The guardian. [volume], February 04, 1939, Image 1

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

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THE GUARDIAN
VOL. 38, NO. 14
TEXAS COV. SHOWS INHUMANITY
Jo Baker to Divorce — Protest Ban On Artist
:dna Brown Bagnall, J. C. Westmoreland, Addie Farris Smith, Pass
BISHOP HERBERT WELCH
Who will be at Fourth M. E. Church, Sunday, February 5
BISHOP WELCH AT
4th M.E. SUNDAY
Bishop Herbert Welch of the Boston
Area of the Methodist Episcopal
1 hurch will be the guest preacher at
Fourth Methodist Episcopal Church,
coiner of Shawmut Avenue and Wil
liams Street, Sunday morning, Feb. 5,
at 10:30 a.m. Bishop Welch is one of
the outstanding Bishops in the Metho
dist Church. He is a scholar, preacher,
author, administrator, and a Christian
brother. Bishop Welch always has a
message and delivers it in an impres
sive manner. The Rev. S. Marion
Riley, Jr., pastor of the Fourth M. E.
Church, is taking courses at Boston
' niversity School of Theology, leading
to the Doctor’s Degree. He extends a
cordial invitation to the friends and
members of Fourth M. E. Church to
be present Sunday.
- —g
9idtits lllvstmnrdanb
owii at fill
" ulius C aesar Westmoreland passed
away Wednesday, Feb. 1 at his resi
' < nc e, 119 St. Botolph St., after seven
'■■ears illness, following a stroke. Can
eer was the final illness and for the
past three months he was blind.
Funeral services will take place
-aturday a.m. from the John O’Brien
uneral I arlors. Surviving are the
ydow Ada Bland Westmoreland,
'laughter Adna Kinkhead, son, James,
several brothers and sisters.
G—
STUDY SHOWS
RAPE LEAST
AMONG COL D.
tb?n W -+ Y pc K ~ Tbe crime of rape in
theUmted States is committed least
Xn? r d ? n< most by for eign whites,
F tatistics contained in a
new book Crime and the Man” by Dr.
” A* A Hooton, head of the
vnrH ° f anth ropology at Har
vard University.
rßnk^ Ho ° tOn ’ S fiffures show that the
&" 1 rape in America are as
{T' 8 ? white> 12 5 Per cent :
G bu J foreign parentage,
American, 4.7 percent;
Percent P<!r Cent: Colored - 43
so ¥ oton ’ s statistics found that
KV forV N ° rdiC tVPeS K ° in
teiia an<l fraud ' Ma -
a i t^ e was gathered over
field w n rt° f years by trained
at N i ine . years w as spent
before th”! a , na l yzin K the material
rntore the book was published.
DePriest Garage
255 NORTHAMPTON ST.
Oil - Gas . Repairing - Storage
Now Maintaining the
Ford Service
KENmor. 8358 H. Th<m>p,o.. Prop.
TEXAS GOV.
ADDS SUSPENSE
to DEATH PENALTY
AUSTIN, Tex., Feb. 3, (CNA)—
Asserting that death was not suffi
cient punishment for Winzel Williams,
convicted of killing his white em
ployer,Governor Lee O’Daniel has
postponed the execution of Williams
for 30 days that Williams would
suffer the more. Williams was to have
been executed on Feb. 3, but on the
preceding day Governor O’Daniel or
dered a thirty-day reprieve.
“It seems to me,” O’Daniel said,
“that few forms of punishment could
be more harsh than to see certain
death staring you in the face day and
night for thirty days.”
O’Daniel is on record as opposed to
(Continued on Page 5)
Z \
LATE R. EDWIN SCOTT
(See "A Man to Remember," page 4
HUB ARTISTS
IN SPRINGFIELD
MILDRED DAVENPORT AND
DORIS DANDRIDGE HARRIS
APPEAR IN RECITAL THERE
Two artists who triumphed as solo
ists with the Boston Symphony
Orchestra in 1937 and 1938, namely
Doris Dandridge-Harris, pianist and
Mildred Davenport, danseuse, added to
their laurels in a Springfield joint-re
cital Friday of last week. Presented
by the Springfield Colored Women’s
political and Civic Club of which Mrs.
Stella Ritter Thomas, prominent vio
linist, is president, these artists were
shown to great advantage at the
Springfield Women’s Club, where were
assembled notables of both groups.
Mrs. Harris was highly compliment
ed on her pianistic technique, especi
ally in the works of Debussey, while
Mildred Davenport received her usual
acclaim particularly for her interpre
tation of the religious suite. Said one
of the critics of the Springfield Repub
lican, “These artists are of unusual
(Continued on. Page 5)
GUARDIAN, BOSTON, MASS., FEBRUARY 4, 1939
OPERA STARS PROTEST D.A.R.
BAN ON MARIAN ANDERSON
NEW YORK —-Famous names in
the world of music including stars of
the Metropolitan Opera, voiced a
strong protest against the action of the
Daughters of the American Revolution
in barring Marian Anderson from
singing at a concert in Washington’s
Constitution Hall, April 9.
The D.A.R. owns the building, the
only suitable concert auditorium in the
Nation’s capital, and has a contract
clause prohibiting the appearance of
colored artists in the hall.
In a telegram addressed to the NAA
CP in which he termed the action of
the D.A.R. “undemocratic and un-
American,” Lawrenee Tibbett, star of
the Metropolitan Opera and president
of the American Guild of Musical Ar
tists said: “You can count upon my
personal support for any action to
alter this rule. I shall also recommend
that the board of governors of the
Guild pass a resolution supporting
your stand.”
Others who voiced similar protests
in telegrams to the Association in-
WALTER WHITE CALLS FHA
J. C. "DANGEROUS TENDENCY"
NEW YORK—Officials of the Fed
eral House Authority were accused of
exercising a “dangerous tendency” in
assuming “that all human beings are
incurably prejudiced” by Walter
White in an address before the Na
tional Public Housing Conference at
the Commodore Hotel.
Sharply criticizing the Government
agency for discriminatory practices
that have worked to the disadvantage
of colored citizens who are entitled to
decent housing, Mr. White said: “It
has been my observation that this dis
crimination is as frequently due to
ignorance and timidity on the part of
otherwise decent people interested in
housing as it is due in some instances
to outright prejudice. It is an exceed
ingly dangerous tendency for Federal
officials to assume that all human be
ings are incurably prejudiced against
members of other racial groups. Coup-
JO BAKER QUITS
| WHITE MATE
PARIS, Feb. 3, (CNA) Josephine
Baker, former Harlem dancer who be
came the toast of Paris, was reported
this week to be preparing to divorce
her second white husband, 29-year old
Roger Jean Lion.
Miss Baker, who married Lion in
November, 1937, at the little town of
Crevecoeur-le-Grand to the strains of
the Mendelssohn “Wedding March” as
rendered by the town’s fire brigade
band, and a rifle salute by the home
guard, has been separated from her
husband for several weeks, according
to the newspaper Le Soir.
G
BOSTON GIRL TO
HOWARD PLACE
WASHINGTON, D. C — Miss Doro
thy M. Thomas, of Boston, brilliant
student of music at Howard Univer
sity, has been appointed secretary in
the Howard University School of Medi
cine, Department of Bacteriology and
Public Health. The position is a per
manent, year-round one.
Miss Thomas acquired her business
education in the Boston Clerical
School. She was give an opportunity
to render service in the business line
for several departments and doctors at
Howard. Her work having met with
general approval, she was readily se
lected by a special board of University
officers when the position became va
cant.
Miss Thomas is pursuing a course
in Public School music. She expressed
herself as being fortunate and highly
(Continued on Page 6)
cluded: Kirsten Flagstad, famous so
prano of the Metropolitan Opera, who
said: “As a foreigner in America I
have always been impressed by the
freedom and democracy in this country.
I therefore am greatly surprised to
learn from you that the use of Con
stitution Hall in Washington has been
refused for a concert to my fellow ar
tist, Marian Anderson.”
Geraldine Farrar, former Metropoli
tan Opera star called for rescinding
“so unjust a ban in our country that
loudly proclaims its democratic prin
ciples in the interest of a superb ar
tist.”
“The doors of Constitution Hall
should be opened wide for Marian An
derson,” said Walter Damroseh, fa
mous composer and conductor.
Speaking for Leopold Stokowski,
former conductor of the Philadelphia
Symphony Orchestra, who described
Miss Anderson as one of “the World’s
greatest artists,” Faith Reed, his assis
tant said, “America should value its
artists. They are an important part of
our national and cultural life.”
led with this is the tendency and even
the wiHrngness on the part of officials
to succumb without protest to what are
assumed to be the prejudices of those
who are to be housed.”
White pointed out that at recent
hearings held in Syracuse, N. Y. by the
New York State Temporary Commis
sion on the Condition of the Colored
Urban Population “the head of the
local housing project blandly recited
how ten blocks of colored slums and
twenty blocks of white slums were des
troyed to erect a housing project ex
clusively for white Americans.”
“When pinned down,” White said,
“this official sought to dodge by saying
that he would follow the “American
Plan’, which turned out to be that col
ored tenants dispossessed from the ten
blocks of slums, would have to shift
for themselves and find room as best
they could in some other slum area.”
Kz A
“■re ‘ nun,l
LOUIS E. PASCO
Who was recently elected Senior
Warden of St. Bartholomew's Epis
copal, Cambridge.
LOIS JONES'
FINE EXHIBIT
The local chapters of Alpha Kappa i
Alpha lived up to their very high cul
tural standards in presenting the ex-।
hibition of paintings and Water Colors
of Lois Mailou Jones at 558 Massachu
setts Ave. this past week. It was the
cultural event of the season and hun
dreds of people filed in and out on
Sunday and all the week. Lois Jones
appears to be the outstanding Colored
Woman Artist. One almost felt the
gentle winds of rural France in “Old
Mill—Fretin, Northern France” and
their fragrance in French Gardens in
walked midst flowers that all but gave
“The Garden of Cluny” and “The Lux-
(Continued on Page 5)
EDNA BROWN
BAGNALL PASSES
Friends in the city were shocked at
news of the sudden passing of Mrs.
Edna Brown Bagnall, member of a
well-known Dover, N. H„ and Boston
family, almost the last of her line to
go. Mrs. Bagnall, who was residing
on Chilton St., Cambridge, died after
only a few 7 days illness. The funeral
was held Wednesday, Feb. 1, at 11
a.m., from Norris Davis’ funeral par
lors on Humboldt Ave., the Christian
Science ritual being used. Body was
taken to Dover, N. H. and interred in
the family lot there. One daughter,
Mrs. Eleanor Miller, a grand-son and
other relatives survive.
Mrs. Bagnall was the widow of the
late Rev. Powhatan Bagnall, former
pastor of St. Mark Church, and sister
of the late Nellie Brown Mitchell, a
noted singer in her day. Mrs. Bagnall
herself was a musician, possessing a
well trained soprano voice. A brother
was the late Edward Everett Brown,
Esq., very well known a couple of
decades ago as a public spirited citizen
and eloquent speaker. Mrs. Bagnall
was engaged in civic work and will be
missed by a large circle of friends.
NATION WIDE
DRIVE TO FREE
5 SCOTTS. BOYS
—k
NEW ORK, Feb. 3, (Ben Davis,
Jr., for CNA) —The National Scotts
boro Defense Committee announced
this week a renewed nation-wide cam
paign to free the five imprisoned
Scottsboro boys. The campaign is to
begin immediately.
The announcement was made from
the national headquarters of the Com
mittee, 112 East 19th Street, New York
City, by Rose Shapiro, assistant to
Attorney Morris Shapiro who is sec
retary of the Committee. It was the
first public statement from the Com
mittee since Dr. Allan Knight Chal
mers, Committee chairman and noted
minister, last December publicly cri
ticized former Gov. Graves for break
ing his promise to free the five inno
cent youths by last October.
The campaign will include a nation
ally circulated petition addressed to
the new Gov. Frank Dixon, of Ala
b ’ma urging the immediate release of
the boys, together with a defense fund
drive and a series of meetings in com
munities throughout the country. A
new pamphlet on the celebrated case
has been specially prepared for the
campaign.
G
Arista (Huh
‘A Bnnian Miwuny "
Aristo Club will observe Race His
tory Week by presenting to its many
friends its eighth original production
—a play drama, entitled “A Woman
Unsung” on Thursday, February 16,
at 8:15 p.m., at Jordan Hall. This is
an artistic portrayal—a moving, bio
graphic demonstration of one of the
strong religious women characters of
the race. It will thrill you as perhaps
none of the club’s former efforts have
done.
In view of the nature of this per
formance and in order that the mes
sage of the production may not be
lost, it has been deemed unwise to have
dancing after the play. The club prom
ises, however, full value in educational
and inspirational enhancement, and
hopes their many friends who appre
ciate Aristo ideals and the purpose for
which the production is presented (its
SIOO scholarship fund) will give their
support in this endeavor as in the
past.
G
Civil Service Classes
All those planning to take Civil Ser
vice Examinations on March 4 and
March 18 for Clerical service in Mass,
and the City of Boston, are invited to
attend classes in arithmetic at 464
Mass. Ave., veery Wednesday at 7
p.m., Victor C. Bynoe, instructor. All
are invited and admission is free.
PRICE FIVE CENTS
Jr
I it
- W
!
MRS. BERNICE LANE WEST
Well known and popular Roxbury
woman who was granted an uncon
tested divorce from Atty. St. Clair
West of Cambridge.
NO COMPROMISE
ON ANTI LYNCH
BILL, says NAACP
NEW YORK, Jan. 27—A so-called
“compromise proposal” for a federal
anti-lynching bill, said to have been
drawn up bv Vice-President John N.
Garner, was declared to be “inade
ouate to meet the situation” by offi
cials of the National Association for
the Advancement of Colored People.
The exact text of the new proposal
has not been made public, but it is
understood that under the plan, federal
bureau of investigation (G-men)
would be given authority to investi
gate every lynching and to report the
findings to Congress.—According to
n- ess reports there is no provision in
the bill for any procedure whatsoever
against lynchers, against sheriffs or
other peace officers, or against the
communities in which lynchings occur.
The N.A.A.C.P. regards the proposal
as an effort to sidetrack the Wagner-
VanNuys-Capper anti-lynching bill in
the Senate, and the Gava2’an bill in
the House. These two measures pro
vide for action against sheriffs for
negligence and for a suit for damages
against the community in which a
lynching occurs.
“We stand squarely behind the type
of anti-lynching bill we have supported
for many years,” said the N.A.A.C.P.
statement. “The Gavagan bill in the
House and the Wagner-Van Nuys-Cap
ner bill in the Senate represent the
kind of legislation we feel should be
enacted. The so-called compromise
proposal may be all right as far as it
goes, but it does not go far enough. A
(Continued on Page 5)
ROXBURY NAACP
UNIT FORUM MEETING
SUNDAY, FEB. 12
at 7:45 pan,.
ST. MARKS CONI. CHURCH
Townsend St., Roxbury
Guest Speaker:
FRANK R. CROSSWAITH
Subject:
“JOBS Cor COLORED
PEOPLE”