The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-02-05

The Town
WAITING At THE CHURCH
By John WOOD

have hcen more than four years
Cd Watching her. one 60, the i'm
prcsslon that she was old enough
90 know Whit she wanted bu; tao
young 20 realize that sometimes
you DON'T get whs, YOU wan; For
at least two hours she had waited
NJ Ebene7er church for a ellmpSe
OF Mrs Roosevelt FOR hadn't they
been telling her that tho great LADY
was coming 20 the church, and
hadn't her DADDY old he- he world
take her 10 the church Wednesday
nirh' 20 see MRS Roosevelt
so SHE WAS thc-c with he
father s-j hundreds ~ other little
girls and their fathers who waitc4
~ the church: some across INC
street ard others on tho church
steps. su-ging against no Inc. beg
eins poli-e 70 let tHer into =
building that was already f'lc1
But unlike the sdultS. she didn't
seem bored or 700 much disan-
pointed At times che -si-eA down
on the s'cps holding % hrr fa'h.
er's hand. rlayinr hidc-erd <cok
with agirarv plavTa'es hiiinr
behind the hundreds ~ lcgs 'ha'
SON e'i-eS moved but NJ farther
th7r 'Ne next pair 81 lere ahe 4
Al otNe- times she appeared 20 ~
fHscira' hv The crowd as seated
or hc- daddv's shnuldc-. she 'ovcd
With tho ornaments o. ladies head.
cca- f.r'ed wish policemen or
y = Il. IL
h"ihs rom orc % dozen cameras
NJ nEr7 N IRE darkness
TT WAS EASY 20 believe mat she
Rad had cute MIGHT and was
ready "a - home when her ia,her
2 cked her ~ ar5 th-eaicJ his way
through the crowd Bat when she
FOUND ~ Z she was ,eavin- 'he
church she began IN cry ae II hcr
l'ttle heart would break and bc
tween Sobs ard nhiTncrS SHc
b~esed - be taken back 20 wait '1r
Mrs Roosevelt 70 come out ~ the
ehayeh Fo- although che vas
standing on the edge ~ nc lirc
when Mrs Roosevelt walked VI .he
steps someone s.epncd in front o.
the cAild and she didn't get 10 &C
the First Lazy
THE OLD LADY had waited a,
the church since six o'clock Pa
t'ently. and with seeming expects
tion. she stood in line obviously
realizinr that she would not cc'
inside the building 70 hear thc
First Ladv's address Men and
women standing close "a her Won
dcred about her nationality: was
wac she just forei9 look inc
white woman DTS funny the
things pcople think about. even
while WAITING ~ 2 chu-~1l Onc
man admitted that he hoped she
wouli sneak in her own LANGUAGE
bu; in the two hours. she had stood
there. her eyes Glued on the church
door-she hadn't spoken one word
And when Mrs Roosevelt appeared.
she didn't Join in the cheering
Just snil@ family. turned and
walked down the steps. On the
street another lady heard her say
This is serious business The peo-
pie on the inside probably know
what should be done rs the
crowd Of common people out here
on the street that needs ~ know
more about raciel good will"
X n X
TT WAS ONE Of the few times ;hr
two JarancSr ci"ls had been on.
since coming 10 Detroit from ~ in
in;etnment camn and they explained
that they didn't like TO 60 ont be-
cause people always got around a.
reminding them that thew are jap
anese. Both are American born
and know no other country bu; this
one Both lived on the West Cost
and were among thousands OF Other
Japanese- who had ~ be-
evacuated from thSt area; natural
" all the memories OF their in
ternnent are not nleasant ones.
ONE OF THE GIRLS admitted
, that she felt uncomfortable while
wsjting ~ the church door. for
even in the mad scramble to oct
inside and find A. scat. some peoN'c
foitnd time 10 stare and remark.
Those arc japanese girls Yes
even az this interracial gathering
where the First Lady talked about
unity and cooperation Of all peo-
pies some people filled 10 get tho
point. Asked what she thought ~
the meeting. one girl said 1T was
2 privilege Just Ia be near Mrs
Roosevelt; and forgot about evc~v-
thin2 else" The other said. Tic
ushcrs al this church are the NOS.
gentlensnlv End courteous men J
have seen in Detroit"
K x x
THE GENTLEMAN STOOD ~
,he church steps. his folded Over
coat under ore arm. ard WORT
brief case under INC other TW &c
re rad tried 10 push through 10
crowd. and twi"e ne had beer =. q
ths' i was useless 70 get 40 = &c
door. for unless he had = ticko' he
couldn't get IN. So he ia' STOOD
there. criticizing The meeting. saw
ing over and over AGAIN WIT I've
thousand other people had said
over and over again-"This 'ncrt-
ing should have been held a. The
OLYMPIA" lnWa-dlv. he cureed
those responsible FOR holding thc
affair a. the church. and outw srd-
" he rebuked himsel, for not ca'l.
fnz a, least TWO friends whom he
KNEW could have sent him
ticket
APPARENTLY TIE THOUGHT
No ore was paying any attention
when re said. tmore ~ himsel
than anyone e,se). I'D give Is 90
tickle. 20 his meeting" So M
was surpr sci when man stand
ing RICH, behind him touches hir
on the shoulder nd said Here
ticket m y,er. where's vour five
Shifting HE overcoat ~ the srr
slreadv holding the brief case h
reached into his pocket ard pu'lH'
out . IS bill. handed IL to.the tickle
holder. grabbed the ticket and be
gan pushing his way through tn
crowd
TuAT au0I,V n mr. The erd =