St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1941-03-07

'ge number OF citizens are expected
to attend this mass meeting. to
hear several brief talks and to par
ticipate in the general discussion
that will follow the speakers.
Six Minute Speakers,
Among those. who are to give six
minute addresses are Maceo Little
john, of the Walters and Dining
Car Employees Union Sic, ST.
Paul; ]. L. Rowland, st. Paul, rep
resentative of Leslie Lawrence Post
Of the, American Legion; Ralph. S.
Ward, Jr., q student at the Uni
versity Of Minnesota, representing
the young men Of draft age; ]. W.
Pate Of Johnny Baker Post Of the
American Legion and Ames Lodge
No. LOG, Minneapolis; Miss Myrtle
Garden, director of Halle Q.
Brown House; Cecil Newman,
newspaper publisher; and Rev.
Clarence. T. R. Nelson, president
Of the Twin City Ministerial Al
lance, and pastor Of the Camphor
Methodist Church.
The Committee will have for
public inspection correspondence
that indicates that the matter Of
discrimination in the Minnesota
Home Defense Force had been
brought to Governor Stassen's. at
tention several times before he.
made a. statement in a local daily
newspaper that 'the case has not
come to- my attention"
Stassen's Action to Be Subject
The action of Governor Stassen
of appointing committee, Of two
Twin Citians, Raymond Cannon,
Minneapolis attorney and Law
renee Tarver of st. Paul, TO- study
the question of Negro participation
in the defense program and report
back to him instead of granting
the Minnesota Defense Committee
an audience on the matter as had
been repeatedly requested, viii be
one of the questions that will be
discussed at the meeting
The Defense Committee is re-
questing all organizations and in
diyiduals that have sent. and will
send letters and resolutions Of pro-
test to the, Governor against the
formation of a Jim Crow unit in
the Minnesota Home Defense, Force
to send a copy Of such communica-,
tons to the secretary Of the Min
nesota Negro Defense Committee,
Frank L. Alsup, $50. st. Anthony
Avenue, st. Paul, or bring them TO-
the mass meeting. "This is the time
for all citizens, regardless Of race
or class, to join in the fight to put
an end to the undemocratic practice.
of segregation and discrimination
against the Negro or any. other
minority group in. this, nation,
which, is now regarded as, the, last
stronghold for the, hope Of democ-
racy; in the world" declared Rev.
Clarence T. r, Nelson, the, publicity,
chairman of the Defense Commit
tee, in a statement to the Recorder
and Spokesman newspapers, on
Tuesday.
The Minnesota Negro Defense
Committee was organized in, .
mass meeting sponsored by the st.
Paul Branch of the N. A. A. C. p.
in the Halle @. Brown Community
House, January 10. Representa-
tives of twenty-five Twin Cities re-
ligious, civic, youth, labor and pa
triotic organizations were named
on the committee. Since that time
several other organizations have
elected representatives to the COM
mittee. The purpose Of the Mime
sofa Negro Defense. Committee is
to stake, immediate, positive action
so that Negroes are accepted on
the basis of complete equality in
state and national defense units
and industries" The Minneapolis
of Negro Organizations,
composed Of thirty-eight organiza-
tons; Ames Lodge, No. log, Inn
proved, Benevolent Order Of Elks
Of the World, Minneapolis; Leslie
Lawrence Post Of the American
Legion, st. Paul, Twin City Min
isterial Alliance and other organ
izations have gone on record as
favoring the work Of the Negro
Defense Committee. The officers Of
the Committee are Chairman, Sam
uel Reed, president of the 81. Paul
Branch Of the N. A. A. C. p;
Vice Chairman, James Jimmy