The Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1931-1952, 1941-10-31

q l&nia, to answer
the questions of
doubt that may have existed in the
minds of many persons through
out the country concerning the
extent to which the Fair Employ
ment Practice Committee, APP
pointed by the President, could go
in their efforts to carry out the
contents of his Executive Order
issued on July 25th, 1941. 1t was
at this time and place that the
Committee on Fair Employment
Practices held their first hearing
in regard to enforcing the Presi-
dents Executive Order. During
the cary part of Monday, various
local groups in the city of Los
Angeles presented their case be-
fore the Committee. This was
done by having representatives of
various local civic groups state
the case of discrimination in de-
Tense employment as it had come
to their attention either through
their members or by direct COM
plant. The Los Angeles Urban
League, The Los Angeles Branch
of the N. A. A. c. P, The Los An
geles Council of the National Ne
gro Congress, The Eastside Cham
Der of Commerce, the, Y. M. @. A.
and the Y. w. C. A. made remark
able contributions to the state
ment of facts which were consid-
cred by the Committee.
During the afternoon of Mon
day, individual persons having
complained against various con-
tract holding companies concern
ing discrimination in defense en-
ployment were called to the stand
by Mr.. Eugene Davidson, the field
Representative of the Fair EN-
ployment Practice Committee, and
at this time they made their state
ment giving dates, hours, indivi-
duals, places, etc, wherein they
were Disseminated against by en-
ployers holding contracts with the
Federal Government for the devel-
opement of National Defense en-
plements.
1t was during this process that
various individuals stated that
they had been referred to Aircraft
Industries as Machinists or Me-
chanics and had ultimately been
employed as janitors in the plant
On Tuesday morning the Presi-
dent or other officials, including
personnel managers of all of the
large aircraft companies to be
found in the vicinity of Los An
geles were called to the stand
1t was at this time that 1 think
that most of the doubt that may
have existed concerning the acti.
vities of the F. e. P. Committee
could have or should have beer
expelled. The members of the
committee were relentless anC
persistent in their questioning o.
these individuals. Mr.. Eugene Da
wilson in presenting the cases t.
the committee cited specific in
stances already testified to con
corning determinations on the
part of this company or this in
dividual and then ask them t.
make statements concerning it.
1t was indeed encouraging t.
see the president of large avia
ton industry willing and squirm
ing under the cross-examination O
the committee and making defin
ite' statements of their intention
to comply with the Presidents or
ders. In my opinion the best ex
ample of the effectiveness of tn
eside t. s Fair Employment
Practice Committee can best b
shown by relating one of thes
particular cases. On the stan
was the vice-president of one c
the large Aircraft Industries in c
near Los Angeles. He had hear
of the opening of the committe
! Continued on Page Three)