davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Phoenix index., 1940-12-07

WASHINGTON (ANP) De
claring that it's passage will en-
franchise ten million American
citizens, support of House JOINT
Resolution 593 this week was be-
ing urged by E. w Martin, ma
tional committeeman Farmer-Labor
Progressive Party. 4,
The measure, sponsored by the
Virgin Island Legislative and
Welfare Committee, was introduced
in the House of Representatives
last August by Rep. Marcantonio
and referred to the Committee on
the Judiciary. 1t reads as follows:
JOINT RESOLUTION:
To Enforce the Fourteenth and
Fifteenth Amendments.
Resolved by Senate and House of
Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress
assembled
That hereafter representation in
Congress from the several States
and Territories, or possessions
thereof, shall be based on the total
The Phoenix index., 1940-12-07

i frequent visitor to the city.
He had served a prison term in
Indiana and hao built up an in
tense hatred for colored people be-
cause, he said. they mistreated
him. A bank book found in his
possession indicated that he had
more than $4,000 in one account.
Folice said they have no idea where
he got the money.
A visit to the mans room in
Baltimore disclosed a complete set
Of clippings on the sniper's assaults,
but no gun WAS found.
Information to the police reveal
ed that the man had been engaged
in pistol practice on some wooded
Islands in the Potomac river near
the Key bridge. They located wit
nesses who saw the suspect firing
the gun.
Searching these islands, they
found trees into which bullets had
been fired. The bullets were eX-
tracted and tests made by firearn )
experts
The bullets were fired from tn ;
same gun used by the sniper.
The only person who saw Il .
sniper and lived to tell it is Mi :
dred Washington, a 17-year Cd
girl, who has tentatively identified
the suspect.
The Phoenix index., 1940-12-07
Mother Pleads
For Son Held
In Brig By Navy

NEW YORK-(S N S)-The in
human action of Navy Department
officials in imprlsoning nine Negro
Navy mesSmen III October because
The latter protested against being
subjected to intolerable conditions
OF discrimination reveals itself in
the plea sent out by the mother
OF one of the boys to the National
Association for the Advancement
of Colored People urging the Asso-
citation to help her "in getting my
son freedom again"
In an appealing letter, to Walter
White, secretary of the NAACP.
the mother of one of the messmen
writing from her home in a small
town tells the story of how the
Navy's treatment of her son has
affected her. A teacher in the To-
cal school system. she has already
given one son to the Navy. ''He
died in 1887" she says. while still
in service"
Fearful that her second son may
go insane, as a result of his i'm
priSonnent aboardship, the mother
asked the NAACP to push investi-
cation Of the case, which has been
widely publicized by the Pitts
burgh Courier. The text of her
letter which was sent to the
NAACP and the Courier follows:
please, help me in getting my
son freedom again on board (ship).
Every since October when he and
others had published in the
Courier how they are being treated
in Service, he has been confined
and denied privileges. He has been
transferred from the U.S.S. PhiIa-
delphia to the U.S.S. Receiving
Ship, San Francisco, California.
But my son is still in the brig and
I am worried over the situation be-
cause believe it will affect him
mentally and physically
HAD GOOD RECORD
"He enlisted in Brooklyn near
ly four years ago, and so far has
never had or given any trouble, to
be punished like this, and I don't
feel that he ana the others are
being treated just right. had
son to die in the Navy in 1887, and
now for this to happen it has deep
ly affected me. Will you please in
vestigate the situation to the full
est and help my son. We have the
NAACP branch here. I've written
the Secretary of the Navy and the
Congressman from this district"
The Phoenix index., 1940-12-07
Awarded $1OOAfterDriUer
Put Her Off jim, Cro1U Bus
Kentucky Woman
Had Sought
$2,5OO Damages

LEXINGTON, Ky. -(SNS)-A
jury awarded Miss Jennie Bibbs
Didlick, teacher, 500 Friday, No.
vember %, because bus driver
had put her eff the vehicle when
she refused ct sit on the back seat.
Miss DidlicK, a member of the
faculty of the Booker T. Washing
ton high school, sued the South
eastern Greyhound Lines several
months ago when a bus driver at
tempted to isolate her from other
passengers on a trip October 4
1899, from Winchester to Lexing-
ton.
The teacher told the jury that
she refused 70 take rear seat be-
cause she always became ill from
riding on the long pump" seat
She said that she was sitting OF
the second seat from the rear wher
the bus driver told her to move back
so that two white passengers coule
have her seat.
When Miss Didlick refused, tht
bus driver put her off the bus.
In her damage suit, Miss DID
lick had asked $4,000. She ha
taught school in Lexington for l:
years. The case was heard in tn
Fayette circuit court.
Counsel for the bus lines argued
that the bus company reserved tn
right to seat passengers as 1t saw
fit.
The Kentucky law, however
which provides for separate rail
way cars COR Negroes, does not ap'
ply to buses.
Several Of Miss Didlick's witness
es were white.
The Phoenix index., 1940-12-07

The Constitution, with its broad
and simply stated safeguards OF
freedom originally designed to Of
fer all who sought refuge within
the borders of this nation, is a
great document, the most profound
espousal Of the principles Of hu
man liberty ever written by man.
If those who profess loudest to
believe so firmly in these demo-
cratic principles would but let them
be exercised for the good of all,
America would truthfully be hold
The Phoenix index., 1940-12-07

Last week, acting on informa-
tion urnished by a citizen, who
apparently was tempted by the
reward offered for the killer, po-
lice set up watch outside a
restaurant in the 100 block of
Pennsylvania avenue.
HAD REVOLVER
After wait, they spotted their
man and arrested him. He had a
revolver in his possession, but tests
showed it was not the gun used in
the killings. Police questioning
brought out the fact that he was
an employe of an airplane factory
in Baltimore, that he had attend
ed college in Washington and was
The Phoenix index., 1940-12-07
In Defense Training Urged
In Letter TO Southern School Heads
Studebaker
Cites Law To
Superintendents

WASHINGTON, d. C.-iSNS)-
DR.. Robert c.. Weaver, Admins
trative Assistant in the Division
of Labor Supply of the National
Defense Advisory Commission, this
week made public a letter from
Dr.. John w. Studebaker, U. s..
Commissioner of Education, urg-
inc. educational authorities in i?
Southern States to give special at
tention to the expansion of de-
fense training courses and facilities
for Negroes.
The letter, sent to superintend-
ents of education in those states
which require separate schools for
Negroes, cited the n-discrimina-
ton provisions of the Supplement
tai Civil Functions Act which re-
o1ire that equitable provisions
shall be made for facilities and
training of like quality"
URGE TRAINING
In a similar letter to Superin-
tendents of education in States
which provide mixed schools, Com
missioner Studebaker stressed the
necessity of intergrating Negro
trainees in existing defense classes.
Both groups were informed that
Negroes might serve advantage
ouslv as members of the State and
local advisory committees which
formulate policies governing the
defense training programs.
In making the letter public, Dr..
Weaver declared:
"It is imperative that Negroes
take full advantage of all avail
able training courses. Official es-
Inmates indicate that at least rs
percent Of the workers required by
defense industries will be in skill
ed and seni-skilled categorles.
Much of this labor supply will be
trained in schools, in industry and
in apprentice courses The avail
able supply of such workers is not
sufficient to meet this known de-
mand in the near future. In the
event of shortage, the workers to
be employed will be these persons
who now or in the near future take
trainino for the jobs.
SEE CHANGE COMING
"In the light of our past exper-
ience, there is reason to believe
that the present employment pat
terms which have limited employ
ment opportunities for Negroes IN
certain industries will be modified
and changed. The Neero'S eXper-
ience in securing Industrial en-
plovment has been concentrated in
periods of labor shortages. HIS
greatest advances in this direction
occurred during the World War
when. for the first time, many in
d,1stries opened their doors TO him.
Economic forces served to lift the
restrictions on Negro workers.
"These same forces will operate
in the present emergency, but with
one important difference. The
present estimated demands for Ia
Dor show a potential need for
trained workers. Opportunities for
sucn training in the past have
been extremely limited. The cur
rent defense training program has
broadened these opportunities,
and if we are to receive employ
ment opportunities in any equita-
BILE proportion, we must take ad-
vantage of this change and partici-
pate fullv in training.
1.-THE first step in this direction
is through applying for and par
ticipating in the vocational train
ing courses now being conoucteo
in the schools"
The Phoenix index., 1940-12-07

CHICAGO, (ANP)-Samuel R.
H. Reed, SO year old Phillips Ele-
mentary school teacher, arralgned
on charges of contributing to the
delinquency of a minor and being
the father of an illegitimate child,
was discharged by the board of ed
ucation wednesday for incompe-
toncv as a teacher.
The Phoenix index., 1940-12-07
The Globe TrOtter B,
Bs cliff Maekay

the same Constitution which MIR. Justice Hugo
Black, the much maligned member from Alabama,
drew his brilliant opinion last week reversing the
conviction of Harris county, Texas Negro.
Mr. Black whose appointment by President
Roosevelt created such nationwide sensation, foc
the fifth consecutive occasion in which he has been
called upon to rule on issues affecting Negroes, came
through like the great American he is just as he
he has done on all previous instances.
Holding that the systematic barring Of Negroes
from grand juries is wrong MIR. Black in what will
go down in history as one Of the great opinions of
a man once classed as conservative wrote:
TT is part of the established tradition in the use
of iures as instruments of public justice that the
jury be body truly representative of the community
The Phoenix index., 1940-12-07
INTERPRETATION TWISTED

But the Constitution has not always been ac
cepted in the literal of its simple and unmis
taxable language. Especially has this been true in
the of its application to Negro Americans It's
Interpretation by lower courts aind down through
history by the United States Supreme Court in cases
dealing with the rights of black Americans has often
been twisted and perverted out of the real mean
ing of its language.
Prior to the emancipation, American judges
with all the solemnity and dignity of office they
could muster held without exception that the franz
ers of the Constitution just did not have black men
III mind when the Bill of Rights written All
the provisions of this liberty giving document were
denied to Negroes
Negroes Were not allowed free speech, the free
com of assembly Or press and oftimes prevented
the privilege of worship.
The Phoenix index., 1940-12-07
NOT CHANCE OR ACCIDENT ,

Chance and accident alone could hardly have
brought about the listing for grand jury service of
few Negroes from among the thousands shown
by undsputed evidence to possess the legal qualf-
cations for jury service.
Nor could chance and accident have been re-
sponsible for the combination of circumstances Un-
der which Number 16 never called for service
unless it proved impossible to obtain the required
jurors from the first Is the list
"For racial discrimination TO result in the
exclusion from jury service of otherwise quail
fled groups not only violates our Constitution
and the laws enacted under it, but is at war
with our basic concepts OF a democratic society
ard representative government"
How different is Mr. Blacks Interpretation of
the Constitution from the narrow viewpoint eX-
PRESSED by Mr.. Taney. Justice Blacks opinion In
the Texas case and the four others in which he has
sided with the majority in smashing barriers to
the Negro's full participation a citizen bodies the
coming of era of literal and liberal interpreta-
ton of the Constitution in cases dealing with Ne
groeS.
The Phoenix index., 1940-12-07
TANEY'S DECISION

Since emancipation those three amend
ments designed particularly to protect the newly
freed slave have been used TO the advantage of
every groun and organization. but the Negro. Cor
poraons for years have profited by the passage OF
the Fourteenth Amendment.
But any case carried to the same Supreme
Court based on violations Of this very same amend
ent as it concerned Negroes, invariably turned
down.
Chief Justice Roger B. Taney best expressed the
attitude in that of the Court in dealing with
black men, when in handing down the infamous
Dred Scott decision he held that "a Negro has no
rights that white is bound to respect"
WHAT a OJEEFRFNCE
The Phoenix index., 1940-12-07
Believe Sniper
Caught In d. c.

N-(ANP)-Convinced that they have
apprehended the snper police of this city busy
building their against the they believe to have will
fully killed several coored residents of the District of Co.
mba investigators have shrouded their in deep
secrecy and the identity of the has been carefully
oJ
The Phoenix index., 1940-12-07

TUSKEGEE INST CAMP
Bulletin BL-40 has just been issu-
ed by the National Negro Business
league and contains details of i'm
The Phoenix index., 1940-12-07
We Gain Ground

WITH THE RISE TO power of the dictators, car
rying with it their ideology of might makes right,
Americans have suddenly become increasingly con-
scious of the fact that there is an United States
Constitution.
The Phoenix index., 1940-12-07
A MARVELLOUS DIscovERYm

CIrRISTIAN AGENTS WANTED!. To
Sell the Worlds Famous Cow BOY Min
eTHl, an Iron Tonic and Astringent TAX.
ing the country by storm. Used and
recommended by thousands of satisfied
users. Send one dollar (S1.OO) today for
five (5) weeks supply. The Original
Mineral Distributed by. leagues Min
eral Products, y. q. Box 264, Union,
South Carolina,
The Phoenix index., 1940-12-07

ing the beacon light of hope to
manity.
The Phoenix index., 1940-12-07
WHAT A DIFFERENCE

That was Mr. Taney's twisted Interpretation of
Evening star., 1940-02-11
THIS WEEK MAGAZINE
SAVAGE IN SILK

in pillow and tried not to cry. She
was saved by Lefty Scoxgins who
appeared unannounced. Lefty was
bursting with news.
DO you know what that Gloria
Tate has done? l just heard" -
Lefty was one of those people who
are always first to hear everything -
Gloria has persuaded Clifford and
Wally and Chester to help her per-
suade the entire set to chip in for an
orchestra for a dance in the basement
playroom at the country club"
''Really?' isabelle turned over on
her back and pretended to yawn.
"And she has talked the boys into
promoting a eostssSse party"
"Really?" Isabelle remained un-
impressed.
Il do think something should be
done, Isabelle, to stop this outsider
taking over the crowd" What Lefty
meant was that she bitterly resented
Gloria's showing Isabelle out Of her
idols territory.
'Oh, welll Give a person enough
rope and she'll eventually trip up"
Isabelle observed mildly and wished
passionately that she could believe it.
Later in the day she went, by invi-
tation, to the Thomas's house, where
the crowds inner circle had gathered
to discuss the party. Radiant with the
triumph of her evening at the Tarle-
ton, Gloria explained:
The idea isn't new but it. amusing
"a Fact and Fiction Ball. You come
dressed as your favorite character in
Evening star., 1940-02-11
Centisvsd from poss five

So at last-even-even Clifford!
Isabelle. sitting before her dressing
table. got up and wavered over to her
bed. Dear heavens above!- she
flung herself down on the bed - but
this Gloria certainly had something;
something no other girl in town had.
She had what you might call the power
of inferred flattery. When she men,
toned to a girl a date with an eastern
university man in some New York
swank spot. she made girl feel dull
and Insignificant.
But when she mentioned the same
date to boy. she made him feel
marvellous, made him think she was
much more thrilled being with him
at the Tarleton or even Kittredge's
Drugstore. When Gloria told a boy
his humor annihilated her. he must
think he was more scintillating than
all the scintillating conversation over
heard in scintillating group in a
scintillating rendezvous in scintillat-
ing New York. When Gloria praised
a boys clothes, his brains, his car, the
same system worked. Isabelle had
never felt more completely helpless.
What chance did person have against
such foul odds!
And the utterly obnoxious, unbear-
able part of it was that a person didn't
have even the satisfaction of knowing
she had lost to a better woman. Gloria
wasn't a better woman. Gloria was
mean. Actively, for some mysterious
reason, vindictively mean.
Isabelle rolled over, buried her face
Evening star., 1940-02-11
] ]
cs~Hs r. Alsbis

II didn't say it was new. dear."
Gloria said softly. But you mnst
admit it does postdate the baby stare."
Before Isabelle could think of any
kind of retort Kenneth Taylor said:
Maybe we better not wear Coz
(Cossisved os paos 15)
Evening star., 1940-02-11

life or fiction, like Mrs. Roosevelt Of
Scariett OHara."
''Oh, that old dear Isabelle MUIR
INJURED, getting small satisfaction out
of her comment. It was such q weak
comeback compared to the mean
nesees Gloria could manage.
Evening star., 1940-02-11
"Soy> Mr.. Clark
what IS
an Advory?"

CUPPosE YOU WERE being shown
- through the Home Office of life in
srance company and came to door let-
tered "Actuary." Perhaps you might be
puzzled as to the meaning of the word.
OF course, if you turned to the diction-
ary, you would learn there that an Ac-
tuary is "one whose profession is to cal
culate insurance risks and premiums"
, This definition is correct, q far q 1t
GOES. But it falls far short of pictuing the
true scope of an Actuarys activities
Nowadays his profession il highly spe-
cialized. 1t is profession in which a man
may hope to gain recognized standing
only aftes years of intensive study and
training. For he must have a thorough
knowledge of the three complicated fac-
tors on which life insurance premiums are
based ;. Mortality, Interest, and Expense.
For example, in order to arrive at pre-
mim charges which mill b. hath &ate and
fam, the Actuary must make detailed
analyses of the past and present death
rates among many different groups Of
people. From these studies, he is able to
compile mortality tables which provide
an amazingly dependable yardstick for
his guidance in computing premiums.
, The Actuary must also take into &C
count the interest rate which the COM
pany may reasonably undertake to earn
on the investments it makes for the bene-
fit of its policyholders.
And in a mutual life insurance COM
pany, such a. Metropolitan, the Actuary
prepares data which enables the Board of
Directors to determine the annual divisi-
BILE surplus which will be returned to the
policyholders in the form of dividends.
Another of the Actuary's duties, to-
gether with the legal staff, is to draw up
the policy forms issued by the company.
He keeps running records of such inn
portant matters as mortality. the ages
and occupations of people insured :. the
company's experience on outstanding
policies. He also assemblies data needed
Evening star., 1940-02-11

for the preparation of the Annual State
ment, which is submitted to the proper
state authorities, and forms q public rec
ord of the years activities.
, In short, an Actuary might be defined
Evening star., 1940-12-30
Food Control Dictatorship
Is Established in Italy

tions Ministry, as well as on the
various armed forces to help him.
Dividends of Italian firms will be
limited to per cent. This decree
was published in the official gazette
with another increasing some 10 to
20 per cent the tax on interest on
bonds OF private companies and
various State agencies.
Fines Provided For.
The law relating to dividends
made company officers personally
responsible and subject to fines
varying from 500 to 1000 lire (s25
to s10O and election from all execu-
tive positions for five years. The
firms would be liable to a fine equal
to the amount distributed in excess
of per cent.
The law increasing the taxes on
bond interest was said to be neces-
sary for reason arising from the
war"
The Government, after recently
reducing the number of passenger
trains, announced the reduced fares
usually accorded Holiday groups
would be discontinued Wednesday.
Foreign circles interpreted this as
meaning the railroads were needed
more extensively for transportation
of war-(at this point the censor
ended the Dispatch.
Evening star., 1940-12-30
B, the Associated Press.

ROME, Dec. 30.-Italy set up a
dictator of the dinner table today
with absolute control over the ap-
peasement of the national appetite.
The man, chosen by law to regu-
late the production and consump-
ton, expectation and importation of
food for civilians and fighting forces
alike, was the Minister of Agricul-
ture, Giuseppe TaSsinari, 40, perhaps
Italy's foremost authority on agri-
cultural economy.
The law, issued late Saturday
night. was praised yesterday by Vir-
gini0 Gayda, editor of II GiOrnale
DItalia. as one which provided a
long-felt united command" on the
food front.
It also decreed death penalties
for extreme cases of food boarding
or destruction of prime materials
and agricultural products and
tripled already severe penalties for
violations of laws on pooling, whole
sailing and distribution of food.
Will Have Full Charge.
Under this new law, Tassinari,
time professor of agricultural
economy at the Royal University of
Bologna and Fascist since Premier
Mussolini's march on Rome in 1922,
will take a census of food supplies,
take charge of purchases of food
from domestic as we'll as foreign
sources assign the armed forces
their share and play watchdog over
both farmers and industrialists to
see that they produce sufficient food
and convert it efficiently and with
out profiteering.
He also is authorized to call on the
personnel of the guild ministry and
the railways and maritime agencies
and automobile transport concerns,
which are under the Communica-