Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-05-11
Rumors
Continued From First Page. J

welfare of the Washington Fedora
ton of Churches finally conducted
an objective investigation of the
rumors and prepared report for the
guidance of local clergymen. Parts
Of 1t follow
During the week of May 20 Met
ropolitan Washington was filled with
spectacular rumors of race riots that
had occurred and of others that i'm
pended. There was almost universal
fright as result of these rumors.
Yet in spite of the tension created
there was absolutely no violence be-
You'd the run-o f-the-mill vari-
ETY. =.
Believed Spread Deliberately
Police, race relations personnel.
and other community authorities
believe that the extent Of the
rumors puts just ordinary gossip
out of question. In other words,
they believe that some group of per-
sons spread the stories deliberately.
Numerous sources confirm that the
word of coming racial trouble was
circulated by: Cd guards in public
buildings as people went home from
work: ~ by cab drivers to their
fares; CD by public transportation
employees; 90 by department store
workers; 50 by persons in other
public places. These rumors were
openly discussed by people living in
apartment houses, by people gath
cred for public meetings and social
affairs, and by executives and off,
Gals in many Offices.
The result was that the majority
Of white people was positively con-
WINGED that racial strife was inevita-
Bile. But there was no such convic-
ton among the majority of Negro
people, who heard the rumors that
they were planning to riot with
great establishment.
TT was said that there had been
a riot at the ball park on Thursday
afternoon. 1t was said that there
had been an outbreak in the Penta-
gon Building 1t was said that two
men had been killed in the Navy
Yard There were numerous 'spe-
cific incidents of this kind.
Most of the rumors dealt with
rioting in connection with Capital
Transit Co. employees or passengers
Maj. Kelly Answers Questions
I'm general the rumors had it that
sometime very shortly Negro peo-
pie we've going to rise en- masse
against the whites. No one would
be safe, and the streets should be
cleared :
Although we checked with a
number of persons on the morning
of May 10 Cthe day after the open
air meeting and parade) to ascer-
tain the facts, the most important
statement was made by our super
intendent of police, Maj Edward j.
Kelly. Our questions and his an
swers appear below. They deserve
careful reading:
Question No 1: Were there any
Instances of difficulty between white
and Negro persons reported to the
police during the week of May 2-8?
There were no instances of I'M
usual significance One or two iso-
lated cases of misconduct occurred
% There was bottle thrown
through a streetcar window at
Fourteenth and U streets NV. by
one of three colored men. all of
whom were intoxicated. This struck
and cut a colored woman passenger.
ca At pm. on Friday evening a
missile was thrown through the
window of a car at Second and
Indiana avenue NV. 49, There
was another minor affair. but you
can be sure that only few scala
wags were responsible who would be
likely to do something of the kind
anyhow.
Il should like to praise the con-
duct of the Negro people through
out this week They were exemplary
and conducted all their picketing
and other demonstrations in a quiet
manner.
Can't Explain Origin.
QueStlon NO. z. How DO you &C
count for the rapid spread of rumors
throughout the city?
II cannot give a satisfactory ex-
PLANTATION. There was much gossip
in Government offices and depart
ment stores and other places where
people congregate. But 1 do not
know how they got started.
Question No. 3. Do you have any
message you would like to transmit
to the clergy regarding this or other
possible instances of rumor -monger-
ing?
II know that the clergy will al
ways be ready and willing to give
proper advice to their people so
that peace and order in the city Is
maintained.
In event of any recurrence of
these rumors or the spreading of
new ones, I hope the clergy will
feel free to call police headquar-
tiers at once and learn what the &C
tual situation is. We knew Of these
1umors about race riots all last week