The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-10-02
Reuther
tContinued from Page 4,

I'm going TO say H. For years George
f. Adde's has made himself appear
10 a large segment OF our Negro
brothers as being the savior OF the
Negro race. Well, I'm going to ex-
plode that erroneous belief. They
s;ate that they are IN favor OF a
Negro board member, at least that
announcement has been made TO
he Negro press. ] charge them with
being intellectually dishonest be-
cause their public uiterances are
so contrary TO their private acts.
For instance, on the present In
ternational Executive Board there
are only three members who have
ever hired outrightly Negro Inter-
national representatives. They are
Richard T. Leonard, Paul Miley.
and myself. The only exception be-
ing r. J. Thomas who as president.
has regularly hired them. George +.
Adde's as secretary-treaSurer OF the
Union has complete charge OF en-
plOyment insofar as our Internal
ional Office staff is concerned. How
ever, he has never on his own
initiative hired a Negro girl to
work there. The first Negro girl
employed there came as result OF
Sheflield's vigorously calling the
matter 10 Dick Leonard's attention
about IS months ago. Whereupon,
Leonard prevailed upon Eddie Lev
inson. the publicity director. TO re-
quest her as his secretary in which
capacity she served ever since.
SNUBBED NAACP
Last May, when our Executive
board convened in Washington,
D. C.. we received communica-
ton from Walter White OF the
NAACP informing US that the Nat
ional Association for the Advance
ment OF Colored People was hold
ing an emergency conference IN
Detroit in June al which time Phil
lip Murray. Mrs Eleanor Roosevelt,
and r j. Thomas we're 10 speak and
Dorothy Maynor was TO sing. Spe-
officially. the National Association
wanted the endorsement OF the
JAW Executive Board. The Board
feeling that this was matter al
fecting particularly the Detroit
area referred it TO the Detroit board
members for their decision.
George Adde's. Melvin Bishop,
and Leo Lamotte were the grorp
that either refused to vote or else
voted against it. But. r. j. Thomas.
Richard T. Leonard. William Stew
enson. myself. and even Franken-
steen voted 10 endorse the NAACP.
In the Packard hate strike that
recently took place against our
Negro brothers, there was one indi-
vidual who played very prominent
part in precipitating them. This was
common knowledge around the In
ternational as Colonel Strong had
taken steps to have him fired from
the plant. This same individual
whom George Adde's knew had
been the chief instisator Of these
hate stikes at Packard's and whom
he knew had vowed 10 prevent
every attempt to upgrade Negroes
vas the same man that George
Adde's tried to pressure r. J. Thomas
into placing on the staff as an In
ternational representative OF this
Union. That man was Curt Muir
dock. Needless to say, r. j. Thomas
refused TO hire this demagogue
even withstanding George Adde'S
persistence.
ISSUES CHALLENGE
There are more such incidents,
but | feel better now that l nave
gotten some OF them off my chest
I'm hopeful that at the convention
| shall have the opportunity OF meet
ing George F. Adde's on a platform
before the Negro delegates so that
they can determine, once and for
all, who is playing politics with TINS
most important and delicate prob
lem facing our Union and our coun-
try or who Is attempting intelli-
gently and constructively to meet
il from a sound programmatic as
pect.
We reiterate that our record as
regards this racial question is un-
blemished and on the ba.is OF that
we are unalterably committed TO
Negro representation on the Inter-
national Executive Board. We could
quite easily indulge in a lot OF
cheap political opportunism. but
that has never been our policy, IL
is our firm conviction that the Me-
gro delegates attending this con-
vention will represent the cream OF
Negro thinking whose actions and |
thoughts will not be saturated with
the ephemeral political PHILOSOPHERS
and vagaries OF some political
party, and it is with that thought |
in mind that makes us confident
that through mutual collaboration. |
we shall make some equitable ad-
justment 10 this problem"