The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-08-21

not another. for the benefit OF one
race and not another. for the ag-
grandizement OF a part and not the
betterment Of the whole. And we
must be better than faScists. We
cannot allow in our nation the evil
root of something which Hitler has
developed into system of slavery
the like OF which the world has
never seen. where the individual is
nothing but piece OF property
seized and used and tossed aside by
robber government. Japan's mill
tarists. too. have for generations
conceived the individual TO be
nothing but a tool; the history OF
Japan during the last four genera
tions has been the history OF the
struggle between the individual and
the possessor state, And the be-
ginning Of that struggle anywhere
IS always in the degradation OF a
class. the condemnation for some
trivial cause OF a group Of indi-
viduals.
There are nations in the world.
and great peoples. who may be
our friends or our enemies in years
soon 10 come depending upon
whether or not we can believe in
ana practice human equality. !
speak OF the peoples Of Russia and
China and India. These three PEG.
Piles. combined. make most OF the
worlds population. Combined they
hold the future OF the world anon
them. Two OF them. China and
Russia. are already resolved on the
equality Of races, and India wants
her freedom. They have suffered
two of them. India and China,
severeIy-India disastrously-from
the effects Of race prejudice. In
a world where these nations NIL
have power. and that is already TO-
day. they will not tolerate discr.m-
nation between peoples. Il is es,
sert,al tina. these nations be friends
with rs and TO: enemies But they
cannot be wholly our friends Il
within our own people we are d.
vided by prejudice, one group
against another.
You see how important you have
become. You are no longer a min
or+,y group in one nation. You
have become the touchstone OF
democracy in our own country, in
the world.
For il a sense America fas long
been The land OF dream for many
peoples. Many Indians today hop
.ng for freedom look az this mo-
nent 10 our country. Will America
really stand FOR freedom for all?
Do the four freedoms apply 70 an
Indian in India? He d. does not
know--but he hopes. And Chinese
fighting So bravely and long against
the bitter enemy. they look e
America. Will America help The
Chinese as they are helping the
English? And after the war Is
over, will Americans give 20 Chi
reese an equal place. the place they
deserve n the world: China does
no. know.
These are the two countries who
have suffered most heavily from
he race prejudice OF the white
mar And yet why 90 not speak
.: the millions in Java ard the
South Seas, and in the Philippines
ard in Africa. and the Arabs: They
.ook - America. who has never
wanted an empire who fought a
War fo- freedom from an empire.
and fought another war TO free her
own s!sves-surely America will
De on their side?
Yet who dsres 10 promise them
tia; we will be? I dare not. To-
DAY il is my greatest shame that
when one OF these peoples puts the
question 20 me. will America give
US real equality Of treatment after
this war, I can only say don't
know.
And The reason I don't know.
that ! dare no. promise. that ! an
rot sure OF the Righteousness Of
my own people in the world. is be-
cause OF this miserable race p-eju-
dice at home which denies equality
20 a dark skin. l canno: promise
that a dark skin in India or in
China will have what we have no;
given our own.
You see how important American