davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-08-12

ers who are willing to have col
ored American soldiers give
their lives for them, but who
are, however. unwilling to have
their brothers and fathers oper.
ate street cars on the same sys-
TEN on which they are them
selves employed. Not only is
this un-American: but il doesn't
make sense. However, prejudice
and ignorance never do.
Perhaps, though, this strike
unlike some other hate strikes
we have heard about. does make
sense. For a thorough investiga-
ton would probably show that
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-08-12
THE COMMON man IN HIS. UNDERSH|RT


Il Is not easy 70 At the Philadel.
phis strike into neat editorial
pattern, and serve Il up 2arnished
with few Of the ,ruisms dear 10
Is liberals.
The situation offers some stock
elements: defeated but still strong
bloc Of Independent" unionls,s, the
role Of racial prejudice IN splitting
he workers. a management sus-
piciously ready 10 give in on the
race issue
From these elements one could
construct another version OF that
int ,lectually fashionable social
drama: ne Dark Plot in which SIM
lister Forces succeed In Mislead-
.n2 the Common People
This is 1he way in which we lib
erals and labor sympathizers would
Ike 20 picture the strike We would
Ike 20 picture il that way because
K would provide our idol, that ab-
s,-action. the Common Man. with
an alioi We would prefer 70 cast
nm as the Little Eliza rather than
the Legree OF this nelodrana.
We hate 20 admit that that fine
fellow, the Common Man, could
ever be villain. An admission
OF that kind would be TOO disturb
ing. Y would upset too many OF
our Cherished shibboleths.
That New Mistress
IN every system Of society, The
( opposition always prefers 20 pic.
,ire ne monarch as dupe rather
than a villain. l. is the Kings new
mistress Who is al fault or ( is The
/ Rh!neland capitalists who have led
Hitler from the straight and narrow
OF true National Socialism. And
IN democracy il is always some
wicked somebody or other who has
misled the Peopls.
To admit that me King Is an in.
competent ass. tina; Hitler is a four.
Ausher. or that the, People can a;
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-08-12
By PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER

forces Of barbariSm and TO wipe out
the evil creed that one race Is high
er than others In the scheme OF
creation and has . divine right 10
lord IL over the rest.
Bu: the Army. whose main in
terest necessarily is the defense
Of this beloved country OF ours
against external foes. presumably
must now take tire Oh; from the
var 20 deal with a f.asrani case OF
racial injustice IN the city where
he Declaration o. independence
was written and TIE b.! Of Rights
adopted. u is a Startling anG tragic
anomaly.
In the circumstances the strikers
should reai.ze that. whatever their
indignation over the L s. Fair
Employment Practices Committee 5
directive 20 the = TIC - upgrade
Nero workers. Negroes are en-
p,oyed In other cities as car and
+ bus operators
In New York. according TO the
FEPC. SIS Negroes work ~ bus
drivers and trolley motormen; In
Detroit 1000 Negro men and Isl
women have similar Jobs: In Cleve'
land there are 100 Negro bus op.
orators and In Chicago, l04 Negroe,
are trolley motormen, IL uainmer
and Is bus drivers. Even Winston.
Salem. North Carolina. has 20 Ne
gro bus drivers
And the unspeakable mess In tn,
City of Brotheriy Love developed
because the PIC. WAS training
eight Negroes for operational jobs
This simple statement requires n,
scathing comment II speaks fol
itself.
Nothing but harm ha, come Z
Philadelphia. iu lSw.sbiding busy
peanlA IA Dart N the national VA
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-08-12

tors. and this Ii what McMenamin
said:
Due to low health conditioas.
their inferior education and their
general economic condition. their
standard Of living Is very far below
the standard Of operators. We have
. condition here where every man
swinging between runs gets Q rest
on q bench In the depot. This
would require Q colored man 10 lie
beside white man. or . white man
TO lie where . cOlored man had
been. The colored people have
bedbugs. These benches are weed.
and wood breeds bedbuGs. and Z
don't want any bedbugs."
This mixture Of the pretentisus.
the irrevelant. the prejudicial, the
ignorant. the stupid and the unkind
Is authentic common man. We're
not all McMensmins. but we have
plenty OF McMenamins among u<,
and maybe We won't make much
progress until We do a little less
sentimentalizins about the common
man and do little more about the
McMenanins
This strike Is oos:ructing the war
effort II Is unauthorized and illeg-
al Either under the Smith-Connal-
ly Act or under an Executive Order
backing up the Fair Employment
Practices Committee or as meters
20 riot. i; should be possible to Jail
the rinTlesders And Jail is where
We think they belong.
! know the harsh struggle 70
make a living has something 10 do
with this cruelty OF white man to
black, and | know that social and
economic factors have q great deal
20 do with the exploitation Of
prejudice But also know that
there must be prejudice 10 start
with.
There is a little OF the McMena-
min in all OF Us. From the nursery
and The schoolyard TO the business
office and the factory ground. We
resent differences. We bolster Our
own little e2os with hatred. We
are as suspicious as savages OF the
foreign and unfamiliar.
wish had pat solution be.
cause pat solutions provide skilful
endings for editorials. but don't
Were up against something that
Is both human and ugly. and 1t il
as well 20 look az IL honestly so We
al least know where one source OF
trouble lies.
y. +. Stone
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-08-12

the Philadelphia strike are exploit
ins 10 partly genuine.
In % far ~ IL 10 real. this vicious
prejudice springs from the basic
source Of race hatred In the Unitsd
States. the fear Of insecurity ON the
job.
That Is the fear which makes q
! man hate the man just below him
worse than he does the biz boss.
because the big boss doesn't want
his Job. That Is the insecurity which
explains the fact that the Ku Klux
Khan is not made UP OF rich South
erners, but OF poor whites. Inves-
.iga.ors claim that Ku Klux Nom.
oers are mixed up in the present
strike.
That insecurity Is strongly felt IN
the rapid transit field in Philadel.
phia. which before gasoline ration.
ing was city where almost every.
BODY drove q car Rapid transit had
become a shrinking business and
an old mans profession, where the
appears e OF any new competitors
for jobs reused fear and resent
ment Fear for their Jobs laid the
transit workers wide open 70 the
peddlers OF race hatred.
This tragic business In Phlladel-
phia occurs at time when we are
beginning 10 think OF the end OF
the war Philadelphia's transit
workers. looking tearfully ahead TO
the end OF the boom. And them
selves especially sensitive 20 the
threat OF decomposition.
Give II Both Barrels
So. Will, il would be easy enoush
for Us 20 say that somebody ought
10 stop this strickland somebody
cannot dodge a painful
truth: Unless We formulate some
plan Tor enough employment for
everybody In the postwar period,
We had better watch out for dis.
turoances like this one In many
industries In which Negroes are
newcomers on the job
That makes the reconversion
problem part OF the race problem.
and the race problem an aspect Of
the reconvers!on problem,
II the striking Philadelphia tran.
$. workers knew that there was
going 20 be enough employment
for all. they would be far less likely
10 l!s;en 20 rscis. agitstors.
We need a double barreled at
tack on this problem. We need a
permanent Fair Employment Prac-
tice Committee. TO le. all agita,ors
and demagogues know that racism
on the job means violation Of q
Federal law--snd . Federal rap Is
hard / beat.
But don't we also need promp,
Congressional ensctmen. OF a Full
Employment Bill. 10 convince the
workers that they will still have
work after the war.
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-08-12

dens, but it's couple Of miles away and he amt
done lick of work in it all week. That's a fine
patriot for you. A man should do something to
help win the war. II ! could think 81 something.
Maybe I could pass the time writing to my son
Bill the one in Normandy. I'll tell him the old
man Is "a sing II easy for q few days and why
don't he do the sams7 The wars nearly over. any.
way. and there's no sense siraining yourself. But
Bits turned kind Of different since he went TO the
war. II used 10 be he had the makings Of q good
moiormsn. but now he's got big ideas.
wish daughter wouldn't slam the door that
way when she gets home from work She's cou-
pie Of hours late and bet she's been riding all
over town in one OF them pool cars And she amt
spoken civil to me since Tuesday There's that
wife Of mine again. wanting to 60 shopping down.
town tomorrow. Well she can 60, can't she? She
walk, the way did when was a boy. It's
only four miles and her rheumatism amt half SO
bad as she thinks.
II looks like nobody loves me. II we had gar
den could 60 out there and eat worms. I'll 90
out and sit the tracks while. They can
run me down il they like and won't care. the
way they waste gasoline what's needed TO win the
war Abraham Lincoln would never have stood
for il and I've half mind TO vote for him next
November. know my rights and they can't stop
me voting for Lincoln IL want 10.
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-08-12
NSTIGAT0RS SHOULD Be PUNISHED
By PHILADELPHIA RECORD

We have never believed that 5000 PIC employees suddenly
unanimously and voluntarily decided strike against the
orders OF their company against the orders Of their union
and against the wishes OF their Government
Their strike inspired by the underground undercovsr
activity OF individuals who day after day. hatred
into their ears. These auy aroused their emotions
lied to them about the seniority their contract
represented the Government agencies which striving
to overcome the manpower shortage by upgadns Negro
employees
Who these undercover workers Is becoming appar-
What interests nstigated their ugly activities The
Record not prepared They probably NOT
agents But they caused much harm regiment
of Mari saboteurs.
There should be punishment for the nsgators Of
this subyervs and for the agents thsmssys
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-08-12
DEFY|NG THE ARMY
By PHILADELPHIA BULLETIN

Yesterday the men who managed
the tie-up OF all PIT. Co. service
stood indicted at the bar Of public
opinion on two counts
Cd They had launched this sneak
attack without giving the public
and the company any opportunity
for discussion Of the motives be-
hind IL.
on In pursuing this arbitrary
course they had ignored the effects
OF their action on the life OF their
city and the production Of war ma
terials
Now they have added a third and
still graver offense. They have
openly defed the government Of
their country and the United States
army.
The army 10 IN possession OF the
P.TCo. system. It's first act was TO
order the wildcat strikers back 10
work. They did not listen 70 this
order as patriotic individuals. On
the contrary they held a meeting
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-08-12

and took Joint action They decid.
ed 10 snap their fingers In the
srmy's face.
Those PIT Co. employees stIii on
strike now occupy an utterly inde-
feasible position. Their objection to
the hiring Of q few Negro car op.
eratives looms larger In their ewes
than the welfare Of thei, city and
their country. But they cannot op-
pose their judgment to that OF the
great mass Of their fellow citizens
and continue to get away with n.
II Is unfortunate that the ugly
spectre OF race prejudice has raised
It's head In this critical situation.
But II Is still true that the race dis
elimination issue is a secondary
matter
The prime business 81 he army.
the first essential 70 the continuance
Of orderly life and resumption OF
full-sca.e war production in Phila-
delphia. is 10 get all the cars and
buses and elevated and subway
trains moving.
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-08-12
Meharry Alumni Building
Proposal Up At Confab

Plans for the alumni building al
Nashville will be discussed az the
Auaus; rs and II meetings OF The
Meharry Alumni association The
sessions will be JOIN, conferences
OF medics and dentists and the
meeting will follow the National
Med cal association held a; S; LOUIS
while the other will take the form
OF banquet at Cleveland. during
the National Dental ASSOCIATION
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-08-12

effort and is treasured reputation
for tolerance and fair dealing.
through the !nexcusable strike.
On The other hand none but the
highest praise should 60 TO ne city 5
police. who have kept violence
s:ernly n check. and 10 the thou.
sands OF unselash motorists who
helped transport stranded workers.
II the Army takes over is Job
Will be 10 get the cars and buses
running. I. should have the imme-
dia;e. full cooperation OF every
body, including the strikers.
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-08-12
SETBACK IN PHILADELPHIA
BY NEW YORK TIMES

the WLB nor any other Federal
agency would have ordered the
Philadelphia Transportation COM
pany 70 give new employees o.
newly promoted employees senior.
lily over old employees or over for
mer employees now in the armed
services II is apparent that the
basic issue was not seniority but
color. And in opportunities for
JOBS which they are qualified 70 Al.
Il is the public policy Of the United
States 10 put Negroes and white
men on the same footing.
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-08-12

T,HE strike Of transportation employees In
u Philadelphia against upgrading colored work
to operate street cars is still On at the time this
Is written. This strike is another of those which
focuses public attention the rrationality of col
or prejudice Here Is another case of white work
Evening star., 1944-06-16
plea 10 Dismiss Suit
.Bv Ward Is Denied

In a rehearing yesterday asked
by the Government in the light of
the recent United States Court of
Appeals ruling that a War Labor
Board directive was not subject to
court review, Justice T. Alan Colds
borough of District Court again re-
fused to dismiss suit aginst the
WLB.
The case was that of Montgomery
Ward & Co. in which the firm seeks
an injunction and declaratory judg-
ment to prevent enforcement of any
penalty because of the firms failure
to obey WLB directive.
The directive concerns union
maintenance, check off and arbitra-
ton of grievances with its employees,
members of the CIO. at its four
stores in Detroit, one in Denver and
one in Jamaica, N. Y.
On March IA, Justice Colds
borough refused Government mo-
ton to dismiss and again yesterday,
after hearing arguments by opposing
counsel, he said his ruling still
stands.
The case was left open after
Stuart S. Ball, counsel for Mont
gomery Ward, had contended that
the WLB exceeded its legislative
authority in issuing the directive.
Justice Goldsborough, in turn, in
denying the Government motion to
Evening star., 1944-06-16
|WLB Orders Petrino
To Lift Record Ban;;
Union Head Defiant

BY the Associated Press.
James C. Petrillos American Fed
Grafton of Musicians was ordered by
the War Labor Board yesterday to
call off the record making ban i'm
posed nearly two years ago, with
assurance that royalty payments
would be made on the records.
The WLBs order, however, does
not necessarily provide that these
payments will be made to the union,
as Mr.. Petrillo had demanded. His
proposal was to provide a fund for
unemployed musicians. The order
sets up a fund. but the method OF
distributing the fund will be deter
mined by a board of arbitration,
unless the union and the record
makers themselves can agree on
method. The WLB will determine
the amount of payments, unless the
two parties can agree within Is
days.
| In Chicago, Mr.. Petrillo chal-
Ienged the WLB's jurisdiction over
the dispute, and said his men would
not work without contract for
royalties.
The decision directly affects Vic
tor, Columbia and the transcription
division of the National Broadcast
ing Co.
The union ordered its members
not to perform for recordings, ef-
fective on August /, 1912. Since
that time, the union reached
agreements on royalties with about
80 record and transcription COM
panies, including Decca. 1t is un-
derstood that none of these COM
panies will suffer competitive dis
advantage as a result of any de-
cisions by the WLB or by the ar
bitration board affecting Victor,
Columbia and NBC.
Labor members of the WLB, ap-
parently not regarding yesterdays
decision as total victory, dissented.
The vote was to 4, with the public
and industry members in the ma
iOritV
Evening star., 1944-06-16
Mount Rainier Center
Will Open Tomorrow

representative Hays. Democrat, of
Arkansas will be the principal
speaker at 2 pm. Sunday at the
opening of the Mount Rainier Play
ground Center at the old Hunter
man field on Thirty-fourth street,
Cecil Coffman. chairman of the
program, said today.
Other speakers will include Mayor
Floyd B. Matthias, Gardner Shugart,
superintendent Of Prince Georges
County schools, and Judge Walter L.
Green of the Prince Georges County
Trial Magistrates Court at Hyatts-
vile.
An athletic program, arranged for
Evening star., 1944-06-16

dismiss, indicated that the case
would be subject to review to de-
termine whether the contentious of
the firm are correct.
Both Mr.. Ball and Attorney Henry
F. Butler point out that the Court of
Appeals ruling that WLB orders
were not subject to court review,
which was made on June 2 in the
Employers Group of Motor Freight
Carriers Inc, was on a directive
prior to the effective date of the
War Labor Disputes Act. while the
Montgomery Ward case is based on
a directive pursuant to the act.
Evening star., 1944-06-16

Goebbels called our Flying For
tresses Flying Coffins." We need
more of them over Germany. Let's
all back the attack: Buy more
War Bonds.
Evening star., 1944-06-16

Buy War Bonds to have and
to hold.
Evening star., 1944-06-16

the playground opening, will feature
two softball games and q series OF
boxing matches.
The sub., 1944-04-27
Brass Foundry by Ray Stewart

Did you hear about Clarence Hammond in Montgomery Wards the other day2 He spotted clerk arranging paiamas on the counter.
 Whats thoSe?" asked Clarence.
 ''PajamaS!" answered the clerk.
 ''Pajanas!" echoed Clarence. 'What are they for?"
 The clerk answered, Why, you wear them nights: want to buy 8 pair?
 'Nothin' doing," said Clarence T don't go no place mites but to bed"
 Austin Buddy says he likes the shy, demure type of girl. The kind you have to whistle at twice.
 Chet says he doesn't need any help to cash his checks. He's got his own bank.
 By the way Chet. you needn't look 90 unhappy-yOu said your self that she'd be back.
 Some of the boys went to New Haven for their physlcalS and were put in IA. Next day they were given deferments which they didn't want (not much).
 Say Clint. why do they call you "Flattop"7
 Suppose by the time this edition is out the new fires will have turned out quite a bit of metal. I hear they intend to move the time keepers office nearer the core room. Wonder why? We'll miss
The sub., 1944-04-27

Eddie Bowling, master of cere- monies.
 Hall l.. Hubbard, vice president and chief engineer of Lockheed Aircraft and designer of the P-38 and mammoth Constellation, will be heard on the initial broadcast to be picked up here on May 7th. He will tell in dramatic form the colorful story which lies ahead for aviation. From New York guest stars of the armed forces will be heard, along with music from the orchestra directed by Dave Men doZa.
 Colonel Boots, whose Boots Air craft Nut Corporation sponsors the wide Horizons" series, is a grad uate of West Point. graduate of the Army Air Force Engineering School, organizer of the first aerial gunnery school in the United States, was member of the orig inal band of forty fiers when World War I started and served as Commandant of Selfridge Field during that war.
The sub., 1944-04-27
Aircraft Employees To Broadcast Over Mutual On May 2

Colonel N. Jay Boots tranScon- tinental radio show. Wide Hori- zons." heard locally over KHJ, Mutual Don Lee, 100 to 1:SO D. m. each Sunday, will have ten min uteS of its broadcast picked up in Los Angeles beginning on May 7th in order that the chief executives of Lockheed, Consolidated, Douglas and North American Aircraft Com panies may appear as guest speak CTS.
 Tn addition to the aviation execu- tives, talent from among the air craft employees will have fea- tured spot under the direction of
The sub., 1944-04-27

| DtIS tAhOA S0A NSs
 Lillian says she doesn't want to be called Lilly" because lilies remind her of something long, cold, and white and she says she's far from being dead
 We'll, now that the rest of the yard Is going to have every Satur- day afternoon off, why. ohl why can't we have a little time off? (Maybe we will be the time this Is printed. I hope, I hope)
 Everyone is certainly glad to see Dick back with us. Welcome. Dick!
 Has anyone seen Bunk Browns disappearing metal2 He poured a job the other day and when he came back to look at it the metal had vanished. No runout either)
 Red Farinka really got into the service. Good luck, Red.
 You know, there's quite a few of the old gang gone. Walt Jackson's in the navy, ditto: N. Crowley. Bill Scheaffer, George James, Farm ham. Remember: Bill Huntington, Jack Blair, Leary. Oliver, Jerry Cataldi, Johnson, J, Ernst. F. Stuart, s. Sales, M McGrath, Yeating. they made up quite gangl
 It must be spring at 1aSt-Jimmy Creak has shed his sheepskin coat.
 Say Nanny. that 9O-day reprievs Is drawing to a close.
 Those who want to buy tickets to Rose Fitch's seagull supper see Russ Aldrich. Russ says the tickets aren't selling so good right at present but he's going to bring in stewed seagull for us to sample.
 I notice Olsen roaming around the shop whistling like canary. What's the dope, Norun7
 Alice Cornell says she can't see any point to coremaking. After they're made the molders take them and put them in big block of sand and pour metal all over
The sub., 1944-04-27
THIS AID CONTRIBUTED BY THE SUB STAFF

paper the other nite where they do have to go.
 They don't know whether they are coming or going they try to make plans accordingly but they find 1t practically impossible to do so. Why can't the government make that trip to New Haven final one way or other the? I was taike ing to a man recently and he was told he'd have to go into the army: he sold Aourishing business and then was told that because of his age he might not go. His business is gone and nell have nothing. I don't think that's right.
 What do you mean. a tight skirte
 Give her the benefit of doubt.
 Maybe she doesn't even touch the stuff
The sub., 1944-04-27

VlOOIAOVOItOuo1 Au SOy0
 After that bout between Joe and Byron the other day, Dave Duncan Is trying to get match for them on one of Mundelps promotions be careful of McGee, Dave, 1 think he's training on the side.
 Dolores says the men out in the yard are much nicer than the men in the foundry. Out there they whistle at you twice. We'll, Dolores. we don't want to get our ears pinned back.
 Say w. Ricci where did you get that pre- induction limp?
 We'll, as "Off the Record Nanny Rose" would say, "Unquote." See you later.
 Note to the Editor:
 Some of the fellows are com plaining that they don't get The Sub. Some of them go out the main gate at 4:4S p. m. Hope this can be taken care of.
 Ed. Note. We will certainly try to remedy thlS.
 The boys that went to New Ha- ven for physicals were told they would be taken into the service. When they came back to work they were told that they would not have to go. Then I saw in the
The sub., 1944-04-27

them and they get burned. Then she has to make new ones again.
 Monotonous, I'd say.)
The sub., 1944-04-27

the girls going through the shop to ring their cards.
The sub., 1944-04-27

Lillian says she doesn't want to be called Lily because lilies remind her of something long, cold, and white and she says she's far from being dead