Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland inquirer. (Portland, Or.) 1944-194? | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 1944)
WANTED SUBSCRIBE TO Club, Fraternal and Social Newa Thia ia YOUR Newapaper . . . ■o help make it yours by send- ins: in these happenings. or an nauirer Oregon’s Gb(egro IVeekly Published each Friday VOLUME 1 PORTLAND, ORE, DECEMBER 15, 1944 PRICE 10c YOUR PROGRESSIVE NEGRO NEWSPAPER NUMBER 23 FIRST METODIST CANCELS DEBT First Deaths New Methodist BURNING THE MORTGAGE FIRST AME ZION CHURCH: The Vtual Burning ^»f the Mortgage in front of the Pulpit of the Church. Reading from left to right are: The Presiding Elder of the California, Oregon and Washington confer ence, Rev. L. W. McCoy; Rev. J. F. Smith, pastor of the church (holding plate on which Mortgage can he aeen burning); Mr. L. M. Bird; Mother Farrell; Mr. Bert Turner; Mr. i. H. Payne; .Mrs. Gray (oldest member of the church), Mr». L. M. Bird. Ruling Upholds Negro Rights VANCOUVER, Wash., Dec. 9— Clark county’s Negro population hus an equal right to buy proper ty, build and live in the county as have white residents, county com missioners determined in a session at the courthouse Thursday night The opinion w'as given in an swer to Mrs. J. L. Nordstrom, who appeared on behalf of owners of property adjoining the LaBerg tract owned by Joseph LaLonde, and located one half mile south of Salmon Creek on the Pacific highway, asking prohibition of sale of the land to members of the Ne gro race. She charged that proper ty values in the area would decline if Negroes bought and built on the LaLonde tract. Although commissioners said that the matter probably did not come under their jurisdiction, they held that the Negro population has an equal right in the matter. La Londe had petitioned the planning members at the Novem ber meeting for a preliminary plat in creating a subdivision. Action in the matter will be continued. Portlanders Guests At USO Dedication Astoria Naval Base, Dec. 10. Dr. and Mrs. DeNorval Unthank and Mr. and Mrs. L. R. Blackburn of Portland were guests at the ded ication services of the U. S. O. branch established here this week. O (P > O K- O f t ® c tH ft O 9 ft C ji • ••to • aa H* • K h - tr< H Cl H* O to O' r ® S' tzî © 9 r Lewis and Clark College Features Colored Student BURNING OF MORTGAGE BIG EVENT Richard Moffatt, baritone, will By HELEN E. WEGENER be featured in the Christmas pro Guest Writer gram of Lewis and Clark College, The Vanport Negro Choral So- i December 17, at 4:30 o’clock. The ciety added a great deal to the pro- choif :wf*r Ki’Sm Iasi Junday e\ ehing j l lner/ A. M. E. Zion Church, located at Williams and Hancock streets. The early history of the church was re lated b^ Mrs. L„M . Bird and Mrs. Kathryn Gray. The early difficul ties encountered in securing a place of worship for the colored people of the Albina district were related Ah. by them. Mrs. C. Harris told of the j first Elders of the church and the debt of gratitude the present mem bership owes them. Mrs. Margaret Wyman, Mr. I. H. Payne and Mr. R. Moffatt S. Scruggs closed the remarks at the banquet hour. The Rev. Smith John Stark Evans will also present then introduced Mrs. Lambert w’ho a trio composed of Betty Ross, rendered a solo. This was followed Joyce Ogden and Jean Brose as by the presentation of the arrange well as other numbers. “ An Amer ments committee and the hand ican Carol” and a special arrange some waitresses and waiter. A ment of “ Silent Night” by Mr. bounteous Turkey Dinner with all Evans will also be part of the the fixin’s was served and enjoyed service. There will be a candlelight by all. Following the dinner hour processional. Anyone interested is there was the singing of hymns cordially invited. preceding tHV* evening program. Richard is looking forward to The singing of the Negro Na the day when he can undertake to tional Hymn opened the evening learn his first grand opera role. program immediate after the pro He is a Music Major at Lewis and cessional of the Choral Society and Clark College. \ the honored guests, Mr. Kirk Reyn Richard feels that equal rights olds, President of the Federal Sav for all peoples regardless of race ings and Loan Association and or creed is essential. He hopes to Hon. Earl Riley, Mayor. aid in freeing people from animosi Rev. Abrams Hayward delivered ty and prejudice toward the colored the opening prayer in the absence race. When he attains his degree, of Dr. H. J. Maulbetsch. he will continue his study and fur Mr. Reynolds then spoke on the ther his aim of spreading the doc importance of the occasion since trine of equality. nhe only time that a person appre ciates a mortgage is “ when one receives the money, when one puts it to use, and when one burns» it." The Choral Society then sang “ Gloria in Excelsis ” Bishop W. C. Brown of the Sev enth Episcopal District was intro duced by Rev. L. W. McCoy. He WITH THE 5TH ARMY, ITA briefly sketched the history of the LY— Bronze Star Medals now dec founding of the Zion Church In orate the breasts of five more he 1796 in New York City to its pres roic members of the 92nd “ Buffa ent organization including both a lo” Infantry Division, now in ac Foreign and Home Mission Board. tion with Lt. General Mark W. There are now approximately one Clark’s Fifth Army in Italy, the (Continued on page 8) (Continued on page 5) Five in “Buffalo” Division Awarded Bronze Star Medal ( Reported From Pastor at Vanport Negro Tank Unit ---- I WITH THE U. S. THIRD AR MY—The War Department has of ficially released information on the first deaths in the all-Negro 761st Tank Battalion, now pushing its way into the Reichland, with Lieut enant General George S. Patton’s Third U. S. Army. The first deaths reported were a private, a first sergeant and a second lieutenant. The first man in the first Negro combat unit to his front lines in France was Privat Clifford C. Adams, of 1615 N. W. 2nd Avenue, Miami, Florida, a member of the medical detachment, who died from wounds received on November 8, the D-day for the battalion. He was wounded as he gave aid to an injured member of a tank crew, while under heavy German shell fire, and died later the same day. The next deaths reported were the result of strictly combat action, both men being killed in action, at Morville-les-Vic, on November 9. They were Second Lieutenant Ken neth W. Coleman, of Washington, D. C., and First Sergeant Samuel J. Turley, of 815 Trinity Avenue, the Bronx, New York City. Lieutnnant Coleman and First Sergeant Turley died the death of heroes, fo rth e y were together in avt fi .50 Calif - ore machinegun from their dis abled tank, in order to pour fire on German AT gun emplacements, and rocket-launcher spots, as their company, commanded by Captain Irvin McHenry of Leavenworth, Kansas, was immobilized facing an anti-tank (fitch in the bitter fight for Morville-les-Vic, the toughest spot in the battalion’s first battle action. They were mowed down as they pulled the deadly weapon from its moorings on the tank, and started to get under the tank to begin fir ing. A hail of fire from German guns in the center of the fighting area, and from a point to their right, tore into the pair and both were kiled. 1 Both were veteran members of Company C, under Captain Mc Henry, and First Sergeant Turley had w'on the reputation of being “ the best first sergeant in the bat talion.” He is survived by a sister, Mrs. Sophie Montgomery, 5145 Prairie Ave., Chicago. Brothers Meet In So. Pacific The Rev. Ennis M. Whaley, Ne gro Methodist minister from Des Moines, Iowa, arrived this week to become pastor of j his race in Van- port where he will give full time to the work. He i will work under direction of the United C h u r c h Ministry and Dr. Guy Goodsell, of Portland Method ist district super intendent. He will Rev. E. M . W hale j preach at 11:30 p. m. Sunday in Community No. 6 on “ Walking With God.” He is a native of Missouri, grad uate of the Phillander Smith col lege and has had 18 hours toward his masters degree at Drake uni versity. He has been in the Meth odist ministry six years. Negro Ack-Ack Gunners Fire on German Pillboxes WTlTH THE U 3. 3RD ARMY— Using quadruple firing guns and 40-mm “ ack ack” ’ guns, capable of firing 2500 rounds per minute, a group of Negro gunners of the 452nd Antiaircraft Artillery Bat talion, have been directing their guns at the German positions fac ing the drive of the Third Army in the area between Metz and Nan cy, as this army drove forward to ward the German boarder after taking Metz. But no longer are the weapons pointed skyward, as when they were guarding one of the Army’s most important depots in England before coming to France. Now they are firing “ flat trajectory” fire, aimed on a dead level at the Ger man pillboxes and concrete em placements, in support of infantry and artillery, as well as providing protective service for the 761st Tank Battalion, the Army’s new Negro tank outfit which is plung-; ing forward into German territory. Dug-in in mud flats, along low- lying river bottoms, and mounted high on hills overlooking German outposts, the high-powered weap ons are giving a good account of themselves. For service in doing more than an ordinary share of keeping his battery in tip-top shape, one sol dier, Sergeant Charles Johnson, Jr., 2427A West Cook Ave., St. Louis, Missouri, has been highly commended. Seen facing a river in the area of Chateau Salins, east of Nancy, just after the 26th had moved thru the town, the unit w’as keenly alert i for the future push into Germany. SOMEWHERE IN THE MARI ANAS (Delayed)— Marine Private Clarence Francis was visited by his brother, Navy Steward’s Mate 1st Class Yyles Joseph Francis, when the ship on which Lyles is station ed called here. The Francis brothers are sons of Mr. and Mrs. George Francis, of 832 West Harding Ave., Port Ar thur, Texas. Clarence, 19 years old, enlisted in the Marine Corps Nov. 11, 1943. Lyles, who enlisted in the Navy on Nov. 10, 1943, is 25 years of Reginald Johnson, representative age, and the husband of Mrs. H. M. of the Urban League who has been Francis. m Portland for the past three Until this reunion, the brothers months, spoke at a luncheon in the had not seen each other sine* they Benson Hotel on Wednesday of this week. enlisted. Johnson Speaks At Lunheon Here