St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1941-10-31

''The purpose of this committee, "
said Ethridge, els to receive and re-
dress complaints of discrimination
in employment in defense industries
because Of race, color, creed or ma
tional origin"
"Less than 200 Negroes are
among the quarter of a million
workers employed in all defense
industries in Los Angeles" was the
charge made by Charles E. Pearl,
President of Los Angeles National
Negro Congress branch. Pearl was
one of many prominent Negro lead
ers verifying the operation of wide
spread racial discrimination in de-
tense industries.
The most vital factor upon which
the entire structure of discrimina-
ton is based in our economic, edu-
cational, and home life, was
brought out by Floyd Covington,
executive secretary of the Los An
geles Urban League. It was de-
picted usually by a chart which he
termed "The Vicious Circle" This
circle explained the fact that Ne
groes are denied training at various
schools on the ground that there
are no jobs for them in defense in
dustries, and are denied jobs be-
cause "they have no training"
During the short life of this
committee, we have received and
investigated complaints in suffi-
Gent numbers to indicate that dis
elimination does exist" so said
Chairman Ethridge.
1--WE cannot afford to play Hit
ler's game of indulging in Fascism
and prejudices while we are at
tempting to destroy him."
Negroes, Jews, Mexicans, Japs Tell
of Barring
Representative of Negro, Jewish,
Mexican and Japanese sections of
the population all related how their
people are caught in this vicious
circle" of racial discrimination.
In relating the policy of the
Vultee Aircraft Company, ex-
pressed by Gerald Tuttle, personnel
man, Pearl stated that he told him,
''It is not the policy of this COM
pany to employ people other than
those of the Caucasian race"
j. L. CASTOR, of the Interde-
nominational Alliance of the Bap-
fist Ministers Union asserted that
in Los Angeles Negroes are 'fac-
ing starvation or worse while
American Fascists deny them jobs. I"
David Coleman, Southern Cali
fOrnia office, B'nai Birth Anti Def
amatiOn League, charged that ode
Tense industries have quite gen.
orally required information of ap-
plicants as to their race, religion
and the birthplaces of their parents.
Others who testified on Monday
were: Baxter Scruggs, in charge of
18th Street Branch Y. M. C. A.;
Miss Dorothy Quinn, in charge of
the 18th Street Branch Y. W. C. A.;
Atty. Hugh E. Macbeth, Liberian
Consul; John Hargrove, Dining Car
Cooks and Walters, and George
Beavers, National Negro Business
League.
Committee members are Mark F.
Ethridge, FEPC Chairman; Milton
P. Webster, vice president, Inter-
national Brotherhood of Sleeping
Car Porters; Earl B. Dickerson,
Chicago Alderman; David Sarnoff,
president, Radio Corporation of
America; Frank Fenton, represent
ing the AL, and John Brophy,
CIO director of organization.
Charges of discriminatory prac-
tees against the AFT, Union in
that they allowed only a minimum
of Negroes to join were made by
Clarence Johnson, OPM represen-
tative. This was denied by James
w. Bardell, Southern District Coun-
Gil Of Labor, AFL, who stated that
he was very much surprised that
any charges of discrimination
should be brought against his
union. "At the National Confer
ence just held" said Mr.. johnson,
holding aloft a picture, "a Negro
was appointed to the international
Committee Of the ALL"
All Obeyed President Except Vultee
The major aircraft companies
were given definite orders that
they were to follow out the orders
of President Roosevelt in hiring all
men, regardless Of race, creed or
color, In their industries. They all
agreed to do 50, with the exception
of the Vultee Company, which was
scored by Chairman Mark Ethridge
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