St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1944-06-02
nrausilivK Gertruoe
Librarian
Minn Historical Society
Unit 2
UncOvering
Washington
By Harry S. McAlpin
(White House Correspondent
NNPA)

Ihere IS story IN the launch
ing of Liberty ships named for
Negroes which hasn't been told.
1t came out during preparations for
the launching of the S. S. Harriet
Tubman.
Though Harriet Tubman left,
primarily, only name and repu-
tation as one of the "fightingest"
women humanity has produced, her
surviving relatives have been
squabbling as though a million dol
lars in coin of the realm were at
stake.
1t all came about as result OF
the unfortunate and near-fatal ill
ness of an equally illustrious char
acter, Mary Mcleod Bethune-
who says much of her inspiration
came from the life and works of
Harriet Tubman.
Mrs. Bethune as president of
the National Council of Negro
Women, which organization sug-
gested Harriet Tubman's name to
grace the bow of a Liberty Ship,
was scheduled to christen the float
ing queen among carriers of arms,
men and supplies to the battle
fronts. Her illness led the NCNW
to seek a substitute preferably
the nearest of kin to that engineer
of the Underground Railroad. A
niece located in Baltimore felt she
was too feeble and too old to make
the trip to Portland, Maine.
Then came the deluge. -.
Claims of being the only living
relative-charges of imposters-
feuds as to whether one grand
niece raised as a daughter by Mrs.
Tubman was any nearer kin or had
any more right to christen the ship
than a grandniece in whose home
that illustrious woman died-all
this and more descended upon the
NCNW.
An Jeanette WEIGH Brown, the
efficient executive secretary of the
NCNW who handled the arrange
ments, shook her head and reluc-
family agreed with John Carmody,
member of the National Maritime
Commission, who told her a few
days before the launching cere-
monies:
'I'm sick and tired of these Ne
gro-named ship launchings. We're
trying to win a war and don't have
time for all the fuss and fanfare
which has arisen in every one of
such cases."
There's a lot of eyebrow raising
over in the the Department of
Agriculture, and among race re-
Iations advisers generally in Wash
ington.
Sam Greer, special assistant to
the administrator Of Farm Security
Administration, has gone into the
Armed Forces. He was the I'M
popular race relations officer of
that agency.
A few days ago all of Greer's
office furniture was moved out of
his late office and placed in stor-
age.
Speculation is sweeping the
Clouds with rumors that the job
will not be filled because Hennegan,
the logical man for it is not a
Barnett Patterson protege and not
inclined to follow in Greer's uncle
like" strides. Hennegan is now at
tached to the information division
of FSA.
And now the two chiefs advisory
spots in the Department exclusive
of the "free" advice from the
special consultants to the Secretary
are rusting from non-use. Roberts
illness may force him to remain
away for 6 months to year more,
and Greer is gone at least for the
duration.
One reformed race-relations ad-
wiser has raised the question, along
with her eyebrows, whether the De-
partment of Agriculture has de-
clared moratorium on racial prob
lens of the Negro farmers and the
colored employees of the Depart
ment. eff so, they should share
the secret of how to do it with US
ALL" she said.