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iff MAfUtv FlfmMMMi We Open The Gates We have been delighted by the flood of orders for our new pam phlet on labor’s fight for job equality, WE OPEN THE GATES. But we must admit we were sur prised at the request for WE OPEN THE GATES which came from the California State Prison at San Quentin. We wondor if it is from the same fellow who, a few years ago, wrote for the American Jewish Committee’s | historical sketch entitled, THF» PRICE OF LIBERTY. Remember Pearl Harbor? When the Japanese warplanes treacherously bombed and sank most of our fleet at anchor in Pearl Harbor, they also, unfortun ately, sank some of our good sense — particularly concerning our own citizens of Japanese an cestry. During the early months of World War II, some 110,000 persons in the U. S. of Japanese blood were rounded up and thrown into “relocation centers.” Because they were herded vir tually overnight, many of the evacuees lost their homes, farms and businesses. The racist basis of this action was clear. We were also at war with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, but no one seriously sug gested that Americans of Ger man or Italian ancestry be plac ed in detention camps — even though it would be harder to spot them, if they chose to serve as spies or sabateui's than the Nisei (Japanese-Americans). In 1942. only a few American groups, like the Workers Defense League, the Postwar World Coun cil and the Quakers opposed the relocation program. (I still re member meeting on the sub ject. chaired by Norman Thomas, which Communists tried to break up, on the ground that it “ham pered the war effort.”) When the war ended, many Americans, sobered by the mag nificent contribution of the all Nisei 442nd regiment, the most decorated U. S. Army outfit in World War II. repented of their lapse into racism. In 1948, Con gress passed the Evacuee Claims Act to help restore some of the wartime losses suffered by Jap anese-Americans, estimated by the Justice Department at some $400 million. Under this act, some 26.000 claims have already been settled during the past ten years for over $35 million, an average of $1,365 each. The public change of heart has ~ 1 J voninl OIOU 1 V-UUW A -- crimination on the West Coast. Professions, trades and skills once closed to Japanese-Ameri cans are now open to them. Be fore the war, 70 per cent of the Nisei worked for Issei (Japanese born) employers; today 80 per cent are employed by whites. There are at least ten times as many Nisei lawyers, doctors and dentists as there were before the war — nor do they serve only clients and patients of their own race. As a very punny friend of mine put it. Uncle Sam is finally do ing right by his Nisei — and nephews, too! , Attention, Textile Workers! Harry Golden, editor of the Carolina Israelite, is at it again, this time "with a plan to revive the depression-ridden Southern textile industry. A few years ago, he points- out, a Negro reporter wore a turban when he visited-a half-dozen Southern cities. Think ing him an Asian, Southern whites allowed him - in “white” busses," movies, restaurants and hotels. Suggests Golden; Give every Negro the,*- South a turban. Twelve million turbans would mean at least 20 million yards of finished cloth, plus the need for constant replacement. Kids would forget their turbans, or they would get spoiled ip the rain, etc. And so we would not only j solve the entire racial problem, but we would restore prosperity to the Southern textile industry and put most of the thousands of j textile workers now unemployed t back to work. The Agitated Canary Stewart Meacham, of the A merican Friends Service Com mittee, says the pupils of Little Rock and Virginia, buffeted be tween governors, federal courts and school-boards, remind him of the canary who got home late from work. The poor bird’s feathers were badly rumpled and he was staggering about as if he could scarcely fly. His wife said to him, “Oh, George! You have been drinking again and you got into a fight.” “It’s a lie!” chirped George. “I was flying along toward home, just minding my own business. Then all of a sudden I was in the midst of the darndest badminton game!” It's A Bargain One of the commonest com plaints we hear nowadays is that j “they don’t make things to last, | the way they used to.” Remem ber the model-T Ford and how long it lasted? Modern cars, the plaint goes, are built to wear out fast and need replacing. Which reminds me of the youngster who asked his mother, “Why don’t we have a baby?” The mother answered, “Because they cost too much.” The kid questioned further, “Yeah? How much?” The mother said, “Oh, a bout three hundred dollars.” The kid then replied, “That ain’t much . , . considerin’ how long they last!” Homes For All Pittsburg, Pa. in January be came the second city in the United States to ban discrimina tion in private housing. New York adopted a similar ordinance a year ago. The new law is design ed to assure equal opportunity for decent housing regaardless of I race, color, religion, ancestry or national origin. Violations can lead to fines up to $100 and/or imprisonment up to 30 days. Precaution Might Prevent Theft Of Automobile In Mississippi last year, about 2100 automobiles were stolen, which averages something like 107 car thefts per 100,000 popu lation. Even this ratio is low j when compared to surrounding | states. Just a few simple precau tions might prevent theft of an automobile. Drivers should remove keys from the ignition, place every thing of value out of sight and lock the car doors before leaving it. These simple measures will not stop a professional car thief but will act as a preventive means for some young individ ual who hay have a tendency to steal. - f After New Mexico became United States territory, President Abraham Lincoln presented Pu' eblo chiefs and governors with ebony, silver-headed canes to sig nify their authority. The world’s first offshore §u!« phur mining plant is being built on a steel “island” seven miles off the Louisiana coast. Miners will commute to work by heli copter. THE PETAL* PAPER: Printed on Thurs day of each week by THE ADVERTISER PUBLISHING CO., Pascagoula, Miss. Published by East Publications Co., Box 349, Hattiesburg, Miss. Entered as second class matter at th® Post Office at Petal, Mississippi, under Act of March 8, 1679. RE-ENTERED AT PASCAGOULA, MIS«, RETURN FORMS 3579 TO: THE PET AL PAPER, BOX 349, HATTIESBURG, MISS. P. D. East . . 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