The guardian. [volume], January 14, 1939, Image 1

About The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960

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THE GUARDIAN
VOL. 38, NO. 11
FIRST LADY FOR ANTI-LYNCH BILL
New WPA Cut Will Layoff A Million
Maid Saves Five Children — Chicago Pastor Hits Club J. Crow
COLORED HEROINE SAVES
LIVES OF 5 WHITE CHILDREN
NEWARK, X. J., .Jan. 7—(CNA)
A heorie colored maid, Mrs. Mary
Flint, this week saved the lives of five
whip' children when, disregarding her
own safety, she refused to abandon a
tin stricken house here until she had
rci .oved all of the youngsters.
L <■-. Flint worked as a maid in the
-tor. residence of Mrs. Patrick
h eut Bathgate Place. Mrs. Ruane
: the five children with Mrs. Flint
went out shopping. Mrs. Flint
wa- working on the second floor when,
noticing smoke, she ran downstairs and
discovered the fire in the basement. Her
first aet was to seize the sleeping two
months -old baby, William, from his
CHICAGO PASTOR BLASTS
"LILYWHITE" AUTO CLUB
• lll( AGO—Resenting repeated in
vitations mailed him to become a mem
ber of the Illinois Automobile Club,
which according to its letterheads is
tor whites only”, Rev. J. L. Horace
pastor of Monumental Baptist Church,
rebuked the organization in a reply as
follows:
“I am tired of being repeatedly in
sulted by the enclosed matter which
you send out.
“Check your mailing list and remove
Haihe sol wifi not fee'eitc ariy more
such trash and insults. You have the
nerve to say ‘white persons only’ as
though being white was a badge of
honor.
"The enclosed picture of Mary
Schuck from the Herald and Examin
er is a white person. So was Dillinger
and F. Donald Coster who wrecked the
80-million dollar McKesson drug chain
recently.
“Capone is white; so is “Machine
Gun” Kelley; so are Hitler and Mus
solini, public enemies number one of
civilization and humanity. In fact all
PROTEST RACE SLUR
broadcasts used
“PICKANINNY”
A sharp rebuke to the Molle Shav
ing Cream Company and to Radio Sta
tion WNAC, Boston, was registered
by Mrs. Robert Watkins of
14 Matson St., over the use of the
word ‘pickaninny” to describe a col
ored baby in one of their programs a
few nights ago.
The slurring epithet, Mrs. Walkins
stated, was used by Julia Sanderson
on her broadcast for the cosmetic con
cern on January 10. “The use of this
term, ’ Mrs. Watkins’ protest stated,
in reference to a colored woman’s
baby is very insulting and I demand
a public apology. This demand is
made on behalf of all of the colored
people everywhere. I am sending a
copy of this letter to the National
Association for the Advancement of
Colored People, the National Congress,
and other organizations, as well as the
newspapers.”
A previous complaint a few days
before concerning the use of deroga
tory words in referring to the colored
HUB SOPRANO
DELIGHTS SO.
ATLANTA, Ga., Jan. 8 (Special)—
Bessie Helena Mayle, lyric soprano, of
Boston, Mass., was heard in a recital
in Howe Memorial Hall last night by
an appreciative audience when she was
presented by the Spelman College mu
sic department, of which Kemper
Harreld, is director. Miss Mayle was
assisted by the College Glee Club, un
der the direction of Willis Laurence
James, and by Drew Days, Morehouse
’36, Atlanta violinist.
This was Miss Mayle’s first Atlanta
(Continued on Page 4)
DePriest Garage
255 NORTHAMPTON ST.
Oil - Gas - Repairing • Storage
Now Maintaining the
Ford Service
T«L lENwn use H. Thpnp.
crib in a room on the first floor and
rush him to the street. Then, braving
the dense smoke, she went baek into
the house and carried out the other
children whom she found huddled to
gether, terrified, in the cellar. Almost
overcome by smoke herself, she hauled
them to safety. The other rescued
children were Patrick, Jr., 7; Marine,
5; Dennis, 3; and John, 22 months.
Firemen declared they believed the
fire was caused by a burning stick
which one ot the children east into a
pile of papers in the cellar. Neighbors
sounded the alarm and the fire was eon
fined to the basement.
। the notorious and world renowned
crooks whom I know are white.
“There is nothing about the automo
bile club that is so lofty as to justify
the drawing of lines racially. I aiii
pastoring an outstanding church of
about 900 members and rendering un
selfish service to all races daily, and
my record is good.
“I know many cultured colored men
and women whose records are as ‘elean
as a hound's tooth’ and who are as
Honorable as any member of your club.
“Yet, you have the nerve to hold up
‘race’ as a means of evaluating person
ality. How silly! An automobile club
so stupid should have its license re
voked.
“People who are blind enough to
ignore character, honor and merit to
rate men and women on being white
or black, are not ready to live in a
democracy but are seriously in need of
sympathy, education and Christian
training.”
Rev. Horace is one of the city’s
prominent ministers.
race had been answered apologetically
by the National Broadcasting Com
pany.
Mass. St. Union Joins Protest
At the Executive Board Meeting of
the Mass. State Union, Monday even
ing, the Union went on record as
strongly denouncing the Radio Broad
cast listed as the Saturday evening
Serenade. The program was spon
sored by the Pet Condensed Milk Co.,
One of the songs introduced was that
of “My Lill’ Alabama Coon” in which
occurred the words, “Pickanniny,”
“darky,” “kinky hair,” and other lines
derogatory to the race.
The matter was brought to the at
tention of the Board by Miss Susie
Jones, Chairman, an ardent supporter
of equal rights who is continually on
the alert for the elimination of every
thing that savors of prejudice or in
sult to the race.
Mesdames M. Cravath Simpson,
Louise Pearman and Viola Mason were
appointed to write a letter of protest
to the Company. The Union requests
all persons who heard the broadcast to
send letters of protest, also.
(Thnnw Snwfit
Tickets were going fast this week for
the coming Benefit Cabaret and Ball
that is being staged for Clement 0.
Thorne, who is seriously ill in a local
sanatorium.
The affair has drawn an unpreced
ented response from white and colored
friends of the former entertainment
manager and promoter. George Hol
land, in his weekly column in the Bos
ton Sunday American, mentioned the
affair and praised Thorne as one of
the best men in his field. Harold Oxley,
manager of Jimmie Lunceford, sent a
telegram of sympathy to a local writer
this week, and pledged his support to
the effort.
Included in the sponsors for the
benefit are some of the city’s best
known figures. These include members
of the Federal Theatre Project, the
Music Project, and others with whom
Thorne worked recently.
Six bands will play continuously for
the affair, and entertainers will bring
interesting acts between dances. The
Cabaret is being held in the Ritz Plaza
Ballroom on the evening of Jan. 31.
Admission will be nominal and the
public is invited.
GUARDIAN, BOSTON, MASS., JANUARY 14, 1939
COLORED LAD
HOUSE PAGE
A delegation headed by Cornelius
McKane called at the office of Speaker
Christian Herter Tuesday and thanked
him for his appointment of Elwood
McKenney of Everett as a page to the
House of Representatives.
This is a non-politieal appointment.
Behind it is a beautiful real-life story,
like one series of Alger stories.
A young fellow goes out of his way
to accommodate a stranger who turns
out to be a state official. Tn appre
ciation of the lad's act of kindness, the
official undertakes to help him further
his education and the appointment is
the result.
Representative Abraham Zimon and
Senator Brackman approved the ap
pointment. Members of the delegation
were Miss Gertrude Schalk. Wilfred
Scott, Harry Ellis, Daniel Ware, port
er to the House, A. E. Louis and Rep
resentative Zimon of Ward 12. Absent
members of the delegation who sent
letters were Aty. Joseph S. Mitchell,
Atty. Irwin T. Dorch, Col. Larkland
F. Hewitt and Dr. Benjamin E. Rob
inson.
OFFICER
■Vs ■ 1
I -1* I
ALFRED BAKER LEWIS
One of the Bostonians elected to high
office at annual meeting of NAACP
NAACP ELECTS
OFFICERS
NEW YORK, Jan. 3— Alfred Baker
Lewis of Cambridge, Mass., was elected
to the board of directors and Godfrey
Lowell Cabot was re-elected a vice
president of the National Association
for the Advancement of Colored Peo
ple, at the Association’s thirtieth an
nual business meeting held at 69 Fifth
Avenue.
Other directors elected were New
York’s Lieutenant Governor - elect,
Charles Poletti, and Col. Theodore
Roosevelt, son of the famous Theodore
Roosevelt; Louis C. Blount, of De
troit, president of the Great Lakes
(Continued on Page 5)
G —
MAMBA'S
DAUGHTERS
BR'DWAY HIT
NEW YORK, (C)— Willie Bryant,
who gave up his orchestra and the title
of “Long John” of the radio, has made
a hit as the villain in “Mamba’s
Daughters”, which opened at the
Empire Theatre, 143 Broadway, Tues
day evening, January 3, starring Ethel
Waters. Georgette Harvey takes a
prominent role, playing “Mamba.”
Miss Waters was hailed as giving
one of the best performances of the
current season. Burnie Mantle, lead
ing Broadway critic, said: “Count this
a great democracy and add the name
of Ethel Waters to the list of this
theatre season’s immortals who have
been cheered by their audiences. The
colored singer’s performance in a new
drama of the deep South called ‘Mam
ba’s Daughters’ was the inspiration
and the occasion—the opening per
formance of the play at the revered
Empire Theatre.”
Fredi Washington as “Lissa,” and
J. Rosamund Johnson as preacher and
leader of a chorus, brought praise
from the critic, also.
HUGE WPA SLASH
TO LAY OFF MANY
WASHINGTON—More than a mil
lion WPA workers will lose their jobs
by the end of spring if the proposed
slash in relief appropriations is voted
by Congress. At least ten per cent
of those thrown out of WPA relief
work will be colored.
The House Appropriations sub com
mittee has approved a cut of $150,-
000,000 from the $875,000,000., the
President’s figure which he deemed
necessary to keep all at work.
“We have a right to ask whether
those who voted for only $725,000,000
are wilfully seeking to promote such
suffering among the unemployed as
to drive them to desperation. Do they
wish by their action to make the
streets of our cities scenes of riots of
hungry, jobless men, women and
children?” it was asked.
Leaders of the CIO and Labor’s non-
Partisan League called on Congress
men in a vigirous campaign to enroll
their support against the $150,000,000
slash and in favor of an adequate ap
propriation. Rep. Cannon. Democrat,
of Missouri, member of the Sub Com
mittee denounced the committee’s ac
tion as “arbitrary” and declared that
the slash amounted to taking “food,
clothing and shelter, from 4,000,000
to 6,000.000 people in the dead of win
ter”. He said he would offer an
amendment to restore the appropria-
(Continued on Page 4)
CALL D. S. KLUGH
TO N. H. CHURCH
At the quarterly meeting of the
People’s Baptist Church of Ports
mouth, New Hampshire, it was unani
mously voted to extend a call to David
S. Klugh of Boston to become pastor.
Mr. Klugh is the son of the late Rev.
Dr. D. S. Klugh, for many years the
distinguished pastor of peoples Bap
tist Church in Boston. He has been
supplying the church since June, and
has made a very favorable impression
upon the community and congregation.
Mr. Klugh is a third year student at
Gordon Theological School and also
studied at Harvard, doing work in
philosophy, psychology, economics, and
literature, during the summer sessions.
Since 1935 he has been active in the
New England Student Christian
Movement, having served as Chairman
of the Inter Race Commission, of the
Metropolitan Student Y.W.C.A., mem
ber of the Church Commission, and of
the General Committee of the New
England Area. Under his powerful
leadership the New England Student
Conference on Education for Demo
cracy was organized and convened in
1937. Mr. Klugh has also served on
the editorial staff of the Gordon Col-
(Continued on Page 5)
G —
William
Haii tn Urnt
When death claimed as*her„own the
late William T. Pierce of Clarendon
Avenue, Cambridge, a man who in a
quiet unassuming way had been a
worthy example to coming generations
was taken from the midst of a large and
affectionate family and a group of de
voted friends.
To his children, he was an ever faith
ful father, sacrificing much for the wel
fare of his seven offsprings, and to his
friends, a cheerful inspiration, often
lending a helping hand in a time of
need. There are men, perhaps, whose
deeds are broadcast more widely, blit to
one who knew his kindly spirit, such as
I had the pleasure of knowing it, the
remembrance of his being will be last
ing.
He was born in Raleigh, North Caro
lina, about sixty-seven years ago and
came to Boston while a young man.
The stories of his youth which he de
lighttd in relating were filled with
glimpses of an earnest endeavor to
reach the better things in life. Striv
ing toward that end, he studied for
many years in evening schools while
working days to provide the needs of a
growing family. Such ambition and
determination won for him the admira
tion of many persons in high places and
he numbered among his staunchest
friends many of the educators of his
generation.
He was from the earliest time a loyal
supporter of the late William Mon
roe Trotter and THE GUARDIAN.
(Continued on Page 4)
MRS. ROOSEVELT FOR
ANTI LYNCH LAW
DELEGATE
/
/ 1
\ > i / Mm
(A ■ ,> V
A*
JULIAN D. STEELE
Head of the new Armstrong-Hemenway Foundation, who is attending N.Y.A.
Conference in Washington, D. C.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 1 — Mrs.
Franklin D. Roosevelt, speaking be
fore a colored NY A meeting here was
greeted with enthusiastic applause
when she declared that she favored the
iuimeihaie iiiaelnivm of a Federal law
to curb lynching.
In reply to a question from one of
the youthful delegates, the First Lady
said that anti-lynch legislation should
be so worded as to apply to all kinds
of mob violence and that she would
like to see it passed as soon as possi
ble.
“I doubt very much if a law will ac
| tually stop lynching”, she added. “But
I would like to see it passed because it
I puts us, as a whole, against something
which we should all be against.”
Mrs. Roosevelt spoke before the
Second National Youth Conference
called by Mrs. Mary McLeod Bethune
a director of the NY A. The Washing
ton session is being attended by lead
ers in planning for the welfare and
UGE WANTS MORE
IN ARMY and NAVY
WASHINGTON, Jan. 9—(C) —
The United Government Employes,
Edgar G. Brown, president, has
launched a drive for increased mem
bership in ’39, and has forwarded to
President Roosevelt and members of
the 76th Congress a ten point set of
New Year’s resolutions calling for in
creased pay for all low paid govern
ment workers, civil service and civil
rights reform for the District of Co
lumbia, admittance of colored youth
into the U. S. Air Corps, Naval Acad
emy, Marines, and a large quota in the
regular army, and appointment by the
President of a colored person to the
Board of District Commissioners.
G
Rev. Fuller at First
Bapt. Ch., Chelsea
Sunday evening, January 8, Rev.
Luther Marion Fuller, pastor of
People’s Church in Chelsea, preached
at the First Baptist Church of Chelsea
of which Rev. Harvey W. Hollis is
pastor. Orlando Tibbetts, assistant
pastor, led the services. Rev. Fuller
preached to a very interested audience
on the subject, “Christ and Repent
ance,” Isaiah 55: 6-7: “Seek the Lord
while He may be found, call upon Him
while He is near; Let the wicked man
forsake his ways and the unrighteous
man his thoughts, and return unto the
Lord.”
Rev. Hollis preached on the same
subject at People’s Church at the same
hour. For the past week or more a
successful preaching mission has been
going on in Chelsea with the ministers
of all the churches exchanging pulpits.
The members of the First Baptist
Church expressed their desire to have
Rev. Fuller preach for them again in
the near future. A very warm friend
ship exists between Rev. Fuller and
the pastor and assistant pastor of the
First Paptist Church of Chelsea. As
sistant pastor Tibbetts led a Candle
(Continued on Page 4)
PRICE FIVE CENTS
needs of youth from all over the coun
try.
Julian I). Steele of Boston, head of
the Armstrong-Hemenway Foundation
1 and director for over two years of the
Outer Entl Joint Planning
Board, is in Washington this week at
tending the conference. He is here at
the meeting at the express invitation
of the New England Director of Youth
Work for the government and other
high-ranking officials.
During the sessions Mr. Steele pre
sented his “Interracial Progress” plan
for New England, which includes the
entry of colored young men and wom
en into many fields in which they do
not at present find instruction and
employment.
Steele is head of the Advisory Board
of the Massachusetts NYA.
Other Boston delegates attending
the convention are Charles Florence,
Attorneys Matthew W. Bullock and
1 Joseph S. Mitchell.
CHILD GENIUS
: T
IL- *
I a m •
LITTLE PHILIPPA SCHUYLER
The precocious small daughter of col
umnist Schuyler of New York to be
presented Jan. 22 by Boston Deltas.
DELTAS PRESENT
CHILD PRODIGY
Philippa Schuyler, daughter of
George S. Schuyler, nationally known
columnist, will be presented by the
Boston Chapters of Delta Sigma Theta
Sorority, Sunday, Jan. 22, at Twelfth
Baptist Church at 3:00.
Although only seven years old,
Philippa has gained National recog
nition as a Pianist-Composer. She
began playing at the early age of
three and since then has composed 30
piano pieces and 40 melodies for the
voice. Three of her compositions have
been published with her photograph on
the cover and will be sold at the con
cert. Philippa's superior mental capa
city has been tested by psychologists
from Columbia and New York Uni
versities. Her I.Q. is above 180, and
above 140 is considered genius.
“Golden brown Philippa Duke
(Continued on Page 4)