The southern news. [volume], July 10, 1943, Section 1, Image 7

About The southern news. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1936-19??

Image provided by: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library, Chapel Hill, NC

                
Special Correspondents Over North and South Carolina
VOLUME 7
GRADUAL GLASS CADETS
Hear Senator PePPer At Camo Lee
ASSAILS BIDDLE!
FOR FAILING TO I
ACT IN DETROIT)
INSURRECTION
NEW YORK, N. Y„ July 2
In a letter to Attorney General
Francis Biddle, made public here
today, Edward E. Strong, National
Secretary of the National Negro
Congress, bitterly assailed Attorney
General Francis Biddle and the
Department of Justice for their
failure to act against the Ku Klux
Klan and other fascist organi
zations that are responsible for
the recent Insurrection in Detroit.
Mt Strong accused ths Depart
ment of Justice of "directly im
peding the war effort of the na
tion by its continued refusal to
move against these groups . . .
and urged that the Department of
Justice reverse its present policy
of refusing to arrest and prose
cute the leaders of fascist organi
zations in this country.'”
Mr. Strong’s statement follows
in full:
Attorney General Francis Biddle
Department of Justice
Washington, D. C.
Dear Sir:
“The National Negro Congress
is writing to express our concern
at the failure of the Department
of Justice to take those steps
necessary to punish members of
the Ku Klux Klan and other
leaders of fascist organizations that
are responsible for the unprece
dented insurrection against our
war effort and the Negro people,
that took place in the City of
Detroit, Jun e2O-22. President
Roosevelt, in sending Federal
troops to Detroit, stated that the
events there constituted an insur
rection. Many social observers are
convinced that fascist organiza
tions In this country are respon
sible for this blot upon American
democracy.
"In view of the great interest
demonstrated by your Department
in the activities of those progres
sive organizations in this country,
working to advance American de
mocracy, we find it exceedingly
difficult to understand the basis
for your refusal to take steps
against the organized American
fifth column that waged war on
the Negro people in Detroit, Dos
Angeles, Beaumont, and Mobile.
"The Department of Justice has
taken the position that it could
intercede in these incidents only
when federal laws have been brok
en. We should like to know
whether it is not a clear violation
of the federal constitution to deny
the right of life and liberty to
people without due process of
law. We should also like to ex
press our concern with the de
fense of the Klan by members of
your Department. Increasingly,
there is a growing concern, we
believe, among the American peo
ple, by what appears to be a
clear failure to act, on the part of
the Department of Justice, against
the fascist groups in this country
that are boldly moving to take
over the streets of this country,
as did their fascist colleagues in
Europe. The world now knows, to
its sorrow, that it was the failure
of the constituted authorities to
act against similar fascist upris-
in many of the European
ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, SATURDAY, JULY 10, 1943
Proclaimed Brightest Singing Star of 1943”
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LENA HORNE
HOLLYWOOD (Press Photo Service, Inc.) —In a nation-wide broadcast, Friday night, April 30, the
New York Newspaper Guild presented the pretty young and talented screen and stage star the famed
annual Page One Medal Award. She was signally honored for gracing the position as the "Brightest
Singing Star of 1943.” The Affair was held at Hotel Astor, New York City. Scores of actresses from
both Hollywood and Broadway vied for the award with a certain amount of priority i ntheir favor, but
the gentleman of the Fourth Estate were confident that Miss Horne met al Ithe qualifiecations the
Medal demanded. "Test everybody you like, but you’ll come back to Lena” is a statement made by
one of the Guild’s officers. Miss Horne sang George Gershwin’s "Embraceable Y’ou” during the broad
cast and handled the song well with a generous ajjiount of depth and feeling. Her tonal qualities
and voice range used in this great sumber was sufficient proof of the Number One position over Ameri
can singing stars, given her by the New York Newspaper Guild.
countries that brought these na
tions slavery under Nazi tyranny.
"It is our conviction that this
specific objective of those fascist
groups, led by the Klan in launch
ing their insurrection in Detroit,
and other cities in our country, is
for the purpose of creating wide
spread race riots, confusion, and
disruption on the home front.
thereby aiding and helping, direct
ly, the armed forces of our fas
i cist enemies. We believe that the
, Department of Justice is directly
impeding the war effort of the
nation by its continued refustl to
move against these groups. For
■ seventy years the Ku Klux Klan
has led an open revolt against the
American Constitution and Ameri-
can democratic government. This
fact alone is sufficient to warrant
the arrest and prosecution of the
known leaders of the Klan, and
all other similar fascist organi
• zations.
“The National Negro Congress
therefore urges you to reverse the
present policy of the Department
of Justice in refusing to arrest and
NUMBER 14
CAMP LEE, Va., July 2—“ l sa
lute and congratulate you gentle
men that you are soldiers and of
ficers in the service of your coun
try and in the greater army of
right—under the banners of God!”
With these words Senator Claude
Pepper of Florida addressed the
graduating cadets of class 24 at
Camp Lee’s quartermaster scholo,
Friday. The class, which contained
16 now-commisisoned Colored sol
diers, heard Senator Pepper say:
“I wanted to come to Camp Lee
to be able to see for myself the
confirmation of the good reports
we have had in Washington, of
the great work being done here.
Everything I have heard good has
been confirmed here today.”
Senator Pepper spoke at the
commissioning ceremony during
an informal visit to Camp Lee. On
arrival at camp, he was felcomed
by Major General James E. Sd
monds. camp commander; Brig.
Gen. Guy I Rowe, commander-ef
the quartermaster replacement
training center; and Brig. Gen.
George A. Horkan, commandant
of the quartermaster school.
In introducing Senator Pepper,
Gen. Horkan said, "While we sol
diers prepare to fight throughout
the world, we have confidence in
our statesmen.”
All parts of the nation are rep
resented by the newly commis
sioned Colored Quartermaster of
ficers.
From the East are Lt. Douglas
L. Bascom be, New York City; Lt.
Isaac R. Bryant, Lawnside, N. J.;
Lt. Owen H. Cameron, Alexandria,
Va.; Lt. James R. Derry, Bryn
Mawr, Pa.; Lt. Louis T. Evans,
Richmond, Va.; and Lt. Alvin W.
Scott, Boston, Mass.
From the Midwest are Lt. James
D. Cornett, Indianapolis, Ind.; Lt.
John R. Powell, Cincinnati, Ohio;
and Lt. Cleophis Rawls, Flint.
Mich.
From the South are Lt. Lemuel
W. Henderson, Anniston, Ala.; Lt.
Alvin J. Lawson, New Orleans,
La.; and Lt. Harrison P. Rochon,
Rayne, La.; and Lt. Walter R.
Johnson, Anderson, S. C.
From west of the Mississippi are
Lt. Shular A. Barksdale, Omaha,
Neb.; Lt. Alfred C. Darby, Los
Angeles, Calif.; and Lt. Roger A.
Clay, Baxter Springs, Kan.
highschoolboys
MAKE MODEL PLANES
FOR ARMY AIR CADETS
On exhibition at the Colored
Public Library have been mode]
airplanes and ships made by the
boys of Stephens-Lee High School.
rhe model airplanes were built
under the direction of Mr. T, t
Haith, instructor of Trade ’at the
high school. They are used bv
Air Cadets to aid in learning to
recognize the different types of
planes.
The model ships were built by
the Shipfitting class under the su-
P!"' iSi °u ° f Mr ’ Earl Windley.
Although they are not carrying a
gun. those boys are helping in the
-.ar effort by learning to build
Ships that will aid in bringing
Victory to the Allies.
prosecute the leaders of fascist
organizations in this country that
are responsible for the Detroit in
surrection and thereby constitute
unitv ant v! + threat tO natior >al
Nations” ° f the United
Signed:
EDWARD E. STRONG
Secretary