Twin-City herald., 1940-06-29
NEGRO PRESS SCORES F. D. RS
DRIVE FOR WAR
By Crusader News Agency

president KOOSeVeltS S prO-War speech
es and the various moves by the Ad-
ministration toward involving this
country in the war in Europe were
sharply condemned this week by the
Negro press, survey conducted by
the Crusader News Agency shows.
Most of the more than fifty papers in
cluded in the survey urged that this
country be kept out of the war and
pointed out that the fight for democ-
racy should begin at home.
Under the caption Third Term I'm
perils Nation" the Kansas City Call
stated editorially:
at does not make sense for our
President to lay aside the hands-off
policy expected of a neutrsl-unless he
is more intent upon the coming cleo
tons than he is upon our country's Sc
curity. :. If he is following ambition,
it is the more reason why the Ameri-
can people should open their eyes and
see that the big talk the President
makes will have to be backed, with
their blood and treasure some day."
The Chicago Defender, in an editori-
al, Democracy on Trial." charged
that the President has brought the
country close to war:
"War has come step closer to our
doorstep. President Roosevelt has in
creased the ante from three to five
billion. The hysterical cry that we are
in danger grows louder. Some people
are agitated to a degree reached be-
fore only in 1917.
"But the agitation should be tenn
pered with cold analysis. Men who
could not find millions for peaceful
pursuits are finding billions for war.
Is that not strange indeed?p
The editorial points to the inconsist-
ency of those who, knitting democracy
at home now wish to send American
youths to die in the European slaugh-
ter to defend" democracy.
men who have refused to pass an
anti-lynching bill, who have supported
the poll tax which deprives millions
of their right. men who maintain and
push jim-crow and segregation now
speak of fighting for democracy. Is
that not started at homer"
In an editorial, Backing the Allies
Is Good Business" the Louisville De-
fender expressed minority view shar-
ed by very few of the papers surveyed
However, while this minority group
supports the sale of arms to the Allies
on the fallacious premise, as stated by
the Louisville Defender, that it would
perhaps serve to relieve the nations
economic cramps which have become
chronic" they at the same time ex-
pressed opposition to American in
volvement in the war.
The fifth column phase of the pres
ent war hysteria was assailed by the
New York Amsterdam News which,
under the caption Native Witch
Hunters" warned that Zone of the
real tragedies of this war may we'll be
the scuttling of what ever freedom
and liberty American citizens now en-
JOY. :"
The paper scored those "whose
stock in trade is Americanism but
whose real purpose is oppression of
minority groups for racial, religious
and economic purposes. The infamous
Dies Committee, for example, has long
eaten at the roots of true American
democracy by its witch-hunting tactics
done purposely to thwart the march
OF social, political and economic prog
ress. By its failure to investigate the
Ku Klux Klan, the Black Legion and
vigilante bands from the oyster beds
of Chesapeake Bay to the cotton fields
of California. it has proved that it is
indeed the defender of the traditional
American Nazi practices. For Nazi
practices, be they home grown or i'm
ported, are just as vicious in so far as
any American citizen is concerned"
MEMPHIS FIFTH COLUMN"
Memphis, June, (CNA)-Jailed on
suspicion" of Fifth Column activities
for taking pictures of Negro slum
housing conditions, three white New
York photographers were released this
week after being held in Jail for three
days.