The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1943-08-14

elimination Employees and labor
unions knew that the Federal gov
eminent was opposed TO denial OF
the right 10 work or to be up
graded on account Of race, creed.
color or national origin.
But In the summer OF 1912. the
FEPC was robbed OF It's indie
pendent status and placed under
the control Of the War Manpower
commission. Thr-eonyiction In De-
troit and other places began to
grow that the FEPC was being
quietly shelyed and that the gov
eminent no longer was insistent
that discrimination In employment
be abolished. This conviction grew
as the FEpC became more and
more inactive due to the failure
70 provide II with a budget for
many months during the summer
and fall OF 1872 and during the
period when II was estopped from
iunctioning effectively.
Conviction crystallizcd into rer-
tainty when early in 1913. the De-
troit railroad and Mexican hear
ires were definitely postponed
This certainty was fixed more def
iniiely in the public mind by the
long delay In selecting new
chairman OF the FEPC and defin-
ing us status and the nature OF
The sanctions with which II would
be armed Az the FEPC lapsed
into total inactivity fear OF Fed
eral action died among those who
were guilty Of discrimination
Anti-Negro organization and indi-
viduals renewed and Increased
their agitation against the en-
ploymcnt and upgrading Of Ne
groes. Despair decpeEed I'm the
Negro communities as they saw
hordes OF Southern whites ind
ported into Detroit, provided with
such housing as was available
including unsupported houses.
apartments and dormitorlcs speed
ily nperaded to the better paid
jobs while Negroes who had lived
in Detroit for many years were
still shut out.
Morale AMI morals OF Negroes
we're affected adversely as they
saw The one agency which had
heen created 10 do away with
discrimination emasculated Those
Negroes who were employed found
themselves with money they could
not spend for decent houses or
other Improvements In their liv-
ing standards. Some invested In
War. Bonds and insurance: others
threw aways their money IN riot
cns living because they had been
robbed OF hope.
Law Enforcement Agencies
Politically minded public Off
cials have winked at the activI-
ties OF agencies like the Khan. the
BLACK Legion. the National Work
crs' league. the followers OF Faith
OF Coughlin and other similar
groups. During the SOS especial
" when there was keen comipeli-
ton for jobs because OF the de-
preston. Southern whites sought
and secured Jobs on the police
force OF Detroit and IN the courts.
There was period OF years when
cold-hlooded killings OF Negroes
by policemen we're a constant
source Of bitterness among Ne
groes. Eventually. protest by such
ORGANIZATIONS as The Detroit
branch OF the NAACP. and other
Negro and interracial groups led
to diminution and eventually a
practical cessation OF such kill
Inxs. But residue OF distrust OF
the police remained When the
iiot Of June. 1913. broke forth,
this suspicion OF the police by
Negroes was more than Justified
when % OF the Is killed were Ne
groes shot by police and n num-
bcr Of them shot in the back. The
justification usually given by the
poIice was footing" There Is no
nuestion that shameful and mex
cusabIe looting OF stores operated
by whites In the East Side Negro
area. particularly on Hastings and
John r streets was perpetuated
by Negroes. Part OF this footing
was for the sake OF the loot. But
part was due 10 bitter frenzy
which had been too long bottled
up IN Negroes, and which was a
form OF vengeance both against
the prejudice In Detroit from
which Negroes had suffered. and
against the looting OF Negro
homes and businesses ten days
before In the Beaumont. Texas.
riot OF June 1915, 1913.
Samuel Leiberman OF the Easl