AGE TOUR
THE CAR0UN1A.N
SATURDAY, JANUARY 20. 1945
EDITORIALS
QUESTION
We wonder T any two Negroes in Wake
!ounty could have plead guilty to assault
.'ith a deadly weapon on any white man
n Wake County, after the trial had pre
ceded for some time, after the testimony
>f defeiise witnesses had been impugned,—
md then have got a suspended sentence
►f a year on the roads?
NOT FAIR
it is reported that Gejieral Esenhowser
las passed down an official oral order to
he til overseas newspaper, Stars and
llripes, to desist from making cracks about
he engineers and other behir. -the-lines
►verseas troops.
Koi Otlley, aurthor of “New World a—
oming,” and special war correspondent
or P.M, lias reported several times that
oinbalant soldiers have expres.'-ed resent-
u-iit over the praise and attention given
ho engineeiTj, iiuailermaslei^ and other
ervice troops to which the vast majority
f Negro 3oldiei-3 have been assigned. It is
enerally known, for instance, or should
>c, Uiat the lied liall Express, the truck
nc which accomplished marvels in traus-
lorting supplies from the Normandy beach-
to the front during the invasion of
Yance and Uie subsequent break-through,
ras manned seventy per cent by Negro
Irivei-s. The Red Ball received unstinted
iraise from every quarter, including the
igh command.
It is doubly unfair for white combat sol-
iers to quip the Negro sendee troops. In
lie firat place it was the policy of the high
fficials controlling the conduct of the war
j use Negro troops as nearly exclusively
8 possible in the necessary but unglainor-
us work of war rather than in the fight-
iig. The Negro soldiers did not ask for it.
nd they and the Negx*o public in general
esented the policy long before the shoot-
ng in France brought the situation so for-
ibly to the attention of the white combat
oldiers.
In the second place, it is certainly not all
noonlight and roses for the non-combat-
•nt troops. While not as exposed to death
UNHOLY ALLIANCE STILL FUNCTIONS
The coalition of reactionary southern
Democrats and reactionary northern Re
publicans is functioning in this Congress
just a? it did in the previous one. On the
very first day of the session Congressman
Rankin successfully led a movement of
those two allied forces in not only extend
ing the life of tlie ill-reputed Dies Commit
tee, but in further strengthening its posi
tion.
Some of the Republican members of the
coalition are downright reactionaries; oth
ers are motivated chiefly by the desire to
embarrass the Democratic administration
and the liberal Democratic leadership in
Congress. Many of the Democratic adher
ents to the unlioly alliance are Democrats
only in name and for convenience, and use
the name only because it is a prerequisite
for staying in southern politics, 'i'hey
are anti-labor, anti-Negro, anti-progres-
.sive, anti-liberal, and above all it would
sometimes seem, anti-Roosevelt. Certainly
it is difficult to understand how they could
be in harmony with any administration
which favored to any appreciable degree
necessary changes in Uie economic, social,
or racial status quo.
The Dies Committee was clearly repudi
ated in the election returns, and even be
fore then two of its leading lights were not
even renominated for their seats in the
House. Neither the Democrats nor the Re
publicans who joined in putting over this
new job can give any good explanation or
excuse for their action. Most blameworthy
ia our opinion are the southern so-called
Democrats, a majority of whom supported
the measure.
It was a bad omen for the fate of liberal
legislation on domestic problems for at
least the next two years.
P>»SS THE AMMUNmOtil By COillBt
/e€€nd Ttieuahts
Br c. D. HAIXIBURTOM
An Associated Press story not
long ago made note of the fact
that a ship built by Negro work
men in Mobile in record time was
‘•‘constructed entirely by Negro
craftsmen.”
The story contained several
significant lessons. First of all
one is reminded of the riot of a
few years ago in Mobile—a riot
against Negro skilled workers iq
Mobile shipyards. It is evident
that conditions have changed in
Mobile since then. But they did
not change because Negro em
ployees. their employers and the
U. S. Government all agreed that
the thing to do was to forget that
there were Negro workers with
skills, and others who given op
portunity could acquire skills.
There is hardly any doubt that
Uie work of the FEPC is built in
to that ship. Now everybody is
proud, apparently, that this group
ut Negroes had the opportunity
to contribute in ihis case their
best to the war effort.
Another angle of the story
should be noticed. The point was
made that the shipbuilders who
set the record were working un
der white sup Tvisors.
Now there is enough credit to
go round; but ’le writers of such
stories seem always to make a
studied effort to promote the
deeply ingrained idea that Ne
groes are no good unless they are
commanded, supervised or bossed
by whites. That idea is one of the
most cherished racial myths of
the American credo. That there
is some fear that it may be under
mined is evidenced by the rider
so often tacked on to stories of
Negro achievement
In several reports of heroism
and unusual accomplishment on
the part of Negro troops at the
fronts the point has been made
th't units mentioned were com
manded by white officers. There
is attempt at .s-jbtlety; it is a no
tice to all and sundry that what
might otherwise be incredible has
after all some basis in logic. It
has already been asserted in our
histories and folklore that under
white leadership Negroes can
work creditably, fight bravely.
That is conceded, at least by s»nc.
But it is feared that in some
way it might be discovered that
Negroes fight under competent
Negro leaders; that Negro skilled
workers can become supervisors
and Sectors. Too many Negroes
who do not (some believe or hope)
think so now might begin to do so.
Too many whites, when present
ed with evidence, might revise
their views.
Many hard boiled leaders and
rank-and-file members of certain
labor unionsdon’t take any chanc
es. They have a saying, at least
in private, and they try to see
that it is lived up to. It is, ‘‘Nev
er let a Negro pick up a tool.”
Lest We Leraet,
Br W. h. OREEIfB
TWO HEROES
NECESSARY AND TIMELY
DEPARTURE
While we were discusing the his-
lurical terciid of human migrations
us they have contributed to our
problems of human relations, an
editorial in the most widely circu
lated North Carolina Daily News
paper has presented a point of view
with respect to school attendance
wiiich claims our atlenlicm. Tbe
point stressed is the icsponsibllity
of superintendents, principals, and
teachers for school attendance and
the enforcement of the compulsory
attendance law. The editorial mini
mizes the importance of the so-
called truant officer in the program
and suggests that money spent fer
such personnel is mls-spent. Herein
lies the error and tbe FORGET
TING.
Let us remember: (1) that the
critical lag in school attendance is
found in schools serving the chil
dren of the poor and exploited peo
ple living in the city slums and on
tenant farms, (2) that the policy of
the school boards in such areas is
determined largely by the owners
of the homes, industrial plants, and
farms employing the parents of
these neglected children. 3) that
employers of underpaid domestic
workers pay too little to support
the families well enough to keep
the children in school regularly; in
dustrial workers with large fami
lies and small pay stay away from
home and have nut the time to see
that the children remain in school;
large farm owners demand the la
bor of the children of tenant farm
ers as a part of the condition that
the families live on the plantations.
The teachers in schools serving
these people have no legal tenure
in their jobs. They hold their posi
tions from year to year by keeping
the people satisfied with them. If
they bring pressure to bear to get
the children in school and keep
them there, the cry of dissatisfac
tion is raised. This is done bv the
finest technique of subterfuge, prac
ticed for generauons in such locai-
ities. No direct charge is brought
against the superintendent, princi
pal, or teacher for tbe attendance
activity but all therr other faults
are magnified and the main cause
for dissatisfactoin is discussed only
in the “confidence of the policy
makers.”
We need ATTENDANCE OF
FICERS paid by the STA'TE and
responsible to THE STATE BOARD
OF EDUCATION ONLY to require
reports from school officials and
teachers and who will themselve
ENFORCE the law for the benefit
of the state. Nothing less will do
tbe Job.
so glorified. Death itself has been
met by them and they have not
been found wanting. Those who
have gone “over the hill” have left
a rich heritage of inspiration for
the others to carry on.
The nearly one million Negroes
in our Armed Forces will do more
to help solve the race problem on
the home front than all the preach
ing, writings, and campaigns of
many of our great professional race
advisers who managed to stay out
of uniforms. Thvy will be swept
aside when they start unloading
the boats at the docks by younger
men, many of them more than
qualified to don the mantle of lead
ership because they will be the
vanguard of the procession leading
us to the realization to what we
have all hoped and prayed for.
That world will be one of young
men, and our be^t young men are
coming home same day.
The Day Is Cornin’
BY ERIC HASS
For Calvin’s News Serveie
Again Raleigh takes pride in the heroic
deeds of Captain Vernon Haywood, her na
tive son. Already the recipient of the Air
Metal, with five oak leaf clusters, he has Q1 INF) AY SCHf^OL LaEjSS^)N By Rev. M. W. WUliams
won in addition the Distinguished Flying W *w
Cross. The exploit responsible for his lat- Subject: SUndards of the King- why? Man is trying to gel happi- things to ^ se« or hea^ of men,
. ^ dom. — Matt. i:23: S;3-i0, 43-48; ness In his own selfish way rather but empasized the private exercise
est decoration was one which demonstrated 61*18 than the ways as pointed out in of them with the right spirit.
he fullowerg-of sertiiofi. on the mount is that^ the
It's an old argument. It isn't even
new to me. But my counter-argu
ment may be new to you. Some of
my white friends argued the other
night that if Negroes are not seg
regated by law, or by conditions
which practicalyy prevent disper
sal, they will segregate themselves
voluntarily. Thus, no matter what
kind of a social system we have or
how high our living standards, there
will always be all-colored commun
ities. The argument went something
like this:
Its more comfortable and con
venient for 0 Negro to have fellow
Negroes next door and across the
street They won't look down their
noses if you go around in your cul
tural undershirt, whereas in a pre-
(h>miti:it«‘ly white neighborhood
and competitors i which they could
no longer be under the changed con
ditions). or os Negroes or whites,
or Jews or Gentiles, we would re
gard them as fellow human, colla
borators in a great and good joint
enterprise.
In the collectivism toward which
society is inexorably moving not
only would all the legal and extra
legal forces of community race seg
regation relax and disappear, but
every reason for voluntary group
ing m all-colored neighborhoods
would also vanish Men of all races
would be safe cveryw lere. Ihcy
would be comfortable everywhere
too, beca'isc as there would be no
false attitude of race superiority,
neiher would there be an equally
f.ilse sense of race inferiority.
T neinlert nut too thnf white there
noonlight and ro.ses for llie non-combat-
Int troops. While not as exposed to death
Ir battle injury as Ihe front line troops,
Ley have suffered casualties, hardships
mid hazards aplenty. Ei‘nio Pyle and oth-
Irs have made it plain that bombing, staf-
lig, land mines and sniping are not reserv-
■d exclusively for those in physical con-
|ict with the enemy.
What praise the service troops get, and
that credit they receive, is not likely to be
uo much, nor will it detract at all from the
|lory of the combat troops. And certainly
; is.not sporting to bar men fron. fighting
Lnd then permit them to be maligned for
poing so.
BANNER YEAR FOR NAACP
The annual report of the National Asso-
lialion for the Advancement of Colored
Looplo res cals an encouraging state of af-
L'lii's as regards that organization. A mem-
Lor.slilp of dOO.OOO was recorded for 1944—
Ihe greatest in tiu history of the Associa-
|ion. Indeed ;hc membership should be
l,UM),0li0; bill 100.000 is an impressive
jiumber. It is gratifying that the NAACP
|nombersliip hu-iudes 15,000 ser^’ice men.
Other part.s of the report by no means
Indicate that the NAACP has accomplish
ed so m' uii as to have worked itself out of
I job. There :s much more to be done, and
Ihe membership and financial support
phould b»' greatly increased to meet the
problem.^ which the organization must face
|n the po.sl-war period.
Many will note with interest and satis-
Ifaction that Dr. W. R. B. Dubois has return-
led to the NAACP staff, as director of spe
cial research. It is to be hoped that he will
I'lose his productive career working with
Ihe institution with which he was so close
ly identified through most of its history,
and to whose success he has contributed
ko much.
THE CAROUlflAN
118 Eait Bvgett St, Raleigh, N. C.
_ Telephone *474
l-Puhl Uhed by Tbe CerolinlaD PubUehlng Ca
I Entered ai •econd-lajH metier, April g, 1040, et
■the Post Office et Rekdgh, N. C.. ueder the Act
March 8. liT*.
P. R. JERVAY. Publiaher
C D. HALLIBURTON. Bditoriela
DR. J. B. DAVIS, Associate ^tor
Suhacrlptlon Rates
»Oae Year, $2.00: Six Months, $1.25
Sdiesr all comui'inicationa and mal^ all checks
yabie te ihe Carolinian rather than to indlvld-
lals. The Carolinian exprcaely repudlatsa respon
sibility for renira of unsolicited picture, man-j-
etc., unlesf stampe ere esnt
Cross. The exploit responsible for hisTat-
est decoration was one which demonstrated
not only physical bravei-y, but resourceful
ness, leadership, technical efficiency, as
well; in fact every quality needful for the
responsibility of command under tlie most
difficult conditions.
Raleigh is happy to honor also Captain
Henry B. Perry, who though not a resident,
attended St. Augustine's College, from
which he was graduated in 1941, and then
tauglit in the high school at Littleton, in
this state until af'cepted as a volunteer to
the Air Corps. He is second in comand of
the original 99th Squadron, and lias been
in continuous active duty longer than any
other of tliat famed group. He was award
ed the Distinguished Flying Cross also.
The Negro soldier continues to measure
up to the highest standards of whatever
branch of the military service he finds open
to him.
NEGRO COMPOSER HONORED
William Grant Still won a signal honor
for himself and reflected great credit on
liis race when his overture was unanimous
ly selected in a contest sponsored by the
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. The or
chestra offered a $1,000 war bond for a
festival overture to be pertormed at the
celebration of its DOth annivei'sary, and Mr.
Still’s conipo.sition was selected over twen
ty-odd other entries.
Mr. Still, whose work is well known in
musical circles, is regarded as one of Amer
ica’s leading composei's of serious music.
He has composed operas and other long
works, including the “Afro-American Sym
phony,” and his compositions have been
played by the best American and European
orche.stras. A few years ago he won a com
petition arr;’iged by the Columbia Broad
casting System for music written especial
ly for radio. Mr. Still should be better
known to Nogroe.s. Tlii.s mo.st recent honor
will help.
HINDSIGHT
A Negro service man captured inside the
residence of a while family in Chapel Hill is
reported to have said, “I hope this will not
hurt my people.” It is a forlorn hope, sail
or. Too bad you didn’t think about your
people a few minutes or a few hours be
fore.
Subjecl: SuTuriTuTof tliv
dum. ~ Matt. 4:23; 5:3-10, 43-48;
6:1-18.
Key Verse: Blessed arc they
which arc persecuted for righteous
ness' sake: for theirs is the King
dom of heaven. — Matt. 5:10.
During the spring of A. D. 27, on
an unknown mountain in the region
of Judea, the greatest preacher and
teacher of all the world revealed
God's standards of His kingdom to
the disciples and all mankind wb >
want to become members. It is
known to us as the sermon on the
mount. The moral foundations on
whidi the Jews had stood for cen
turies were intricate, doctrinal,
discriminatory and ccrcmonidL
Christ made it clear that He had
come not to destroy, but to fulfill
the law. (Matt. 5:17-18). In Matt.
5:1-12, Christ interprets the serin-
turo as it relates to man’s daily liv
ing. Special emphasis is put on tho
inner life rather than the outward
appearance. The chara-ter of men,
or the heart condition is a determin
ing factor of a life of blessedness.
As we study this lesson on bow
happiness is secured through obed
ience of these eight beatitudes, we
raise the question — is man happy?
Docs he want to be happy? If not,
ness in bis own selfish way rather
than the ways as p(.iinled out in
this lesson. Then loo. those of ua
who are said to be fuUowers of
Christ in nuuiy instances, are like
salt which has lost is power to
preserve society. The Christians are
not only expected to carry a light
but a “light." The church is making
progress, but not enough of those
in the church are introducing and
j>racljcii^ into the social, industrial
and religious life-elements which
make fur happiness and check un
righteousness.
In this sermon on the mount, we
might profit if we could meditate
on Christ interpielulion of (1) The
Law Regarding Murder, vs. 21-26;
12) The Law Regarding Adultry, vs.
27-30; (3) 'fhe Law Regarding Di
vorces, vs. 31-32; (4) The Law Re
garding Retailliation vs. 38-42; (5)
The Law regarding Oaths, vs. 23-
37; (0) Tbe Law of Love vs. 42-
47; and t7) The Ideal of Perfection
vs., 48. The first eighteen verses of
the sixth chapter of , Mhtthew
closes this lesson with Christ
dwelling on three other spheres of
life, alms, prayers and fasting. In
cacn of these it will be noted that
Christ warned against doing these
but empasized the private exercise
of them with the right spirit.
Our rraclion to all phases of the
sermon on the mount is that the
standards as practiced by a large
number of people today is equal or
worse than the standard of those to
whom Christ talked. We have a
standard for women and one for
men; a standard fur white and a
standard for colored, a standard for
Jews, Gentiles and Negroes. We
have a standard of wages for whites
and one for Negroes, ^th doing the
same work; a standard of justice
for our race and a standard of Jus
tice for another race and even with
in the races we have different aU -
dards in our American society. In
our army — where men are dying
for the same Democracy and Jus
tice for all, we have different
standards. How confusing and per
plexing? However, the diffeient
standards, one things is certain, all
men. races and nations, if they
would enter into God's Kingdom
must acknowledge “The fatherhood
of God and the Brotherhood of
man.” We will then abide by the
true and only standard which Christ
gave. Then there will be justice and
liberty for all.
Plain Talk bv dan g-jibne®
NEGRO CASUALTIES AND THE
ATLANTIC CHARTER
Through the strict field censor
ship of the army seep out stories
involving huge Negro casualties iu
the furious ligbUng now going on
in Belgium and parts of France
where our Third, First, and Seventh
Armies are attempting to stave off
the last minute surprise courtter-
attacks of the Germans.
The daily papers carry corres
pondingly high lists of 'he maimed
and killed white Gl's but only oc
casionally mention those of Ne
groes. This conclusion was arriv
ed .It after a study over a period
of the casualties released by the
War Department for publication in
New York papers. Few names of
Negroes were seen in this tcs(. study
for comparison, thus the assump
tion that either the War Department
is withliolding complete and up to
date lists of .he Negro war wound
ed and dead, or that our boys are
not engaged in the thick of the fight
as many of us have been led to be
lieve.
EVEN GE.S'ERALS GET KILLED
Unlike World War 1. this conflict
is one in which even generals get
shot and killed in close quarters
since it is a war of movement and
not a war of tactical operations be
cause there has been much stress
placed on the basic training of the
raw recruit in teaching him the
rudiments of elementary and ad
vanced warefare so as to prepare
him to be a soldier in every sense
of the word. Many generals use
privates' uniforms to avoid atten
tion. That is why in this war there
are few cases on record in which
a GI knows nothing of fighting ex
cept with shoe-shine rag and po)^
ish on the general's boots from ..A
miles to the rear in some quiet
rendezvous where only the dull ana
distant boom of cannon would ii»-
dictate that a wa- is going on. The
truth of the mat. ’t would ap
pear. Is that Negro soldiers are
catching as much bell as any of
1
others.
While we are not inclined to give
too much credence tu wide-eyed re
puds that Negroes are being car
ried around in baskets, others with
arms and legs shot oD, some with
brass plaies in the tops of their
heads, etc., we do know that Ne
groes are contributing their share
of blood a .d lives in this must cost
ly of ail wars.
GREAT 1NC'RE.\SE IN
CASliALTlEji
As the conflict draws near its
linal stages, there is bound to be a
great increease in the number of
men injured and killed as bullets
are no respecters of persons or
color.
There must be a sense of futility
in the hearts of many of our sol
diers, sailors, and others in the
Armed r'orccs as the war progresses
and the brave words, which inspir
ed them with enthusiasm fur the
fight, fade into hard, cold, and grim
practicalities of take and hold in
stead of give and let be.
The Atlantic Charter, we have
been told, has now turned out to be
only a few emp’y phrases discussed
ir the abstract by Roosevelt and
Churchill to wile away the time
because Churchill ..nnounced later
his attitude toward the whole war
and the principles for which it Is
being fought, saying thta he did
not propose to preside at the liquid
ation of the British EImpire.
The Atlantic Charter was tbe
beacon of sincerity of this whole
war that attracted the downtrodden
millions of the world toward their
hope of a new day and a new deal
on a world-wide scale. For such
principles, Wendell Wiltkic fought
and died. Vice-President Wallace
declared at the National Democra
tic Convention in Chicago that the
future belongs to those who go un
swervingly down the line for the
right regardiiis of race, color, or
cned.
SO INSPIRATION SEEN HERE
Tbe pronuDcement that the At
lantic Charter is not even a scrap
of paper; Uiat its principles are only
so much hot air, certainly do not
seem, to mv, to be a cause d'alfaire
of inspiration for Negroes in parti
cular. With the mounting list of
Negro casualties coming in tu dis
may and dishearten and sadden
mothers, wives, sweethearts, lath
ers, brothers, sisters, and sons, there
should somewhere be a promise of
sor ething concrete when the sur
vivors of this war finally are sent
home. These things should be the
very essence of the Roosevelt-
Churchill-authorde Atlantic Char
ter. in which the four freedoms,
freedom from want, freedom from
fear, freedom of religion, and free
dom of speech were born.
Unlike World War 1 when a be
wildered group of t x-serviceiTien
returned home to bread-lines, lynch
mobs, and denied opportunities,
this war — when over — will re
lease an entirely different type of
ex-serviceman. They will be war-
hardened, thoroughly educated per
sons with the primitive Intention to
ask for what they want and, if
they dont’ get It. to take it. ITiey
are going to make a lot of changes
in the way things are going on here
in spite of the politicians, the race
relations experts, and all those who
are getting along nicely themselves
on the status quo.
BOYS HAD LITTLE TO
HOPE FOR
These boys, many of them from
our sidewalks who before they
went into the army hod little to
hope for, have learned what to ask
for because they fought for it and
many of their buddies died for it
They will be In no mood to keep on
“taking*' the insults, ridicule, and
mistreatment of the American ma
jority. They will know how to pro
tect themselves and will do that
instinctively and thus end a lot of
the discnninatlons and aocial mal
adjustments they were forced to put
up with before they were rushed
into the u dform which they have
street. They won l look down their
noses if yuu go ari und in your cul
tural undershirt, whereas in a pre
dominately white neigliboihoud
you'd have to be stiff and formal
and eternally on your Sunday be
havior. Then, too, you're accustom
ed to the social patern of the all
colored community and suffer a na
tional disinclination to face the hoit
of problems yuu imagine would ainie
the moment you left in. Finally
0 tot of people who hdp to share
“Negro opinion.'' .“iueb as Negro
civic officials, Negro preachers, Ne
gro polilici.nns and Negro business
men, have vested interests in seg
regation.
Thais jut: the gist of the argu
ment. 1 countered it tlds way: Un
der our present capitalist society,
with its prejudice breading ocom.-
mic strife and vested interest.':, there
is some merit in what you say. Many
Negroes feci that it is not only
more comfortable and convenient,
but also that it is safer, to live in
an all-colored community. But let
us assume that this society were to
collapse under the weight of insolu
ble economic contradictions, and
that a ne\ society were built on
the foundations of collective owner
ship of the mills, mines, factories
and workshops. Under thi.s set-up.
progress could come only through
collective effort. And this wouM
mean the end of prejudice-breading
economic strife as well .as the end
of vested interests.
It would also mean a fundament
al change In our individual atti
tude toward our fellow men. In
stead of seeing them as exploiters
TAN TOPICS
false attitude of race superiority,
neiher would there he an equally
false sense of race inferiority.
I pointed out, too that while there
was religious segregalon in th'
Middle Ages, wc did no have race
segregation until Ihe coming of the
capitalist era, an that this provet
that It was not a law of nature. But
here isn't space to develop th it
here
Finally, in pointing out that,
while flowers m iy not grow in th"
desert, you can iriic.ate and change
the desert Into a veritable garden.
I I mphasized how prevailing social
and economic conditions determine
III ii'-: outlook, and how the latter
can be changed by changing the
former.
U S 'If- jirriicti'in for 11 months
this \car is M billion epg.*. 6 per
«''! ■ ntiove Inst year and .50 per ce .1
.-.hove thr ton-year average.
Cows ihtt are to freshen this wir.
i r --luuild be i''ilt«n in good phy
sical condition now, savs John Arey.
Extension d.airymen at Si te Col
lege.
Feliruary I Ls the final date for
filing requests for “new grower"
tobacco allotm nls for 1945, say
AAA officials.
Steer clear of “Land Mines,” says
Extension authoriles. High prlcexl
land is loaded with dynamite.
By CHAftUS AU0f
TAL TOPICS: “How does it
feel to be the son of a man who
just bought an extra (me hun
dred dollar war bond?”