St. Paul recorder., 1944-05-05
Hotels, Restaurants
Refuse Methodist
Delegates in K. C..
By C. T. R. NELSON
By Rev. Clarence T. R. Nelson

By Rev. Clarence T. R. Nelson
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, (SpeciaD-
The race question took the spot
light in the beginning of the second
week of the General Conference of
the Methodist Church meeting here
in the Municipal auditorium. Ap-
pearing before the Conference on a
matter of high privilege at the be-
ginning of the business session on
Monday morning, Bishop G. Brom-
ley Oman, of Boston, and secre-
tary of the Council of Bishops
(three of which are Negroes), }, called
attention to determinations which
had been reported to the Council,
and made public apology. In a
serious and earnest manner, Bishop
Oman said: 81 find it difficult to
restrain the words that my heart
prompts. Such words would ex-
press a request for forgiveness and
a mood of penitence. I speak,
however, the words that my mind
dictates. The announcement has
to do with the question of proper
treatment by way of entertainment
for the Negro delegates to the Cen
eral Conference"
"At the session of the Council of
Bishops held last Saturday evening,
the distinguished presiding officer
of this morning Bishop W. Walter
Peele) presented certain facts to
the Council that up to that time
had not been known to the Council
as a whole. A committee of three
Bishops was appointed to confer
with the Committee on Entertain
ment. The report gave assur-
ance that the Committee on Enter
tainment is seeking to take all steps
Immediately to rectify as far as
possible the determinations that
have been reported. I am sure
that I speak for the entire Council
of Bishops when I say it is our firm
resolve to do all in our power to see
that such provision shall be made
in the future that this situation
shall never happen again. .. May
1 express to those who have suf-
fered, the hope that they may not
think this is too little and too late"
In an interview with representa-
tives of the Negro press after his
apology, Bishop Oman revealed
the fact that it was Bishop w.
Walter Peele, a southern born Bish-
op, who was elected from the Meth
odist Episcopal Church, South, be-
fore the merger of the three Meth
odist bodies in 1889, who had
brought the matter of the discrim-
nations suffered by the Negro dele
gates and visitors to the attention
of the Council of Bishops. A COM
mittee of three Bishops are work
ing on the matter, with the Com
mittee on Entertainment. All of
the downtown hotels refused to take
Negro guests. It is reported that
reservations had been made at one
of the hotels by the general Board
of Lay Activities for Prof. ]. H.
Touchstone of Atlanta, who is the
representative from the Central
Jurisdiction on the general staff.
But the Negro general officer was
turned away when he applied for
his reservation by the hotel man
agement. However, the Negro del
egates and visitors have been
housed very well in the Negro Y.
M. C. A, hotels and private homes.
The greatest embarrassment and
discomfort suffered by the Negroes
attending the conference is in the
matter of finding convenient and
suitable places to eat. The Enter
tainment Committee provided a
temporary lunch room in the audi
torium, making the arrangements
with a private concession firm. But
after the first day this private con-
Germ moved out because of the lack
of patronage to make the venture
pay. Negroes are not permitted