The Omaha guide., 1935-10-05
American Legion May
Ban Discrimination
Of Negroes

St. Louis, Mo-, Oct. 5, (By r. c.
Fisher for ANP)-A resolution,
disappearing of the discrimination
practiced against e~x-service men of
u Race by white posts of the
American Legion in several South
ern States, was among the 736 bills
Of legislation to be considered by
Legion convention committees, as
$4,000 World War veterans, here for
their 18th annual conclave swung in
to their regular business session last
Wednesday morning.
1t was a foregone conclusion that
he committee on legislation would
recommend to the convention floor
adoption of a resolution demanding
immediate cash payment Of the
bonus.
These resolutions were previously
adopted by various posts and later
approved by the Eastern States at
their conventions.
Plea For Justice.
New Jersey has gone on record as
one of the state departments to re-
quest action by the National Legion
organization at its convention in St.
Louis, to force discriminating states
to repeal such laws that deprive n
veteran or rights and privileges that
all veterans should enjoy. The reso-
luton was presented by H. A. Brown,
commander of Kenneth Hawkins Post
No. 81 of Atlantic City and the only
member Of his Race to be affiliated
with the post.
Tn voting delegates Wednesday
numbering 1,2O7, had an importance
which they did not have at the
Mondays meeting. Registration fig
ures reached $1,000, of which $50
were of our group. Legion members
do not register.
Maine, Massachusetts, Connect
cut, New York, Pennsylvania and
Maryland registered bitter protests
against the persecution of mem
bers Of any racial group by any
state or nation" This was in sup
port Of the resolution offered BY the
State department Of New Jersey.
Few Heroes Seen.
A bevy of war heroes: Col.
"Billy" Warfield, of the Eighth
Illinois Regiment; Tom Mays Of
Chicago, commander Of Giles Post;
Bernard L. Heiner, of Baltimore,
Federal Post No. 10; Clarence Tyd-
ings, of Baltimore, recipient of the
Croix de Guerre and star, and George
Johnson of Pasadena, CAL, who
served 80 years in the Regular Army
and nine and a half months overseas
with the 349th Field Artillery, and
a number of other distinguished vet
Grams, expressed individual senti-
ments toward this greatest Of all
Legion conventions.
The constitution Of the Legion was
framed here in May, 1919. General
Pershing and Enoch Crowder, in
charge Of the drafts, were natives of
Missouri.
Through the local Tom Powell
Post, which was host to the Col
ored le~gionnaires, many social court
estes were extended the visitors.
Godfrey Nicholson is commander of
Tom Pawell Post.
Mixed Posts Welcomed.
From a vantage point, this CORE
spondent reviewed the big spectacu-
lar Legion parade unit, last Monday.
Here and there an appreciable num-
Der of our vets could be seer in the
line of march and were integral parts
Of the marching outfits composed of
whites.
The brass band that headed the en-
tire Michigan State organization
was the championship Detroit outfit
Of Col Young Post No. ~, with SIS
Instruments. A mass of Logon post
standards, great blue and gold ban
rIers followed.
Giles Post of Chicago is rich in
buglers and drummers, and played
lively marches. fluffy" giant mas
cot Of the post, In a red bellhop suit
and a red cap, drew much attention.
A feature of the Post Employees
Drum and Bugle Corps of Boston,
Mass, was one of its trumpeters,
who happened to be a member of
our Race, and the only one in that
musical outfit.
Mixed posts from Massachusetts.
Pennsylvania and New Jersey had
no difficulty in securing accomoda-
tions for their entire membership IN
st. Louis leading hotels.