Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland inquirer. (Portland, Or.) 1944-194? | View Entire Issue (Jan. 25, 1946)
Friday. Ja n u a ry 25. 1946 PORTLAND IN QU IRER P eg s F o u r DRIVE AGAINST BOSWELL AMMENDMENT PORTLAND INQUIRER Published Each Friday By Portland Inquirer Publishing Co. 1453 N. W. Williams Ave.. Tel. LAncaster 1568 Send mail to P. O. Box 3877, Zone 8 Chesley E. Corbett. Editor B. D. Robinson. Mgr. J. H. Williams in Charge of Circulation and Distribution • Member oi the Associated Negro Press, Calvin's Newspaper Service, Ted fates Publications, Inc., Independent Press Service. This newspaper reserves the right to print for publication all press dispatches, features and photos forwarded by these sgenctea or otherwise credited to them. NATION A L, A D V E R T IS IN G R E P R E S E N T A T I V E I n t r s t a t a U n i t e d N e w s p a p e r s . In c. , 545 K l f t h A v e n u e , N e w Y o r k C i t y a n d C h i c a g o , II). T e l e p h o n e : M u r r a y H i l l 2 - 5 4 52 Rates by M ail: 6 m onth—$2.50 O ne Y ear—$5.00 in advance EDITORIAL By Chesley E. Corbett CA-JSE AND EFFECT There is an old saynig, but a true one, “That for every cause there is an effect; for every effect there is a cause." This was m anifest last week, im mediately following the article th at was published and very much publicized in the Oregonian Wednesday of last week styled “Negroes Desire Segregation,” and other papers in the city. Many persons, desiring to stir up racial antipithy and discontent between m inority groups w ere glad to see such m atters being dis cussed, and there appeared in the Oregonian in F riday’s issue the following letter from one W arren Erwin, which we print for your presual. “Quote”: THE PEOPLE'S OWN CORNER—LETTERS Segregation To the Editor: I feel sure the serious thinking people of Portland will be interested in the attitude of a group of Negro business men who have asked the city commissioners to keep “persons of other races” from opening new busi nesses in their district. It appears that some w hite man has signified his inten tion of opening a “dine and dance club” in the vicinity of Williams and N. E. Broadway. Fearing that a license might be granted him, this forward-looking group of colored men rem onstrated against it. I herew ith quote from the letter to the city council: “We most certainly object to persons of other races impos ing therftselves and businesses such as this one.” Had not the venerable and respected Booker T. Wash ington, noted Negro educator, long since crossed over the River Jordan, I would be inclined to feel th at this local group of Negroes had sat at his feet and absorbed his wise teachings. Following a contrary reasoning, certain Negro groups in recent years have sought to break down all social and business segregation. These groups have now prevailed on the Negro business men (as I see it) to repudiate their stand. It is my opinion th at they were right in the first instance, both from the standpoint of their own happiness and welfare, and of the happiness and welfare of the com m unity. Yes, by all means, keep other races out of the Negro district. Respect their wishes. As the Negro population grows, and it is beginning to show signs of rapid increase, let them expand their district, install th eir own commercial enterprises, their restaurants, hotels, theaters and even schools. Let all races cultivate an attitude of greater civil cour teousness and less inclination to impose themselves. Peace ful relations in our country may be forever m aintained under such conditions. WARREN ERWIN. 4623 S. W. G arden Home Rd. “Unquote." In the same issue, in the editorial column the Editor commented on Mr. Irw in’s article as follows: “Quote": Segregation W arren Erwin in his letter favoring racial segregation, which appears elsew here on this page, finds no sym pathy with us. Once in a while, as in this case, some group of Negroes will advocate against whites the very exclusiveness from which they ordinarily suffer. But there is no point in seiz ing upon such an incident. Usually it is the result of bad gering, mere retaliation. The over-all policy of the Negro people is to achieve acceptance, and certainly in a northern city such as Portland, with a com paratively sm all colored population, there is no sense in hashing over the argum ents which w ere typical of the deep south in the past century. In the present instance, virtually every Negro organi zation in the area disavowed the original petition of the Business Men’s association, and the association itself joined in this repudiation, objecting to the way the petition was OREGON FRATERNAL ASSOCIATION 1412 N. W illiams A venue VP RESPECTS DRIVE A GA INST BOSW ELL BIRMINGHAM — ( A N P ) — C ondem ning the proposed Bos well am endm ent as a device to m aintain m inority rule in A la bam a politics, over 100 delegates to an em ergency conference on jobs and security w ho m et here S aturday called for defeat of the m easure w hen it is voted on nex t November. Called by the com m ittee for A la bam a of the S outhern C onference for H um an W elfare, progressive leaders from every p art of the state and from all branches of organized labor m et here to dis cuss the problem s of reco n v er sion and the social security legis lation now pending in Congress. P redicting t h a t w idespread m echanization w ould displace th ree m illion people from the farm s of the south w ithin the n ext five years, G ould Beach, editor of the Southern F arm er, declared th a t only rapid in d u s trialization can p rev en t a large and grow ing nu m b er of unem ployed in A labam a. W. O. H are, state secretary of th e A labam a F ederation of L a -Ova\ bor, stated th a t th e proposal to appoint fact-finding boards in in d u strial disputes offers little hope of elim inating labor-m anagem ent strife. “A fter a life-long e x p eri ence w ith fact-finding boards,” I ;iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!i|iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiliiiil>iii>iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniliiii Mr. H are declared, “th e only thing I know about them is th at they never find any facts. In A labam a if a board w ere ap pointed today th e first m an nam ed w ould be E m m et Brooks, th e second w ould be F ran k D ixon M uskogee, O kla. and the th ird w ould be a de Ja n u a ry 15, 1946. graded and corrupt labor leader.” D ear C orbett: Speaking for the U nited Mine I m ust acknow ledge my a p p re W orkers, D istrict P resid en t Bill ciation for th e tw o issues of “The Mitch condem ned the action of P o rtlan d In q u irer" you sent me. Congress in gran tin g tax refunds The m inute I read th e editorial to corporations. “The tax r e and carefully exam ined the a r funds w ere supposed to be used rangem ent, et cetra, I knew and by business to help in th e p ro b recognized th e fam iliar shove, lem s of reconversion, b u t a c tu a l drive and zeal you can give an y ly,” he declared, “th e giant cor thing. porations a re using this m oney The p aper lost its savor w hen as a slush fund to fight labor. you ceased to function w ith it, “In the com ing elections, labor but now it’s n a tu ra l again. m ay pick a loser b u t labor w ill I've alw ays had and alw ays back a m an who w ill support its w ill have the highest reg ard for program .” C riticizing C ongress your ability. R eally th e re is m an C arter Manasco for block none to exceed you in anything ing passage of a real full em ploy you w ant to do. This is one m ent bill, Mr. M itch stated th at thing I w ant you to rem em ber the m iners in W alker county will and rem em ber w ell: I consider vote for any candidate w ho runs you “THE ESSENCE AND against M anasco in the coming Q UINTESSENCE OF C U L congressional race. TURE,” and as long as I live D efending the F E P C, Mr. 1 w ant you to feel tow ards me Mitch stated th at it w as the as you’ve alw ays—no m atter policy of his organization to in w h a t’s the score. sist on equal pay for equal work. I shall send you a check for “You c a n 't keep an o th er fellow a subscription soon. K eep the in the ditch as fa r as labor is good w ork up. W rite and tell concerned,” he declared, “w ith m e all about yourself, your plans, out getting dow n w ith him .” future, etc. Em ory O. Jackson, editor of the L et m e hear from you pronto. B irm ingham W orld, described the Be good to yourself. Boswell bill as the political tw in Lovingly, of the B radford act w hich pro Lillian. hibits the closed shop. “These E ditor's Notes: tw o bills," he stated, “m ake up T he above epistle w as from the tw o-edged sw ord th e enem ies Mrs. L illian B. C rutcher, Music of trad e unions, w orking u n d er and English teac h er in the Ft. the sm oke screen of ‘w hite su Gibson (M uskogee C ounty) High prem acy’ intend to use in trying School. O klahom a. to crush the labor m ovem ent in Mrs. C ru tch er is a g rad u ate of A labam a.” W iley U niversity, M arshall T y C arey H aigler, president of the ler and also of L angston U n iv er A labam a S tate In d u strial Union sity, Okla., has done g rad u ate council, state th at “C ongress has w ork at th e U niversity of S o u th been engaged in a sit-dow n strik e ern C alifornia and the U niversity against m eeting the needs of the of M innesota; she has been in A m erican people. In the m onths charge of several glee clubs th a t ahead, th e progressive-m inded have gained national recognition. citizens of A labam a m ust stand She sp en t h e r vacation this together, w ork together and vote sum m er in P ortland, visiting h er together if w e are to p rev en t a sister, Mrs. LaR ue B. C orbett, at depression w orse than th a t of th e Royal P alm Hotel, form er 1929.” w ife of the editor. Speaking on the m edical needs I th an k you, L illian, I hope of A labam a, Dr. Jo h n f 'ew drop, and tru s t th a t I m ay m erit the regional m edical officer of the things you said about me. F arm S ecurity adm ini' (ration, stated th a t “low incom e and poor health go hand in hand. We cannot hope to m aterially raise ! the health standards in A labam a ! w ithout first raising th e income Diamonds--Watches--Jewelry | of the g reat m ajority of our citi- | zens.” Tim e is O ur Business NEITHER PACE HOP interpreted. Let it go at that. As we look at the m atter, the problem of racial harmony is difficult enough at best. Sometimes we object deeply to the m anner in which the Negro organizations push toward acceptance. But no one should grasp an apportunity to pretend that anything other than acceptance is their ideal. In a city such as Portland, where racialism is com paritively so m inor a problem, it would be sham eful for us to engage in even a discussion of extrem e reaction. “Unquote.” We doff our hats to the editor of the Oregonian for the above mentioned article. Segregation has no place among civilized nations and when we see one attem pting to suggest it or urge is enforcement we m ust condemn the same in its inciptepcy. , i Had not the various organizations of our group met in mass meeting, as they did, and clarified their position rela tive to the erroneous idea th at we w anted segregation, many m ore articles such as Erw in wrote, and other move ments to “m uddy the w ater” would haev taken place. We are glad that it was “nipped in the bud.” There was a cause—but quick action on the part of the said organiza tions acted in time before m atters became effecacious. FREEDOM HAS NO "BUTS"— By Chesley E. Corbett The wonder of 1945 was th at so much could happen in so few months. Staggering headlines became common place. T here was the death of President Roosevelt; the w ar ended; the United Nations Organization became a hopeful fact; and, most cataclysmic of all, was the thunder ous dawn of the atomic age. These w ere but a few of the headlines. The events they portray have left a turbulance in the hum an mind such as has never been experienced be fore. That turbulance is shaking the postwar w orld to its very foundations. The peace and plenty which so many had hoped for when the guns fell silent, is nowhere to be found. W hether it will m aterialize in the reasonably near future depends upon the fortitude and common sense of millions. An indication of the tem per of the times is evident in the words of one veteran, a college graduate who lost a leg at El Alamein: “There is evidence among us of a grow ing distaste for orations. We will tend to judge parties and proposals by results, not by protestations of high purpose. We know freedom doesn’t mean much w ithout groceries—how can a man enjoy free speech on an empty stom ach?” Appealing as these words sound on the surface, they reveal the terrible weakness in thought th at today th reat ens the future of the American republic and hope of democratic governm ent throughout the world more ser iously than any dictator or combination of dictators ever has. First, this veteran—and his reasoning is paralled by millions of civilians—is assuming that freedom is some how to blame that there is a grocery shortage. Second, he infers that a little less freedom can result in a few more groceries. Third, he makes the potentially fatal blunder of inviting a strong m an of group to take action, in the same breath, mind you, that he questions the validity of free dom unless it is accompanied by a three-decker sand wich. This bread and butter philosophy leaves the way wide open for the demagogue to step in w ith a hatful of promises—impossible promises th at will result in less free dom and fewer, not more, groceries. G eneral Carl A. Spaatz. form er commanding general of the U nited States strategical and tactical air forces in (Continued on page 7) THANKS FOR THE BOUQUET The Time Shop Licensed Watchmakers Expert Repairing 5 to 10 d ay service 420 S. W. W ashington B E 6441 JUST RIGHT SHOE REPAIR SHOP Ladies & Gents Shoes Repaired 326 N. W. Sth Ave.