The Omaha guide., 1943-02-20
RANDOLPH CHARGES UNITED
NATIONS FAILING IN RE-
SPONSIBILITY TOWARD
MINORITY GROUPS
CONTINUED from page y

huts of poverty and want" he point
ed out. 1T cannot be done by err
udite speeches, brilliant editorials
alone, if at all. 1t can only be done
by personal contact, sacrifice, strug-
gle and suffering with the people
to the end of having them share IN
the organizing process. It's a door
bell ringing problem which will give
and beget dignity. discipline and
mutual respect among the Negro
people for the organizing effort.
The organization of the Negro
masses plus intelligent, honest and
courageous direction, spell success
in winning our democratic rights
just as positively as two plus two
equal four. Unity of the Negro
masses and classes is his, the Ne
gro's, chief salvation"
The Atlantic charter. the doc
ument of world freedom drawn up
by President Roosevelt and Prime
Minister Churchill-next came IN
for a bit of typical Randolph de-
nouncement. He was extremely
critical of what he termed Roose-
velt's and Churchill's "streamlined
version Of an international instru-
ment for the freedom of white peo-
pie only"
This Interpretation is reenforc-
ed by the fact that MI. Churchill
despite the pleas Of Ghandi and Ne
hru for the independence and free
dom of India-observed that he had
not become the first minister of
Great Britain to preside over tie
liquidation of the British empire
The implication here is that Great
Britain's fighting this war for the
reestablishment of her imperial do
mains. Apparently this bit of Bit
ish diplomacy has not escaped the
Indian people.
with respect to the four free
doms, Set forth by President Roose
welt, it may be said that they rep
resent the highest expression and
aspiration of a people for a free
world, if only they were applied
without regard to race or color, re.
ligion Or national origin. But
there is nothing in the policy and
action of the leader of the New
Deal to indicate that the Negro peo-
pie of America can expect these
four freedoms will be granted them"
Striking out at critics of the Mar
CHI on Washington Movement, Mr..
Randolph sought to clarity the
movements position on the racial
scene, declaring that the Negro
masses still have faith in the move.
ment even though it is opposed by
some Negro leaders and practically
all white persons of prominence and
power. Opposition from some
comes on the grounds that we did
not march. Our answer is, we did
not march because the President
granted the March On Washington
Movements demand-namely- the
issuance of an executive order TO
ban discrimination in defense in
dustry and the governmet.
This was a specific request of
the President and we got it. HOW
could we march in the lace of this
If we had still marched, we then
would have been condemned and
rightly so for marching merely for
the sake of marching and not for
the well being of the Negro people.
But the calling off of a strike a.
gainst a business by a striking un-
ion, does not mean that the strategy
and weapon of the strike is aband-
oned by the union. That is the
strategy of the March on Washing
ton Movement-we postponed the
march when the executive order
"a conceded-but the plan to mar
CHI on Washington when necessary
is not abandoned"
Nearing the close of his brief but
well delivered Grafton, Philip Ran
dolph took a slap at the Japs in
pointing out the fallacy of some Ne
groes whom might believe that Jap
because of her racial background
would cater to our group.
ANY Negro who is so naive as
to believe that Japan-which has
rsever sought to help Negroes any
where or anytime-will become the
savior Of colored people, merely BE-
she is a colored nation, is liv-
ing in a fools paradise. Japan, Of
course, being at war with white ma
tons will use the question of color
rs a psychological propaganda wea-
pom to advance her imperial, milit-
ends.
"The fact, however, is validated
by Japan's attack upon the Chinese
are not white-and who eth
nclogically are closer to the Japan
csc than the Negroes.
NOW at the peace conference
Japan will undoubtedly, as in World
War l, fight for the principal CT
equality, but not because Of
= ~ 1YvA Co..