The Omaha guide., 1943-10-09

fridge Field, Michigan), and Edgar
u. A watchful eye must be
kept on the public services and So
cial gains already achieved as a
part of our wartime planning if
the United States Employment ser
vices should be returned to the
states.
10. Provisions for war housing,
health and child care made possibIel
under the Lanham act must be
carried over by proper legislation
into the postwar period with eff
~fective precautions to insure the
extension of those benefits to Ne
gro citizens.
ii. We urge that all media of
public education, pulpit, press, rad
10 schools-should accept the de-
mocratic responsibility which is
theirs for creating the proper rae
ial attitudes and understanding by
presenting all matters pertaining to
the education of the public in an
unbiased and constructive manner.
One of the specific steps taken
by the conference was the sending
of a telegram to both the sentae
and house appropriations commit
toees pointing out to them the in
tolerable housing and living condi-
tons of whites and Negroes" which
they said, constitutes zone Of the
basic causes of racial tension" and
a peril to the war effort" AS an
essential step toward easing racial
tensions, promoting national unity
and winning the war" the group
urged. "the immediate %appropria-
ton of the balance or 5000, 100000
for war housing and of $3.50, 600, 900
for associated war public works and
services already authorized by the
congress under the Lanham act"
should be made.
Both Gov. Dwight H. Green of
Illinois and Mayor Edward j. KEEL
ly of Chicago had proclaimed the
period Of the conference as "Vic-
tory Through Unity Week." to
which President Roosevelt, in a
strongly worded message, gave his
endorsement. The President fur
ther wrote that he could not see
how America could stand before
the world as a champion Of oppres-
sed peoples unless we practice as
well as preach the principles of de-
mocracy for all men,"
The two speakers participating
in the opening session of the con-
ference last Tuesday afternoon "a
greed that the status of public
morale in terms of minority and
ace relations adjustment is at the
point where a lack of full particip-
alton on the part of all citizens is
hampering the war effort. They
attributed the cause to traditional
hostilities against the Negro in
the armed forces and in industry.
The speakers were Frederick B.
Sweet, director, public relations
and membership activities of Ford
Local 600, United Auto Workers,
(CIO, and DIR. Ira De A. Reid, SOC
iology department, Alfalfa univers-
ity.
Mayor Kelly appeared on the pro
gram of the first evening meeting,
attended by nearly 1000 persons IN
the Wendell Phillips High School
auditorium and declared that "A
mericans are standing together as
their brothers keeper, fighting the
common fight for decency, and the
destruction of racial discrimirat-
ion" It was here that Granger
first outlined his program.
DR.. Louis Wirth, professor Of .
-iology, University of Chicago, saw
an attempt on the part of the en-
emies to make Of this a racial war
and warned that this pitfall must
be avoided. He pointed TO the
.'uniqueness'' of this war, in that
our slogans have all been made for
Us by the enemy Democracy is
in antithesis to dictatorship" he
said, racial bigotry is in Antilles
to racial equality"
1.-The Negro would do best if lie
is allied with the forces of progress
rather than the forces Of reaction"
he said, because he suffers the
greatest disability under the status
quo. If he can arouse the con-