Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1937-12-24
By Cecil E. Newman


"Our small and inquisitive boy,
in department letter perfect (fOr
the past three weeks, possibly be-
cause Christmas is near), is reach
ing the age when his questions
sometimes are not Immediately an
swerable. Priding Ourself with a
normal intelligence it is somewhat
discOncerting to be unable to an
swer the question: Daddy, what
do they call Santa Claus in foreign
cOuntries?' This Santa Claus bust
ness with its attendant bills has
had us on the brink of a nervous
breakdown already with money as
scarce as the prOverbial hens
teeth and the fact that we could
not Off-hand answer the junior
Newman's question further COM
plicated the situation.
upon investigation directly
caused by the kid we found to our
great establishment that in Italy
Mother Goose is Santa Claus! The
French Santa is Pere Noel which
means Father Christmas. For two
weeks preceding Christmas the
Swiss children place one shoe out
side the door. Spain and Portugal
have three Santas (the Three Wise
Men) who perform the duties Of
the American counterpart. In
Sweden there is no Santa. Holland
and Belgium revere st. Nicholas.
In Denmark good Brownie Nilsson,
a little old man with a long gray
beard who lives underground,
brings the good children gifts.
While customs are different the
sentiment is the same, all the
worlds akin at Christmas"
Five years have passed, with the
boy as tall as the father. He no
longer asks about Santa but is
worried chiefly about getting
enough money to take care of his
Christmas list!
Elmer Anderson Carter, editor
of Opportunity Magazine, former
local Urban League secretary who
is at heart a politician, has finally
wangled a real good job out of the
New York Democrats. Two weeks
ago he resigned his editorship to
accept Governor Herbert Lehman's
appointment to New York's three
man Unemployment Insurance
Appeals Board, a job which pays
$500 per year.
Carter's new eminence places
him in an important position in the
Democratic party. Carter's ap-
pOintment, as others made by the
northern Democrats, recognizes
men of education and ability. This
system BODIES well for the continued
success of that party in gaining
Negro support.
While we could never agree with
those local people who thought
Carter did such a great job in the
Twin Cities, we can't deny nor
would we try to deny that Carter
is not a brilliant man. In Mime
apOlis and st. Paul we believe he
was Indifferent to the welfare Of
the cOlored people because he
wasn't satisfied to be out here in
the West. In New York he has
grown in political stature and we
hope he does an excellent job at his
new post. We know he can il he
will.
If you have not already pur-
chased all of your Christmas pres
ents and desire to give some friend
or relative a book for Christmas we
have at our Minneapolis Office,
Phone Bridgeport 1896, a list of
outstanding books about or by
Negroes. Most of these books
should be found in every Negroes
home and in the libraries of those
whites who would have an intelli-
gent picture of his American
Negro brother. Our office will be
glad to furnish such list upon ap-
plication by phone or in person.
AS is his yearly custom, several
days ago Conductor Leopold StO-
kOwsh raised his baton to lead
his Philadelphia Symphony Or
chestra in a musical score which |
had as its basis NegrO-American
music. His orchestra played Will
liam Grant Stills Symphony in G
minor based on jazz, blues and
other NegrOid music idioms. Critics
were divided as to the Symptoms
merits but all were in agreement
that the handsome young brown
skinned composer, Still, was one of
the most gifted Of younger Ameri-
can nornnoaara