The Michigan chronicle. [volume], July 05, 1941, CITY EDITION, Image 4

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

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Published Every Thursday By
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE PUBLISHING COMPANY
MAIN OFFICE: 268 Eliot. Detroit, Mich TErnple 1-88/8
LOUIS EMANUEL MARTIN Editor __
Entered as second class matter May 1. 1940. at the Poat Office at
Detroit. >Lch.. under the act of March 3, 1879.
Term* of Subscription (payable in advance):
One Year. $200; Cix Months. $1 2.5; Three Months 75c
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE PLATFORM
a Colored *eorerentatives on* are educational control bonds
* More representation of c<> oro<l men n the Dctro.t police department
• A colored regiment in the fate militia _ ————====
JULY FOURTH
Some hundred-odd million souls temporarily
beyond the bloody grasp of the Nazi juggernaut took
time out of the regular course of their lives this
week to commemorate the adoption of the Declara
tion of Independence by the Continental Congress
at Philadelphia on July 4. 1776. At a moment when
the independence of nation after nation has been
violated in Europe, we in America pause to pay
tribute to our own. Many of us believe that the
time may come when we too will have to defend our
independence and demonstrate to the world that we
are worthy of it. Indeed, this question of worthiness
i> supreme today;
However fortunate we may fancy’ourselves, if
vrr in America -do not j »e«ve worthy, of our freedom, j
it will be surely lost. This worthiness does not con-i
sist alone in the size and grandeur of our arms, nor
in the skill and strategy of those who lead us. One
must reckon with the spirit of a people and with the
quality of their love for the ideals which they pro
fess. America can well ask itself whether the ideals
expressed in our Declaration of Independence, and
which all of us profess, are in reality the. ideals in
which we place our trust. Does America today really
believe the great pronouncement that “We hold
these truths to be self-evident, that all men are cre
ated equal, that they are endowed by their Creator
with certain unalienable Rights, that among these
are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” j
Lynchings, the Ku Klux Klan, poll taxes, racial
discriminations. Jim Crow armed forces, all these
frightful “institutions" in our democracy roll into a
thundering answer of shameful, disgraceful denial.
A colossal hypocrisy has poisoned the most sacred
truths, and our actions deny what our speech af
firms. We do not merely tell a lie, we live one.
The time has come for America’s rededication
to these primary principles, and for an end to the
hypocrisy and deceit, the lying and shame of our
government, if we are to be worthy of Liberty. A
people fortified with the spirit of those who con
ceived our independence can look to the defenses
qf this country with confidence. We will become j
worthy of our liberty.
THE HOUSING MESS
Accusations that Negroes are being walled in
on Eight Mile Road which were made by Housing
Commissioner Horace A. White last week brought
into sharp focus the true dilemma of our people to-:
day who are desperately seeking the fulfillment of
one of man's primary needs, shelter. A sub-division
owner has constructed a high concrete wall which
separates his land from the Negro community, and
shuts from view the squalor in which our people
live. In this instance the owner, according to the
commissioner, has resorted to a “procedure that is
sociologically disgraceful in these times of strain to
unitfv the people; of the United States.”
Indeed, the invisible- walls of racial prejudice
confront us daily in this democracy and the ap
pearance of an actual wall of concrete represents
the measure of this racial bigotry. It may repre
sent too the mart folly of the dominant group who,
like the ostrich, dare not face reality and .stick their
heads in sand. The whole housing problem in Detroit,
for whites as well as Negroes, has been handled with
the same-blind stupidity.
It is ironical that after centuries of civilized
social living, intelligent people cannot apparently
satisfy in a community like ours the elementary
need of shelter. Profiteering and racial intolerance
have together created vast slums and ghettos in
which the pressure of our economy has forced us
to live. We refuse to believe that such a condition
could continue to exist if the vested interests of the
city with their representatives in control of the ad
ministration sincerely sought fb remedy it.
Underneath all the smokescreen of good inten
tions. the housing program in Detroit has been
sabotaged, and every movement to provide sound
and cheap housing for the low-income groups has
been attacked rather than encouraged. While a
great controversy rages over a site for two hundred
homes for defense workers, the whole program of
rehabilitation and general housing for the wage
earner is relegated to the sidelines. Adequate hous
ing is an elementary and primary need for the cit
izenry, and facilities for providing this housing
have been repeatedly neglected. Perhaps the city
administration will take a lesson from the sub-
Editorial Page of THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
WE, THE NEGRO
By WM. L. SHERRILL. A«»ociaf Editor
| dangerous tendency on the part of
I a certain type of leadership within
I the Negro race cannot be denounced
' too strongly. There are far too
1 many within our ranks who are
! up in arms against intelligence.
There are far too many so-called
. leaders, jack-leg preachers, chisel
ing politicians, and crack-pot intel
lectuals who are just intelligent
enough to be conscious of their own
shortcomings, that seek to main
tain their perch by belittling those
whom they fear will supplant them.
They lead their followers to believe
that brains and trained minds arc
not a prerequisite to great achieve
ment. while Insinuating that the
erudite are dangerous.
* * *
EDUCATION. TRAINING, and
Intelligence. These are not marks
of double-dealing and depravity.
Neither is ignorance the tag of hon
esty and rectitude.
This race of mine has in it thou
j sands of educated men and women J
who are honest, true and loyal. If
I did not believe this I would not j
1 write another line, for our cause 1
! would be without hope.
Yes, thousands, we have in all
I fields of endeavor working and sac- j
rifleing for neither money nor ,
I price. If we did not have these
' how did we get thus far? Can the
' blind lead the blind?
* * *
WE. THE NEGRO, must cease
discrediting intelligent leadership.
Oh, I know we have had those
who have failed us. So has the oth
: er fellow, but he refuse* to bow
I down to ignorance. We need honest
I leadership. That is the absolute
truth. But honest leadership is
not enough. We must have intel
ligent leadership. There must be
transparent honesty plus intelli
gence of a high order. The two
qualities must be present, must be
inseparable, if headway is to be
made.
[ For Negroes of today to get it :
! into their heads that they “have no
' use for the educated,” that educa
' tion is not a priceless possession,
'is unpardonable folly. There may
I have been some excuse for such (
' attitude in the days of Uncle Toms
! to decry learning and scoff at the
i gifts of the school room. But the
Negro today who turns his back
j upon learning is a fool—of the first
water. And whenever you hear
one who is supposed to be leading
| you. hostile to educated persons, as
j such, you may be sure that you are
I being misled.
BRAYING JACK-ASS
DANGEROUS—WICKED
MANY SACRIFICE
EDUCATION PRICELESS
| SPEAKING before a large audi
ence he launched a most scathing
I attack on the “intelligentsia" of our
race. By ••intelligentsia” I under
-tood hi m to
Kg--
<: .ped S *•
ac- 3NBw
JB 11
188 /HdPjfSjj
knowledge into
'•n* ' i TheS * Wm ' Sherrill
of >ur race who to
load the race were the special target
if the It i#e sarcasm and\nvective*
[of this loud-mouthed, ill-mformed,
would-be leader.
* ★ *
According to the speaker. Intel
ligent Negroes should be closely
watched. Honesty among them is
a miracle; these "high falutin* folks
can’t he trusted," if we are to be
lieve this brother. They are treach
erous and traitors; they eat bread
not by the sweat of their brows,
but by the enormity of their mis
deeds. They exist only by fooling
ihe
* * *
IN OTHER WORDS, the reason
' ing of this hasty critic appeared
to run thus: Cicera and Livy. Thu
i cydides and Sophocles. Shakespeare
I and Macaulay. Kent and Euclid plus
oil ihe men of learning down to our
. time are all undesirables. Whoever
, forms acquaintance with them is
tainted. To be able to parse a
Greek verb or write a thesis on
political economy is good reason
for regarding the individual with
suspicion He must be excluded
by hook or crook from the councils
of the godly; he must be kept if
possible from the position of trust.
Only the unlettered are fit for the
kingdom of heaven. Satan has
charge over the souls of educated
* * *
IT IS CRIMINAL. It is ignorant,
it is wicked to make these blanket
charges against the educated of the
Negro race. This silly myth—this
CONANT GARDENS
MRS. LELA HENDRICKS
Christian flag, an up-to-date bulle
tin board and at present the school
is making plans to raise finance lo
promote the vacation church school.
Teretofore, this has been an obli
gation of the chugch in general.
The senior choir under the direc
tion of Neptune H. Holloway will
present the dramatic cantata, j
“Esther” in the near future. Au-1
ditions are held each Thursday j
| evening at 8 p.m. at the church I
Interested persons are invited to >
participate. Mrs. Ola Jenkins is
president of the choir.
_ Tb 4 pastor's chorus gave a musi
cal program last week which was
also a financial effort. Both were
[ tremendous successes. Robert j
Brown, president of the group led
iin the finance, having brought in j
forty dollars for the rally.
AROUND
ANN ARBOR
THE QUIET HOUR
The quiet of a shadow-haunted pool_ |
I Where light breaks through n-l
[ glorious tenderness;
j Where the hushed pilgrim in the |
shadow cool.
Forgets the way's distress—.
Such is this hour, this silent hour
with Thee!
The trouble of the restless heart
[And every swaying bush breathes
reverently
] The whisper of Thy will.
Visiting
1 J. E. Day spent Sunday in Lan
jsmg visiting friends.
! Vernon Adams, accompanied by
: James McFadden, Russell Howard
! and Walter Sellers motored to De
troit, Tuesday for .the day.
Mrs. Bertha Starks reports a very
| pleasant week-end in Chicago and
Evanston, 111.
| Vernon Adams. Leonard Williams !
i and Ross Payne were the week-end '■
: guests of Robert Coprish at Wild
[ Goose lake.
Honored
i James R. Terre., was recently •
1 honored by the University of Michi
gan by being selected as one of the ;
30 students to take a special course j
lin liberal arts. Students selected ;
j must have high scholastic records;
and must also pass various qualify- j
,ng examinations. Mr Terrell was
I the only Negro selected.
| Mj\ Terrell has been very out-!
I standing in extra-curricular activi-'
| ties. During the next school year |
he will have a staff position with
[the Student Religion association and I
| ha* been invited to serve as coun- !
Mllor at Freshman Rendezvous. He'
| was also selected to serve as upper j
class advisor for Phi Eta Sigma. I
I njTToTirt freshman honor society }
i Mr. Terrell served as secretary of
this organization during the past
I year, and it is believed that he is
j a garden pool, with wonder in the
j heart of it,
very tired—
A garden pool, and romance is a
| And dreams bloom with the lilies,
I faith inspired.
Here there is respite from a world
[ so tragic
| That we forget the blessed days of
youth—
j A garden pool and lilies dressed
in magic,
We kneel beside it. thinking—" This
is truth.”
We kneel—and oh. the pool becomes
an altar
Raised to the God of beauty and
And courage fills our souls—how
can we falter
When lilies speak of loveliness and
peace?
"Out of . garden pool, warm fra
grance creeping.
Out of our tears—the hopes that
I have lain sleeping!"
—M. E. Sangster
THE FOUR ‘ F ' BRIDGE CLUB
The Four "F" Bridge club, whose
membership consists of four male
• devotees ot br*»ge, closed their sea
son with a grand gesture last Sun
day. fitey entertained their wives
.and a group of friends on a lunch
eon tour. The group gathered at
the home of A. Short and assembled
themselves in the various cars, and
thus the day's trip was begun.
Canada was the first stop. The
Shorts have a lovely farm home a
few miles from Chatham and there
the group piled out for sandwiches,
drinks, sports and games some
i had their first experience of shoot
ing a- Rifle.
i Around five the party returned
to Chatham, where they enjoyed a
; sumptuous steak dinner with all the
Those who enjoyed this lovely
trip were Mr. and Mrs. Collins. Mr.
and Mrs. F. Dorn, Mr. and Mrs.
William Miller and sonn. William,
Mr. and Mrs. Cousar, Mr. and M-s
Aldinc Mathis and daughter Pa
tricia. Mr. and Mrs F. D Shamber
ger. Mr. and Mrs A Short, and sons
Larry and RbUard. Miss Vivian
i Coleman. Mr. and Mrs. James Bell
may and sons James and Robert.
Mr and Mrs. Harvey Curse. Mr.
and Mrs. Robert Beattie and son,
Rodney.
PEACE BAPTIST NOTES
i Rev and Mrs L T Clay will go
on vacation during the month of
July. They will visit in Buffalo,
New York and Southern points.
church's most useful young men
graduated from North Eastern high
; school with cum laude honors—
t' - . ; itulat;ons. James!
The Sunday school is progressing
, rapidly under the alert and efficient
leudci-hip of the superintendent,
‘ n.'v WiTTiamsr Among the many
. article* purchased by the school arc:
a cabinet for the school library and
books, kindergarten chairs, a large
division owner and attempt to wall up the slums of
Detroit. It is an old trick, to hide a disgrace for
[which you are indirectly responsible.
Country Clubbin
at Great Lakes
Were you among those who took
part in and made the past "opening"
[day (opening of the fishing season.
: ! mean, of course) the biggest and
best yet at the Country club? If
[ you were not There you surely
missed the fun. However, if you
were there Sunday that made up
for it somewhat. There were fish
’ fries all over the picnic grounds,
and of course plenty of fried chick
en and barbecue galore. There was
a gay holiday air throughout the
I grounds, and we were all a little
i confused. We thought perhaps it
was the Fourth of July. New boats
started coming in on Monday, and
! then a number of lot owners were
out so as to be on the lake when
j Wednesday morning rolled in.
j Dr. Sherman Jenkins put a beau-
I tiful 15-foot steel boat on Spring
j Lake and was out bright and early
! Wednesday morning with a large
I party and spent the day. The Jen
| kins are lot owners,
i Mrs Ruth Ellis, another lot own
er, had as her guests the Lee MU
i lers of Kansas City. Mo.; Mr. and
i Mrs. Corbitt Lawson of Detroit. Mr.
i and Mrs. James Thompson of De
, troit. Frank Woods. Eugene Hall
I Corbitt Brown, Edgar Ellis Sr., and
'Mrs. Edgar Ellis Jr., Miss Irene Ellis
very smart in riding habit and
I boots. The Ellises were strutting
Mr. and Mrs. James Clarke of
;Thirtieth street WerSfishlng arid
i barbecuing. Theirs was one of the
i very first boats on the lake, so
! they were ready. Their little white
scottie enjoys rowing as much as
The William McDonalds were
equipped with lunch and had table
[ to eat it on and easy chairs to rest
: in when they got tired of eating
[chicken They fished later.
The Goodsons had a large party
j and fried their fish in a deep iron
: pot. One trick Yours Truly has yet
to learn is to fry fish brown and
'crisp like Mrs. Goodson and Mrs.
Yeagins do.
E H. Johnson of Detroit was out
Saturday with his boat which he
has all fixed with a specially con
structed swivel chair. Some stuff!
, Tthey opened their season on Sun
’ day.
The Semore family, the newest
addition to the dwellers (those who
ave cottages on the property) put
j their boat on the water and have
| been in it since about Wednesday
i Their new cottage is one of the
I show spots and is already opened
| for the season, rhey "warmed" the
j cottage last Sunday. Guests came
j from far and near to have a “look
see" and partake of the wondrous
"fare.” Huge mounds of potato
salad and cocolate cake and punch
and what not. Could only get a
glimpse now and then between the
heads around the table.
Mrs. Sara Semore, the hostess,
was receiving on the screened-in
porch, and Mrs. Georgia Dozier
Brown, one of the daughters of
the house, was making an excellent
i job of dispensing the goodies from
j the cute tucked-away kitchen.
I Some of the guests were: Mrs.
Lula Wells. Mrs. Maude Williams.
! Mrs. Rosa Jackson. Mrs. Leoia
. Dunn. Mr and Mrs. Fred Harrison,
; Mr. and Mrs. Walter Debro. Mr.
and Mrs. J. B Johnson. Mrs. Jose-
I phine Boyden. Miss Mary Teasley.
Lacv Pierson. Mr'and Mrs. George
[Smedley. Mrs. Eula Griffin. Namon
; Edwards. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Cross.
Carles Dillard and oodles of others,
j This was the first party given
! this season and the first house
warming at the County club and
a more charming hostess or warm-
I hearied h spitality we could never
see again there or anywhere.
[ Otis Jolly and a party were guests
jof the Hodges at thei new cottage
on Saturday night after a little ses
sion of night fishing. Mr. and M-s.
Fred Harrison. Mr. and Mrs. Walter
j Debro. M r s. Lennie Simmons, their
I mother and Miss Jennie Chestnut |
were Hodge guests on Sunday. We
missed all you lot owners who were
not there, and we feel a little sorry
for you to. There were so many
good fish Caught and epten and you
missed it all. Too bad!
To Hold Confab On New
Education Fellowship
ANN ARBOR. Mlrtrr ' AND
Ann Arbor will be host to the
Eighth International conference of
New Education fellowship. July 6-
12. There will be representatives of
all nationalities from all parts of
the U S. A. and many foreign coun-
I This conference should prove
very interesting to all Negro cdu
: cators as well as men and women
of other professions who are striv
; ing to promote better education.
, ELECTED TRUSTEE
I William H. Scoville has been
; elected to membership on the board
:of trustees of Hampton Institute, i*
I was announced this week.
! the first Race member to hold such’
| a position in this honor group.
Passed
| Mrs. Drew, mother of Mrs. Vic
; toria Johnson, died Thursday. The
j body will be taken t© Bloomington.
| 111., for burial.
Mrs. Carrie Leak was called to
| Toledo because of the death of a
j We extend our sympathy to these
I in their hour of sorrow.
Called Away
I Miss Theolia Cromwell was called
[to Buck!ton by the lllneM of her
[sister. Mrs Eva Carter.
Sick
Mrs. Jebbs is quite ill in St
Mrs. Hattie Jones. Mr. Gongh and
Mrs. Simmons are greatly improved.
Home
Mrs* Leo Nelson with her new
daughter has returned home from
the hospital.
We Went To Heaven
By LARRY CHISM
When Harry O. Donald was a
small boy all the neingbors used
to shake their heads after he had
been thoroughly spanked for some
boyish prank played upon one of
them and say. “That Donald kid is
going to he-- sure as shootin'."
But somehow or other Harry
grew up, loved, and then one day
[ quiet unexpectedly died and went
j During all of his 27 years on
' earth, the soul of Harry O. Donald
’ never imagined that heaven could
be such a wonderful place to be.
Its climate was l.ke that of South
ern -California. Beautiful scenery,
I countless trees which gave off their
[ sweet perfume from a variety of
rainbow hued flowers kept thj: air
fragrant and sweet.
Beautiful Heaven
Here and there on the far horizon,
I mountains rose majestically, snow
capped and covered with patches of
green, purple and black, the spots
where wild flowers grew along its
steep sides. And over all this ma
jestic and beautiful scenery was
spread a blanket of golden sun
shine All of this reminded Harry
of that time when, down on earth,
he lived in Riverside. Calif.
Sweet, Fragrant Atmosphere
The soul of Harry Q. Dunald in*
[far east
1 NEWS
By MISS MARIAN C. McGILL
Masses at Sacred Heart church,
sung by Father Carron. who also de
livered a very inspiring sermon,
were well attended.
Masses fop the summer .season
will be held daily at 8 30 a. m.
Devotion to Our Lady of Per
| pctual Help and Blessed Martin De
Porress will be on Tuesday even
ing at 7:30 followed by instructions
in the school hall.
SICK AND SHUT-INS
Mrs. Ruth Rochelle of Parker
avenue is dangerously ill in St.
Joseph hospital. Due to her con-
Mrs. Anderson of Tennessee ave
nue js convalescing at home after
her very serious illness.
Miss Gretha Boome. the only
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Boome
of Tennessee avenue and Mr. and
Mrs. Johnson of Tennessee ave
nue. motored to Toledo to become
the bride of Mr. Calvard.
INDEPENDENT SAVINGS CLUB
Met at the home of Mrs. Willie
Cox on Clairpoint. Although the
| weather was warm, all members
were present.
A very enthusiastic meeting was
held with plans being made for the
cocktail party to be given on July
13 at the home of the secretary.
Mrs. M. C. McGill. 903 Tennessee
After the meeting the charming
hostess served a delicious luncheon
in keeping with the weather which
everyone enjoyed.
A ABC CLUB
j Held a special call meeing on
Friday morning at theiiofne of the
1 president. Mrs. M. C. McGill to com
[ plete arrangements for the cocktail
party.
j Everyone reported on invitations
sent out and much cooperation was
pledged.
VILLA CARLOTTA CLUB
Gave a cocktail party Saturday
night at) 2713 Waterloo. The party
was a huge success with many clubs
represented. A lovely time was en
joyed by all.
The A A B C. club held their
first cocktail party Sunday at the
home of the president, Mrs. M. C
McGill. 903 Tennessee.
All the different clubs were rep
resented and all had an enjoyable
The club profited socially and
financially. Carol Flippins. secre-
A PLEA FOR JUSTICE AND
DEFENSE JOB OPPORTUNITIES
; Let there be justice throughout all
the land.
1 Let it ffi'l on rich and poor alike,
j so that
[ No man can say his race is the
[ • favorite of justice;
While less fortunate black brothers
1 suffer through lack of work.
' Let no man say that he and‘his race
Are worthy of laboring to defend
’ this land
As the nation faces a war-1 ike crisis.
The world is waiting for a just
That each of as will have oppor
| tunities
iOf equality, freedom and Job
I placement
1 As we march onward in defense
j preparations.
I Arise ill of you who are fearless.
| brave and courageous.
Search among yourselves for a.just
| Will not seek to favor a few races
j with the right to labor,
| But who will have the convictions
that all races.
Regardless of color or creed should
have the right to defend
' His home, his future, his family by
| working in the defense plants
Of these United States of America
where they say:
"Equality and justice for all pre
vails."
—Larry Chian .
DR. HOPSON GETS POST
CHARLESTON. W. Va IN *)
—Dr. C. H Hopson, well known
[ physician of Charleston, has be-m
appointed director of the bureau ol
Negro welfare and statistics. He
succeeds I. M Carper who has held
the post for the past eight years.
) Both men are democrats.
SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 1941
ed for Harry’s soul to follow him
to the long table where a huge
chart was spread out on the table
top.
"Here's a record of your soul,
from birth until death." The guide
pointed to a heavy black line on
the chart which started from a
round black dot then branched off
like the branches of a spreading
"Your every act and thought are
recorded here. The red line indi
cates your bad thoughts and deed*.
The black line, which begins here,
your normal or good thoughts. And
those blue lines thore lofty and
idealistic thoughts which pecu
[ liar to all geniuses.
But the Devil Tempts
Man to Evil
‘ "Now let's start from the begin
| ning. Before you were born, the
heavenly board of directors met and
decreed that you should be a man
j of letters or a writer. Literature
[ was to be your field of endeavor,
j your destiny.
[ “Each mortal is heavenly .endow
!ed with some trait, the emotion*,
characteristics of some earth im
! mortal who lived down on earth
! before him. Now let's see what your
1 particular pre-birth record reveal*."
Harry’s Soul Awed By It All
Harry's soul seemed as a statue.
It couldn’t speak but merely lia
plained:
i "That immortal earthly poet.
, John Keats, contributed a great
I deal of his attributes to you. His
love of beauty and search for an
I eternal truth Poe gave you some
I of his genius for lyrical creations,
“while'Franz Liszt's 'Dream of Love'
• was a favorite of yours, and his.
I gee.
Puzzled By What He Learns
"But that romantic school of lit
-1 eraturc, Byron Shelly and Keats
. caoLribulcd most to your genius
For like Keats you died before
the bud of your poetic genius was
n full bloQm You see. all we im
mortals can do is to endow you
■ earthly men with a potential genius
; of some particular field. • But that
! earthly part of man . . . the devil’s
own . . . is beyond our power
, ’.o direct.
Heaven And Satan Are Enemies
j "We only endow a man’s soul.
And whatever he becomes is the
[ result of his struggles down on
earth with our arch enemy, the
| devil himself. Thus you see why
. mortals have two personalities. 'Hie
one endowed by us: his soul. And
[ the one influenced by Satan: all
■ a man’s physical emotion of the
j baser natures are the devil’s own
j workings. Thus a mortal’s life is
j a constant struggle between us . . .
The Power aof Light, and Satan,
j the Power of Darkness.
"And every man that overcome*
! the Power of Darkness become* a
‘ genius who ascends to us as a fav
ored soul.
’ But you must be weary. Come
I’ll show you to your room.”
Heavenly Rest Sweet. Peaceful
i Harry's soul followed the guide,
j The toom was all white and gold.
White ceilings and walls with gold
|en hued room furnishings Neither
I the room nor its furnishings were
like anything the soul had seen on
( earth. Yet it reminded him of a
i room in the New Yorker hotel,
l Only it was much more beautiful
[ and comfortable
1 Presently Harry’s soul slept
peacefully with a smile of wis-
I dom on its lips It had learned
j much of the riddle of earthly man's
' life. A part of the insolvable riddle
lof a mortal's life had been ex
! plained to it. And throughout the
|coming eternity this new Heavenly
soul would delve deeper and deep
ior into the mysteries of the birth,
life and death of mortal man in
j the eternity to come. This soul
| would know and understand more
and more about the earth it had
left only a few hours ago.
haled deeply of the nectar sweet ,
air before turning to follow the |
heavenly guide to view other heav-'
enly wonders Then Harry’s soul
was led inside a towering granite
and spacious white building. Its
size and design reminded Harry of 1
the Empire State building in New
York City, down on earth.
In the building were many floor
levels. Each level had countless
numbers of single rooms. And in
each room there dwelt a soul, some
ten. some five and some only a
few heaven days old. Each floor
was given over to particular group
of souls. On one floor there was a
[ colony of artists, on another floor
was a family of musicians and on
•fill another floor war* a school
of sculptors and so on. Each group
■ living alone on its own floor level.
; unmindful of the others living be
low or above them; yet all were
the part of a whole group of
j heavenly souls.
The Heavenly Guide Explains
! As Harry's soul walked along in
the footsteps of the heavenly guide,
the eyes of Harry's newly-arrived
in-heaven-soul were filled With
wonder and awe at the beauty of
! ‘.he surroundings. It was hard to
, tell the heavens from the earth. But
then it was this large heavenly dor
j mitory which held Harry's soul awe
—h-wwa on the second flow of
’.he dorm mat Harry's soul paused
alongside the heavenly guide who
had stopped a minute to examine
a card held in one hand. ,
Man's Life To Harry’s Soul
‘i see." the heavenly guide spoke,
"that you're a man of letters, a poet
a«4-writer and philosopher ■ ■ Fol-
Again they were on the march
and walked to a large, spacioue-and
harmoniously furnished room,
seemingly a study hall This room
reminded Harry's soul of tbc h.ugp
study ha'.L at Indiana university,
down on earth
Says Man Has Two Selves
Slowly as though somewhat re
luctant to reveal heavenly secrets,
the heavenly guide wen*, to a large
white cabinet in which were filed
countless cards. After searching for
a few minutes and then apparently
finding the right card, he heavenly
guide motioned Harry’s soul over
to a large, comfortable upholstered
chair near a three block long table
j Then the heavenly guide began to
' explain to Harry's soul the birth,
j life and death of an earthly mortal.
And Angels Know All
"You see," the guide explained,
"we angels know everylhing (hat
happens down on the earth. When
ever there is to be a birth down
thre of a mortal man, an hour be
fore that particular man’s birth, the
heavenly board of directors hold a
meeting. We decide the time of
birth for that person to be born,
what characteristics that mortal
will possess and whether that mor
tal will live to become an artist,
sculptor, musician or whatnot,
j When we have decided -what his
j destiny will be, we then endow him
with that particular genius in some
field of endeavor. We see that his
character-giving cells are divided
in the proper proportions to make
him a success in the vocation he
will eventually choose, if he lives
1 according to.our subconscious dic
tates to him throughout life.
Heavenly Board Decides
Man’s Fate
| "We impregnate the unborn soul
I valed upon by the heaven board of
I directors. You'll see how this is
done after you have successfully
, finished your apprenticeship as an
angel. It takes five heaven long
| years to graduate from our heaven
j ly school.”
| Hcr e the, heavenly guide and in
i terpreter, looked at the long card
in his hand then looked up at the
soul of Harry O. Donald. "But get
j ting back to you," he arose, motion
BOOK REVIEW...
It's the same old South that
emerges from the piigcs of this
government survey, the South of
sharecroppers, poverty, illiteracy
and disease. The study was made
in 1938 of farm operations during
1937 and the results compared with
those of a study of a more detailed
sort made in 1934. Conditions had
improved somewhat for tenants as
well as plantation owners but the
income of croppers and small farm
ers of all types was still far below
the lowest desirable standard of liv-
The facts revealed here are not
new to many persons at all familiar
with the South but perhaps by rep
etition the need for more action on
the part of the government may be
understood. As is pointed out here
the South which is the poorest part
of the country, is the source of a
large proportion of the population;
it supports a dual system of edu
cation and other sops to the theory
of white supremacy; it has not re
ceived on a per capita basis as much
Federal relief as other sections. No
one of these facts makes sense when
considered with any of the others,
but Southern leaders (Vill probably
be the las’, to be< n
their own ino' tlslstenc c* War has
shunted the sharecropper from the
.public eye-Jml. his concLtion is no
lew pitiable.
This account of Southern condi
tions has the facts and the fig
ures but falls short of interesting
narrative. The book was written
by three authors and we believe it
improved in the later chapters, but
it may only have been that we be
came more accustomed to its trudg
ing style.
WITHOUT VALOR, by Laura Long;
Longmans. Green and Company;
New York City; 1941: 52.00.
Reviewed By GERTRUDE MARTIN
This is a book about the Civil
War and the impressions *it made
i upon a young boy in Lenoir, Ind..
a small town whose citizens were
[ torn between the North and South.
; Many of them or their parents had
| come from Lenoir, N. C., so there
was a deep bond Qf sympathy with
that state. It is a book intended
! for older children and will certainly
hold their interest although it tells
them little of the fundamental is
sues involved in the war. There is
much talk of Copperheads and of
Senator Vnllandigham (so recently
compared by President Roosevelt to
isolationist Colonel but
I little mention of slavery or any of
I the other causes of friction between
l North and South.
As is not uncommon in books of
j this kind for young readers. Ne
| groes are referred to as ’’darky.”
and - "nigger." in the very few ref
erences made to them. The treat
ment of the Negro in literature
[ leaves much to be desired, and
minor details such as a passing use
i of the word "darky" set a Pattern
in the minds of readers. Aside
j from this, the book gives an excel
-1 lent picture of. the mind of the
j average citizen and his indecision
[in war It is to be regretted that
I Mias Long's vocabulary does not
' include the word Negro.
* * *
THE PLANTATION SOUTH 1934-
1937: Federal Works Agency:
Works Projects Administration;
Division of Research. Washington.
I D. C ; 1940