Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1944-06-16

Washington
By Harry s. McAlpin
(White House Correspondents

sometime during the day of inva-
sion-"D" day-in Difference to the
history-making occasion of the
forces of liberation launching the
attack against the hordes serving
greed, racial supremacy and OPP
preston.
Schools suspended activities
while the occasion was observed in
silent prayer. Sports events
throughout the nation were can
celled or postponed. In many locali-
ties, the bars and grills were closed,
and no drinks were sold. Even
Reno's gambling clubs closed in
tribute.
Freedom, justice and democracy
were on the march! All else paused
to give the right of way.
Twelve thousand American work
ers at the Wright Aeronautical
corporation in Lockland, Ohio,
working on airplane engines for
the Navy, stopped too. But they
stopped for different reason.
They stopped work on the eve
of "D" day because seven Negroes
were transferred to lathe work
which was formerly handled exclu-
sively by white employees.
ITO hell with D. day. To hell
with beating Hitler and his racial
supremacy theories. We've got a
racial supremacy of our own to
maintain by keeping Negroes in
their places, even if they do want
to help win the war. So, while the
allies strike against occupied
France, we'll strike against the
Negroes"
That must have been the battle
cry and the prayer of those 10000
wildcat strikers. And they found
solid support in our own halls of
Congress.
Senators Russell of Georgia and
Tydings of Maryland spent the in
vasion eve castigating the Presi-
dents Committee on Fair Employ
ment Practice, during hearings in
the Senate Appropriations sub
committee, for having had a re-
mote and dubious hand in the set
Element of dispute over separate
toilets for white and Negro work
ers in the Point Breeze, Md, plant
of the Western Electric Company.
And on I'D" day itself, Reps.
Clare Hoffman (R. of Mich.) and
Fisher ID. of Tex launched their
"home-front battle" against the
idea of a permanent FEPC, on
which hearings are being held by
the House Labor Committee.
Hoffman wanted to know of Mrs.
Beulah Whitby, of Detroit, a wit
ness before the committee, why all
unemployed Negroes in Detroit
don't come up to his section of
Michigan and work in the fields
and the cannery factories. He
poked fun at Wayne University for
permitting a semblance of social
equality to exist at the institution,
though the only connection this
had with the hearings was that
Mrs. Whitby attended college there.
Fisher had a substitute propo-
sal. He wanted to know why the
Negro women who are seeking jobs
in war plants in Detroit don't take
domestic jobs as maids, since he
hears there is a distinct shortage
of maids in the area. He said he
felt FEPC is the worse thing that
could happen to America.
And while this sacrilege was 60
ing on, we newsmen waited with
baited breath for some visible evil
dence in the way Of pictures and
for some official word from our war
leaders concerning the participa-
ton of black Americans in the war
for freedom. We thought it would
be good for the Lockland strikers,
good for Russell and Tydings, good
for Hoffman and Fisher.
Our only record, however, de-
spite the valiant role the thousands
of Negroes must be playing in the
invasion, was one owl radio-pho-
to of naval gun crew, and squib
from a correspondent that 10 In
dams Che called them the Filthy
thirteen") had landed behind the
enemy lines as paratroopers. So far
as the American public knew from
the news stories, and so far as
some Congressman and some Lock-
land workers were concerned, the
war was being fought and won, as
they think it should be, by white
men alone.
I'D" day was dark-day for the
Negroes at home!
There is no use trying to pre-
tend sophistication I do not have.
True, since the thrill of my first
news conference with the Presi-
dent of the United States were off,
have felt at ease in his presence.
During these past four months, /
have been feeling my way, learning
the ropes, waiting for the oppor-
tune and propitious time to make
myself heard.
This silence on my part in the
conferences did not set me apart
as different. however. Thera ara