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About Portland inquirer. (Portland, Or.) 1944-194? | View Entire Issue (Oct. 26, 1945)
I People Not Satisfied With F.E.P.C. Handling Says Philip Randolph fioritemi) Innutrrr An Associated Negro Press Publication Serving the Pacific Northwest Oregon’s ^legro Weekly Mrs. Bethune Blasts DAR for Continuing Ban WASHINGTON (ANP)—S p eak ing on behalf of the N ational A s sociation of Colored w om en, of w hich she is president, Mrs. M ary M cLeod B ethune issued a sta te m ent S aturday, soundly con dem ning the D aughters of the A m erican revolution for co n tin u ing th eir ban against N egro use ot C onstitution hall w hich w as used to bar Hazel Scott from appearing there. Said Mrs. B ethune: “W e reg ret m ost grieviously th a t the doors of C onstitution hall are still b arred to artistic ta len t because of race. T here can be no en d u ring peace u n til such deep seated prejudice is conquered. The United S tates cannot hope to inspire the love of dem ocracy in in foreign peoples as long as they them selves repu d iate th e p rin ci ples of dem ocracy here a t home. “We have believed th a t w hen th e DAR invited Miss M arian A n derson to sing in C onstitution hall for th e benefit of w ar relief in 1943 th a t th e ir u n fo rtu n a te and illogical stand of b arrin g Negro artists had ended. It is distressing to discover in th e latest action by th e executive com m ittee d e b arrin g Miss H azel Scott, an out standing artist, from th e use of C onstitution hall th a t th is sam e reactionary stand is being m ain tained. “It is reg retted th a t th e DAR should forget th a t th é sp irit of unity, tolerance and u n d e rsta n d ing is needed m<jre today th an ev er before in the history of our country. The Ja p an ese and Axis propaganda addressed to th e sm aller nations trie d to discredit th e U nited States on th e grounds th a t its dem ocracy w as not sin cere. The DAR by its official a c tion now picks up w here the Jap an ese and the A xis left off. “We, the N ational Council of Negro Women, call upon all o r ganizations, m en and w om en alike, to join us in a sincere and courageous effort to m ake th e principles of the U nited N ations ch a rter w ork here a t hom e in a v ery real and h um an w ay. We realize th a t th e re m ust be a sp ir itual undergirding of all our ef forts to transform prejudice, hate and intolerance into love, u n d e r stan d ing and brotherhood.” Plan Probe of Causes Behind Anti-Negro High School Strike GARY, Ind. (AN P)—An inves tigation of th e causes of th e re cen t anti-N egro stu d e n t strik e at Froebel H igh school here was prom ised W ednesday by C harles D. Lutz, su p e rin ten d e n t of schools. T he school board a u th o r ized the probe T uesday night at its m eeting, he said. The investigation w ill be m ade by a four-m an com m ittee re p resen ting groups, and w ill w ork u n d er th e guidance of a college o r u n iversity professor train ed in education and in research m e th ods. The school b oard has a u th o r ized th e em ploym ent of a person possessing these qualifications, L u th announced. M em bers of th e four-m an in vestigating com m ittee are Jo h n Ja d rn a k , representing p aren ts of w hite pupils; C. V. Ridgley, fo r m er superior court judge, re p re sen tin g th e public in general; F red erick Price, represen tin g p a r en ts of N egro stu d en t and F inley French, m echanical draw ing teacher a t H orace M ann H igh school, represen tin g G ary te ac h ers. M eanw hile a citizens’ com m it tee, headed by F red H enderson, executive sectrary of the South- tow n P lanning com mission, was form ed to discuss the racial issues a t Englewood High School W ed nesday. It recom m ended th a t a p are n t group be form ed at the school. In a public report, it said th a t "the problem s of Englewood High school relating to law and o rder are no g rea ter th an those in th e city as a w hole.” T he Rev. H erbert Jones, pastor of the Hope P resb yterian church, is one of th e com m ittee’s officials. PRICE 10c PORTLAND. OREGON, OCTOBER 26. 1945 VOLUME 2 NUMBER 16 Aboard the Aircraft Carrier U.S.S. Independence Jrum an Q u iz z e d ------ \ v — ± f\J j f •• A . A b o u t m - r n A F E P C B y E r n e s t E. J o h n s o n WASHINGTON (ANP)—The people are not “altogether satisfied” with the “recommendation and proclamation stage” of handling the FEPC as being used by President Truman, and are anxious to know what more he intends to do to implement his public commitments on this legislation. This feeling and attitude was expressed firmly and directly by A. Philip Randolph, co-chairman of the National Council for a Permanent FEPC during a press conference i at the council’s headquarters here last Thursday afternoon. '" ■ fr $ - ■■ • Members of the crew of the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Independence photographed on the flight deck of the flat lop. Planes on the deck with wings folded form a background. The carrier anchored at the foot of Stark Street. Portland, is here for the Navy Day celebration. The members of the crew were honored at a party at the Williams Ave. U.S.O. and scheduled for anohter entertainment while units of the fleet are anchored here. Kneeling front row left to right: Stm. lc W illie J. Thomas. Cincinnati, Ohio; Stm. lc Wilbert Ferguson. Trenton, N. J.; Stm. 2c Bill Clark. Philadelphia, Penn.; Stm. lc Burton Floyd, Norfolk, Va.; Stm. lc O. M. Austin, Norfolk. Vs.; Stm. 2c Gerald Clay. St. Louis. Missouri: Stm. 2c Robert Calhoun. Jr., Florence, Ala.; Stm. lc L. A. Brown. Bloomington. 111. Error Caused Laundrymen To Exchange Suds for ’Guns ASSEM BLY AREA COM The 600th earn ed a com m enda MAND, France— A h arrassed MP, tion from L ieu ten an t G en eral J. Collins, com m anding doing his best to ru sh reinforce L aw ton m ents up to th e line, m istook the G en eral of th e V II Corps, w hile 600th Q u arterm aster L aundry the u n it perform ed its duties u n C om pany’s big tru ck for a m otor d er all conditions and som etim es ized in fan try o utfit and, as a re w ith in enem y artillery range. “We ra n into u n expected tro u sult, m em bers of th a t organiza tion spent a m ost uncom fortable ble at D uderstat, G erm any, e a r nig h t in “no-m an’s land,” be ly in A pril,” rem ark ed S ergeant tw een A m erican and G erm an W allace T w ym an of 1528 East lines, “sw eating o u t” a h ot n ig h t Broad S treet, Richm ond, V irgin ia, w ho is assu red of discharge of artillery shelling. R ecalling those hectic days, w ith 92 points. “T he in fan try b y m em bers of th e 600th g athered passed th e tow n, an d th e com for an inform al chat of old tim es pany took over w ith some m edics a t Cam p C leveland in th e A s and a m ilitary g overnm ent unit. sem bly A rea Com m and, w here We w ere th rea ten e d w ith a G er they are aw aiting shipm ent to m an co u n ter-attack . We sent out p atrols to look for SS troopers th e U nited States. “T hat experience in H ambey, n ear th e tow n an d cap tu red five F rance last Ju ly w as probably soldiers in civilian clothes.” both th e roughest an d funniest C orporal A lb ert M artin Jr., of we had, “recalled P riv a te Bers- 1202 N orm an S treet, S hreveport, ford G ayle o f 174 W est 141st La., rem em bered p articu la rly S treet, N ew York City, an 80- w hen, a t A achen d u rin g th e B at point veteran. “It w as actually an tle of th e Bulge, he an d his b u d M P’s m istake. I don’t know how dies stood eig h t hours n ig h t it w as possible, b u t he m ust have g u ard in th e b itte r cold a fte r a m istaken us for m otorized in fan fu lltim e d ay ’s w ork, w hile th e try .” enem y bom bed and shelled n e a r “T he MPs w aved tanks, a rtille by. “A t th a t tim e w e w ere the ry, m edical vehicles an d com bat only lau n d ry com pany operating trucks off the road to shoot our an y w h ere n ear th e fro n t in th e tw enty large vans th ro u g h ,” con A rdennes. tinued P riv a te G ayle. T he F rench “T h at w as as b ad as our situ a civilians w ere cheering us on tion in K o rn eliu m ster in O cto from the sides lines and w e began b er,“ he continued. “A t th a t tim e to think som ething w as w rong.” we w ere o p eratin g a fum igation “A nd som ething w as wrong, as and bath in stallatio n less th an we soon found o u t,” in terru p ted th re e m iles from th e front. Je rry S ergeant C harles C. M inter, one a rtillery h it some of the boys of of the few tracto r d riv ers in th e th e F irst D ivision w ho w ere in com pany, and w inner of a C erti th e sam e tow n.” ficate of M erit, w ho lives at 719 T echnical S erg ean t Clifford N orth C arey S treet, B altim ore, M cQueen of 1100 W est G onzales M aryland. S treet, Fensacola, F lorida, a sec “We moved up a little farth er tion leader w ho has received the and th en tu rn ed into a valley and C ertificate of M erit, th o u g h t back stopped,” the serg ean t said. “No to the early days of th e cam sooner ha<} we dropped our bags, paign in F ran ce for one of his how ever, th an artillery opened m ost m em orable experiences. up on us. We drove for cover “We follow ed th e com bas and dug in as w ell as w e could troops ra th e r closely d u rin g the before try in g to size up th e s itu a St. Lo b reak th ro u g h ,” he re tion. called. 7 “We soon discovered th a t the “We w ere close enough to th e G erm ans w ere on one m ountain, fig h t so th at, by stan d in g on the A m ericans on th e other, and th e tops of our vehicles on a we w ere in th e valley b etw een .” n earb y hill, we could look down It w as im possible for th e outfit on th e city as it was being po u n d to m ove to safety u n til the fol ed flat, t was a te rrific sight. I low ing m orning, w hen th e com d id n 't th in k a living th in g w ould pan y ’s vehicles left th e area one be left, and I w as alm ost rig h t.” by one so as to p resen t a good T he 660th served m ost of its target. P riv a te F irst Class Jo h n com bat tim e w ith the VII Corps A. H all, Jr., of 154 21st S treet, of th e F irst A rm y and w as fre N. W., W ashington, D. C., rem em q u en tly b roken dow n into sec bered w ell th a t evacuation. tions to w ork for such fam ous “N aturally everyone w as an x i divisions as th e 3rd A rm ored, ous to leave as quickly as possi 1st, 2th, 78th, 83rd, 84th and ble,” he recalled, “and each v e 104th In fan try . It arriv ed o ver hicle w as packed w ith m en as It seas at Liverpool, E ngland, in took off. Men even hung from D ecem ber, 1943, landed on the the sides.” co n tinent on th e follow ing Ju ly Back row standing, left to right: Stw . 2c Ed Watkins. Nashville, Tenn.: Stm. lc J. W. Woodward. Pittsgurgh, Pa.; Stm. lc D. H. Holley. Dallas. Texas; Stm. J. M. Carson. Corpus Christie, Texas; Stm. 2c Wm. Brown, Muskogee, Okla.; Stm. lc Earl Scott. Oakland. Calif.; Stw . 3c E. A. Pickett, Michigan; Stm. lc J. G. Brooms, LaGrande, Ga.; Stw. lc John J. Scruggs, Baltimore. Maryland; Stm. lc T. H. Williams. Atlanta. Ga.; Stm. lc J. J. Thomas. Louisiana; Stm. lc C. H. David, Tampa. Fla.; Stw. 2c Dennis RandalL St. Petersburgh, Florida; Stm. lc J. Daniels, Cleveland. Ohio; Stm. lc T. Barber, Columbia. South Carolina; Stm. 2c G. M. Clark; Stw. 3c A. A. Williams. Fredricksburg. Va.; Stm. lc C. W. Williams. Jacksonville. Fla. —Photo by M argaret C. Robinson Slowly iTadting Here According to Forum “The Negro and Employment in Portland”, was the topic of discussion at the sec ond open forum conducted by the Portland Public Forum, last Friday in the public library hall. The Rev. Thompson L. Shannon of First Christian church, presided as moderator during the question period. Mr. Edwin C. Berry, executive secretary of the Urban League, made plain the facts that as cutbacks in war industries increaseprejudice is mounting against hiring Negro em ployees. He also com m ented on th e w ay in w hich P o rtla n d had accepted an increase in N e gro population w ithout guidance, education, or plans to absorb these people into the com m unity. Three Roads Open “Now, as w e face th e fu tu re , th ree roads are open in th e path of race relations,” he said, “T he first, to ignore facts an d do nothing, has been tried. “The second, to continue to oppress and compress th e N egro population has also been trie d and failed in other com m unities. T here is nothing left b u t to ta k e th e th ird road, face th e problem honestly and see if som e degree of un ity and equity can ’t be obtained in our com m unity.” S tanley Earl of the sta te C.I.O. council review ed the sta tu s of Negroes w ithin th at union an d stressed the facts th a t though Negroes w ere accepted for m em bership and often held offices w ithin the C.I.O., ac tu al h irin g of em ployes was still conducted by em ployers. “We have tried to o u tlaw r a cial discrim ination w ith in our o r ganization,” he stated. “It has been our national policy, a l though we may n ot h av e been able to carry it dow n to th e last person w ithin the organization, since we have a m em bership of some 5,500,000 in th e th e C.I.O.” Thomas J. Sheridan, speaking for the United S tates em ploy m ent service, review ed th e c u t backs now being effected in O re gon industries an d serving to th ro w much of the N egro p o p u lation out of work. H e declared a program to kill ru m o rs and generalizations ag ain st th is m i n o rity would pave th e w ay for a g reater selection in job p lace m ents for Negroes. Doyle Pearson, executive sec- 15th and two days la te r began tw enty-four-hours on day o p era tions w hich lasted u n til afte r VE day. The unit w as aw ard ed five b a ttle participation sta rs for its service in the ETO. reta ry of th e Oregon jo in t coun cil of L um ber and Saw m ill W ork ers, A. F. of L., felt th a t th e Negro w as not as m uch th e v ictim of discrim ination as he w as of labor cutbacks an d lack of training. He recom m ended a program of education against race prejudice, backed up by train in g in the skilled occupations, so th a t N e groes m ight find b etter positions in the em ploym ent field. Coast Anti-Fascist Fight Progressing LOS ANGELES, (ANP)—C iti zens w ho have w ondered w h eth er any good w ould develop from the launching of a d riv e against fas cism are gratified to know th a t it is still in action. T he move w as set on foot th ree w eeks ago. Em erging w ith a fighting pro gram against A m erican facism, rep resen tativ es of m ore th an 1000 organizations speaking for a to tal m em bership of n early half a m illion Los A ngeles citizens, m et at C ity college in a “m obi lization for D em ocracy" confer ence called by A tty. G en. R obert W. K enny th a t set a new sta n d a rd for cooperative dem ocratic action am ong groups in this area. T he local N egro com m unity was w ell rep resen ted by a consider able n u m b er of p ro m in en t citi zens. H ighlighting th e d ram atic dem o n stratio n of un ity w as th e clos ing address of M arine Col. E v ans Carlson, com m ander of the fam ed “C arlson’s R aid ers”, who declared th a t “th e only answ er to th e challenge of tn e atom ic bom b is for th e people to learn how to live to g eth er and w ork to g eth er in th is one w orld, at peace." Among th e prom inent speakers w ere M ayor F letch er Bbwron, au th o r C arey M cW illiams, B’nai B’rith leader D avid Colmen, G eorge C am pbell of th e AFL, Soldier, Sailor Jailed For Wrecking Church CONWAY, S. C. (ANP) W illie G uage an d W hiteford Deitz, sol dier and sailor respectively, both w hite, w ere being held in the countv ja il h ere M onday on charges of having w ilfully and m aliciously d estroyed p ro p erty in the H em ingw ay C hapel colored church here early S unday m o rn ing. The m en are accused of having en tered th e ch u rch about tw o o’clock in th em orning, tu rn in g on lights, b reaking up all chairs and m ost of th e seats; of having th ro w n a seat out of a window , break in g out all w indow panes except four and doing as much dam age as possible to the heater. Com pleting th e ir havoc, the tw o th en ran g th e bell w hich aroused G olden Bellam y, who lives nearby. Mr. Belam y sum m oned aid and th e sheriff who effected th e arrest. C hurch-goers S unday observed th e w reckage and also noted th a t th e m en had pulled up a to m b stone in th e cem etery of the church and placed it in th e m iddle of th e road. Also th a t flow ers had been to rn from m any graves an d strew n ab o u t the grounds. No reason for th e incident has been given. P hilip M. C o m o lly of th e CIO, and radio com m entator Jo h n B. Hughes. Included am ong th e recom m en dation are su p p o rt of a state and n ato in al FEPC, city-w ide com m ittee to g u ara n tee freedom of th e air, in tro d u ctio n into th e schools of m a terial to com bat prejudice, di. trib u tio n of educa tional m aterial, and th e holding of fu rth e r m eetings, both on a neighborhood an d a city-w ide scale, and num erous o th er sug- gestoins to advance dem ocracy and d efeat the home enem y, fas cism. & “I th in k th e P re sid e n t’s two statem en ts on FE PC w ere splen did an d rep rese n t a good pob in pu ttin g it on his ‘m u st’ list,” R an dolph declared. “I am im pressed by the feeling of th e people, how ever, in th e ir d esire to know how far he is going in d raw in g o n the forces a t his disposal to ta k e this L etters continue to stream in legislation th ro u g h congress.” railroaders in m ilitary R andolph w as rep o rtin g on the from com pletion of a 30-day to u r he service protesting bitterly th a t had ju st com pleted in a score of they a re ju st “hanging around, cities w h ere he had been ob killing tim e.” They w an t to come serving th e tren d s in reconversion home and go back to w ork for since V -J D ay. P a rtic u la rly w as the “Iron H orse.” M any of the railm en in service he concerned ab o u t th ese m atters "have read stories about the sh o rt as they affect A m erica’s m inori age of labor on railroads in th e ties. R ecalling th a t tw o w eeks ago States, p articu larly prior to the th e P resid en t had in stru c ted bis Ja p surrender, and they appeal to cabinet m em bers to keep an eye the railroad w orkers’ paper to ex on various pieces of legislation pose th e alleged w aste of m an w hich he h ad recom m ended to pow er by the “brass h ats” in the congress, an d asking th em to give m ilitary railw ay battalions. T heir appeals rev e al th e ex him periodic rep o rts on progress, Randolph disclosed th a t he had te n t to w hich the m ilitary a u th o r ju st w ritten th e P resid en t in q u ir ities failed to cooperate w ith th e ing w hich of the cabinet m e m carriers, the ra il unions and the D e fe n se ¿T ran sp o rtatio n b ers had bee^ delega*ed {to ob- th e g re a t d riv e w a s o n to fervk the ’ trAid of p erm a n en t g e t'm e n an d supplies to the W est FEPC legislation. ' Coast. D iscussing his findings qn th e One such le tte r has come from trip, th e lab o r lead er held th a t “th e processes of an unplanned a m em ber of th e F irem en and reconversion had distilled all the Enginem en, now stationed in A u s re-agents necessary for an explo tria as a road forem an of engines. In th a t capacity, he said, he has sive m ixture. T he social chem is traveled about considerably and try in m any cities,” he said, “in seen first hand the sq uandering of dicates in ev itab le violence unless m anpower. congress adds an im p o rta n t in “W ith few exceptions, th e w ork g red ien t to th e m ixture. T his vital now is ‘ju st killing tim e,’ ” the in gredient is hope for th e m inori w riter said. ties.” M any are doing ju st routine Using a b lackboard an d chalk jobs w hich could easily be han d l to illu strate th e equation he had in m ind, R andolph said th a t “Un ed by 18-year-old replacem ents and m ake possible th e release of (unem ploym ent) plus “H ” (hun railroad m en, m any of w hom are ger) m inus “X ” (hope for a fan- betw een 30 and 45 years, b u t who chance a t a job) equals “R ” do not h av e th e necessary 85 (riots). points for release. F ailu re of congress to enact O ur ow n b a tta lio n ceased rail FEPC legislation, he continued, w ork of any kind on or about m akes it d ifficult for him to see Ju ly 5. We have since used our how “violence, p erhaps exceeing tim e in sw im m ing, b all playing th a t w hich afte r th e last w ar and the like.” brought te rro r to 26 A m erican In a sim ilar lette r, a m em ber cities in one year, can be p rev e n t of the R ailroad T elegraphers, who ed.” He th e n cited figures to has seen plenty o f service abroad, show the ex ten t to w hich Negro but who is ijo w back a t Cam p layoffs have o u tstrip p ed those Claiborne, La., com plains th a t of the g en eral population in a railm en, though th e y have had half dozen assorted industries. several y ears of active overseas N egroes em ployed in governm ent, service, are now being subjected how ever, show ed no dispropor to tim e-w asting “r e f r s h e r tio n ate decrease, he observed, ow courses” at the cam p— th a t is, ing to th e fact th a t th e FEPC still v eteran ts are being tre a te d like has ju risd ictio n over governm ent raw recruits! agencies and has been acting. A sked his a ttitu d e ab o ut th e possible tran sfe r of FEPC to the labor d ep artm en t, R andolph said he w ould be opposed only b e cause the agency w ould have to investigate governm ent agencies — p erhaps even th e la b o r d e p a rt m ent itself—and ought to be free. O tto Johnson 31, was acquitted He felt no p articu la r alarm about this w eek on a charge of second Labor S ecretary L ew is B. degree m urder. He w as tried be S chw ellenbach’s attitu d e and po fore C ircuit Ju d g e Jam es R. Bain sition. and pleaded self-defense. The R andolph said he plans to m ake ju ry d eliberated less th an an an o th er to u r in b eh a lf of the hour. national council and w ill p artici On J u n e 14, Johnson said he pate in a series of mass m eetings fatally stabbed Mrs. A nna Mae to arouse w ider support in behalf B lackw ell 45, of 522 N. Ivy street of the legislation. after she had attacked him w ith an axe. A fter the attack Johnson wer* TAN YANKS AWAIT V-A DAY to Seattle, W ashington, wher^ ae was picked up by P ortlan d police W ASHINGTON (AN P)—Negro officers and retu rn ed to Portland. soldiers in F ran ce received the He stated th a t h i did not know new s of th e Jap an ese su rren d er th a t Mrs. B lackw ell w as dead w ith satisfaction at know ing they w hen he left th e city. w ould n o t have to go to the F irst reports follow ing the m ur Pacific, b ut th e realization th a t der w ere th a t she had been a t th e ir fig h t w ould not be over tacked w ith th e axe but it was u n til w h at th e “V-A D ay,” it w as later proven th a t th a t she was revealed last W ednesday by a stabbed a dozen or m ore tim es civilian w ar d ep artm en t official. in the breast and head. Doy D avenport, w ho assisted in th e estab lish m en t of the in form a thinking in te rm s of “V ictory in tion and education program s in A m erica”, m eaning th e day w hen th e E uropean T h eatre of O pera “they would be librated from the tions, told th e C apital Press club hatred and prejudice th a t they last w eek th a t th e boys w ere had know n a t hom e.” Army Wasted Time Declare G.I. Railmen S l JohnsonAcquiited In Ivy Si. Slaying /