The Phoenix index., 1941-01-04


office and restrict its use to
colored or white people. l do not
know Mr.. Noel; I cannot recall
having ever met him, l have nev-
er made any promises to him,
his Association, or to anyone else
to the effect that | would set up
a colored library in the office of
Recorder OF Deeds in return for
a new building. have never made
any promise or inferred to anyone
that I could handle the "colored
bar problem" Had l made such
a promise, | would have been
guilty of prevarication.
The fact is that our plans for
a new building for the office of
Recorder of Deeds sprovide for a
small library for the use of the
Recorder of Deeds and his staff.
Since this office is a public one,
naturally its library would be at
the disposal of anyone desiring
to use it, whether he be white
or black, a member of the bar or
not. It's provision was not and is
not contingent on whether or not
the difference between the white
and colored bar are adjusted. Our
library will be in the new build
ing regardless of the outcome OF
this dispute.
The Bar Association of the Dis
trict of Columbia had nothing to
do with my ob+"ining new
building, and l owe it nothing.
The bill was introduced in the
House by Congressman Jack Mich
OILS and in the Senate by Senator
Elma Thomas, both of Oklahoma.
They were both ably assisted in
their respective Houses by Con-
gressman Ambrose j. Kennedy OF
Maryland; Senators Capper of
Kansas; King of Utah; Minton of
Indiana, and my own Senator
Truman, of Missouri.
In addition to the efforts de-
scribed above, Congressman
Nichols went to the President
personally and got the Green
light to push the bill into law.
The bill was introduced at my
personal request, and the men,
bers of Congress who assisted IN
the matter did so at my personal
request. President Roosevelt
broke the ground for the build
ing at my personal request. OBJ
tanning a new building for the Of
flee of Recorder of Deeds was
the elimination of long battle
waged for seven years by myself
just as every other fight in the
interest of this office has been
waged by me alone.
That the Associated Negro
Press should take up the cry of a
prejudiced white attorney, who
not only attacked me in his ad-
dress, but attacked every colored
member of the District Bar, is
reprehensible to say the least.
1t was not surprising that such
character as Mr.. Noel should
raise the issue, but that news
agency, supported and operated
entirely by Race men, should give
dignity to the accusation and per-
petuate it by re-hashing and pro-
pounding the question anew, is
bastard to say the least.
HAS FOUGHT jim CROW
Ny fight against jim-crowism
in all its forms from a youth up
to the present, is so we'll known
as to make appear ridiculous any
accusation to the contrary. AS a
young man I fought the Jim-crow
laws of Oklahoma. The court pro-
ceedings are of record. In my
home state of Missouri, l fought
the iim-crow laws and disfran-
chisement, the result of which
Missouri is the only Southern
State that has no jim-crow ac-
comodations on common carriers.
When Negroes were denied ad-
mission to the city hospital IN
Kansas City, and not even allow
ed in the building, l led the fight
for a hospital that Negro doctors
could practice in; that prospec-
tive nurses could be trained in
and that colored patients could
be treated in. I insisted that it
be headed by Negro and staffed
from top to bottom with Negro
doctors and nurses. I won
the g h t. AS mem
Der of the Board of Curators of
Lincoln University, l insisted on
an appropriation of more than
a million dollars for new law