The Phoenix index., 1939-12-16

Steamship lines which committed
flagrant breach Of the American
constitution by refusing TO sell
tickets to two Americans. Ada
Brown and Harry Swanagan, both
well know stage names, when they
sought to return to the States.
Both are back home now.
Here is an example of the change
brought by hostilities.
GOODNESS MELTS
Since returning to London from
america, a few months ago, I have
been living in smart neighbor-
mood where the frigid character of
most of the people blocks every pos
si'ble avenue Of friendliness. But
this was changed with the first aid
air raid warning sounded i'm
mediately after Mr.. Chamberlain
announced over the air that Britain
had declared war.
People were moving about IN fear
and, therefore, were too nervous
to pay attention to a man of coicr
among them. When, however. every
one had adjusted himself 10 TIE
shock of the first air raid warning,
a woman approached me, stretched
out her hand and CALCULATED! "You
are one of u.s." Immediately after.
another came TO me and repeated
the same friendly display.
Evacuation of children from Lon
don and their bilfeting has resulted;
in a social association of unimag-
Unable completely Some kio. who
have been billeted with we'll
families of the English gentry and
have never had the opportunity Of
eating with knives and forks, or
deport with conventional forms OF
social procedure, are finding 1t irk-
some and embarrassing.
BROUGHT HAPPINESS
Some, however, have adopted
themselves admirably to their new
mode of living and have shown
marked progress. The love Of fam
lily life and children being still
among the cardinal virtues of most
people, large percentage of these
evacuated children therefore have
I brought happiness to chlldless
homes and as a result, a filial at
tachment has developed which
translates them from alienation t.
family favor with their hosts.
AS already stated, billeting OF
children created an unprecedented
situation. This was no less with
colored children who were snubbed
by some households, not because
they were miSfits and backward, bus
because they were colored. How
ever, the seriousness of the War
situation had caused public opinion
to fall into line and assert Itself
| in terms of almost surprising Gait
dor. Therefore, i, was not long be-
fore the snobbish barrier was
broken down ana, colored children
made to feel at home.
A Welsh man who has a number
of evacuees under his care, gave D.
talk over the air describing his ex-
periences with them. Said he: I'VE
are very happy with our large
family of evacuees including tne
little mulatto girls and the dusky
ones whom we have grown verJ
fond Of" A great many OF these
evacuated children will return to
their respective homes with ania-
BILE accomplishments.
JOBS OPENED
II has taken a war to find work
for colored people in London, and
large number of them are now
engaged in work of national serV-
ice despite the inexplicable apathy
shown towards them in several in
stances. In pre-war days, the task
of a colored man finding work in
London was difficult even in the
most favorable circumstances.
However. fair amount have
passed the examination for Red
Gross service and have been posted
at various Red Cross units in Lon
don as stretcher bearers along
with their comrades. They are al'io
emploved as air raid WarderS, IN
balloon barrage units, and even aS
special policemen which hitherto
had never occurred in all the his
tory of England. ...'
Colored medical students who are
sufficiently qualified have, been CIV
en-. in most cases, a vital part 70
perform. Some are assigned to cas-
ualty hospitals and TO other hos
pits1s in London as house surgeons
PREJUDICE SHOWN
notwithstanding the struggle tc
win democracy and freedom Tor
which England is fighting ana
nreaching fervently, some OF the
heads of national service organ1za-
tions have been carrying on an
odious campaign OF preJuolce
against colored people when they
apply for jobs. ,-,,,, :,
There are no Negroes WORKING III
anv of the decontalninatlon squau''
The British government mas Cllu<
ignored the valuable lnforn'aClcu
presented by the greatest scientist
in the United Kingdom, Prof j .
S. Haldane, F.R.C.S., in his DOCK
ON air raid precautions. Says ths
Professor: IT shall regard coloreo
men, of whom there are plenty II
London, as particularly suitable foE
decentralization work.
r..., 4 >,,;4t. tha 1iotljd Or