PAGE EIGHT
Walter White Raps Compulsory Job Bill As Unfair
SECRETARY OF
NAACP POINTS
TO RACE BIAS
Tells Senate Military
Committee About Huge
Reservoir Of Men
WASHINGTON. D. C.—Cangrcsi
l»ni»t halt practice* of tan*] d,»-
Crimination against worker*
w*r industries before it undertakes
legislation for compulsory employ,
ment. Walter White, executive sec
retary of the N A A C P., told the
Senate Military Affairs Comm.ttce
April 1.
White testified against the Austffw
Wadsworth bill which provides tor
"the successful prosecution o| the
msr through a system of civil »e-.
lective war service "
Ne Alcfsata Safeguards
Whiu pointed out that the bill
is based on a false assumption for
there still exists a huge reservoir*
©f voluntary man and womanpower
which has not yet been utilized
because of racial prejudice He cited
the bill’# failure to compel employ
ers to accept -11 workers who vol
unteer or are drafted regardless of
the worker's race or color as one of
iu most glaring f ults White ad*d
ed that the bill contains no adc- 1
quate safeguard* to protect work
ers from arbitrary action by em
ployers or local draft boards.
Charles H. Houston, attorney,
spoke for the National Noi -Par
tisan Council of Alpha Kappa Alpha
•orority and supplemented the testi
mony of Mr. White.
The bill provides that the Prcii
dent through the chairman of the
War Manpower Commission, may
issue a call for volunteers specify
ing the number of persons required
with their qualifications and the
places where their work would be
performed. -But," said White, “it
creates no obligation on the em
ployer to accept such volunteers.
“The underlying assumption of
6. §66,” continued White, “is that
worker# are not volunteering for
service In war industries and must
therefore be drafted. This assump
tion is belied by the facts. There is
already a vast reservoir of Negro
■mo and womanpower today beg
ging for employment at their
proper skills and levels, but to
whom the doors are tightly closed
and bolted.
09MM Unemployed » *
“In a recent War Manpower Com
mission estimate there are still i
MMOO Negroes who are outright
unemployed. There are 2,000,000
.tejk bants working on cotton crops
.Mtflai we have a two years supply
•AjrkpmL According to John Beech
jfljßaMr regional representative
||KJfeo FBPC there are 2.000.000
9ml farm workers whose serv
p|pr could be entirely utilized to
liient manpower needs.
E?Wa are also opposed to this leg-
Hnon.** White declared, “because
|Hpatains no safeguards to protect
against arbitral > action
P* rt ot employers or local
fpl boards. This bill is entirely
H|p|iwn the obligation of an »m-
Hpppr not to discriminate on ac
mm Of race, creed, or color, to
assign and upgrade em- i
HSHmA to use safety appliances. |
to establish reasonable wage,
BMP And health regulations.
raNpt bill requires compulsory
jMniftt ul does not guarantee em-
For example, under
Mg grafted and transferred to a
'fMPAIMm community even though
INfM were already present there
IMM Negroes capable of filling the
Jgfe A prejudiced draft board at
JRq behest a prejudiced employer
qgfc* refuseo to hire available Negro
tlbor could then order 10,000 Negro
-qfcarfccn to pick cotton though they
pasnessed the skills to work in in-
Give* Emplmr Power
“This bill gives an employer the
right to reject a batch of drafted
labor without assigning any reason
for doing so and then permits him
to call on the United States gov
arnment to provide more batches
from which he can choose those he
wishes to employ. The worker
would not have even the protec
tion provided by the Civil Service
where the employer has to dioose
/ from the lop three on the list. In
abort, omnipotent controls arc
placed in his bands to compel servi
tude without the correlative obliga
tion to protect the servitor.”
Asked at this point by Senator
Austin, Republican of Vermont if
the insertion into the bill of a re
quirement that workers would have
po be selected without regard to
race or color tor assignment to war
industries, would meet Mr. White's
objections. White said that such an
Inclusion would strengthen the bill
White, citing the deplorable treat
ment of Negro soldiers in the South
argued, “even with ample laws on
the statute books, the federal gov
ernment has failed to protect the
Hagro from intimidation, coercion
apd abuse while he a theoretically
Unfettered and free.
••What can be prospect for
OOwSred domestic, agricultural, in
tfnetrial, and defense workers hv
lag in the South and faced with
qaaspulaory service legislation
which in most instances a ill be
■oiblng less than government ap
jnwsd peonage?” White asked,
chance would s qualified Ne
, machinist living in Mississippi
fj£jgqii if ha appealed the dec.sion of
board denying his rtppli
jjKgnjlaa fa go to Detroit to work in
JyjjA factory when such
SSpN’hatf previously classified him
■Hjtgwph pa a common held har.a 7
the answer is obvious
feels.” Wh.’e
“that comf uls.on xi'A
*b« .on f 1 ». -. • . r ih f
fur u 4 out a
* /■.5
mm.
■ ■
Richard Davis, of tha Was! Side sector, was honored
by his brother. William Davis, recently during his
last furlough for the duration. Richard was among
those who volunteered at the outbreak of the war.
I.—He is teen here with his best girl friend. Miss
War Widows
Progress In
Their Plans
War Widows club continues to
report definite progress in the real
ization es their ambitions to do all
possible to provide entertainment.
I inspiration and educational intcr
-1 est# for the wives, sweethearts,
mothers ar.d sisters of men serving
in the armed forces of our nation.
Last meeting was called to order
by the president, Mrs. Lillian Math
ew*. after the pledge of allegiance
had been repeated by members
present, followed by reading of min
utes by Patricia Young, recording
secretary. Corrcspond-r.g secretary
Sue Rollocks ealled the roll and
sergeant-at-arm* Ann Vickers read
the president's system of penalties
for tardiness and other misdemean
ors
Absent member* are urged to
make telephone calls to inform the
members of their inability to attend
any meetings.
Mr. James Davenport will be aeiit
■ card of thank# for the grand time
the War Widow* had last week at 12
Horsemen Club, when they were
feted by the club members.
Mr. James Thomas purchased SIOO
worth of war bonds to hclD the
club boost their sales drive. The
girls are preparing to send
gift boxes to soldiers at various
army camps. Cards of # cheer will
also be sent to friends of the. club
in army camps.
A keno party will be held April
10 at the home of Mr. Fred Douglas
at 5851 Beaubien street. All friends
| of the club are urged to attend the
jDarty.
Mrs. Mathews, club president, will
visit her son, Lieut. Fleming Math
ews, in Boffion this week.
BUSINESS SCHOOL PLACES
TRAINED MEN INTO ARMY
Specialized training Is necessary]
In the field of business, civil scrv
ice, under the defense program, and
in the armed forces today; both in !
I making • favorable start and in
winning advancement. We are
busy with the business of winning
a World War. therefore knowledge j
of the principles of business and
specialized training are necessary to
get ahead in this field, says Violet
T. Lewis, president of the Lewis
Business college. Detroit’s most out
standing Negro Business college.
1 Many of our boys who have been
called to the armed forces, write
.the college of their splendid oppor*
| tunities if a result of training re
ceived. sayj Mrs. Lewis. Pvt. Ma
rion Cheatham says: “When 1 1
reached camp, I was immediately
interviewed, and placed in Battalion
Headquarters as a clerk, as a re
sult of my typing experience th3b
I received at the Lew.s Business
! college, during the time that I was,
a student among you. I would like
however to impress upon the men
of the school one thing, and that
is this; if a man has some knowl
edge of any kind of commercial
1 work, in the army there is hardly 1
any limit as to his promotional
chances.”
Pvt. Lous Taylor, Jr, says: ‘Tve
attained the rank of private and
I'm ineligible lo be addressed as
such. I'm at Atlanta university.
We re studying to be clerks in the
air force and the grind will be four
weeks of strict supervision and
regulation.”
Pvt. Thomas Carr. Newport News,
Va, says: “Am not doing anything
part of a bigger problem which
constituted authority is unwilling
to tackle . . . Compulsory service
legislation a* represented by the
Austin-Wadsworth bill, would de
stroy the foundation of freedom
in America and open the door to
unrestrained intimidation, coercion
and abject subjugation of minority
groups in America We are irre
vocably opposed lo thia legislation.”
RICHARD DAVIS GIVEN FAREWELL PARTY
Plan Conference On Recreation
In War Time, Sunday, April 11th
All persons in'crcstcd in recrea
tion and especially war workers
s:c being invited to attend a con
ference on Recreation in War Time
conducted by the Committee on
Rccreat.on in War Time of the
Wayne County Council of Defence,
in the Downtown Detroit Y.W C A.
from 3 to 9 pm., Sunday, April 11.
The program is being planned,
according to Kenneth C. Wiblo. of
the Highland Park Recreation De
partment. chairman of the commit
tee in charge, to see that tho*e at
tending will be given ample chance
to express their views on the sub
ject of the conference.
The principal speaker at the
evening meeting w.ll be Mark A.
McCloskey. director of recreation.
Office of Defense Health and Wei
far. Services, Washington. D. C.
McCloskey is an outstanding au
thority In the field ot recreation. He
la a graduate of Princeton and
Columbia universities and of the
New York School of Social Work.
He directed the Settlement House
in New York City for 18 years,
served as New York administrator
of the National Youth Administra
tion. taught in Fieldston school.
New York, for three years, was
director of recreation for the New
York Board of Education for three
years and has served on innumer
able committees in the field of
recreation.
Opening at 3 pm. the confer
ence will hear remarks from Dean
Arthur Necf of Wayne university,
and then a panel discussion of the
problems involved in war-time rec
reation.
The panel will be chaired by Dr.
except routine office work. Com
pared to what the others are doing,
it's heaven.”
Hundreds of Lewis Business col
lege students and graduates have
been placed in positions, both in na
tional defense, private industry,
and in the armed forces. Many
more are needed to meet the pres
ent demand for trained stenograph
ers and bookkeepers. Lewis Busi
ness college was founded in 1929
and has made remarkable progress
and a denite contribution to busi
ness m Detroit.
With the increasing demand for
trained office workers, Detroit’s
most outstanding business school,
the Lewis Business college, 5450
John R, at Ferry, is offering the
challenge by extending an invita
tion to enroll in its spring term, day
and evening classes, starting Mon
day, April 12. 1943. Further infor
mation may be secured by writing
the Lewis Business college, 5450
John R, or calling Trinity 19743
Mrs. Lewis, president of the school,
will be happy to talk with you per
sonally, and assist in selecting your
MM
1 FOR MINOR'S^J»#/W^/
1 \
* Ist1 st CHOICE *)
—of million* baa made St. Joeeph
Aepmn the world * largiwt aeller at
10£. It a brat thought of millions at
brat warning of simple hradaebe or
00140* painful miseriea. No aapirin
ran do more for y6u. Why pay more?
Then too, you maka even greater
aavmga on the larger «*e*. 30 tab
let* 20#, 100 tmblet*, only
Always I* *ure you demand genuine
St. Joseph
L aspirin a
fHE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
Joy Tuniiall, at tha party which was held on last
Friday avening at the home of his parents. 2.—ln
the group, kneeling: Robert Young Taylor, James
Brown, Richard Davis, William Davis, John Brown.
Lewis Lee. James Stinson; standing: Clementine
ni i . | : mwm
1 jß| Mtmhfl I * w< It»iißPiiI v ' -OT
BHK 'MwMi
Walter G. Bergman of the Detroit
Board of Education. Its members
Will include Allan Sirachan, Robert
Pitt 3, Albert Duffill, Olga Major.
Col. G E Strong, Rev. Waldo Hunt,
William Dorn, Carl Berkeman and
Dorothy Klein.
Following the panel will be a
statement about the Recreation In
stitute which is to be held a few
weeks after the conference among
recreation workers to study ways
of meeting the problems revealed
;n the conference. Carol M. Roehm
Will announce the Institute.
The conference then will break
up into discussion groups which will
run from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Fol
lowing are the discussion grouos,
their chairmen and discussants:
Detroit Sectional Group (WomQn)
—Vivian McMillan, Department of
Parks and Recreation, chairman;
Discussants; Helen Rowe, Maty
Ann Loeser, Kay Gowing.
Detroit Sectional Group (Children
and Teen Age recreation) Dr.
Fritz Redl, Wayne university, cha.r
man; Discussants: Mrs. Catherine
Gcllcs, Frances Comfort. Henry
Scott, Lewis B. Larkin, Mrs. Teresa
Wagner.
Detroit Sectional Group (Sports)
Jesse Owens, Ford Motor com
pany, chairman; Discussants: Ro
bert Pitt. John Gallo, Marie Barna
towicz, Pearl Gerber.
To Discuss Day
Care Of Children
A special appeal is made to the
citizens of the West side and other
interested citizens to attend a
meeting Monday, April 12, 8 pm.,
Lothrop Branch library. West
Grand boulevard at West Warren.
Mrs. Carl Hcsslcr from Wayne
County Council of Defense will
discuss "Day Care of Children.” It
:s very important that we support
the Nursery school at Sampson and
make efforts to open new nursery
schools as the occasions demand.
The West Side Human Relation
council is also intensely interested
in the Peter Pan nursery and it is
the duty of the citizens of Detroit
to see that this project is supported
from public funds Now is the time
for action. Rev. J. M Pett.grew is
president; Mrs. Cockfield, secretary.
course, and arranging suitable
ebss hours.
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A RELIABLE INDEPENDENT WEEKLY
Bankhead, Louis Taylor, Shirlay Spairghts, Gloria
Speirghts, Stella Shilay, Sally Williams, Alica Banks,
Rosalia Whitlworth. Joy Tunsiall. Anna Faulknar.
Nellie Brown, Thelma Rowell, Doris Davis, and Ruby
Sparks. * 1
Word Used By
Whites Rapped
By ROTH FRANCIS
BROOKLYN. N. Y. (ANP> De
spite the efforts of the white met
ropolitan pre*s to stigmatize the
Negroes of Harlem a* a group of
muggers. Clifford Evans, radio
commentator, charged anti-Negro
bias in these crime reports. He
pointed out that “mugging” is a
technique used to assault a person
and “is not limited to blacks, whites
or yellows.”
And Judge Peter J Brancato of
Kings county charged last week that
the “crime wave” involving Ne
groes could be attributed to recent
arrivals from the South »nd not to
those who had been born and
brought up in the metropolitan
area.
The Judge made that statement
when two Negroes from the Caro
lina* were brought before him
charged with stabbings. Continued
Mr. Brancato: “It is such as you
that bring disgrace on a very fine
people, and I mean our colored
neighbors. It is you and such like
you who have come up in recent
years from the South seeking to go
on relief who bring disgrace upon
vour people. It has been my expe
rience that colored people born and
brought up in New York and in
Brooklyn, in fact in any part of
the state, are and have been ex
cellent citizens and law-abiding peo
ple.”
Two white boys recently killed
their former school teacher within
the province of their school build
ing, and neither Judge Brancato
nor the white metropolitan press
condemned their race for such ac
tion.
Wanted Sympathy,
Shoots Himself
Police believe that in an apparent
attempt to gain the sympathy of his
young wife, Wilbert Drake, 24, of
10211 Oakland avenue, shot him
self in the left chest with a .22
calibre rifle.
Drake was treated for the gun
shot wound at Receiving hospital.
Police say that Drake at first re
fused to explain the shooting, but
later admitted he had shot himself.
His wife, Winnie Mae, was held
this week as a police witness.
Dean Liston
Named Head
Of Big Assn .
NASHVILLE. April (ANP>—
Dean Hardy Liston of Knoxville
college was elected president of the
National Association of Collegiate
Deans and Registrars in Negro
Schools at the conclusion of the 17th j
annual session held at Fisk univer- !
sity, March 23-28. More than 100 I
delegates representing 60 Negro in
stitutions of higher learning attend
ed the sessions, which were marked
by scholarly addresses delivered by
Dr. Charles S. Johnson of Fisk and
Dr. Horace Mann Bond, president
of Fort Valley State Teachers col
lege.
The work of the armed forces
institute which administers the ar
my specialized program waa ex
plained in detail to the conference
members by President- Thomas N.
Barrow* of Lawrence college, Ap
pleton, Wis. President Barrows
spoke as a representative of the
Amerioan Council on Education.
The association went on record as
cooperation with and approving the
program as outlined by the Ameri
can Council on Education. The as
sociation also passed a resolution
requesting the officials of the army
and navy specialized program to use
more facilities of the Negro colleges.
An invitation was extended by
Arkansas State college, Pine Bluff,
to meet there In 1944. Officer- were
elected as follows:
President, Hardy Liston, Dean,
Knoxville; first vice president, S.
Herbert Adans, registrar, Johnson
C. Smith university, Charlotte, N.
C.; second vice president, George
C. Grant, dean, Morgan college.
Baltimore; secretary, J. B. Cade,
dean, Southern university, Scot
landville, La.; assistant secretary,
Mrs. Marguerite Moorman, assist
ant registrar, Lincoln university,
Jefferson City, Mo ; treasurer, E. P.
Southall, dean, Florida A. St M.
college, Tallahassee.
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GEO. E. SMEDLEY - 446 E Warren, Detroit - TEMPLE 1-6192
PAY TRIBUTE
TO DIGGS AT
TESTIMONIAL
Commemoration Held At
Headquarters Of
MFDC
Reverence for the living rather
than for the dead was the keynote
last Friday night in the impressive
rite* held for Michigan's senior
democratic senator at the Michigan
Federated Democratic club, 615 E
Warren avenue. The ceremony held
in honor of Senator Charles C
Dizgs, commemorating his foir
terms In office, was highlighted b>
the presence of many outstanding
Democratic notables.
Seated around him were such out
standing officials as State Chair
man Ernest C. Brooks, County
Chairman William L. Donelly, Audi
tor Haflei. Senator Leo Wilkowski.
Joseph Wisniewski, first district
chairman; State Highway Commis
sioner Lloyd B. Reid, and other
state and county official*.
The commemoration address giv
en by Attorney Harold E. Bledsoe
brought to the attention of the vast
auditmee attending the ceremonies,
the sincere work done both in and
out of the legislature by Senator
Charles C. Diggs. Bledsoe repeated
ly referred to the organiastional
work done by Senator Diggs during
the lean years of the Negroes’ ad
vent into the Democratic party. He
paid everlasting tribute to hi* close
friend and political associate for his
sincereness and devotion for the
betterment of the common man.
State Highway Commissioner
Lloyd B. Reid, along with other no
tables. paid tribute to the leader
ship, of Senator Diggs in both the
community and the legislature.
Senator Diggs apparently deeply
moved by the testimonials, when
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TYLER 4-8778 ALBERT SEARIGHT, Prop.
SATURDAY, APRIL' 10, 1943
Promoted
• r \
■i.4 ' 1
In a letter to Atty. Cedi Ward,
Leonard (Slug) Saltan, sta
tioned at Camp Atterbury, Ind~
announced hit" promotion re
cently to the rink of sergeant.
Sellers, a Detroit boy. was In
ducted into the service last Da
camber.
asked to speak, thanked his many
friends and paid tribute to them
and his staunch supporter*. “Of all
ttye flattering things that have been
said about me here this evening/*
Diggs said, “the one thing that 1
will not deny is my sincereness and
devotion to the cause of bettering
the economic and living condition*
of my people.”
Others who appeared on the pro
gram paying tribute to Senator
Diggs were Senator Leo Wilkowskl,
Emmet Cunningham: Tony Vanc«
and others. The program, under th#
direction of Mrs. Mary E. Richard
son, was attended by various Ne
gro representatives of state, county
and city government
HODGES MASON LEAVES
Mr. Hodges Mason of 9538 Delmar
street left last Saturday for Atlanta,
Ga, where he will remain until
recovery from illness. Mr. Mason
is active in the affairs of Local 208.