The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-10-30

4nG kN0hO8 SAOAN
THE HAMTRAMcK housin
~rsnrle has become a political foo,
ball which was kicked OF long be
fore the city's attorneys could &c
their signals straight Although tn
case will decide one important aues
ton whether the government
can segrega;e tax money - this 4
not the only reason the case is ge,
ting such a nice spread in loca
papers. Nor Is i, the reason Ham
tramck housing officials wanted 4
adjourn hearing OF the case for Al
least another nine months, Here
are some new inside facts:
% The case has been played W
In local papers because IL strength
ems Mayor Jeffries attack on inter
racial housing; az The Hsmtramck
Taxpayers Association (wh:te). CON-
pletely reversing its stand OF two
years ago. has taken a position
against erection Of a segregated pro-
sect and the organizations secre-
tsry. Joseph Medura, even accused
Hsmtrsmck's Mayor and Housing
Commission Of trying 10 pull a fast
one on Negroes; 81 Hsmtramck
City Council refused 70 act on q
aggregated project and also ig-
nored a letter over the signature OF
the director-secretary OF the COM
mission. Stanley Wojcick. asking
The city council and Mayor what
should be done about moving y
Negro families into the Colonel
Hamtrsmck Homes.
Reason for this cross-sduswk Is
politics Realizing that Hamtramck
voters will go to the polls sgain
next April. the city council'an the
taxpayers group consider IL unwise
20 ruffle the Negroes political
feathers. especially since they
learned that more than 300 Negroes
have transferred their ration books
from the South since the last cleo
ton. Only outspoken opponents to
interrscial occupancy (besides the
Jeffries press. Of course, Is the
Hsmtrsmck Housing Commission
which doesn't believe Negroes will
60 to the polls in Hamtramek in a
solid block Is they did In the De-
troit primary.
tNete: White civic leaders In
Bsmtramck have made II plain 10
the City Council that they are
opposed 70 further invasion Of
their fair city either by "hillbill-
ies" o. -jitterbugs.")
y y =
THE STATUE OF LIBERTY
THIS THURSDAY We are cele-
trxtfny -tne, yRth anniversary Of the
Statue OF Liberty, symbol Of free
dom and democracy. inspiring sight
20 immigrants seeking citizenship
IN the land Of the free and the home
Of the brave.
But not all immigrants land In
America with the belief that this
Is a land OF freedom and equality
Take this Scotchman. 70 whom we
are indebted for this item. Here Is
what he had to say right after the
race riot: Il had no ideas about
race or color when I left Scotland,
and certainly didn't expect to be
greeted by race prejudice before
actually landing in America. But
that Is just what happened. 4
81 learned about American Ne
groes from government officials on
Ellis Island who warned me that
colored men were robbers and rap
lists and colored women were either
prostitutes or second rate servants.
These government workers spent
more time telling me not &c sssoci-
ate with Negroes than they spent
telling me how good Americans con-
duct themselves Can you blame me
for having a superiority complex
wien arrived in America? OF
course I have since learned that II
L. all the bunk"
VINO would have thought that
government workers were con-
ducting anti-democratic activities
behind the back Of the Statue Of
Liberty?