The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-06-12
XXX =

their position sgains. the Negro
workers.
Negro unionists In an informal
meeting with the heads OF the
Packard local opposed the two ap-
peasement moves and disclosed that
ths dismissal OF Negro workers as
ins,iga,ors Of strike Of which they
were the victims would be vigor-
ously fought.
FBI Investigation
A full dress federal investigation
into Ksn activities in De,ro;ts war
industry was predicted following
the demands O. President r. j.
Thomas otthe UAW-ClO and rank
ing union officials. Since January !.
1913, hate strikes insiigatcd by the
Ku Klux Khan have taken place at
Detroit Timken. vickers. Inc. u. S.
Rubber. Dodge Truck and the Hud-
sor Naval Arsenal as we'll as at .
number Of smaller plants in the
city which are working on SUBJ
contracts.
These strikes have cost thousands
OF hours OF production and asgra-
waited the racial tensions 10 such a
d rec that large scale showdown
on the racial issue such as took
place last week at the Packard
Motor Car company was inevitable
Chronicle Warning
For two years the Michigan
Chronicle has campaigned relen;-
lessly against the infiltra,ion Of
Klansmsn and pro-Axis stooges N
tho motor industry In a reply 10
a letter from the Michigan Chron-
icle in October l9il Pres,den; r.
j. Thomas revealed that nc TOO was
slarmed by the Khan menace and
wa seeking methods by which
these fifth columnis,s could DC OK
posed and routed from the labor
force. (See letter elsewhere in this
issue Of the Michigan Chronicle)
Lest month the Chronicle asked
Attorney General Francis B!ddle 10
use his Offices 10 combat the grow
ing Khan threa. to the war effort
The strike involving $4,000 workers
a. Packard last week which stopped
production OF badly needed air.
craft engines and other vital mater
lei has provided the evidence upon
which all agencies concerned may
now act.
Negro Workers
Although the Packard strike had
Us origin in the refusal OF whites
in the aircraft division to work
with three Negroes who have been
up-graded, some effort has been
made by Khan interests 10 make it
appear that segregation would solve
the racial difficulties at the plant.
The Khan Spokesman allege that
the white workers do not object 10
Negroes being up-graded. which
was wha. they really struck about.
but that the whites do not wish
TO work side by side with the Ne
groes.
This distortion OF the Packard
story gained currency last week as
several daily papers carried these
arguments voiced by the Khan
stooges. The union leadership is
convinced. however. that any segre-
CATION OF workers according to race
would only multiply the tensions
that already exist and that there is
but one solution TO the problem and
that is for Negroes and whites 10
work together as American citizens
Proof or Klan Action
The Khan elements which have
been fomenting racial disturbances
at Packard for several months did
not limit their attacks 10 Negro
workers. II was reported to the
Michigan Chronicle that the Klans-
men were spreading anti-Semitic
literature in the plant Itself and
an anti-Semitic poem was found
on a bulletin board in one division
of the motor company last week.
The poem castigateS Jews and Is
obviously the handiwork OF hftf
columnists. Here is stanza IRON
the poem called the Marine Hymn
that was found on the bulletin
board:
Oh. we Jews are not afraid 10 say,
We stay at home and give first AID