. Christmas morn,
Rev. H. W. Botts, Jr., will deliver
the Christmas sermon built around
the birth of Christ, at Zion Baptist
church. The Christmas tree and
Sunday school program will be held
Thursday evening at 7:30 p. m.
Baker Post
Sends Paper
to Army
Johnny Baker Post, American
Legion, has chosen to send a six
months subscription to an army
camp rather than put their usual
Christmas greeting in the paper.
It is a very splendid thought be
cause we hear reading matter in
Camps is regarded in an almost
sacred manner—and a paper from
home—boy, that gets it!
In the last contingent of home
town boys that left us many went
to Fort Frances E. Warren, Wyom
ing, and that is where we chose to
send the paper because as indicated
by our mailing list, a home town
paper does not yet go there.
There is one other we know of,
too, that had a kind thought for a
soldier boy and that was Mr. and
Mrs. Percy Hughes. Pvt. Harold
Carter, stationed at Pinedale, Cali
fornia, will receive a Spokesman
each week as a gift from the
Hughes.
Mrs. E. Weston, 672 Aurora
Ave., St. Paul, is sending a paper
to Staff Sgt. Foster A. Brown,
somewhere in New Guinea, and Pvt.
Harold Howland of Camp Shelby,
Miss., will receive a “letter from
home” at least once a week because
Mrs. J. D. Nash, 725 Kingston,
presented Pvt. Howland a St. Paul
Recorder as a Christmas gift.
Mildred Strader
Gets U. S. Post
Mrs. Mildred B. Strader, 747 St.
Anthony avenue, has received an
appointment as student-instructor
in radio technique for the United
States Government. Mrs. Strader
left Friday morning, December 18,
via Mid-Continent Air Lines for
Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for an
interview.
Following the interview, Mrs.
Strader was given the post and
waived preliminary training. She
left Sioux Falls on Tuesday, De
cember 22, for Scott's Field, Illi
nois, where she will be stationed at
present.
Mrs. Strader was educated at the
University of Minnesota, and prior
to accepting this position was a
technical assistant in the Experi
mental Surgery Laboratory at the
University of Minnesota under Dr.
Owen C. Wangensteen.
For the time being, her daugh
ter, Miss Mitzie Strader, who is a
senior at John Marshall High
school, will reside at the home of
Miss Lydia Jones, 747 St. Anthony
avenue.
A COPY