Newspaper Page Text
INDEPENDENT ffltftjgjMjianttfe PublUhtd E*#ry Thursday By THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE PUBLISHING COMPANY MAIN OFFICE: 2*l Elio! Detroit 1. Mich. TEmpU 1-4177-1 * LOUIS EMANUEL MARTIN Editor Ttrmi of Subocription (payable in adeence' One Year $4 00: Nina Month*. *3.50; Si* Month* >2.30 National Advertising Repre»#n!ative ASSOCIATED PUBLISHERS. INC. 5*5 Fifth A*a.. New York 19 N Y. Br. 9 4577 Mambar Audit Buraau of Circulation* .. _ - ——. ■ 1,, ■ - . Entered a* second data matter May 1 1940 at lha Poal Offica a! Detroit. Michigan, undar Hye act of March 3. 1173 TAKE IT EASY • Last week following the announcement of the V • end of rationing restrictions on many items, it was reported that thousand? of citizens throughout the country went on a buying spree. Even luxury items were going like hot-cakes. We can understand the pent-up feelings of the people who have chafed for so long under the restrictions made necessary by our war effort. Nevertheless, we noted that the end of ration ing on some goods was announced on the same da\ that billion? of dollars of war contracts were can celled. Thus many a guy whose car was full of gas was automatically out of a job. At the moment the job situation is not very clear but one thing is sure, thousands of workers face unemployment in the near future. Traditionally Negroes have been the first fired in times of stress and despite the seniority rules and other so-called job guarantees, our people can expect to get the short end of the stick once more. In Detroit Negro workers may fare much bet ter. particularly those with long seniority, than in many other areas. Re that as it may, wc believe that our people will be very wise to restrain their impulse to let the eagle on the silver dollar fly at this time. To carry the figure further, when things straighten up, we may be in a position to make the eagle fly right. Buying a lot of luxury items now which serve no practical purpose may be regretted later. Most Detroiters know that in the past our eco nomic course ran from one extreme to the other. Its boom or bust, feast or famine. While wc shall work with all our might to make full employment a living reality, it will be noted that the boys who run the show in America are keeping mighty quiet. Thus* until we can be sure of jobs for all, we believe thsrf we would do well to keep those war bonds and if we have any loose cash, buy more bonds. In other words, let's press for full employment and, when we feel like shooting the works, remember to take it easy. AN ACADEMIC BOMB There is a story that a shrewd father who had a witless son sought desperately to improve the lat ter's mind ail to no avail. Finally convinced that his son would remain a fool, the old man advised the youngster to keep his mouth shut in the pres ence of intelligent people. The father reasoned that "his son's silence would be taken for wisdom and no one would guess that he was a nut. W e are told that the youngster grew up to be a college president. True or false, we do know that many persons whose intelligence is taken for granted often prove to be amazingly stupid when they air their views. Such is the case of Ernest Martin Hopkins who is president of famed Dartmouth college. President Hopkins has not only admitted that Dartmouth maintains a quota on the number of Jews who may study at the college but he publicly defends restrict ive quotas on the basis of race and religion. While this revelation is shocking enough, the reasoning of Dr. Hopkins is even more extraor dinary. Ho claims that the racial restrictions at Dartmouth are designed to promote tolerance. In a letter to a director of the Independent Citizens’ Committee of the Arts, Sciences, and Professions, the president of Dartmouth stated that his college ‘•would lose it? racial tolerance, which it is desper ately anxious not to lose, were we to accept unex arained the great blocks of Jewish applications which come in . . .'* For many years it has been charged that many of our best universities maintained an off-the record (junta system for Jews and Negroes. The medical schools in the eastern states have been, ac cording to widespread allegations, the worst of fenders. Some colleges, including Princeton, have refused to admit N’#groe-r at all. In some quarMn it is believed that Jewish students study harder than others and their very diligence has heen used as an excuse to limit their number at certain institutions. We can think of few acts more downright crim inal than this business of restricting the educational opportunities of Americans solely because of their religious belief or racial identity. Not only is this policy anti-democratic and pro-fascist, it is abso lutely dangerous to the national welfare. Look for e moment at the list of scientists who are credited with the discovery of atomic power which has en abled us to produce the atomic bomb. The Jewish scientists who were kicked out of Hitler's Europe have helped us to develop the most powerful source of energy known to mankind. The contribution of Jewish intellectuals and scientists to modern civilization is immeasurable. The discov eries of Jewish doctors in the field of medicine alone are enough .to put I)r. Hopkins to shame. To place a ceiling on the development of the brains of any group is a crime which cannot be defended among sane people anywhere. We believe that the revelation of the Hitlerite policies of Dartmouth should lead immediately to a Congressional investigation of the racial and re ligiouslpolicies of all American colleges. The serious ness or this situation warrants federal action. If fascism is nurtured in our educational system, we can have little hope for the survival of democracy. If we restrict the intellectual development of any group of Americans, we can have even less hope for our national existence in these days of earth shaking discoveries. THE STRAIGHT LINE Recently in New York, a group of Negro pub lishers were the luncheon guests of the publishers of Editor and Publisher, the most important trade journal of the newspaper profession in America. The meeting was designed to promote a better un derstanding between the Negro and white mem bers of the press. It was a rewarding experience and we believe both the colored and white newsmen present profited from the exchange of views. One point raised in the meeting was the social responsibilities of the big and powerful newspaper publishers whose papers influence millions of Amer icans every day. Marshall Field who owns the Chi cago Sun, PM and other publications, was cited as an example of a publisher who was fully aware of the role he might play to promote inter-group good will in America and international understanding throughout the world. Last month in California, Mr. Field further en hanced his reputation as a great national leader by an important speech on race relations. Said Mr. Field: “Modern thinking must be in terms of an ex panding universe rather than a restricted universe. Knowing this, free men who would remain free, and he who would become free, are concerned not only with their own freedom hut also with the freedom of all men to develop their full capabilities and po tentialities. They must concern themselves with the disadvantaged groups, those we ordinarily speak of as the minorities, and those who are ill fed, badly clothed, poorly housed, and sick in mind and body.” He made the following observation which un fortunately is too often overlooked by our national leaders: “Viewed in objective perspective, we are all members of racial, ethnic, and religious minori ties in this country and certainly in the world. In addition, in biological and cultural heritages of all of us there is something of all the major varia tions of the human race and of all the major cultures.” * In his concluding statement, Mr. Field suggest ed that all Americans should take some such pledge as the following: “I will not spread rumors that aid the racial war of the enemy against democracy. , “I will win the war at home by combating racial discrimination wherever I meet it. “I will respect the rights of all men equally, without regard to their race or creed.” There In confusion on this jnh sit uation Even the so-called author ities don't seem to know what's ahead for ns Rest thine for you to do is write 'our vacationing Congressman to vote for full em ployment legislation • • • The Saturday Evening F*oet i-a* a profile of John ‘Free Press' Knight this past week called, * L’p From Akron " 0 0 0 The South ts still divided about the new picture, “The Southern er" Memphis banned it and Winchell blames Rankin et al. for the furor over it. Rut the Daugh ters of the Confederacy have approved it. so it can t he very strong. 0 • • That new planned expansion for the DSR so ,nds good on paper hut uc ve go? our fingers rro««ed That airport plan also sounds good hut it has yet to get to ? ie action stage • • • If you ask me. Time Maga »ine overdid that on the fence attitude it takes about everything in its writeup about Dartmouth a president defending that college’s quota on Jews. That a one of those questions which doesn t have two sides—ontv the right - one—no quota on any group. 0 0 0 The war s o\ e-- h it some of *ncse 'Don t you know there « a war on'i elerks don t seem to rave heard the news Courtesy always pa's bu? now w hen there * a hlacklog of re sentment over had wartime man ner*. it * only good strategy for everyone to put hi« brs* foot for ward. Orchids to the C.reater Detroit and Wayne Countv ( ouncil of the ( lO for asking that Mississippi s mudslinger Bilbo he Impeached for his insulting "Dear Nigger" letter to two Detroit Negroes. Whv don't other Detroit groups get behind it" 0 0 0 Ne.-'n sfier'tifts had a hand in •he a'om.c homh Mav'ne now that peace ha; come all nations *>-d r* cs ean po'-] i'-r r k’ OW edge for tie good of mankind, or am I areurntni agt.n? EDITORIAL PAGE OF THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE That new NAACP campaign against restrictive covenants should rally all the white lib erals, If they’re worthy of the name. How about a few of them educating their neighbors to the fact that a Negro living beside them wouldn't bring the end of the world. • • • Detroit* victory celebration proved that Negroes and whites en rra<se can cn.iov themselves to gether. • • • Tome September the Baptists w ill invade Detroit and take over Olympia, no less Detroit is de veioping into a favorite convention ntv despite its bad national rep utation ¥>oo&Mt BY G E KTRU D£ w *3COTT MARTIN “RIOTS AND RUINS’* In "R. Us and Ruins" A Clayson Powell Sr, approaches his gubject with gusto He points out the dangerous situation in this rountrv where race hatred makes riots an ever dreaded possibility. His ap proarh i« sometimes cursory hut he makes up in enthusiasm what is sometimes lacking in thorough ness Thi« is a down-to-earth account of what is w rong with this country a« regards rare relations The au thor draws on his personal ex perience* for example to illustrate i the points he makes His com ments on the Detroit riot and the general racial situation here omit a number of pertinent points which would make his account complete. New York Riot He point* out that there wore two distinct phases in ’he Nr «. York not -the first a legitimate p r o'c* t action and the second i pr.djt—*ni estramed looting. He IN OUR NEWS BY HORACE WHITE WAR S END The end of our wars has come We are all so very happy about It. The rpd of the war is very important. The end of the war, however, is not nearly as im portant as the beginning of an era of peace. The peace of the world calls for a different kind of states manship. Peace calls fnr an un derstanding of the other frl low’s desires and wishes as well as our ability to ex press our de sires and wish, es and have R Jki Horace White them acved upon by the "other fellow.” The Negro population i* worried about the future a* we enter an era of peace The emergency of war has given the Negro people an opportunity to participate in the productive power of the United States on a very encouraging scale Reforr the comma of war the Negro people were given the "crumbs'’ from th'e industrial table of our beloved country. Will the American industry go hack to the use of the Negro as a marginal worker? Wll Negroes he pushed on the public relief rolls, all out of proportion to their numbers in the population., because of race prejudice” Will the returning Ne gro veteran have to hope that he ■a ill he treated second best among the veterans’ groups rather than be treated equally among all vet erans’’ Will Americans sav after the war as it did before the war that the time is not ripe and that the people need a g-eat deal more education before the Negroes of our country can be treated a< citizens? These and many more questions are run. nmg through the minds of the American Negro population American industry may try to use the Negro worker to weaken the labor movement in this roun trv. The white workers In the labor movement may try to ' grab’’ , false security at the expense of the Negro worker. American in dustry ran easily pit black worker against white worker when there is a shortage of jobs for the work ers. White workers who may he too desperate to see how they are being used will seek to use the Negro worker s difference in color to keep a job. Without thoughtful leadership the Negro worker will be likely to take anti-white worker attitudes. If the Negro worker takes an anti-white worker atti tude the stage will he all set for some industrialist to break the hack of the union on the basis of race prejudice. Ilis arguments will he that Negro workers and white workers cannot get along. The danger in our era of peace will be that race conflict in Amer- j ica will overshadow the real issues befnrp the American people. Sol- | diers will he returning and there will not be enough jobs for them There will be an effort, in face of this situation, to push the Negro ofT the job for the white soldier All kinds of trick* will be used to bring about the dismissal of the Negroes from jobs fnr white persons Negro workers will be charged with everything in the hook'’ to justify hi« losing the ioh to a non-Negro. This will mean race bitterness The Negro veteran will return to .America with a feeling that he fought for something important to him and his family democracy. There will he those among our population who will think that the fighting was done for the white .Americans. Such people will seek to remind the Negro soldier of this "notion.” The Negro soldier will not he reminded He would not have heen a worthy soldier If he could he reminded The Negro soldier will rxnrc' exactly to say he fought for dem- i oeraev. The American people will need to put their political "house” in order. The problems that are now i confronting the American people will have to be met with vigor on the part of the people. Manv of the men in high political office are unfit for a domestic job of . change and progress. The things that divide the American people are only smoke screens to prevent change and progress. The Ameri can people want jobs for all the people. America can provide jobs for all the people. On this the people are not divided The great majorltv of people In this country know that race conflict Is onlv a svmptom of too few jobs on a basis of equality, too little housing for all the people, too much inade quacy In education for all our people and too much disease both mental and physical None of these can become adequate without the control of government. Govern ment will Just "slide” along talking feverishly about “private enter prise” unless the people demand that their government take steps to bring about the “American Dream.” denounces bitterly the “hoodlums" who took p art in this second phase. s. The Rev. Mr Powell praises the 3V movement started by Wenrfcil P. Dabney of the Cincinna'i t r nir*n who advocates "victory abroad, at home and over ourselves" In this connection again he criticizes the hoodlum element in the Negro population which he infers is be yond help Although he decries the conditions under which Ne g ors live in this country he does not show that hoodlums are made and not horn The type of life that even a privileged Negro in this country mu«t lead i.s not con ducive to a well-adjusted person ality. When one considers the ad ditional aggravations and the hard ships which the underprivileged m i«t undergo, thri r anti-social ac tions can he explained Assorted flroups A «*rancely assorted group* of Nrgrne.-' and whi'es rom.e in for p;a;»e from the author. Among TIME TO FACE IT! Enquiring Reporterj Question: Do you think good times will follow the present la bor slump? P. A. Venable, 4126 Brush, teach- er of wind Inst r u - n.eriL' After h >ho:t period of setiiack- due to the sudden ending of tne war, loss of jobs, and over spend- ing —then, better time*. Detroit was an industrial cen ter before the ■war and after reconver. sinn she will 9B .Bfc. P. A. VenahJe return to normalcy which will mean better times for the indus trial worker. However, thing* will hardly return to the war-time sta tus." Miss Robbie Barnett. .VSO Mack. secretary, Com munity Mus.c School- *1 will not sav that good times will follow the pres en t labor slump Rut 1 believe that ex periences of the past in this pa ticular ins tan r will give our leaders a be’-er v ew of the fu ture ’ I’’' >% n La-. If Kkw v Mis* Barnett Otis S. Boyd. 322 P Canton, a««o- eiatr of Richard Ati«tin, ae eo'intant. "In my opinion, there will he no other period of prosperity sim ilar to th:s un less tnere is an o t h e r war “Things are go ing to return to normal. Peace time production will aid in fill ins the gap aft. er reconversion but things w o n't be as Otis Boyd they were during the war.” Miw Puth Watt*. IRn2O Revere, instructor in piano and the ory "No* 1 do believe that a long period of read jus t m e n t and reconstruc tion will be brought on in daily living be cause of the re strictions that were enforced during the war. Rut I don t think there will be any good time*' follow ing the present labor slump.” w" ir **»> Edgar Brazeltnn. 3P.lfi Rrush. owner, Acme FJnwer shop "We shall. 1 be. lieve. return to what some of us term a good time af’er la bor and man agement haie had a definite understand t n z thai will bene, fit all ” Mr. Bra*elton them are Virginius Dabney of Vir ginia and Gov. F.llis Arnall of Georgia, and Dr. Gordon Hancock He docs not go all the way with Lillian Smith and Marilyn Kaom merle. for instance Os Mis« Smith he writes "Lillian Smith, as a white woman, has a right to ad. vise w hite people to e,it wi’h coi (Continued on pace II) LAB 0 R /cc/s! ////rad m OfO W CROCKETT Dick Frankensteen's s.ctory i” tiie Detro t mayoral campaign is •being played up in tne nation •> press as a labor victors- There are those Alio *ee n it some :e.ation- *hip to the iyl - ent labor par ty viciory in (ireat H:itain. IT IS TRI E. of co use. that F r an k. e n steen, a dv na mic labor union leader, did have the active support of organ ir.ed labor, but it is only theoreti cally corr ect to refer to his success as a labor victory. H.s victory, like the eoent victory of the British La bor Party. belongs not to organ zed labor as such h i* to trie too i. >ands of ordinary men and a om en who a:e determ.’’cd now *' :e than ever he f re ‘ i e\cr« sc greater measure of control me: the affairs of their govet nmc-v Only part, a small part, of these people are members of or ganized labor as such; the bulk of them here, as in Britain, have no direct connection with labor unions. Thev simple believe In the far-sighted program labor offers this rommunitj and Amer ica generally. • • • DETROIT IS TIIK her r nz o' this post-war rev... .non in po' cal thought The coming New York City e ertions w I cm' •• e this tide \nd we believe that by tor time roll* a-o ;nd. the o erwhelm n; majo -of \ 'e:< nv er the ce in* y vi'l waKc th*s pew spin’ of liberalism n govern ment an integral part of our na tional scene Whether or not we are alone in thus anticipating Frankenstcen s eventual elector; and w erne our analysis of t'e long-’erm ef fect of she Detroit pnm » v -> cor. iret can be tested b) noting i how fre e■ I th# Trutna ministration n nve« ‘ -ligh' > 'ct of center” during the com ng months. • • • The ATOMIC BOMB is the most Inhumane form of warfare yet devised hv a civilized na tion. Its potential for Indiscrim inate mischief ranks on an equal footing with the use of poison gas. As such, it should be prohib ited by the laws of Nations— If it is not already THAT SI CH WOl l.n l ave her the views of all fair-minded Americans had the bomb been first discovered and used by Ger many. or .Japan nr even Russia 1 hardly will be denied The fact that our country was the first to discover and to u it .n this war should not. we thick a'ter our moral condemnation of this mo.«t wanton and moc cruel method off destroying human life But the chief danger of mir lat est atomic discovers is to he found in its potential peace-time u»rs by industry as a labor-saving device. If our traditional method of sup -1 planting man-made energy w ith machine-made energy is followed in the use nf this ncwlv found atbmm process, we a>e in for the greatest m >ss unemployment, mis cry and human turmoil The world has ever known. For in the past, industry, aided and ahettrd by a complaisant government, has gone .along ignorantl'* assuming that the economic hardships and suf fering attendant upon such start ling changes in our economic order will automatically level off and ad just themselves But the workers in our rra>s production industries know this is not true. • • • IF ON THE other hand we rec ognize that scienep exists to help and not to harm mankind, that ns aim always should be the lessm j ing of human w oes, then our dis covery and eventual reduction to . peaceful pursuits of the enormous ; energy generated by >p!itting the atom should ieduce immeasurably the amount of human .labor needed to nprr,<'e o>;r industries and advance oi.r economy w" le increasing ended y t'-e amount of return the worgers -halt ge* in l wages aa wtii as m leisure time. Ruth Watt* SATURDAY, AUGUST 25. 1945 Whether a e shall follow the one o .'-e or t-e other will depend in the In- - • m upon tne cond.. t ' - go.er Tent imposes n mas* i . ' itoftuc. d.sc '\ery a\a..abi« to i'.d .-tiy. • • • > \< \TIOM\G HERE in Wash ,r 1 .'i - . o oid a «oc.ates in ’ •* fe if i , >er ~i e brings hai k. • : >! .e> of : e R oo>e . e t > ra: * i r ., , s- r , \rgrn ho'd.r.g a r.-p -v ve fedora appointment a s 'ed Pv t e D.es Cot:! •T# s a Cotit. .■ or a fellow-ira\. e r-. Somehow tbev omit'ed '«a from *his exalted sor etv; and th.s om.ss on left us feeling like jnrrs one who had heen secretly mves t gated and found unworthy to be classed as an outspoken champion of human rights and human dig nify. Tne ote's.ght m.av have been and .e to our pos ton as a high rink mg a:torne\ m t-e Pepar*- mens o' l.abor- a department 1 * n a.< and ■.» e su*pe«-t i 5 n isly safe for ant;- ~i oor so: vTs. • • • G. tV. Crorkett ,lr NEVERTHELESS. WT, in iv w; *h thousands of other or d "arv Americans. cont n.,e to v irider ; ist v hat the-e s «o v o g aou.it Comm .n.sm or ’he On.r.m.unthat ’ r>e--,p thinke'i e.erywnere ii\e in deadlv fear 'hat thev w 1 ce ca.led CdTJtun* prcfer-icg • ie safer r.omer c 1 1 ;: e o # Soy, a 1 ;»*«. !nw < rd'' • ne\ ivr.nv, a« do we, 'all who fearlessly and con s ent ni.slv fign’ the battle f«r de mnr vary and for fieedorn for men ,ri w or’d today a espr t ■ < brothers-in-arms wth th# dr»p;-rd R i«s in Communists. Certa n y the common of Brita.n, F'a*' e, Oh "a and Ttalv ha e recognize-, this Kinship Why no* we here in America 1 W‘ \ for example has thi» fear of bong labelled a Oommunist become - ,cn a”. ob , »es«;on amorg cot a ’ 1 -\c - • of hesita'e ' 1 P ».«e ope md read the Cot - ■ • .vr . s noncha tntly as ws» would read a Snr o. <• pa ce.- or tne De’roit News? Why do vo «*err e’ea- of nooks by Karl M *«* o the Communist. Manifes to nut nave rn q,a ms whatever ' •» ope- \ -e.d Pla’o s "Re puhli ’or Henry George s *Trog !<'.-« r.nd Povc tv" cr even the New* Tes’amc t 1 The one contains sho :t a« much Communistic think ing .is *he othe- except that we do •■o’ Ike to thmK of the Bible as <■< nf.. • • g Oommur.isn' we .pre fer to -av that if is ".social” gos pel or socialism ” THE ANSWER TO th « fear, to this pe--. er-sion of reasoning, is to be found in the diabolical thor oughness with which an antj-Rus sian daily ptess in America has made t ost of us its thought-slave* We think urconsciousl v as we read md s nrc our general read me ever since the last World War has been anti-Communist, our thoughts are too And so m our thinking it is almost a crime ever to ho identified in thought, let alone in aclinr., with the so-called Communist "1 ne Hence, the fart that no Communist Party mem be s are for this or that measure in Congress, or favor this or that course "f action no matter how sound the s ipporting reasons rrav be means that w e must be against if o: lay onrsehea a to .being rlasv«d as Communists This .« downright foolishness It defies all so' sc of log c. Reduced to its simplest iri ms it means t H at e-. erv pri son aho believes that he or she shou’d he free to work e*t t 'ive or move the same as anyone else or *o marry whomjoever he or she pleases the same as anyone else must be a Communut—be cause tn < i« what Communum is supposed to teach. • • • BY THE SAME spurious reason ing. everyone who believes that the government is the sum total of all the people and, as such, should rontrol and supervise the wealth of the nation the national 1 resources and the means of pro duction mu.-t be a Communist since tins also is what Commun is n is supposed to teach And evcrvnne who believes that the hu’k of the large fortunes amassed n this rountrv from the I (Continued on page II)