The Michigan chronicle. [volume], August 05, 1944, Image 6

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

Image provided by: Central Michigan University, Clark Historical Library

                
IN DEPEN DENT
AttaMMtfe
PubUiM Etvtj Thunday By
THE MICHIOAJt CHRONICLE PUBLISHING COMPANY
MAIN OFFICE* HI Eliot. Oatroil I. Mich. TEmplo 14177 1
LOUIS EMANUEL MARTIN. Editor ,
Eaterod u aocood cloas natter May I. IMO at tha Pott Offico at
Ootroit Mich- uador tha act of March 1 197%.
Torna of Subocrtptioo (payobU te •dr»®c*)i
On* Yoor. *4.00> Niao Month* SLSO: Six Mont ha. 12.50
GOODBYE MR. BOURBON
Last week we were particularly pleased with the
primary election returns from the state of South
Carolina where the first rebel shot was fired in
the Civil War and where racism has always played
B shameful part in politics. While remaining true
to its worst traditions by refusing to permit Ne
groes to vote in the primary election, South Caro
lina’s rank and file white voters gave their most
bigoted blabber-mouth, Senator “Cotton Ed” Smith,
a well deserved defeat. The passing of Mr. Smith
from the Senate marks the close, we hope, of a long
political career that has disgraced our democracy
at home and abroad.
It has long been a custom for most Southern
boys, who took to heart the legend that every Ameri-
can lad has a chance to be President, to start their,
political careers by beating the drums of white su
premacy. Rival politicos proposed extraordinary
measures for a “satisfactory” solution of the race
dilemma and often the most extreme proposals won
the most votes. Senator Bilbo of Mississippi has
been very successful with his plan to ship all the
dark brothers back to Africa and up until last week
Senator Smith won in a walk with his simple plat
form of “hold ’em down and give ’em hell.”
It would probably be too much to expect that
the defeat of Senator '‘Cotton” Ed marks the end
of the extreme race-baiting which has been a trusty
ladder for so many Southern political climbers.
There are enough signs in the South today, however,
to warrant our belief that we are on the threshhold
of a new period in Dixie politics. One by one the
most vicious race-baiters are being toppled from
their high posts and a few decent Southerners, are
beginning to get an opportunity to hold important
offices. The defeat of Talmadge of Georgia * Joe
Starnes in Alabama and "Cotton” Ed in South Caro
lina coupled with the victories of Claude Pepper of
Florida and Lister Hill of Alabama must have some
significance for the future. 1
In some respects the South is entering its Re
construction period and the rebels who are still fight- J
ing the Civil War are being driven into remote
corners with the prospect of final defeat weighing
heavily upon them. Many reconstructed Southern
ers* have lost their old time religion which relegates
Negroes to an inferior position in the society and the
seeds of doubt are being widely sown. Southern
iworkers are beginning to feel the democratic in
fluence of Organized Labor as represented by the
industrial unions of the CIO and a new group of
Southern intellectuals are fighting the racist blight
with new courage and vision. Not a single important
Southern writer has risen in recent years to defend
the feudal Dixie customs and some of the most im
portant Sduthem newspapers, Louisville Courier-
Journal, Richmond Times Dispatch, etc., have be
come champions of a greater measure of social jus
tice for Negroes.
More important than all of these, however, is
the rise of a New Negro in the Southland. If South
ern Negroes win the right of suffrage throughout
Dixie it will be primarily because Southern Negroes
have put up an intelligent and militant fight for that
right. They are demonstrating by their own actions
that they are qualified and ready for full citizenship.
They have not resorted to violence nor have they
been intimidated by violence. Using the legal pro
cesses available to them and making alliances with
liberal whites, they have organized a new bloc of
Southern thought and press their case in a manner
which can no longer be ignored by the reactionaries.
In Texas, Georgia and South Carolina, a new
Negro leadership is developing which equals in in
telligence the militancy the most advanced leader
ship of the Northern Negro. Considering the tra
ditions against which they must struggle, this South
ern leadership is doing the job in the only way it
can be done successfully. The old Southern Uncle
Toms who won petty concessions from a tempera
mental white boss have had to concede ground to
these new Southern Negroes who are allying them
selves with liberal whites in the labor movement
and in the intellectual fields.
These new Negro leaders in Dixie have wel
comed the aid and contributed their support to the
NAACP and similar groups. They are taking ad
vantage of every educational opportunity and press
ing for new educational opportunities for the
oppressed masses. Carter Wesley in Texas and C.
A. Scott in Atlanta are developing newspapers which
can intelligently present their case before the wdrld.
Taking full advantage of new industrial opportuni
ties in this war period and living up to all the
EDITORIAL PAGE OP THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
responsibilities of the war effort, they are moving
toward new frontiers.
We know of nothing that can contribute more
to our national welfare in the post-war years than
the salvaging of the vast human resources of the
I South- Millions of poor Negroes and poor whites
'have gone into the armed forces and are demon
|strating their inherent worth to our country in time
*of war. We believe that these people deserve an
opportunity to demonstrate in the post-war what
they can contribute to our country in time of peace.
We believe that the racist thinking which paralyzes
the South today can be successfully fought with new
weapons represented by new economic and educa
tional opportunities for the broad masses who are
now in ignorance and poverty. These weapons will
not do a total job but without them no other weapons
can be truly effective.
We believe that the character of the new Negro
leadership of the South and the rise of an articulate
and courageous liberal white minority betoken the
ultimate collapse of an old undemocratic way of
life which has remained a bulwark for fascism in
the world’s most advanced democracy. The South
ern Bourbons who have enslaved the workers and
corrupted their thinking will not give up their power
without a struggle but the odds are beginning to
build up against them today. The passing of South
Carolina’s most notorious race-baiter from the cur
rent political scene does not mean that the Aryans
of that rebel state have given up their racial illu
sions, but we do believe the defeat of the sou 1-
mouthed Senator is another token of happier days
ahead.
THE FACE OF THE FUTURE
No group of experts or technicians at work to
day could possibly be getting a greater kick out of
the current material shortage than our so-called
city planners and their architects. Since they know
that there is not enough material available to build
a good outhouse, the master planners are free to be
as impractical and unrealistic as they choose. The
current drawings of their dizzy proposals have been
appearing every other day in the newspapers and it
is interesting to note with what abandon they throw
super-deluxe elevated highways about the town,
[make vast networks of airports, raise sprawling
islands out of the lake and construct imaginary
beaches along the garbage dumps.
We have a profound interest in their plans and
we are concerned about the face of the future. We
cannot understand, however, why these men with
so much imagination hardly ever consider the lowly
slums where thousands of Detroiters, black and
white, may have to live when they are not zooming
along one of those projected highways or taking a
dip in the fancy beaches built on raised islands in
Lake St. Clair. We believe we have almost as much
imagination as the next fellow and it occurs to us
that something very beautiful might be made out
of our sprawling slums which now cover almost a
third of our city.
We hope that our city planners will get down
to earth and propose a few sound, practicable proj
ects to rid our city of rat and disease infected areas
where most of us are forced to live. A post-war
program to change the face of Detroit ought to
begin with the slums for this will be the greatest in
vestment in the welfare of the general citizenry and
it will pay dividends in terms of better health, cheap
er fire and police protection and less taxes. These
city planners are trying to sell luxury items when
what Detroiters need most are decent places to lay
their weary heads, safe from rats, tuberculosis
germs, and assorted termites. We hope the master
planners don’t forget that Detroit ought to be made
into the sort of town in which good citizens can live
as well as play.
i THE CHRONICLER
By CONFUCIUS *
Some Negro Pres* reader* are
seeing for the last few issue* 'dat
ing from political convention time)
charge* heaped on charge* against
the NAACP* powerful Walter
White. Reason is big Republicans
are back of it so that any support
they feared W. W. might give the
Demos would be criticized by the
rank and file NAACPers. Laugh is
that smear started after White
blasted GOP platform, but since
then he also likened the Dem race
plank to a splinter.
** * ‘
Seem* like the Stacy Committee
is giving the darker brother a
brush-off about those railroad Job*.
As you may or may not remember,
the S Committee is the one ap
pointed by FOR to straighten out
the railroad mess after the FEPC
demanded jobs for Negro firemen
and engineers. The Comm, is just
adjusting those feature* of the af
fair which will not affect us folks
* * *
Biggest thing to hit our Motor
City last week was Major
Spencer ~S panky” Roberts of the
99th. "Spanky,” young and assured
commander of the Black Crow*, was
here to give jou assembly liners a
pep talk. Those guys in Italy figure
like their Major, that we're all "on
th# first team." and not one of us
has a sub to take the gaff when
the going get* tough. i
Uninformed as we 13 million are
s'posed to be. we’ve heard a little
about Chi’s unholy Col. McCormick
of the equally unholy Chi Tribune.
Makes a nasty taste in our demo
cratic mouths to learn that the
Col'nel is backing goateed little Ed
gar Brown, while Edgar runs
around to the white folks and their
papers telling 'em he represents us.
Latest Brown bray is a poll, so
called. taken, he says, at the
NAACP confab, of the delegates
there. Edgar says his poll shows
of the 220 questioned, 132 were for
Tom Dewey, and 88 for FDR Point
is not what his poll shows but that
Walter White says only about 12
people signed the slips Brown was
passing out on the street, and not
all of the 12 were delegates. Yet
Chi Tribune, New York Daily News
and the Washington Times Herald
(all fascist sheets) and more re
spectable white papers run Brown *
stuff not knowing his irresponsibili
ty. or in some cases exploiting it.
White said, "Alleged poll is fan
tastic."
* * *
Maybe now that all of the big
Negro papers have come out blast
ing the President and his boys for
knifing Wallace, and the Demo plat
form; those “advisers" to the Pres
may "straighten up and flv right.” ;
Hfit's hoping till next week. . • • . I
‘A RACE BAITER GETS HIS BAIT’
p ITlfo<SU»
ffogr*
•r WILLIAM L. SHERRILL..
It has hern said, that the mills of
the gods grind slowly, but they
grind exceedingly fine . . . This may
be true but it is not proven often
enough to suit me. . . There is so
much wrong going on all about me
without apparent punishment or
rebuke. I sometimes feel that the
gods may not always be blameless
of the responsibility for much of the
misery and suffering to which hu
manity is subjected. . . . However, it
could be. that my mind is so puny
in comparison with the minds of
the gods, it is not capable of seeing
right and in its proper per
spective. . . But the South seems so
wrong—so very unfair, in its treat
ment of the Negro. I wonder why
God hasn't hurled one of his master
thunderbolts at those in the seats
of power and blasted them into a
realization of the crimes they com
mit daily against the Negro.
1 am thinking now in particular
of the South's double stand ird of
justice—one for the Negro criminal
and one for the white criminal. . .
Murder is murder; —Yet under
southern law it all depends upon
who gets murdered.
Within the past ninety days three
Negro soldiers have been murdered
by white bus drivers in the south
for allegedly not moving to the rear
of the bus or for “sassing" the
driver, yet in each case tne driver
has been exonerated. , . . The law
in "Dixie" doesn't seem to cover a
white man who murders a Negro—
even though he be a soldier in the
service of his country.
If these soldiers, each, were guilty
of the offefises charged—w’hat have
they done that justifies killing n . . .
Or if their crifnes, by some stretch
of southern mind, deserves death,
what right has a bus driver to set
himself up as judge and jury to
meet out Justice? . . . Why aren't
>f>f BOOK NOTES >f*
■»
CERTRUDE SCOTT MARTIN
"Grass Roots" by F.arl Schenck
Miers, the Westminster Press; Phila
delphia. $2 75. is an engrossing novel
i of the American political scene Mr.
! Miers who is the author of "Big
Ben." the novel based on the life of
! Paul Robeson, is assistant editor of
i Publications at Rutgers university,
Robeson's alma mater and his own
1 In “Grass Roots" Mr. Miers turns
his attention to the corruption
which underlies many of the polit
ical practices in this country.
The central figure in the book Is
Peter Kelland. grandson of Michael
Moriarity. politician of the old
I school, and son of Harry Kelland,
, worthy successor to his father-in-
I law. The way the machine works
! in Hudson City which the author
does not identify further through
l graft, deceit and violence :f neces
sary is well demonstrated. Peter,
who admires the strength and power
of his grandfather and his father
and scorna his weak Uncle Mark,
grows up looking forward to the
Judgeship which his father says
will be his after college
However, at Princeton he finds
himself out of things because he is
I Peter Kelland and the group which
does adopt him is the group which
does not fit. It is only when he
I meets Robin B’ar.dt that he be?;ns
|to find himself and through
develops to the point where he is
able to turn his back on the security
his family offers
Th.a is a strong book and one
which holds the reader's attention
to the last page. The characters
even at their most vicious are thor- i
oughly undefendable human be
irgi, Tn Peter the author has skill
fully developed the doubts and un
certainty in his mind about the
methods of those around him to the
point where he must rebel. Robin,
too. is a fine portrayal of sympathy
and understanding. The others.
M chael. Hirrv and Clare Kelland,
Mark. Tim Gallagher. Horse Adams,
and the lesser characters are all well
drawn.
Mr Miers shows how both polit
ical factions n Hudson City vied for
the favor of the various minority,
these bus-driving murderers
brought to trial? The answer is sim
ple—things are Just not done that
way in the South. . . It is too much
to expect a southern prosecutor to
return indictments against a white
man who kills a Negro—or a white
jury to bring in a verdict of guilty
even though the evidence warrants.
. . . To punish a white person for
any sort of offense against a Negro,
even though it be murder, is
frowned upon by southern whites.
The South is so recklessly lawless
in its dealings with its Negro citi
zens that we wonder why the gods
have ao long stayed the day of
retribution. .. Perhaps there is some
good in every kind of wickedness,
that will make itself felt when the
time comes. . . But the time seems
so long coming—those of us who
are aggrieved are becoming impa
tient and clamorous for a redress of
these wrongs and outrages. . . We
many times have the impulse to
"fight fire with fire" or to exact "an
eye for an eye and a tooth for a
tooth," but our samer selves save
us from this disaster. . . . Perhaps
"the bible's got something" in its
"he who lives by the sword shall
die by the sword" or its "Vengeance
is mine saith the Lord."
The southern white man simply
doesn't think straight when it comes
to the Negro. . . Men invironed by
hate are not capable of thinking
straight. . . In practicing lawless
ness toward the Negro they have
overlooked the obvious truth that
lawlessness will be practiced by
themselves against themselves. . .
These needless and unjustifiable
killings of Negro soldiers must be
justly dealt with by the South. . .
Negroes will not wait fnuch longer
upon "the mills of the gods" if
southern prosecutors continue to
exonerate white murderers.
groups, the Negroes and the Italians
particularly. Caroline, the Kelland
maid was used by them as a sound
ing board on the Negro. The ruth
lessness of the mach.ne and the
lengths to w-hich it would go to
perpetuate itself is amply described.
"Grass Roots" is a book which
pulls no punches. It shows the sort
of politics too often played in our
American cities, and in addition, is
a thoroughly interesting story of the
development of Peter Kelland.
* ♦ *
In my review of “A Faith to Free
the People" two weeks ago. I noted
the price as $1 00 The price of the
book is $2 75 'and worth it) al
though it will be available at $1 00
in paper covers The publicity given
the recent People's C ingress of Ap
plied Religion which was under
Claude Williams' direction should
help to arouse interest in this book
which tells his life story. Reading
it will restore your faith in hu
manity. 'T"*'
Jim Crow Is My Shepherd
By HUNTER M. HATTON
Old Jim Crow is my shepherd:
Freedom do I want
He expecteth me to put up with
segregation.
He dispiseth my soul; he leadeth
me in the paths of degre*
dation for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the
valley and the shadows of
boiled Hitlerism, I will have
no fear though thou art
against me.
Thou preparest a lynching party
for me in this "land of the
free” Thou anointest my
head with threats:
Mv patience gets shorter.
Sure'y old Jim Crow shall
enslave me all the days of
my life
If I'm content to dwell In the
house of Fear forever
—Los Angeles Sentinel
EDITOR’S MAIL
I wish to extend my slncerest ex
pressions of gratitude to the spon
sors of the Search-for-Talent con
test I feel that, not too far hence,
it will prove to be of definite value,
in that it will have aome of the
following effects:
First: Through substantial com
petition. it will give more young
people a greater incentive to study
music.
Second: It will stimulate more In
terest and more thorough study
hab.ts on the part of students of
music.
Third: It will challenge teachers
to the point that well-trained, com
petent teachers will achieve aome
reward and recognition from the
fact that their own capabilities will
be reflected in their students, win
or lose; and Inefficient teachers,
their shortcomings being similarly
exposed, will be forced to return to
school to rehabilitate their profes
sional faculties, or drop out of the
profession entirely.
Fourth; and rrost serious, no
doubt; Some young people are made
to study with a certain teacher who
is a friend of "mamma" or "papa,"
«ntl because of this friendship, the
child is made to take it and like It.
regardless of the teacher’s qualifica
tion* As a result of this, the child
is possibly discouraged entirely or
crippled, musically, for years to
come, or even beyond remedy.
Fifth: Some Negro students have
had just enough training to give
them sufficient courage to come into
a Negro institution (after becoming
disgruntled with a white Institu
tion) and tell the Negro teacher
what hia course of study should and
must be In some cases, he is both
accompanied and supported by his
parents in this attitude. In fairness
to the child and the Negro teacher,
the parent should recognize the fact
that the Negro’s own resources most
assuredly rank with the highest; he
should carefully investigate and
consider all resources, shunning in
competence on the one side as com
pletely as on the other.
Sixth: Many parents, for various
reasons, think it a mistake to begin
a child in music study at an early
age. My youngest student is five
years old, taking pre-school music
education. This type of training is
a definite ssset to the child because
it forms habits of concentration and
coordination which are invaluable,
particularly during the period of
adolescence, where all is uncertainty
and readjustment. These habits and
the acquired abilltv in music act as
guides through uncertainties and
give the child something to hold on
to.
These thoughts, by no means new
to my mind, were brought home
with particular force bv my witness
in" the recent Search-for-Talent
contest and events surrounding It.
Fven persons unskilled in musical
science could easily detect the great
difference between well-traind con
testants. and poorly trained contest
ants. the latter of which, sad to say,
were most predominant. Then, too.
it must be remembered that many of
the contestants, unfortunately, had
had no training.
I personally accompanied Miss
W.lson to Chicago where I took her
In to sing before an old Italian
maestro who acclaimed the young
lady as having a "great voice.”
I nm of the opinion Miss Wilson
is thoroughly deserving of
first prize and all that she received,
for I have been ia-^^pQsff:on to
know' the devotion' and effort she
has given her art since she began
her study two years ago with little
to offer in the way of serious mu
sinl training. FORWARD MARCH
WITH MUSIC. MICHIGAN—Signed
Robert L. Nolan, Bachelor of Music,
Dean of the Robert Nolan School of
Music, instructor of piano and
theory, founder-conductor of the
Robert Nolan choir.
CHANGES IN WAKES
The change in habits due to the
war Is affecting the Negro people
as well as the white. Negro wakes,
which by custom have singing
throughout the night beside the
coffin, are soon to be of the past.
All except one Negro funeral direc
tor has decided to close wake* at
1 a.m. Those discontinuing all
night vigils for the dead said the
ceremonies caused war-workers to
lost a night's alerp and Incapac
itated tham for their Jobs during
the day.
—N. T. Tlmeu
SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 1944
THE FACTS
IN OUR NEWS
By HORACI A. WHITS
BLOSSOM HEATH Blwmm
Hcalls la aa eld ecnntry alab. II Is
located In tha township of Saint
Claire Shores ant Jefferson avenue
on Lake Saint Clair. It waa built
aa a fashionable resort for “big
time gamblers.” Bio—om Heath has
been closed for about nine years.
Recently, a group of Negroes, with
one or two whites, purchased the
property to be used aa a resort by
both Negroes and whites Origin
ally, the building, equipment, and
land cost between 1240.000 and
1240,000. It la a good location for
a social club.
The public will be bearing a
great deal abont Blossom Heath In
the coming weeks. The right of
these Negroes to operate Blemem
Heath as a social club has heed de
nied by the town ship of Saint Clair
Shores. The township of Saint Clair
Shores has denied a license to op
erate Blossom Hesth an the baste
that to operate this rlub would
bring into the community more of
the kinds of activities that they
are trying to get out of the com
munity. The officials of the town
ship also state that the club was
closed nine years ago, because it
was a “dive” for gambler* and
other anti-social characters. The
township officials stated that they
would deny a license to operate
Bio—om Heath to any group who
wanted to use It aa a social club.
The Negroes leading the fight for
the right to operate Blossom Heath
as a social club maintained that
they are being denied the license
because Negroes are connected with
the enterprise. They maintained,
further, that the conduct of the
club by former owners should not
determine their right to operate a
legitimate club. Insofar as the offi
cials of the Saint Clair Township
do this, they are abusing their pow
er to license business and social
establishments. The present own
ers of the Blossom Heath club
maintained that there is a larger
Issue Involved in the denial of th*
license to them to operate.
They maintained that If the li
cense is denied them, because they
are Negroes, then it is the same
thing as denying the man a right
to live in a house because he is a
Negro. In other-words, the press .
owners maintained that the power
to license by the township of Saint
Claire Shores is being used to de
termine whether Negroes can en
gage In legitimate activities In the
township or not. Under the con
stitutions of the state and the Unit
ed States. Negroes have the right
to engage in business and other
legitimate activities.
The leaders of the preaent Blos
som Heath fight maintained that
the NAACP should be Interested
In whether a license la granted to
them to operate at this time. They
contended that the Imue la broader
than the denial of one man or one
group of men to do business; but
rather the ladle la whether black
men ean do businem where they
choeoe without the Interference of
governmental authorities because
these governmental authorities da
net happen to like Negroes.
It Is maintained also that the
National Association for the Ad
vancement of Colored People wtU
forfeit Its light to apeak out afalnst
any segregation If It does not un
derstand the meaning of this fight
In relationship to Its general pro
gram of fighting race discrimina
tion.
There art those In the NAACP
who maintained that this Is a pri
vate business enterprise, and that
It does not affect the righto and
privileges of Negroes at all. Buch
people make It clear that so far as
they can ace, there has been ne
denial of the license on the basis of
color. It la pointed out In this
connection that the township au
thorities are under obligation U
grant a license or withhold a li
cense to maintain the general stand
ards and alma of the community.
There are certain Negroes who
are engaged in similar bus.nesses
who are opposed to Negroes going
into St. Clair Township, to open up
another business of this kind. These
business men maintain that it is,
financially, an unsound venture.
The church people connected with
the NAACP. and they are the larg
est membership holders in the
NAACP, cannot see the NAACP
making a fight for a license for a
social club, which club will have
to go into a liquor business to keep
its doors open. Many church peo
ple in Detroit are aware of the
fight of church people in Saint
Clair Shores to drive out of the
neighborhood as many gambling
places and vendors of liquors as
possible.
It la the feeling es yeur columnist
that Negroes will apllt over this
issue. This apllt will be very
dangerous for the fight for com
plete Integration In eur democ
racy on the part es Negro leader
ship and strang organisations.
There Is ne question In my mind,
but that the license has been de
nied the present owners es Blos
som Heath because they are Ne
groes.
There needs to be some careful
thinking on the part of present
Blossom Heath ewmers and tha Ne
gro community leadership es De
troit aa It tackles this very knotty
problem. A wrong handling of this
problem can affect so many things
for which Negroes are fighting that
mean more ultimately than a social
club. This la not to say that the
license should not be granted: but
It la to say that foresight and un
derstanding should be used In fight
ing for the license.
The Mainsheet, tailor publication
at Bainbridge, Md , shivers its
timbers and digs out of the ship's
log the story about a Marine (it
had to be a Marine) who fell down
the stairs with a quart whiskey.
"Did he spill It?” asks Seaman 2C.
"Naw.” replies a Specialist Ap
prentice Mate (jg): "He kept hie
mouth closed.”
—Stlfridge Fielr’ News
WELL TRAINED
Judge: But madam, if you know
the man was a burglar, why did
you marry him?
The Lady: Well, you see. Your
Honor, I am very nervous, the
slightest noise disturbs me. And
this man waa so nice and quiet
about the house.
—Chicago Bee
A MOUTHFUL