St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1943-06-11
NAACP MEETING SUCCESS
r. J. Thomas Auto Workers
Union Leaders Blames xxx
For Packard Motor Strike
By Rev. Clarence T. R. Nelson

Minneapolis Spokesman A
crowd variously estimated at
from 10000 to $4,000 filled
the Olympia Stadium, Detroit
largest indoor auditorium, today
for the closing session of the 34th
annual convention and first War
Emergency Conference of the Ma
tional Association for the Advance
ment of Colored People. Two thou
sand people failed to get into the
Stadium.
Thomas Steals Show
R. ]. Thomas, the president of
the United Automobile Workers
(CIO), all but "stole" the show with
a brief but dynamic address in
which he scored "the Ku Klux
Khan and other night shirt Nazis"
for causing the strike at the Pack
ard Motor Car Company, because
three Negroes were upgraded. The
JAW president declared that he
has "absolute evidence" that the
strike was promoted by agents of
the Ku Klux Klan. His address
was frequently interrupted by ap-
plause from the large crowd. "The
UAW-CIO will fight for the equal
rights for workers regardless of
color" he asserted. The strikers
returned to work Monday.
An address by Phillip Murray,
president of the CLIO, who was
scheduled as the principal speaker,
was read to the delegates in the
absence of Murray, who was I'M
able to leave Washington in time
for the session.
Rogers Presents Medal
Congressman Will Rogers, Jr.,
of California, son of the noted hu-
morist, made the presentation of
the 28th Spingarn medal to Judge
William b. HASTE, former civilian
aide to the Secretary of War. The
medal is awarded annually by the
NAACP in recognition of outstand-
ing service for the advancement of
the Negro. In his presentation
address Congressman Rogers paid
a glowing tribute to Judge HASTE
and quoted Justice of the Supreme
Court Felix Frankfurter (who was
one of Judge Hastie's teachers at
Harvard), as being one of the most
brilliant students ever enrolled at
the famous Cambridge institution.
Describing conditions when he
was in the Army, Rogers said,
Hundreds of thousands of white
soldiers are deep in resentment of
the discrimination, segregation and
treatment of Negro soldiers"
"Negro soldiers must fight brave
ly and well, the same as white
soldiers but they have also another
battle fighting discrimination" he
said.
"If we are to have democracy
after this war, the democracy we
are fighting for, we must back up
our words with deeds of democra-
cy. Racial background, so what?
We are each as good as the other"
Commenting on the fact that his
racial background was mixed with
at least four nationalities includ-
ing Cherokee Indian, Rogers hu-
morously quoted his late father as
saying "that we met the boat"
speaking about the Mayfower.
HASTE Replies to Award Speech
Judge HASTE in deep humility,
truly characteristic of the great
man he is, said, eff anything that I
have done has national significance,
it is only because I have been so
fortunate as to express in public
utterance and action something of
what is in the minds and hearts of
millions of other people. It has
seemed to me that millions of Ne
groes want all men to know that
we have become and will remain
free in spirit and dauntless in our
determination to be treated as I'M
restricted citizens of the republic
and nothing even a little bit less
than that. It is this conception
that I have tried to express"
Condemns Policies in Armed Forces
Judge HASTE severely criticized
the discriminatory policies of the
Armed forces of the nation. He
scored those individuals in our ma
tional life who seek to take enid
dle-of-the-road" position in regard
to the Negro. "Those who for rea-
sons political or psychological, or
from the lack of understanding,
seek a middle ground in this con-
flict cannot succeed. There is no
place for neutrals here. Sooner or
later all must line up and be
counted for freedom or for repres-
SION" In speaking Of the ma
tional administration in this re-
gard, Judge HASTE declared, "The
same is true of our national ad-
ministration. Trying to achieve a
compromise which will give some
measure Of justice to the Negro,
and at the same time will mollify
our domestic fascists- It loses