Evening star., 1939-01-15
Minority Problems
Called True Test
OF Democracy
Oppression at Home
Cited in Negro
Conference

Democracy's test in America "is
Its ability to solve the problem of
its minority groups" the National
Conference on Problems of the Ne
gro and Negro Youth declared yes
terday at closing session in the
Labor Department Building.
I'VE applaud the condemnation
by Americans of persecution of mi
nority groups abroad" said the con-
ference, in adopted report on civil
liberties submitted by Walter White,
secretary of the National Associa-
ton for the Advancement of Colored
People. But we call attention of
these Americans to the fact that
oppression of minorities at home
must at the same time be as vigor-
ously condemned and abolished if
we are to help correct injustices
elsewhere.
1--WE are encouraged to note that
the American public sentiment is
showing signs of becoming more
alive to the problems of race preju-
dice in America, as manifested by
the recent conference on human
welfare at Birmingham, Ala"
Anti-Lynching Bill Backed.
The report urged Congress to ap-
prove the Warner-Gavagan anti
lynching bill, asserting that the
States have neither demonstrated
ability to cope with mobs nor any
honest disposition to punish lynch
ers."
Declaring it not unlikely that
America may be drawn into a Eu-
ropean war, the report said that
despite the danger which this coun-
try faces, discrimination and seq
regation of Negro citizens in the
armed forces are rampant" Com
plant was made that in the Navy
members of the race were allowed
to serve only in menial capacities
and in the Army Negro regiments
had been broken up and their per-
sonnel reduced to units performing
chiefly custodial and personal serv-
ices. The President was asked to
appoint a commission to inquire into
the status of colored soldiers and
sailors and to recommend their in
tegration into all the armed forces
without discrimination.
Application of the Social Security
Act to domestic, agricultural and
casual workers and amendment of
the wages and hours law to embrace
farm workers and casual labor were
urged.
The conference recommended
amendment of the National Labor
Relations Act to provide that no
union shall be recognized as bar
gaining agency if it bars from men,
bership workers on account of race,
creed or color"
Equitable distribution of Federal
educational funds among both races
was urged.
The report added: In view of
the fact that Negroes are notori-
ously Disseminated against in the
matter of civil rights in the District
of Columbia, we urge upon Congress
the passage of civil rights legisla-
ton to apply to the District and
all other Federal territories
An amendment to the Interstate
Commerce Act prohibiting discrim-
ination on public carriers on ac-
count of race or color was recon-
mended.
In dealing with disfranchisement
OF colored citizens in certain States
the conference urged enactment of
a new corrupt practices act which
would declare primary elections to
be an integral part of the election
process" Such a law would deny
on ballot at general election any
party which had prohibited other
wise qualified citizens from vot-
ing in its primary because of race,
creed or color.
Poll Tax Abolition Urged.
Abolition of the poll tax was ia
vored. This tax, it was said, had
been one means Of disfranchising
mot only Negro citizens in South
ern States but more than 100000
white citizens of those States as
WELL
The report pointed out that "at
period when democracy is imper-
lied throughout the world the bal
lot remains one of the chief bull
warks of protection of the demo-
cratic process"
The conference said it notes
with alarm and vigorously con-
demns the attitude of certain Fed
eral agencies, such as the Federal
Housing Administration and the
Tennessee Valley Authority, in re-
quiring segregation in Federal
financed projects, where, in many