The southern news. [volume], September 11, 1943, Image 1

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

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

                
N.A.A.C.P. STATE ASSO.
FIRST IN NEWS
AND PICTURES.
THE MOUTHPIECE
OF THE PEOPLE
VOLUME 8
MIGRANT TOMATO PICKERS BURNED
N. C. S. N. B. A. Inc.,
To Meet Here Sept. 13=
14=15th Bookert Hotel
The North Carolina State Negro
Beautician Association, Inc., wnll
meet here September 13th, 14th,
lith. National president, Mrs.
Cordelia Johnson of Jersey City,
N. J. t will be the guest speaker
at the Mt. Zion Baptist Church,
September 14th, 8:40 p. m. This
is her sth consecutive year as
national president. She is president
of Jersey Beautician League, Inc.
Beautician volunteer corp. to be
»e up. The organization will be
Joined up with the national B.
V. C., which is assisting in put
ting over the national civilian de
fense program some of the ac
tivities of the B. V. C. are nurses
aides, red cross, bonds and stamps.
The Asheville corp. will have the |
honor of being set up by the Na
tional Prqesident, Cordelia Greene
Johnson who is national com
mander of the B. V. C. She has
received citation from Washington,
D. C.. for splendid work with the
Negro women ofour nation.
Bar stamps will be sold by the
Asheville local during the conven
tion.
Alummance tea will be given
at the Stewart School of Beauty
Culture in honor of its graduates
and th eentire convention on Sep
tember 14th from 5. P. M. The
city's best talent is being offered j
to our visitosr in the following
program:
1. The National Anthem
2. Welcome Address, Mrs. Irma
Mills
J. Solo, Mr. Harold Bass
4. Instrumental Solo, Mrs. Ollie
Reynolds
5. Remarks. Dr. R. M. Hendrick
6. Trio, Mesdaines Faulkner.
Simon and Greenlee
T. Reading, Mrs. Georgia Hollo
way
8. Solo, Mrs. Leo Sheftall
10. Solo, Mrs. Willie Ford Hen
nessee
11. Reading, Mrs. Carrie Mc-
Donald
12. Solo, Mrs. 1010 Byers
IS. Solo, Mrs. Annie Laurie Mur
phy
14. Instrumental solo, Miss Eu
genia Whiteside
A dance and style review will
be held at the Booker T. Hotel
September 15th, 9 p. m. until?
Don’t fail to see what Milady is
advanced In coiffure. Admission
II .00 tax included. For further in
formation call Mrs. Willie Ford
Hennessee, Phone 1377. The pub
lic la invited.
Miss Ernestine Calhoun
Os St. Augustine Elected
Queen of the Service Club
CAMP BLANDING, Fla. At a ,
birthday party for the colored \
soldiers whose birthdays were cele- ,
brated in August at Service Club .
No. 4, Miss Ernestine Calhoun of t
St. Augustine, Florida, was elected (
"Queen of the Service Club.” .
Miss Calhoun Is at present a t
student at the St. Francla do Sales <
High School, Rockcastle, Virginia. ,
A guest at the birthday party by ,
ananimous choice of the aervice ,
men. Miss Calhoun was featured ,
a* a soloist during the evening's ,
entertainment, and rendered sev- ,
eral popular numbers. She is a ]
piano student and has been ap- t
peering as a vocalist since 1957. ,
The birthday party is a monthly j
feature at the Service Club and .
waa sponsored by the Recreational
And Social Hostess, Miss Alice M. (
Scott of Jacksonville; Mrs. K. D. ,
Childs, Service Club Director of ,
Gainesville. Pvt. Clement W. ,
Barksdale, of Boston. Mass., was .
master of ceremonies, ably assisted <
by Sgt. Arthur Holloway, of Phila- ■
delphla, Pa., and Pvt. Denson E.
Shaw.
Talent from the enlisted ranks
the party Included Pfc. Arthur A.
to participate in the program at
Robinson who sang '‘Drink to Me
Only With Tine Eyes”, Brahm’s ;
“Lullaby” and “Londonderry Air."
Special Correspondents Over North and South Carolina
®)ej> outfjernJoeto£
NEGRO CHAPLAIN IS
ALSO EDUCATR
This man must be nameless
here, yet at a New York area
camp where he is stationed his
name is almost a by-word. He is
a Negro chaplain who has ac
complished the unusual job of
setting up a program for the
scholastic education of his men
at the same time as he ministers
to their spiritual needs. But even
though his name cannot be told
—for he is stationed at an em
barkation camp under Army re
strictions—the story of his ad
vanced conception of the work
| of a minister can.
This educational program is car
ried out in two places. Part of it
is at the camp where he has es
tablished classes for the men of
his task force in such subjects as
mathematics, literature andj writ
ing. Those nevN before ■ privi
leged to perfect themselves in
the.se subjects have been availing
themselves of this chance for
many months past. He carries out
the second part of his program at
the nearby USO clubhouse to
which he has been given a “dur
ation-of-his-stay-invitation" by the
club director who feels that if his
club can provide the Negro an
opportuntiy to improve his mind
at the same time as it gives him
recreational facilities, it is serving
its highest purpose.
Asked how he performs this
educational job at a center to
which the men ostensibly come
for recreation, the chaplain ex
plained:
“There are three topics in which
most of the men are primarily
Interested their present, their
past, their future. On each of
these there is much for them to
learn, much they do not know.
Take their past. Many of them do
not realize that, having their or
igin in such varied parts of the
world, they have a very interest
ing and vital history and back
ground of tradition. In giving
them what might be termed a his
tory lesson, they gain both factual
knowledge and also a desirable
pride in their heritage. To illus
trate part of my so-called lesson,
the club director recently provided
a fine program by a professional
group of dancers. The numbers
depicted scenes of African folk
lore. To the Negro of African
descent, these scenes have the
same historic significance a
Thanksgiving stage pageant would
have to the New Englander whose
ancestors were actually part of
that scene.
"Their interest in the present is
manifested quite obviously in their
fine attendance at the classes at
camp, proving their desire to be
abreast with universal educational
and cultural expansion. Here at
the USO where they are relaxed
and in a mood to talk, they evince
that interest in asking me numer
ous questions about things and
people in the world today. Many
of them have had so little contact
with the world they find it diffi
cult to understand people who are
different than they. I try to in
crease their understanding by en
larging their knowledge and so in
answer to their questions I tell
them about different types of peo
ple, where they live, how they live
and why they live as they do.”
When It comes to the future,
the chief interest of the men in
uniform is the kind of homes they
will be able to build for their
families, and next in importance
Cpl. Frederic Thomas, New York,
well known baritone, sang ‘‘Trees.”
Pvt. Richard Dangerfield enter
tained with popular tap dance
routines.
Mrs. N. F. Freeland of St. Aug
ustine presented horoscope read
ings for the entire month and Dr.
Freeland presented the toast of the
•rtnlnt. /yL
ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER H~i943
N.A.A.C.P. To Organize
State Asso. Sept. 18
At Charlotte, N. C.
There will be a meeting of all
branches of the NAACP of North
Carolina in Charlotte, North Caro
lina, for the purpose of organiz
ing a state organization. All ex
ecutive offices of the branches
are invited to attend this meeting
on September 18.
ICC Asked To HS
Discrimination In
Allocation of Equipment
On Jim Crow Railroads
WASHINGTON, D. C. The
Interstate Commerce Commission
was asked this week by the N. A.
A. C. P. to bring to task the
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and
other carriers found to discrimi
nate against Negro passengers in
the allotment of equipment.
The Assocaition’s demand fol
lowed the receipt of a telephone
call from a New York resident
who charged that she had been
in the station at Rocky Mount,
North Carolina for almost 24
hours and that 9 or 10 north
bound trains had passed through
each of which received white pas
sengers but refused to receive any
colored passengers. She said that
there were about 200 colored pas
sengers waiting in the station and
that among them was a woman
with a sick baby. \
The New York office of the
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad which
operates through Rocky Mount
surmised that the difficulty was
due to the general strain on car
riers and the shortage of equip
ment for civilian travel caused by
military demands.
The NAACP held that even a
difficult situation like the present
there should be no discrimination
as between races in the allotment
of whatever facilities are avail
able.
“From reports that have come
to us,” the NAACP letter to ICC
stated, “we believe that carriers
in southern states have not al
lotted a fair proportion of avail
is the extent and type of edu
cation they will be able to get for
their children.
“In answer to these questions,”
declared the chaplain, “I rely upon
the men and women who have
made a study of trends and quote
from the books they have written
or urge the men to read these
books for themselves. I also give
them some of the pamphlets pro
vided here at the USO which, deal
with economic, educational and
communal problems. They show
in a general way what types of
progress the men can expect and
what they themselves can do to
hasten that progress.
“Everything I have attempted
to do here,” he added, “has prov
ed to me the aliveness and in
quisitiveness of the Negro mind.
The desire for knowledge is real
and these men, even though they
are doing a hard physical Job, are
never too tired to learn something
which they feel will lead to a
better future and a better world.”
TWO TYPES OF SCHOOL LUNCH
These two school youngsters are enjoying their wartime lunch. Sponsored by the Dept. Agriculture.
EDITORIAL
A MILESTONE
Seven long years have passed since the Southern News
first came into being in Western North Carolina. It came,
and it stil lremains, as the mouthpiece of the people of
the two Carolinas and the surrounding territories, inform
ing, enligtening, stimulating, and cooperating. Those seven
years of its early life have been eventful ones, indeed,
srowded with incidents an dexperiences unprecedented in
our history, both of national an dlocal interest. The South
ern News has faithfully brought to its readers the high
lights of all the news, unbiasly. Space here will not permit
us to enumerate through reminiscences the outstanding
scoops of national or international interest, but they have
been brought from the fields of politics, sports, arts, so
ciety and features of human interest. Here in our own
locality the Southern News has instigated, nurtured, or
encouraged several movements and institutions for pro
grosse; among some of these have been—a park, a hospital,
a better welfare council, a recreation center, a USO lounge,
,a Y. W. C. A., and many others too numerous to mention.
Eventful years—when the Southern News made its
advent, the United States was emerging from one of the
greatest depressions in history. At the same time the ag
pressive peoples of Europe and Asia were beginning to
spew their veno roupon peaceful people all over the world.
One by one fell under their claws and steal
thily the s cached out for more victims and
greater prey inaii * they Wtangled sflmost every nation
in the world. 1 Thus we have carefully given news with
variety of color and tones—cheerful, medium and otherwise.
If there were any truth in the proverbial luck in num
bers, we would put all our stakes on the number SEVEN,
because it containes the big “V”. Today when all our
minds are in one accord with one goal, VICTORY, we are
pouring all our strength and efforts into the fight. This
cneness of mind and unity is the plea of The Southern
News. “Down wit hthe Aggressors,” “Away with Nazism,
Fascism, Imperialism,” “More Sacrifices for Victories” has
been the plea of your newspaper. These things will come
eventually, and the Southern News expects to be standing
there on the cheering line ready to bring to its readers
complete coverage of the greatest incident yet in history
the eternal and supreme victory of Democracy.
able equipment to Negro pas
sengers. The jim crow law was
not invented by Negroes and the
record shows that they have been
protesting against it for years.
The humiliation involved is bad
enough; there ought not be any
inequality.”
In addition to writing to the I.
C. C. the NAACP also communi
cated with the Office of Defense
Transportation.
J. B. Eastman, director of ODT
said that an investigation of the
Rocky Mount situation revealed
that “traffic of all description was
left at various stations along line
on this date. Additional trains
had been added and all equipment
had been pressed into service.
Trouble is that more people are
endeavoring to travel than there
are facilities available. This ap
plies to all races. The matter of
providing adequate facilities a:
nearly as possible under prevail
ing eondtiions has been handle:
with Atlantic Coast Line and al
other lines in the South.”
Fisherman Finds
Better Luck In Air
CAMDEN, S. C. M. J. Mosely
unable to land anything in th
waters of nearby Hermitage Lak
with his fly rod, took'to the
with better success. »
Disgusted because the fish er
biting, Mosely cast his line at i
large bird flying about 15 fee
above the water.
He reeled in a fat duck.
Asheville Boy Is
Honored At Great
Lake Naval Base
MIGRANT TOMATO
FiCKERS LIVE IN PA.
CHICKEN COOPS
QUAKERTOWN, Pa. The
state will seek the conviction of
Edward O. Mastin for the deaths
of Willie Cooper and Mrs. Odell
May, Negro migratory workers
who were burned to death here
August 17 in a barn on the Mastin
farm on Route No. 2. It is ex
pected that the case will be tried
early in October.
A personal investigation by
John Grantham, president of the
Lehigh Valley NAACP Branch, re
vealed that the victims were two
of fifty migratory workers who
(were brought from Florida by a
ii-hite contractor to gather in tho
femato crop on the Mastin farm,
tomatoes picked those workers,
are sold to the government thru
’the Campbell Soup Company. I
Most of the workers are housed ]
in chicken coops; the largest be-j
ing about 7 feet square and only)
5 feet in height. Grantham said j
in his report “workers along with
their children are living in these
small chicken coops—and these
little coops, even if they were fit
to live in, are too small for a
couple to live in comfortably—
but the most horrible thing of all
is that nearly ever;- worker has
a large family and he and his
family live in these small houses.
. . . This condition is worse than
slavery could have ever been.”
Unable to take pictures of the
housing provided for workers.
Grantham submitted to the N. A.
A. C. P. nationaf office a free
hand sketch of the chicken coops
which he described as filthy and
unfit for human habitation.
Though dissatisfied with the
conditions under which they have
been forced to live, the workers
said that they have not been able
to earn enough money for rail
road fares.
The deceased persons were liv
ing in a barn and were burned to
death at midday when they were
trapped by a fire on the third j
floor. There was only one exit
and one of the workers suffered 1
a broken back when he attempted
to leap from a window; another,
was severely burned.
At the coroner’s hearing at
Quakertown on August 27, the!
coroner’s jury held Mastin respon- !
sible for the death of the two!
workers. Prentice Thomas, mem-!
ber of the NAACP national legal j
staff attended the hearings. i
Evidence presented at the hear- j
ing showed that several families
lived in the barn. Some of the;
persons had oil stoves on wjilch
they cooked. The barn was filled
with hay and other inflammable,
material. There were no fire es- 1
capes: the only exit being through !
one door and the windows. |
District Attorney Edward Bits- ;
ter. Doylestown, Pa., said that In'
order for the state to make its j
case it would be necessary for
Claude Jackson, one of the work
ers who last saw tho deceased
persons alive, to appear as' a wiLl
ness. Jackson has agreed ty re*
main in the state. V &
4'
Doe Guarding Auto
Included In Loot <><^l
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. John*
Pierce reported, with exasperation,
this story to a police desk ser
geant:
“I parked my automobile down
town early tonight. I want to re
port the theft of a tire, wheel and
inner tube and a bulldog. I
especially would like to find the
bulldog.”
Pierce left the dog with th* ear
as a guard.
THE LEADING
NEGRO NEWSPAPER
OF THE TWO
CAROLINAS
NUMBER
GREAT LAKES, 111. Thomas
Cortez Johnson, 35, of 2605-J,
Ridge Drive, Philadelphia, Pa.,
has graduated from recruit train
ing with top honors in his com
pany at the U. S. Naval Training
Station here.
Johnson, who led the 130 blue
jackets of his company in drill
and scholarship, formerly owned a
radio ' service store in Asheville,
N. C. Having completed his basic
training as an apprentice seaman,
he will now be assigned duties on
this Station as a member of Ship’s
Company.
The honor man has returned
to Philadelphia on a nine-day
leave with his wife, address
above. His father is T. E. John
son, 134 Livingston, Asheville.
Johnson attended Livingston Col
lege, Salisbury, and the National
Radio Institute.
CHRISTMAS
Packages to
BE MAILED
BEFORE OCT. 15
The War Department, through
the Army Postal Service in con
junction with the Post Office De
partment, has designated the per
iod September 15 th to October
llth as Christmas Mail month for
soldiers overseas. Persons wish
ing to insure their packages to
soldiers overseas being delivered
for Christmas will be sure to take
advantage of the War Depart
ment's offer to assure them of
Christmas delivery if mailed dur
ing the month between September
15th and October 15th.
Any one wishing any Informa
tion concerning the size and
weight may call the Post Office,
and any assistance possible will
be given, says Mrs. Grace G.
Shell. Post Master.
ROME ARMY AIR fIELD,
N. Y.—Left to right, Brigadier
- General C. P. Kane, Commanding
l General, Rome Air Service Com
' .jnand pinning the Soldier’s Medal
i on Corporal Jchn D. Hilton of
k Bolivar, West V ; rginia. Corporal
' Hilton received the Medal for
s bravery last April 13 when single
handed he removed the bodies of
six men from an Army bomber
which crashed near Daniel Field,
' Georgia. A member of Air Serv
[ ice Command’s 1954th Ordnance
i Depot Company Hilton will serv*
. with one of Air Service Com
mand’s “Keep ’em Flying" ground
r ww . .J