davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-05-27
THE WATCHTOWER By ROY WILKINS

about the Constitution They did the same thing
in the anti-lynching bill fights. For the govern
ment 10 step in and stop a mob from roasting a
human being alive was unconstitutional; for the
government 10 that an American citizen has
free access TO the ballot box is unconstitutional
No sir
We shall Of course. continue to fight against the
poll tax and for federal action. And while we
are letting education catch up, take, in
some instances, positive and punitive political
ton. There are Republican and Democratic sem
aters who voted against cloture and thus helped
10 kill the bill who hail from states where Negro
and labor votes are important We do some
thing about Buck OF Delaware and Hawkes. of New
Jersey. We can't do much about Maine, New
Hampshire and Vermont, nor yet the Dakotas and
Montana Among the Democrats do some
thing about Gerry of Rhode Island. Gillette Of
Iowa, Chandler Of Kentucky. Radcliffe and Tydngs
Of Maryland, and Walsh of New Jersey.
The Republicans played the same game they
have been playing for the past two years-working
hand IN hand with the Negro haterS of the South
The Chicago Defender special correspondent says
Wallace White of Maine, Minority (Republican)
Leader, fought hand in hand With Bbo of Miss
iSSlppi and Connally of Texas to defeat cloturc"
Negroes should remember the Republicans at the
polls next November. No man party that plays
with Bilbo deserves Negro support,
In this headchopping business (Which is the only
business politicians understand Negro voters
should join hands with powerful labor groups
which already have defeated Joe StarneS and
scared Dies into a hospital and private life To-
gether with labor Negroes can gather some COP
ScalpS next fall. They may keep Dewey out Of
the White House, who knows?
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-05-27
BOSTON MODS A BOOK

jected 10 is an honest, decent, or
artistic treatment OF sex Boston is
town where strip-teasers flourish
but the ballet must wear tights,
where sexual and homo-sexual
humor in night clubs is immune
from prosecution provided only that
it is kept vulgar enough. but three
frank lines will get novel lynched
provided that ii is a decent and
serious novel. Burlesque shows do
rousing business and We are the
best town on the road for revues,
bat Strange Interlude" cannot play
here at all. You may freely patron
ize any kind Of pornography in Bos-
ton. but the local standards Of taste
and morality, which the booksellers
committee accurately translates, will
see to it that you cannot buy dis
tinguished books which treat sex
seriously. The much-repeated allie
cation that we are over-squeamish
about indecency is bile: We object
only 10 decency.
This sort Of suppression Is routine
in Boston, il happens every once In
a while, and you are forced 10 make
two observations about it. The sup
preston is not even legal, and il is
done with complete public assent -
with only the most scattered and
perfunctory protest. Not only a
backward culture, you may think.
but something else as we'll. For in
this comfortable acceptance OF the
intolerable, beginning moreover in
the area Of civil rights where early
decay is always significant. you
catch a Whit Of something sick and
dangerous.
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-05-27


The discriminaive barriers against women have
gradually been disappearing 1t has been long
struggle, going back to Mary Wostonecraft in
England and Susan B. Anthony in our own coun-
try. Their fight for equality is still on The rights
of women to vote and to hold property in their own
names are, you know, rights only recently
achieved. A hundred years ago women were
curosties in institutions of higher education. In
fact, most colleges and universities denied them
Rdmittance. In like manner, most occupations were
closed to women-eXccpt homemaking and mental
work. For woman TO hold political Office was
impossible.
Women have now. however, found new places
end increased status. They work in all walks of
life They hold political office in national gov
eminent. The Chairman of the House Committee
on Labor which just voted for public hearings
a bill to- create a permanent FEPC is a woman
Representative Mary Norton. Women are going
places, though the old attitudes and preju-
dces still linger on in the minds of some people,
including Hitler, who insists that womenS place is
in the home.
There is striking parallel in the reasons" adj
vanced for keeping women in their place and
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-05-27
JEWS AND NEGROES

their social relations their ancestors did in 1900
That is why Passover is such glorious express
sion OF Jewish religious ideasm Ii expresses the
its stuff consists of the Jewish striving toward that
goal by extension really refers 10 the Liberation
of all mankind from the letters of economic, poll
teal. intellectual and social slavery
great word was written by q columnisf in the
Cleveland Press who commented upon the B'nai
Birth tribute TO L. Brooks. the Negro hero of
Cleveland: Brooks died defending the liberty
which he never allowed 10 experience but
which his race must eventually be granted if
America is 10 prove herself faithful &c her dem
oeraiic and religious professions"
II is unfortunately true that most Negroes are
thwarted. and denied in actually the freedom and
justice which is granted 10 them the law books.
In this country. Jews with all their problems are
more fortunate. But so long as Negroes fail TO
achieve complete liberation so long will Jews
suffer discrimination. and long as that is true
every other segment of the American people faces
threat TO its liberties. For liberty is as indivsible
today il was in Lincons time. and no nation
can long endure half slave and half free.
Either we mean human freedom when we utter
the phrase. else are hypocrtes And if we
mean IT. we mean il not for ProtcStants only, or
whites only, of nativc-born only - but for all
humans.
Passover stands for human freedom the noblcst
ideal conceived by the amazing mind of man. In
celebrating II reafirm one of the greatest
Jewish contributions TO civilization.
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-05-27

IAN Editorial From The National Jewish Monthly
A misguided reader from the deep South has
written IN to protest against B'nai Births Sympa-
thetic action in behalf Of Negroes as reflected III
the pages Of this magazine. Bnai Birth lodges
have furnished more than dozen Army day rooms
for Negro troops; in Cleveland the lodges commits
stoned Negro artist 10 paint portrait of the
ctys first Negro pilot to be killed IN action; IN
Cheyenne Wyo, the lodge presented Negro mill
tiry unit with American and regimcntal flags, etc.
etc.
we Jews complains our correspondent, have
enough problems of our own to solve, without help
ing Negroes TO solve theirs
Fortunately this individual reaction is not char
acterstic of the masses of Bnai Birth member
ship either in the North the South. The cold
truth is that there is such thing as Jewish
problem in a vacuum 1, is merely part of much
larger issue tho social problem. And although
we must fight anti ScmitiSm every time II lifts It's
ugly head neither the jewish the Negro, The labor,
the foreign born. any other of the problems
which have long been agitating us can be finally
and fundamentally solved until the social problem
is solved And central To the social problem is the
matter of human freedom: freedom from want,
freedom from fear, freedom from ignorance and
superstition.
Ceologcally or even historically, VIC are not far
removed from the fogS OF dark reaction and cruelty
that characterized the Middle Ages WiSpS of them
still float in modern air, obscurinG the sun OF truth
and Justice that is trying to shine upon all. Mil
lions of people today think very much the same, In
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-05-27
FOOD FOR THOT

Clifton's. . Los Angeles restau-
rant. publishes Food for Thot. \
weekly bulletin Of jokes, poems. and
bits Of homely philosophy. In q
recent issue Is q letter from a guest:
Il have always liked Clifton's
but yesterday. while having lunch.
two Negroes came and sat At my
table. After that the food tasted
like sawdust. I like the Negro peo-
pie but I refuse TO eat or sleep with
them. will hereafter 20 to
Schaber's. where they do not have
Watch out. Ciifton's." the man
agement replied: Frankly, we
know O: only one line Of conduct
consistent with out conscience and
obligation as a citizen. II is our
duty 10 serve all who enter our
doors. II the ruin 30 often pre-
dicted II around the corner. then
We prefer TO be ruined
The Nation
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-05-27

poll tax statcs have CurTTC to learn how much
these incompctcntS have to do with matters that
affect the entire United States.
Voters in Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, New York
and California now know that pompous ignora-
mus like Martin Dies poke HIS nose into their
affairs simply because Negroes and poor whites
are barred from the vote. Congressman Hatton W.
Summers of Texas can strut around as chairman OF
the powerful House Judiciary committee and can
block bills in committee that affect the welfare OF
eastern northern and western states just because
poor whites and Negroes cannot vote IN his dis
tIict.
Tragic but really very funny aspect Of the
fight were the loud speeches Of the Dixie dlchards
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-05-27
Legislature. including one which
had already passed the Assembly
e i'm l n ating gerrymandered Jim
Crow school districts

But The trick fooled no one. II led
20 the resi- gnat.on OF eight members
OF the com ittee he had appointed
II started an cutlery in the nations
Negro press which may cost him a
large part Of the Negro vote
! am 70, saying that Dewey is
for discrimination against minori-
lies. that he is anti-Negro or anti
Semitic except as his inaction has
that practical effect. The key 10 his
character is that he has no scruples
when his personal political az
grandizement is involved. II anti
discrimination legislation could have
been enacted quietly. without fuss
without dangerous effect on white
Southern delegates to the Republi-
can national convention who are
supporting him for the nomination
- the bills would have passed. But
caution and political careering -
Dewey's categorical imperatives -
came first.
To create the picture Of himself
as the great administrator" Dewey
talks much about sound govern
mert, efficiency. respect for home
rule, and elimination Of bureau
crazy. Yet. his two years in Office
are not without violation Of these
very precepts.
The boy from Owosso. Mich.
descendant OF another Thomas E.
Dewey who came 10 this country
from England in 1884. is still a
Small-;oWner trying 20 overcome his
awkwardnesS. In 1912, al a private
dinner in New York attended by
labor leaders, he tried 70 impress
his companions by telling about his
lmpor;an; new friends - Robert r.
McCorm!c, Herbert Hoover. Eleanor
Patterson. He was utterly insensi-
tive TO the hostile atmosphere.
He told dinner companion. who
casually asked him tor conVersa-
tons sake whether he had read
recent best-seller. that he had iust
read 30-page summary Of the
work He said he had hired nan
20 draw up some d. gests Of I'M
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-05-27
HAS MASTERED NO
COMMENT" TECHNIQUE

There have been many unSuccess-
ful attempts at press conferences to
draw from Dewey his views on do
nestle and international affairs. He
has mastered the no comment
technique plus a seemingly frank
of the record patter which has
protected him. more than anything
else. from criticism.
HIS on the record talk Is HARM
less. meaningless and patiently the
result OF great deliberations. He is
a specialist in lashing out vigorous
ly az an evil - closing Of Jewish
!mmi grafton by the British into Pal
eStne - and ending lamely with IA
way must be found"
He decries State Department
mystery but he has never specified
his own foreign policy. He accuses
the Roosevelt administration OF
broken covenants. disloyalty TO the
Constitution, abuse OF power, in
timidaton. coercion. extortion and
larceny, all committed against the
| underprivileged and the helpless un
employed" - but he does not docu
ment his indictments, nor say wha
he would do instead.
For a time. Dewey was Compare.
lively talkative. II was on January
10. 1871. that he joined with the
isolationists - America Firsters and
Communists alike 10 utter his
dehni;ive judgment on the Lend
Lease bill:
The Presidents so-called defense
bill would bring an end 10 free gov
eminent in the United States and
abolish Congress for all practical
purposes A month later. he quietly
and g!ngerly came out for the bills
passage.
But for the past two years. Dew
eys public utterances make Calvin
Coolidge seem like a chatterbox. In
April. 1912. when the Republican
National Committee met 10 draft a
platform for the Congressional cam
paigr, Dewey delivered this MASTER
piece Of flumnery:
Il have no interest IN the spon-
sorship o. resolutions or their form.
| do earnestly urge you 10 assist in
bringing unity in support Of an
American doctrine FOR victory and
for maintaining the peace there
after
Dewey's rise IS tribute 20 the
diaoolic efficiency OF the press. mag
azines and radio. which transformed
a little man who wasn't and still
'Sn't there into a statesman Of vast
stature.
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-05-27
PAUL robson, JR.

SPORTS WRITER'S should take ook-see into the actiy-
tiles OF Paul Robson Jr the Spring.
field Tech high Springfield Mass this young chalk
ing up terrific record athlete Track football SWIM
ming Jr takes all OF them in stride. Like Pop like
and he's husky sxfooter who tips the scales the
lSOpound mark. He's already started studying for career
in aeronautics and will be ready for solo flight
to college coaches Paus cycling NIT tget excited
boys. Incidentally Paul Jr the birthday party
given In his fathers honor at the Armoy Sunday night Hs
dad wants him TO be just ordinary cean-cut American
youth and not bedaZzed by all the glamour and tnseirm
mings most stars surrounded with NJ
Peoples Voice
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-05-27

Shoo. shoo, Lena, he sad softly
Take i easy. shoe. shoe"
He began 20 kid the line along
He elaborated on he theme or. in
his own words. he gave il a push
on az old jazz riff
Shoe. shoo. Lena" he charted.
Shoe. shoe, eyery;hing'S gong 20
De all right"
II worked. Lena's mood fell away
She gave a chuckle.
Moore didn't know !: then. but a
sorg had been born. For days after
Nard he KEEP, humming ard singing
the line 10 himself Soon he was
throwing in words. keeping il caSusl
and teasing. One nj sht he played Il
out on the piano For trumpete-
Harry James, improvising as he
vent along.
George G BIOS, trying 10 get some
neN songs together. had Moore -
who hates song writer's work
out some orcheStration for the band.
Then the tune that had started as an
anodyre suddenly bloSSomed into a
World War III song. Before i, had
been written down on lead sheet. =
as the musicians cali the first sketch
o! melody line. il was being sung
m night clubs and theatres: Shoe.
shoe. Shoe Baby Your Papa 5
of 20 the Seven Seas. Don't cry.
Baby When ! come back we'll
1--we LIE Of ease II has sold over
300 900 copies and been admitted 10
Tin Pan Alley big time seventeen
weeks OF the Hit Parade.
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-05-27

ion. 1t was easy enough TO predict
that this novel. Miss Lillian Smiths
Strange Fruit" would be sup
pressed by a culturally backward
society, illegally but with complete
social assent, in the distorted vio-
lence and prejudice which animate
such a society. And that in fact
has occurred.
1t has not occurred. however. ex-
actly as predicted. Strange Fruit"
is being sold freely in, for example.
Atlanta and Birmingham. as freely
as in more advanced cultures like
Oshkosh. Davenport, and Three
Rivers. II is being discussed intelli-
gently. temperetely. and frequently
With high praise in the Southern
press which We have learned TO re-
gard as one of the most dangerous
bulwarks OF Southern prejudice.
The mobb!ng of Strange Fruit did
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-05-27

and modern governmental ac-
ton, the places" of both Me-
groes and women have been
changing in our society.
The hangover of the word
"obey" required of women in
marriage VOWS indicates pre-
vious slavery status and an in
ferior position on the part of
women in reference to men. In
Gil very recently women were
regarded as the property" of
their husbands. All manner of
determinations were directed
against them. There were polit-
ical, occupational, legal, social
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-05-27
HIS ADMINISTER
A MARITIME AFFAIR

AS a statesman. Dewey can be
judged only by his record as Gov
ernor Of New York since 1912
Against the background Of New
York States history Of pioneering
in SOFA, legislation under outStand-
ms Democrats and Republican Gov
errors, Dewey'S administration has
been maritime affair The record
q his Office is devoid Of pro greSSive
legislation that viii leave It's mark
on the State in the years 90 come.
Dewey's most Obvious - aBd most
damning jos II puSSyfoo; in
the past Les Slative session con-
cerned two bills which. Il passed.
would have strengthened laws deal
ing with discrimination against
minority groups. These bills were
unanimously sponsored by The State
Committee on Discr mlnation IN En-
ployment. headed Ivy Or. ALVIN
Johnson. director II the New School
for Social Research. Dewey himself
had appointed this committee
The measures were inu Jduced re-
luciantly by a Republican leader
toward the close OF the SeSS on
When Dewey was asked about them
at a press conference. ne begged of
hy saying he never told the legiSla-
,ure what 20 do, which Is, OF course.
untrue since no Republican leader
would dare move without a green
light from the second floor" the
floor IN the State Capitol where
DguaN'S OtHNa - located
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-05-27


Viewed from this angle, the
defeat of the bill IN the Senate
through failure to vote for clo-
turc, should not weigh too
heavily on the hearts Of those
who fought for the measure.
Through this farce in the Sem
etc. millions of persons were
educated on the poll tax and
on our legislative processes.
More people have found out
about how the poll tax system
keeps legislators like Bilbo,
Rankin, Gorge, Connally,
"Cotton Ed" Smith and others
in Office. Millions OF people
who do not live in the eight
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-05-27
RUGGED annie

Little Orphan Annie Is probably
embarrassing her patrons too. Al
ways on the side Of slightly ragged
but very rugged individualism. she
has stepped once again where the
NAM officially fears TO tread. She
ha.. taken a job. but without wages.
Annie IL now an independent con-
tractor! (Ancient device for eyad-
ing labor hws.l
Ammunition
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-05-27

And we didn't think they ought
to-" the first boy said.
I'VE didn't figure il was demo-
cratic said the other.
AID we thought we could write
out sign. see. and stick up copy
in all the rooms, saying, Don't call
names on our Fairgrounds And
maybe the kids would pay some at
tention TO il. We thought maybe
you'd Tx it up with the teachers"
The principal would and did. The
sign undoubtedly had its effect for
| the time being. The point il, how
ever, that the incident did not just
happen. For the last ten years this
New England city has been quietly
teaching its children ways Of under
standing and neighborliness.
Springfield. a city OF 10000. Is
typically American. About forty
per cent of its population is Yankee
Protestant stock. Large groups are
of Irish. French, Canadian. Italian,
and Polish extraction: there are
smaller minorities Of Greeks, Ar
menians and Germans: some eight
thousand Of the Jewish faith and
thirty-five hundred Negroes The
children attend thirty-nine public
schools.
II 1899 Professor Clyde Miller of
Teachers college. Columbia, sug-
gested 20 DR.. Granrud that he fur
ther strengthen the program of un-
Outstanding already in effect. DR..
Grsnrud proceeded 10 appoint a
nine-member committee from his
school system. headed by Dr. Alb
oott Kaplan. now in the navy. who
was then director OF the Bureau of
Adult Education. The committee
worked out details OF what has since
become known as the Springfield
plan-though in Springfield itself.
found. they shy away from the
title AS one teacher said: We've
been doing things this way for years
and years. but We never knew il
was plan til We read about it in
the papers
Said another teacher: 1T isn't a
plan al all It's state OF mind
To me. that Is the essence Of the
Springfield plan. Tolerance Is not
something 10 be superimpOsed on
boys or girls as they approach adult
hood. The problem Is to keep them
the way they are as children. before
they acquire rejudices and hatred
from adults who already have been
thoroughly poisoned by them.
x X *
Nevertheless when Dr. Granrud
decided recently 10 appoint an able
colored woman as teacher Of
mathematics in a junior high school. /
there was some speculation about
wha: would happen. One small !
scale movement OF protest died
aborning. On the whole. what did
and did not happen is perfectly sum
med Up in the story OF the mother
who visited the school 10 have talk
with her sons teachers abou; his
progress. She was bowled over. 10
pu; i mildly. when she discovered
that one OF them was colored. Her
boy had simply never taken the
trouble 10 mention il. After think
ing II over she decided 10 follow
his example.
Other cities are preparing ~
adapt the Springfield methods 20
their own problems Pittsburgh has
already done SO Educators from
Trenton. from Providence. from half
a dozen towns in Massachusetts
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-05-27
barrow And Client

From Irving Stones Clarence
barrow for the Defense" there Is
the classic story 81 Darrow's inter-
view with . prospective client. A
good looking young man came into
the lawyers ONCE and asked OAR
row TO defend him against . charge
Of robbery. When the subject Of .
fee came up the young man said: Il
can get some Of the money for ysu
tonight" "No-o-o." murmured the
attorney I'm his sorrowful voice, Il
don't care to accept money that has
been stolen-s0 recently"
- Chicago Tribune
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-05-27

The Texas State Guard is being
trained in the handling Of riots and
the protection OF vital industries. :"
The program has tho backing OF
The Christian American Association
which has been active in pushing
anti-labor laws through state lcgiS-
latures. and whose leadership in
ciudeS men who have long dealt
in snti-SemitiSm. anti-Ca,holicism.
and anti-Ncgro activity
The Nation