The Michigan chronicle. [volume], January 04, 1941, CITY EDITION, Image 4

About The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current

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Independent
fitliiapaijpWe
Published Every Thursday By
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE PUBLISHING COMPANY
LOUIS EMANUEL MARTIN, Editor
MAIN OFFICE: 268 Eliot. Detroit. Mich. TEmple 1-8878
Entered as second class matter May 1. 104*1. at the J’ost Office at
Detroit. Mich., under the act of March J. 1879.
Terms of Subscription (payable in advance):
One Year. $2 00. Six Months. $1.25; Three Months. 75c
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE PLATFORM
1 Colored leuifsentatives in nil aepartnunt* oi city government
t Coloied workc.-* in all organirat'ons o( labor unions
a Coloied cprrsentative* on cry county ands ate educational con fro boards
4 More renrc.'cntaiion of ro ored men n the Detroit police department
b A colored iegirm-nt in the >tate miiitis ~
THE RECORD
This year 11140 becomes tonight a matter of rec
ord and as we look forward to the future it is the
custom to give passing notice to the highlights of
the closing year. In many respects our community
in Detroit has made admirable progress and the
group welfare has advanced. We have seen the
founding of several new enterprises and the in
creased growth of our established businesses. In
politics our people have clearly asserted themselves
and increased their influence upon the state and
■local governments and achieved greater representa
tion. We paid tribute in 1940 to our humble begin
nings in the “Seventy-five Years of Negro Progress
Exposition" which., served to awaken a greater ap
preciation among all groups for the capacities of
our people.
Culturally and socially, laudable efforts have,
been put forth and our leadership has become in-1
creasingly aware of their responsibilities—to the
masses who are handicapped through lack of oppor
tuniti.es. Some of the vital problems of the group,
housing, unemployment and racial barriers, have
been intelligently approached and attacked with
varying degrees of success. There is apparent today
a deeper concern on the part of our civic and social
organizations as to the part they wish to play in
the creation of a finer community. Our religious
leaders have been in the vanguard of the movements [
to improve our lot and to stimulate the exercise of:
our latent virtues. !
We believe, in brief, that 1940 has been a banner
year and that our community is materially and
spiritually richer today than anytime in the past.!
Thus as we enter up"” the New Year we may have
with us a consciousness of increasing advancement
and as we proceed to build, we may be sure that our
efforts will bear fruit. There are two sides to this
record but if we should balance the books of the
past, we believe that our assets would be founfl to
be greater than our liabilities. In our community to
day there is no lack of confidence.
THE MODERN TEMPER
By their New Year resolution ye shall know
them. This may be anew and unfamiliar axiom but
we believe that there are few things more revealing 1
than the sincere objectives we set for ourselves after
serious reflection. A history of mankind could easijy
be written around the objectives and goals to which
people and nations have dedicated themselves from
time to time. The goals we set for our lives, whether
at New Years or not, are attempts to rectify our
shortcomings and inadequacies and fight our own
weaknesses. Our ideals change with time and cir
cumstance and to follow this change in the life of an
individual or of a nation is to trace the course of I
its history.
The Great war in which half the world is now j
actively engaged and which ultimately concerns ev
ery human regardless of race or color is reshaping
the minds of all of us. Great statesmen are today
saying with Father Divine, "Peace, it is truly won-1
derful." Modern thinkers are now beginning to see
the errors of modern society which have led little by
little to the catastrophe abroad where the old ideals
and social philosophies are being dealt a crushing
blow. There is apparent a great need for new guid
ing principles to meet the new complexities of social
living. What these principles will be is the concern
of rulers and statesmen everywhere.
Last week “five standards" for conduct were
given the British government by the religious lead
ers of England. Heads of the Church of England,
the Federal Council of Free Churches and the leader
of the Catholic church in England came together in
this crisis and resolved their differences in the prep
aration of these "five standards" which they believe
must be followed if England and the world hope to
reach lasting peace. These five standards are in
teresting to Us as Negroes particularly because of
the recognition they give to the fact that the com
mon man regardless of race must not be exploited
and that no one can be denied his place in the sun
however humble. These five objectives may serve
America as well as England. They are as follows:
“T. Extreme inequality of wealth should be
abolished.
2. Every child, regardless of Taee or class,
should have equal opportunities for education suit
able to his or her peculiar capacities.
3. The family as a social unit must be safe
guarded.
Editorial Page of THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
WE, THE NEGRO
By WM. L. SHERRILL. Associate Editor
this new year seeking to shape our
dreams Into facta in our own lives
snd that of our fellows whom we
contact, we will influence the des
tiny of the world. We-may not be a"
Frederick Douglass or a George W.
Carver but we all can crusade for
something grand and noble or
arhieve something worthwhile. We
may find that actuating purpose in
the smallest as In the largest things
necessary to be done. “No chain Is
stronger than its weakest link."
What a glorious rhanre this gives
the least to be the greitrst. No race
is w eaker than its strongest man.
Whatever our station, whatever
our tasks In this New Year let us
resolve to be men. “Quit ye like
men “ for there are great and trying
tasks ahead. This New Year brings
us closer to the dawning of that
day when w« will have to meet the
world on a common footing, and
prove to them that indeed we are
God's men. We have no time to
waste, we have work to do if we
shall be ready when the great tests
come. Let's move forward this year
Nineteen Hundred and Forty-one,
pledging before the Father of All
Creation that we shall never lay our
armor down till the day when this
people shall stand free, unfettered. \
and untrammelled in the fullness of
God's sunshine.
BREWSTER
NOTES
Santa Claus made his annual visit
to the children of the Brewster cen
ter clubs and clashes and he made
T-iia year bocauae of the many- suc
cessful benefit affairs that were given
Christmas fund, more children were
siven better presents than ever be
many friends who did so much to
make the visit of Santas the happy
With the schools being c'o.sed for
the holiday season the children of the
neighborhoods will find a place for
center every day (except Saturday
and Sunday) from 1 pm. until late in
Special arrangements have been
nade to take care.of evervone during
The noon volleyball class for men
each Monday. Wednesday and Friday
enough exercise to keep himself in ■
The instructor of the small
playroom gave a little party for the I
performance on a program that called !
for singing, dancing, songs on the 1
piano and several other things. The I
The .staff and workers of Brewster j
wish every one a happy yuletide j
MASONS ELECT OFFICERS
Ml. Hoeb chapter No. 1. R.A.M
Masons, elected officers for 1941
nr. December 23 as follows: Arthur
Brooks. HP; Louis F Peters, kins;
Albert Stokes, scribe; Thomas Bar
ret. treasurer; Perry Ditto, secre
tary; Harry Rav. captain of host;
Spence Craft. RA. captain: M. H.
Montgomery. P. Soj.; Ernest Turner
G.M. 3 ail: Harry Brooks. G,M. 2
vail: Oneal Barbee. G.M. 1 vail;
George Kellar, tyler; Leonard M
Lyons, lecturer.
"The hour is big with sooth and
While blood of alien, friend and foe.
imbues the land afar.
And we. w:th sable face*, pent,
move with the vanguard line.
Shod with the faith that springtime
keeps, and all the stars opine."
* * *
LOOKING BACKWARD
There is always something dis
quieting in looking backward over
the way we have come, because we
never feel that
of the past all
that we should
Something has
thing has been
denied us that
we greatly de
sired not be
cause we did not
strive faithfully
and valiantly for
it but simply
could not grasp Wm . l. Sherrill
and hold it. It
always had the substance and sem
blance of a mirage—prov 'king, tan
talizing. hut always beckoning us
on and dangling before us the hope
(hat we should clutch and hold and
own it as ours for a possession. And
as the years multiply, as the years
come and go, we feel Increasingly
that we have missed something—
that something we aspired to has
escaped uk, and thik keeps on until
the things we have missed in the
dead years wear us dawn imper
ceptibly and we go out into the
shadows, hoping against hope that
u hat we have missed we shall find
in another and better life.
* * *
LOOKING FORWARD
But because of that substance of
Things hoped for. that evidence of
forward look into the opening year,
weighing the hopes and disappoint
ments. the joys and sorrows of the
past year, with the buoyancy of
youth, striving that we shall find j
in the living what escaped us in
the dead It is this attitude of the
mind that carries us forward, hold
ing us up in the most trying experi
ences and enables us to get as much
out of life as we do. It is the spirit
opposite of despair, the thought
that what will be. will be. in spite
of our puny efforts to make or not
make it so. It is the realization that
the social organism is held together
and kept ..going forward in con
quering the forces of nature to the
uses of man by the high spirit of
seeking and striving rather than
despairing and repining.
Frederick Douglass followed the
Noith Star out of slavery and by
heroic striving helped his race to
obtain its freedom and carved his
name on the monument of fame
where it will’ remain forever.
George W. Carver though born a
slave, has lifted himself in the
field of science to the point where
he can measure arms with the great
est. What Fredeiick Douglass and
George W. Carver accomplished any
black boy can strive to accomplish.
In every field of thought and effort.
‘ the harvest is rich but the laborers
are fe*v." Those who see and grasp
the opportunity take Shakespeare's
tide at the flood and go on to for- I
* * *
THIS NEW YEAR
It is wisest not to live too much
in the future years to come, for in
doing so we miss too much that
should he done now. Thought should
be given to the future only so far
as is necessary to help our thinking
and our labors in the present.
If we simply move forward in
4. The sense of a divine vocation must be re
stored to man's daily work.
5. Resources of the earth should be used as
God's gift to the whole human race.”
LEAVE THE SIDE BURNS LONG’
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SHADOW TAG'
A SHORT STORY
Heart-Shape In the Dust by
Robert E. Hayden Published by
The Falcon Press 268 Eliot
Street Detroit. Mich. ... 1940. .
$1.50.
Reviewed by GERTRI'DE MARTIN,
In this f.:st volume of poems
Hayden reveals himself a writer of
i unquestioned ability. He combines
I true lyrfe sense with an intelligence
| that does not shy away from the
problems of the day. In poems like i
hn sonnet to "E." or "The Moun- I
tains," or “Leaves in the Wind.’* to
pick at random, his choice of words
and figures and his poetic rhythm
are those of a seasoned poet. The
following short poem. 'Old Woman
With shows how apt the
author is in transmitting an image
w'ith a minirtVtfm of words.
“Quiet and alone she stands
Within the whirling market-place.
Holding the spring in winter hands
And April's shadow in her face.”
The topical poems in the poems
of protest evidence an awareness of
the Negro and of the world and
some small measure of hope for the
future. The mass chant. “These Are
My People" which has been ren
dered in Detroit loses nothing in the
reading. The realism of certain of
the poems of protest is in marked
contrast to the lyric beauty of the
other poems.
Mr. Hayden deserves the acclaim
Md ragfmtnt of readers
everywhere, but Detroiters will
have a proprietary interest in his
success. These fiist poems have a
maturity of conception and a polish
of form which make one look for
ward with interest to Mr. Hayden's
artistic development. We hope that !
unlike some of the major Negro t
poets his career will be one of con
tinued production and improvement
Reckoning Ridge by Emerson
Waldm.iii Published by Henry
Holt and Company New York
City 1940 . $2.30.
Beckoning Ridge" is the story of
a group of pcople*in the Shenandoah
Mountains duiing the Civil War.
For the most part, they were neu
tral having no desire to take part
in ihe bloodshed which came so
close to their doors. Yet the war
sought them out and would not let
them escape. Raids, brutal murders,
and burning of their property and
stock brought home to them the
realization that life could no longer
be the same until peace had been
made by their neighbors.
Martin and Lindsey Glendower
were more fortunate than many
although their farm and stock were
burned and they were forced to
seek out a hiding place in Glory
j Hollow, a sheltered spot near thhir
fo timer home on Beckoning Ridge
There with Parson Miller and his
family, Crozet, the woodsman,
Champe Alberne, and Jaspe. the
soldier, they carried on a hidden
i existence for the duration of the
; war. The men of the party, harassed
by the need for food and arms,
found- it necessary to adopt the
tactics of those who had raided
them. These expeditions left their
mark in bitterness and sadness for
the loss of life which always re
sulted from their forays.
The author has told his tale with
a simplicity and restraint which has ,
a highly dramatic effect The reader
is aware of the precarious living
conditions of'the people hemmed
in by the Confederate and Union
forces in their beloved mountains
The war theme makes the novel
a timely one. One is struck by the
unnecessary cruelties and brutali
ties which war entails. Even these j
peace-loving men and women were
forced’to kill and plunder in order ,
to live; no group could escape the '
engulfing war no matter how ,
pacific were their views. This is j
Mr. Waldman's thud novel, and his ;
best, we believe. The book is one j
w’hich has definite historic value as !
well as interest of plot and style.
Headlines across the top of the front page announced to!
the world that Harold Cole was a murderer and a suicide.
.Jessica (’ole read the short account for the hundredth time,
trying to find words that were not there. The truth, she
knew, had not been told Harohf had killed a lovely girl of 23,
then turned the revolver upon himself.
• "Why? Why?" Jessica asked her
■ self. Just another sordid case of a
j married man who had slain h:s
! companion of sin, probably in a fit
j of jealousy, then taken a coward's
j way out. the papers stated.
| Jessica flung the crumpled paper
away from her, dropped heavily
1 upon the divan. Her divan and Hal's.
| bought with all of those sacrifices
j which make marriage an institution.
I She 'stared into space with dry.
’ burning eyes, the Hal pictured in
the newspapers was not the Hal
she had known. They did not know
i that Hal was an artist.. .that he
! made a fetish of the lovely.. .hating
| anything- low and base.
She arose and paced the floor
restlessly. What was the answer?
I Finally, she crossed the living room, 1
I opened the door to the small room
which had been' Hals studio and
j saw pictures.. hundreds of them..
[ studies in oil, innumerable sketches
!in pen. pencil and charcoal lining
the walls. An unfinished composi
tion in opaque wash was tacked on
! the drawing board. She sat down at
the desk, pulling a pile of papers
and sketchbooks toward her. Some
where in this room she was ceitain
I she would find the answer she
sought.
I While searching a part of her i
brain reviewed her life a Gb. Hamid
I trying to find some poinfat which -
she had failed him. She knew she
had worshipped him...yet accord
ing to accepted standards they had
1 little in common. She was nine
| years his senior and had none of
I his artistic impulses.
Jessica had worked in a packing
hobse since she was 15. supposing
her orphaned *i*ter -unUi_Uie .la.Ucr > ,
marriage. She met Harold at the \
wedding. His helpless unpractically
had appealed to her maternal in- ;
stinct. His gay friend.-'hip had filled '
an emptiness left in her life by her .
young sister s marriage.
Harold had brought into her ,
mundane existence, a vividness she
had never known, yet in her in
articulate way, had always desired, i
Harold had been one of those soli- j
tary creatures who dwell alone in j
the midst of multitudes like a star
surrounded by myriads of other |
stars, yet a million miles from its ,
nearest neighbor.
Jessica had’ known no greater
happiness than to sit at his side and
hear the slim, brown youth pour
out his soul in describing some ,
planned picture When his falhei
died suddenly, she remembered that
she had persuaded him to let her
make it possible for him to com
plete the expensive art course hp
was taking. They had married as
soon as he had secured a remuncra
i tive position w-ith a large cummer
cial concern. Had it been gratitude,
she wondered, which had led to
their marriage? She had been i
happy, anyway, she argued, during
these three years as man and wife. (
She studied the pile before her. .
sketch books.. .photographs.. .a file
of picture clippings.. poems.. es- 1
says ..random thoughts.. .jotted i
down through several. Then...a
diary! It was a large book designed
to cover 10 years. A decade of Hal s
most intimate thoughts! With trem
bling fingers she opened the book,
a bit awed at what it might reveal.
She read slowly, treasuring each
word He had begun to keep this
‘ record when he was 18. two years
before they met.. She lingered ten
derly over the two years of (heir
courtship. Tears made it difficult
for her to read on...when she,
reached their wedding day. Harold
idealized marriage.
JUNE 28. 1940: The tempo of the ]
book changed Under the date in
purple ink which looked gold in the
light Harold had written: "I met
Three words. They spoke vol
i umes. Hu hand must have trembled ,
SATURDAY, JANUARY 4, 1941
By LA JUNE RODGERS
“My lips artd hers blended, wiping out the whole world.”
; as he gripped the pen. for the script
| was wobbly. A sonnet was written
:n the three following spaces. Its
[loveliness echoed in Jessica's mind
long after she had read it though
she knew it had been written to
another woman.
JUNE 30 he wrote: “Love, a hun
ger greater than any physical could
ever be. For me a futile hunger,
destined to remain ever unfulfilled,
yet it will never die. Love, a fire,
violent as a volcano in eruption,
gentle as a June zephyr. A madness
, destroying the peace of the soul,
j yet bringing such bliss as no mortal
I ever knew. Pregnant fullness, deso
| late emptiness. To dwell at once in
1 Heaven and in Hell. To live glo
f riously.. .completely.. .This is love
JULY s—"lt grows harder for
me to refrain from seeing Diane as
chance to precipitate our meetings
| More difficult still, not to gather
#ier in my arms the moment I am
rear her and tell her how much I
iove her.”
JULY 6—" Walked the streets until
dawn. I was supposed to be in the
studio working, but how can I paint
when Diane's face is between my
i drawing board and me?" '>
JULY 10—" God. help me to con
trol myself. I called Je*ica Diane
l at the table tonight JESSICA IS
MY WIFE!"
JULY 29—" She loves me dearly
as I love her. No word of such a
thing has been uttered between us.
iso far; yet when we are together
I i»ur love becomes a tangible thing,
so real that it surprises me that
! all who behold lls do not notice it!"
| . Duiing... August Harold wrote
| nothing. Jessica stared long. a( the
I vacant pages as if she would wrrpg
from the silent void the secrets they
might have borne. Finally, with a
strange reluctance she sought the
next entry.
SEPT. 2—" l am painting a por
trait of Diane in that burnt orange
and henna dress she wore the day
we met. With this picture I shall
immortalize our love, yes. justify
it for it shall be more than a pic
ture of a beautiful girl. It shall be
the personification of the most di
vine emotion in the world." -1
SEPT. 4—" Diane played the piano
for me tonight It was beautiful."
SEPT. 5 A wire from Diane
She is going back to Lima. Says she
:s afraid to remain in Detroit.
Afraid of me? Os herself?"
Lafcr—"l had to see her. to beg
her not to go. She has a future in
the musical world. I introduced her
to a friend of mine who arranged
for her to play for Masiekowski
He recognized her great taient. Be
sides. my life would not be worth
living without her when my need
becomes too great "
SEPT 7—" This afternoon we
talked of many things. Poetry
i Music. Art. Astronomy. Everything
but ourselves. Her mind is beautiful
I She says w e must not see so much
of each other."
SEPT 10—"D came to the Pen
and Pallette exhibit with Dr. Tate,
a promising young physician ar.d a
very eligible bachelor. I advised
her 1o keep her friendships with
| other men. but it is hard to swal
t low."
SEPT 15—" Dr Tate proposed to
[ Di. She refused h'm which I assured
her was most foolish. If she had
I accepted him I would have died."
SEPT 20-- The portrait's ad
vancing splendidly. I had to cancel
| a contract for some commcrcia!
work as I devote all my spare time
to its co.noletion "
[ SEPT. 21—" Di says she will never
[ rr.il ry Her is to be her spouse.’
I SEPT. 30—if I go to the mu
seum I meet her
, the library I find her browsing
among the books. If I just walk 1
, find her beyond some unexpected
turn. How futile to fight the fates."
OCT. I —'Yesterday we sat on a
marble bench in the vast stillness
of the Egyptian room of th* mu
seum. Not talking. No one-was there
except a guard at the other end
of the room. A gigantic s&rcaphagus
stood between him and us. Some
how* she was suddenly In my arms.
My lips and hers blended.. .wiping
out the whole world. We did not
intend that it should happen. We
want to keep our love the holy
thing it is."
OCT. 7—" We must not see each
other again. We are only human...
after all. We are young and in
love."
OCT. 12—" She's gone! Moved.
No one knows where. Left no for
warding address.
OCT. 14—" O God. where is she?"
OCT. 17—The same stars shine
in the cold blue. The same stars
shine in the illimitable sky. The
platinum moon plays its remote
game of shadow tag with the clouds.
Children play and laugh outside my
window. Little dogs bark at their
heels. Europe struggles bitterly in
a desperate game of life and death.
The world still turns. These things
are important: my little heartbreak
ahd I are infinitesimal.. .1 must
remember this."
OCT 23—"1 found Diane! I have
walked the streets like a demented
person for (jays. It has been a prob
lem to prevent Jessica from know
ing how I feel so I try to stay away
as much as possible. This morning
I walked all the way to Grosse
Pointe. There. miraculously, sweep
ing a porch in a neat maid's uni
form was Di. She told me to go
around to the garage and watt a
few minutes.
"When she rajne to me Di ex
plained that she had chosen this
job as a means of escape. She works
-o hard that she has no I me to
think. She had no idea I would find
her. yet our separation would lack
the finality of her going to another
city. I had no words to say how
I have missed her."
OCT. 24—" Her beautiful musi
cians hands are rough and red with
unaccustomed labor., She hasn't
touched a piano for days.”
OCT. 28—1 tried to persuade Di
to give up that job. She lives there,
lias only one day off each week. 1
go out there and walk the streets
for hours because It is near to her.
To pass the house where she lives
cau>es me to tingle with indescrib
able pleasure. Often I slip into the
garage and wait until she has an
errand to call her outside. We get
to exchange a few words We both
hate these clandestine meetings, but
are not the crumbs of happiness
better than nothing?"
OCT. 30—" What fools we were ..
blind fools! We pitted our puny
strength against nature's strongest
force...we thought the inhibition
of a few years could subdue an
instinct as old as mankind. Accord
ing to the standards we live by we
have sinned, yet I can find no regret
:n my heart. O. we fought against
it. but it was inevitable. Yesterday
was Di t day off. I persuaded her
to attend a :ec:tal of Lemuel Lain
tree, the great Negro pianist.’My
friends, the Halls, gave a rrception
for Mr. La intree in that great ram
bling studio of theirs. Convention
ality is conspicuously absent at the
Halls' so it was not difficult for u*
to find a secluded spot to talk We'd
had a couple of cocktails. The dulcet
strains of a Violin in a master's
hand filtered into our little nook."
OCT. 31- ..the name of a
goddess a divine woman."
NOV. 4—" Di insists that I keep
my work up. that I live my every
cav life as if she were non existent
She is right. I owe Jessica that!"
NOV. Iff—“l h*ve been doing
s lot of thinking I must ask Jessica
for a divorce’’
(Continued Next Week)