The weekly echo., 1933-04-21
a SIMPLE PLAN WHEREBY THE l.
L. D. MAY WIN THE SUPPORT OF
THE NEGRO MASSES
(BY ROGER DIDIEL FOR THE AMP

Several years ago, Communists and
communist adjuncts began to hold out
sticks of candy to the Negro masses.
The "Scottsboro case" focused atten-
ton upon their endeavors to win the
Negro by putting up a fight for him.
No Negro can consider the militant
activities of the Communists during
the past two years at Scottsboro, At
lanta, Baltimore, Memphis, and else
where without a feeling of gratitude
to this new force which has enlisted it
self in his behalf.
Negroes are grateful, but they have
not been won, not by twelve millions.
Even the intelligent Negroes who have
openly espoused the cause of Commun-
ism have been unable to maintain con-
tact without the masses behind. They
| are out on a limb.
Negroes enjoy looking at a fighter,
but they only, in the mass, follow Il
winner. The International Labor Be-
Tense is not winning its fights Its chief
asset has been bullod stamina Like
beaten and groggy prizefghter day
is throwing its punches to the wind.
Sentiment is becoming crysatellized to
the effect that, in view Of the evidence
presented at the trial of Haywood Pat
terson at Decatur, his conviction was
direct challange by white Alabama
to Communists. The twenty thousand
| protests to Alabama officials convict
| ed Patterson.
All Negroes believe the Scottsboro
boys to be innocent There is a large
and substantial element of whites,
north and south, even in Alabama,
which believes likewise. The News and
Observer, Josephus Daniels paper at
Raleigh, N. c., takes the position that
the boys are innocent and offers to
| support in any way a commonsense
method of obtaining justice.
! 1t is time for the Communists to with
draw to a secondary line of defense,
Mr.. William Patterson, who has shown
intelligence, but not excessive wisdom,
in the direction of the International
Labor Defense, should consider the
strategic value of the soft pedal at
this time. If the l. L. D. should. with
draw completely from the case now and
/ the boys lives should be saved, no orr
would be able to cheat the Internation-
al Labor Defense of the measure of
credit due it, nor would admiration
wane for the magnificent defense of
Samuel Leibowitz.
Recently Mr.. Patterson has been for
ced to disavowals of Communist in
spiration to the l. L. D. But every
body knows different. And Negroes
in the mass are not going to be party
to the sort of Lese majestic which is in
herent to the Communist doctrine.
! The National Association for the Adj
vancement of Colored People has just
made splendid gesture of help in the
case,after two years of wrongling. If
this organization is more conservative
than the l. l.. D., Patterson should we
leone its steadying influence The two
groups should work together to save
the lives of the boys. When I. L. D.
leaders attempt to berate the N. A. A.
c. P. to the Negro public, they are
telling a mother not to love her child
because it has bow legs.
The two organization should make
up. The NJ A. A. c. p has shown that
it is willing. The l. L. D. can make
more progress III winning Negroes in
two months by using the N. A. A. C. P.
as smokescreem than in twenty Year,
of derogatory attack
Negroes have been waiting to see
what the l. L. D. could do Fuel Lee
is on his way to his death. Angelo
Herndon is still in Jail, sentenced to
twenty years. Levon Carlock is dead