Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 14 February 1942 — Page 9

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EDUCATION 1$ THEME OF NATIONAL OROADCAST

VOLUME XLVI

SECOND SECTION

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1942

NUMBER 11

D. C. Stars Says Colored Fighters Destroy White Supremacy Myth

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WAS FUNG TON, Fe*l). 13- (By Rienzi B. Lemus for ANP)—White supremacy loses “face” in. Asia, which is vital anywhere to white supremacy. That is more perturbing to its balance than territorial and material losses over, there — and this increasing perturbation is no longer concealahlb here and

hereabouts.

A leading newspaper in the United States is the Washington Evening Star, as fair as it is prosperouts. Its feature editorial for Feb. 2 was headed, “The Battle for ‘Face’” (in the Orient). It noted that: “Indeed, the outcome of this intangible struggle will determine the shape of the future quite as much as material clashes between troops, ships, and planes.” “To all Asiatics, high and low, ‘face’ is supremely important.” In Asia, “face” is. by and large, western “material” magic that made a things seem to be what it actually wasn't, which made of a white nerson a “supperman.” But when Japan chased England from Hong-Kong, Shanghai, the United States from Manila and forced us td defend our very sovereignty in Asiatic waters, thousands of miles from home and military supplies, we “lost face”—naturally. It was, however, a celebrated Japanese physician that really impressed by force of example the mythology of white supremacy. He was the late

Dr. Noguchi.

At about the same tjme that we were establishing Japanese “inferkwity” with enactment of Asiatic exclusion laws out on the Pacific slope. Dr. Nogouchi was establishin parity with the best extant in

oral yearsprior, friend of the insti

DOROTHY MAYNOR

See ‘Second Houston Riot 9 As Police Abuse Soldiers

To Pay Tribute

To ’Skegee Founder, Persons Who Aided

HOUSTON, Feh. 13 (By John knock the sergeant’s hat off with II. Thompson for ANP)—Are un- his hilly, but did not succeed, thinking white police officers in It was reliably reported to this Houston trying to incite Negro 'correspondent and later corroboratsoIdlers to another riot like that ed by several witnesses, that the of the first World war? Is there young Negro soldiers were not a studied attempt on the part of boistrous, nor did they get loud

local police to make Negro soldiers feci inferior? Is the uniform of

in their talk with the cops, but they did tell them they were in

a soldier respected by Houston po- the army and were fighting for lice? Are soldiers of the U. S. whites as well as blacks and they army to he treTfted like dogs mere- felt as good as any of the officers, ly because they have black faces? All were rounded up by the cops, Are Negro soldiers being trained and one. Sgt. Vasco Edmunds, state tight the white south or a for- tioned at Ellingtm held, was plaeeign foe ed under arrest by a white MP. These and numerous other <jues- A near riot was averted when a tionsl have been asked by local Xe- j printer by the name of W. H. Mitgro citizens who have been urous- 1 chell tried to tell the officers that ed over abuse heaped on a man- the soldiers were from the north her of Negro soldiers this pasi and did not know the way of the week while in a tavern in the heart south. He also said, according

of a Negro section of Houston.

to those present, that he as a civi-

the field of bacteriology at the According to reliable witnesses, , luin resented being called a NigRockefniler Institute of Medical Re-i all telling the same story, cops ; ger” and these soldiers must also

search in New* York-City. For sev- , ” “ 11i ”“ ' ^

THE VOICE OF LINCOLN DOWN THE AGES—“I always feel inclined, when I happen to say anything to soldiers, to impress upon them the importance of success in this contest. It is not merely for today, but for all time to come, that we should perpetuate for our children’s children that great and free government which we have enjoyed all our lives. . . . Still, let us not be over sanguine of a speedy, final triumph. Let us be quite sober. Let gs diligently apply the means, never doubting that a just God, in His own good time, will give us the rightful result.”

came into the place, began calling j resent it when they were fighting a number of soldiers in uniform for their country. He was im-

tute’s great chieftain. Dr. Flexner. by the .hated name of “Niggers”, mediately placed under arrest, carNogouchi died full of virulent When a young, intelligent sergeant ried to jail and placed under $1.germs, self administered, in th ■ i told the cops in a nice way, “We , 000 bond for three days when loadvaneement of science and for the are not ‘Nigger’ soldiers, we are cal citizens had the bond reduced succor of mankind. The Asiath' American soldiers”, the cop began 1 to $400 and he was then released, mind got it—that inasmuch as the abusing the entire bunch of sol- This correspondent attempted to yellow man was peer of the white diers. sent in a riot call for more get in touch with authorities in man in science, a super-white man. police and threatened t<» kill the charge of the military police in in or out of Asia, was “just stuff.” soldiers 5 f .they talked hack. Houston and was told that Maj. The Evening Star editorial con- A number of squad cars respon- Smith, who was in charge, had gone eluded that “iBrltish .face” is lost ded, accompanied by several white to Beaumont and would not be and only -Gen. MacArthur’s valiant MB's. According to witnesses, buck until the next day. Authornrmy at the bottom of Luzon re- there was no need for the riot ilies at Ellington field when oonmained to uphold “western face.’’ call but police charged into the footed said Maj. Smith was the But MacArthur’s force is also Fill- place, called all soldiers by tin* party to talk to about the case, pjno, without whose suipport he hated name, demanded that the Houston is oir-o again setting on could not have got down to Tfa- soldiers take off their uniform caps j dynamite. Negro soldiers being taan; and the backlog of our far while talking to the officers. All trained in camps near here are for

_ refused- to take them off and one - the most part, from the north,

(out. on Page 8, Second Section i white MB is said to have tried to Most.of them are intelligent boys.

One day in 1872, a young Negro named Booker T. Washington arrived in a town near Norfolk, Va., to enroll at Hampton Institute. He had traveled by stage and on foot from his home in the mountains of West Virginia. In his pocket was a ';>0 cent pie<-e. In his heart was the ambition to teach members of his race. Booker T. Washington, one of the great American educators, capitalized these investments to become the founder of Tuskegee institute. A tribute to his genius is in chided in “Negro Contributions t<. Education.” sixth broadcast in tin “Freedom's Beople” series, to be presented over NBC's network from 1230 .to 1 jin., EWT. Sunday. Feb many lo. The series is sponsor ed bp a national advisory commit tee of white and Negro educator with which the U. S. Oi<e of Edu cation cooperates. / Dorothy Maynor, John W. •Studebaker, To Appear. Dorothy Maynor, gifted Negro soprano, and John W. Studebaker U. S. .Commissioner of Education are featured on the broadcast which climaxes observance of Ne gro history week. In dramatized episodes the broad cast will touch upon high spots it N e g r o education history— .John Russ worm, first Negro college graduate, who received a degree fron. Bowdoin in 1828; establishment or Cheyney Teachers college in 1832 first institution of higher learning for Negroes, and the stimulus to Negro education, of the Freedman’s Bureau under leadership of Feder al army officers which led to establishment of Howard university and Hampton institute in 1806 and Fisk university in 1807.

Describes Philanthropic Work. Work of philanthropic foundations concerned with Negro education l will be described, beginning with the George Peabody fund, oldest philanthropic foundation in the Kouth. Others are the Slater and •Icanes Funds—which have merged With tlie Peabody fund to form (lie Southern Education Foundation—the Rosenwald and the Phelps-Stokes funds, the Carnegie foundation, and the General Eduation board. This broadcast will tell also of Negroes who have contributed to heir race’s educational advancenent. More than a hundred years .go, Marie Couvent. a New Orleans •reole Negro, on her death bed -tsked that her property be used to ‘stablish a local school for Neroes. New Orleans has named its - ewest Negro high school in her mnor. The Howard university Wo- ' nen’s Glee club and a chorus of \ T ew York Negro school children vill participate in the broadcast. ' Fhe 12-voice de Paur chorus and the NBC staff orchestra are regular features of the series. Grants from the Rosenwald Fund and the Southern Education Foundation, together with direction and broadcasting facilities contributed by NBC and its network stations, make the series possible. “Freedom’s People” is under the supervision of Dr. Ambrose Caliver. U. S. Office of Education specialist in Negro education, and William D. Boutwell, chief of the Office’s Information Service. Scripts are by Irve Tunick, and musical arrangements by Dr. Charles L. Cooke.

ENGLISH NOT TO DROP BIAS, INDIANS TOLD

LONDON, Feb. 13. (ANP)—The house of lords- Tuesday heard demands that India be given dominion status and treated as an equal, and that an end be put to the col or bar. In reply to these demands, the duke of Devonshire, parliamentary under-secretary for India, replied that the statement issued by the governor gejieral of India the* marquess of Linlithgow) Aug. 8. 1040. wa* a definite promise that the British government was “prepared to hand over to Indians the government of their country’’ and “would do so at the earliest possible moment”. The under secretary’s reply was similar to that handed to 21,000.000 Nigerians who asked Prime Minister Churchill fqr inclusion in Britain’s dominion status and that given Primier IT Saw of Burma, who was recently arrested by British for allegedly conspiring with the Japanese to throw the support of 14,000.000 Bunna natives on the side of Axis member Japan. In the Nigerian instance, Churchill refused to reply to the direct query of whether the Atlantic charter applied to them or only to the white nations fighting with the Allies. U. Raw had made a rip from Burma to England to seek dominion status- and equal treatment with other nations in return for their support in the war effort against the axis nations. According to the duke of Devonshire, India's war effort is “already vastly greater than contemplated in the, period before the war”, and the only reason recruiting was limited was “due to difficulties of equipment* and technical services". He stated that recruiting now is at the rate of 50.000 a month and technical volunteers are more than 0,000 monthly. , In response to the query wn dominion status, the under secretary said that the war Itself made it impossible to turn over the gov-

■rninent to the Indians, even if Britain could find someone in India capable, of taking over the iovernment as Indian leaders have not reached any agreement among . In mselves. On th’e whole, the idea seems to be that while the support of Nigeria, Burma and India is being called upon to aid Britain’s vvar efforts, the empire is not willing to ae'-ord them the recognition is equal nations. The refusal of lominion status and the continutnee of the color bar is hold to be he thing which is seriously ham>ering England’s war plans. Supporting this idea. Lord Farngdon. Laborite peer, accused the British government of having ulopted for a hundred years of British rule, an attitude of comdaeency regarding India. He •aid India “paid and is paying a handsome dividend for anything we might have done for them’’, might have done for them”, hut 'appalling poverty still is the outstanding fqpture of Indian life”, and during all of English rule. M:e “standard in India has not risen”. Quoting statistics to show that the average income in India is on’v 0 pounds 3 shillings (about *24.60) yearly, he compared that with Japan where income averages ibout 20 pounds ($80).

George Washington Carver— What Keeps a Man Alive

ROANOKE DENTIST RUNS FOR CITY COUNCIL ROANOKE. Va., Feb. 13. (ANP) —The candidacy for a seat in Roanoke’s City council was filed here by Dr. Harry T. Penn last Monday. Dr. Penn, one of seven candidates for the three seats to he filled, is the first Negro ever to seek the office of city councilman in Roanoke. He filed subject to the Democratic primary in April. W. D. FULLER ELECTED TRUSTEE OF LINCOLN

(By William Pickens for ANP) Just about 40 years ago I saw George \V. Carver at Tuskegee for the first time. Then I was a student at Talladega college. He had his apron on. in his laboratory Three days ago was the last time that. I have seen him.—at Tuskegee, in his laboratory, with his apron on. Forty years ago we became friends,—the mature man and the college lad on his way to Yale. For 40 years wo have remained friends.—and if I were not proud of the fact. I would be a fool. On Jan. 19, 1942, this Old Man, who will never die. said to me what he said several times during the last quarter century: “I read everything that comes out under your name,— I have always read everything I have found with the Pickens name on it.” In my life I have had many compliments, but. none in a class with that. In January, 1942, a. year of war and crisis for our country, we sat in his simple office in the marvelous George Washington Carver museum, and discussed national defense, while younger men looked on and took photographs. Much of the work of this man will weigh

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so little. from peanut shells, paints from Let us hint at a few of the “ex- | soil, native vegetable stains, dec-tra-curricular” achievements of this orative slabs from waste cement life-long student of chemistry. — bits, art rugs, baskets, beads from who b’nlt scores of useful, every- wood pieces and from dried seeds: day products from the American drawn, decorated and embroidered peanut, the American potato, the burlap pieces; face powders of all commonest plants, and the very usable colors from Alabama clays! soil: He has created durable pavement Any woman would look with de- blocks from cotton, from native asspairing wonder upon the laces and I halt. He has made beautiful things knitt ings, designs not copied but j out of wasted strings! He has

invented by this man. Any artist will get a

we sat at a meal a black hand reached over, setting the food on the table. The girl sitting by my—1 do not know where she was from,—jumped up and ostentatiously left the room, proclaiming that she would not stand for it,—that no black person was going to handle her food, even as a waiter.’

And pausing a bit, the reminis- own soil.

thrill out

of his paintings, many of them made from stains in the soil and dyes from American woods. He did beautiful apples with his thumb for a brush,—and peaches with the lip of his little finger. There are some oil paintings of long ago, which were rolled up among his things, and which he himself had not looked at in 40 years,—not until his friends 'began to dig for things to be put into this^ unique

Museum. -

There are the beautiful Christmas cards, decorated in colors, by his own hand, and sent to various friends,—now gathered in a frame

behind a glass.

Clay stains on Alabama wood, to show poor people how they could decorate their homes from their

Pottery and ceramics, you ever expect to get

heavily in the defense of his coun- cent old lady continued: ‘I do not; . And if

try: stains and dyes from native ! remember that girl’s name or any- lost in the woods for days, check clays, and milk and bread from thing else about her, where she the wild edible vegtables on which

peanuts. “This museum,” said he, was from or where she has gone, “marking an economic path for the or who she was—but every intelpoor, is what has kept my old heart ligent person of this world today alive; l always want to add some- knows who that black waiter was,

PHILADELPHIA. Feb. 13. (AN P) — Walter Deane Fuller, president of the Curtis Publishing company. Philadelphia, and former Inresident of ihe National Association of Manufacturers, was elected [ a member of the board of trustees ;of Lincoln university in Chester county. Pa., at a meeting of the board held Wednesday at the Witherspoon building in Philadelphia.

thing more to what is in this store-

house.”

I told him a story of his own' life from long long ago, and which was told to me by a white minis ter in Iowa last Juno: “I have an

and where he is, and what he is doing — George Washington Car-

ver’.”

When you get to Tuskegee, see Dr. Carver if you have the privilege; but at least you will have

old lady among my parishioners. I the privilege to see the Carver who is invalid and waiting to die, | museum, at the entrance to which

but is happy. On my recent visit to her she said; ‘Years ago 1 was a student at the state college at Ames. Some students earned their school money by diningroom and kitchen service. One day as

his friends have erected a bronze bust of this rarest genius. There is no other museum like this one

you can feed yourself without barm.—quite a list of them, dried and carded, so you may recognize them at sight. See the birds he has gathered, as an expert taxidermist;. the gigantic fruits and vegetables grown by his chemical genius and preserved by his art. This man has always been thinking of others, especially of the little people, the humble folk and his mind bent itself into seeking ways out for them; how they could most economically use what they have,—in Booker T. Washington’s

made artificial marble slabs, as attractive as those which nature spent millions of years in making. Go and see how this loving old man has spent a lifetime pointing out to the very poor how they need not be barred from beauty, from

decoration, from art.

There is sometimes very noticeably African in that pottery, those rugs, those beads, those stains, and those tufted decorations,—a descendant spirit, perhaps, from the genius which decorated trinkets in Pharaoh’s chambers five thousand

years ago!

The privilege of looking through this Carver museum is worth a trip from any part of the United States to Tuskegee Institute.

WORKERS EARN HALF MILLION ON WELLS HOMES CHICAGO, Feb. 13. (ANP)—Ex. amination of a final report to the United States Housing authority by the Thompson Starrett Con. struction company shows that al* most a half million dollars was paid to Negro workers during tha construction of the Ida iB. Wells

homes.

According to Robert R. Taylor, consultant to the division of De. fense Housing coordination, and vice-chairman of the Chicago Housing authority, this is one of the best records of racial employ.

But civilian police countenance any ment made on any housing project action by the MP force when in in the United States..

The report shows that racial employment up to and including Dec. 2. 1941, is as fallows: Negro skilled labor, $198,121, or 8.39 per cent; Negro unskilled labor, $273,927, or

emits have been fed in the kit- 34.22 per cent. The exact total of chen of a Chinese restaurant until $172,048 w'as expended for the skillthis wook when they were given ^ 3-nd unskilled labor categoriesfood at a Negro restaurant. i Commissioner Taylor, to whom. Democracy is being given a beat- soes the greater part of the credintr here in Houston jt for thls employment record, has Finally getting in’touch with been consistently working for the Maj. Smith over the phone, who I> apt sev , eral y^ r8 to ^cure greatis in charge of Military police in if ^ employment in the housHouston. he told this reporter an- ^field. At the present time he grilv. “The army policy is to ,>er- continues has w<>rk m a national

fri j capacity as consultant to the division of Defense Housing coordina-

reared on the doctrine of democracy. They relent being kicked around by white MP’s and local white police. Their attitude was eloquently expressed by one lad who said, “Since I am in the army for the duration. I would much rather die fighting for my race here in American than to fight and die for my country in a foreign land”. This seems to be the concensus of -opinion of most of the soldiers talked to by this cor-

respondent.

To the best of this writer’s knowledge there are no Negro MP’s in Houston though a large number of colored soldiers come into the city when on leave. White MP’s travel with the police squad cars when called to the, Negro districts and usually jump out of the cars with their hands on their pistols’. All are armed wiht pistols and billies. Civilians resent their interference with their pleasure.

a Negro section.

Strict orders have gone out In this section to all Negro tavern owners not to sell any beer to soldiers under 21. White naval re

mit civil authorities and police to treat Negro soldiers as they see fit. They may talk to them in any way they wish. This ease has been investigated by military authorities and it is settled. Negro soldiers, when off military reservations are subject to civil laws and authorities. It is not the policy of the army to have white MP’s call Negro soldiers ‘niggers’. I do not mean to be cross-exmined by you on this case and it is best that vou do not stir tip any trouble ov-

er it”.

MITCHELL TO RETIRE, LIVE IN VIRGINIA

on the face of the earth,—in the phrase, “Let down your bucket variety of the achievements of one where you are”! Note: the wall man, who made so much out oi ] paper designs, the insulating slabs

CHICAGO, Feb. 13. (ANP)—Congressman Arthur W. Mitchell will not run for congress this year from Chicago’s famous first district. The gray haired lawyer who has won fame as the second Negro to hold a seat in congress since the reconstruction era, and who has been known as one of the stalwarts of the Democratic party, announced his retirement in a telegram to Chicago associates Tuesday. Mr. Mitchell, who has been in office since 1935, said he was retiring because there are “important things outside of congress for me to do.” “Kindness is more binding than a loan.”

WORKERS WILL GET HOUSING

Asserting that the "public Interest and the war program demand that equitable provision for housing be made for Negro defense workers,” Charles F. Palmer, Coordinator of Defense Housing this week announced a supplementary racial policy adopted by the Division of Defense Housing Coordina-

tion.

This statement of policy, worked out’in cooperation with Robert R Taylor, Consultant, dalls attention to the urgent need for housing Negro workers, indicated the problems involved in the selection of

tion. “We hope to maintain this record in the construction of all of our housing projects in Chicago,” Commissioner Taylor stated when he cited the employment record at the Ida B. Wells homes.

“become a major problem” due to the scarcity of open areas in Negro neighborhoods and opposition encountered when such sites in other neighborhoods are proposed. This difficulty, the Coordinator suggests, “shall not constitute an impediment to the defense program through the failure to provide adequate housing for Negro war workers.” Nor should it be used as an excuse for the selection of sites which “violate acceptatble housing principles and standards.” The policy further^proposes that the Federal agencies developing the projects “have their race relations offices review and advise concerning sites previous to final determination” and “utilize to the fullest” their respective “racial relations divisions and that of the Coordinator’s office in an attempt to create desirable interracial relations in a community by establishing contacts with enlightened and responsible local persons and

groups.”

In determining the need of defense housing for Negroes, the new policy proposes that studies be

sites, and sets forth certain pro- _ _ _ _

cedures for the development of de-]made of the extent of m-migration

fense housing projects. Under the new policy, the Federal agencies selecting sites are requested “to secure the opinions, approval, and cooperation of the local housing authorities and | or other responsible public and civic groups, including responsible Negro leadership, before final decision and public announcement is made

of the site.”

Because most projects are developed on vacant sites, the selection of a site for Negro occupancy has

of Negro war workers to defense localities, the extent of anticipated in-migration, and the impact produced on resident Negro war workers by in-migration of white war

workers.

The new policy supplements a statement of policy on racial relations issued last spring by Mr. Palmer. The earlier statement set forth certain measures “to assure equitable and adequate housing facilities to eligible Negro personnel and industrial defense workers.”