St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1944-03-10
WASHINGTON, D. C. (ANPA)

WASHINGTON, D. C. (ANPA)
"A hostile Smith Committee, made
more so by the testimony of a gov
eminent official the day before to
the effect that he believes in social
equality, dipped it's smearing hands
into the FEPC-Railroad controver-
sy last week, and heard Sydney AL
derman, counsel for the Southeast
ern Railroads, express the belief
that President Roosevelt entertains
doubts as to the practicability or
effect of FEPC directives. Alder
man said this belief on his part was
due to the fact the President did
not call upon the railroads to COM
ply Immediately, or take any legal
steps to enforce the directives, but
instead appointed the Stacy COM
mittee to "study the impasse."
The belief in social equality was
expressed by Craig Vincent of the
War Shipping Administration,
charged with providing crewmen
for the merchant marine, and who
insists on sending men to the ships
in the order of their applications,
without regard to race, creed or
color. This statement by Vincent
was described by Chairman Howard
Smith CD of Virginia, as a public
scandal, warranting dismissal from
government employment. Vincent
is white.
With this craw in their threats,
the Smith committee took up con-
sideration of the railroads COM
plants against FEPC the next day.
Alderman took full advantage of
the mood of the committee and
pointed out the many evils he saw
in hiring Negroes on the railroads
in positions they had never held
before. He put special emphasis
on the fact that to make a Negro
an engineer or conductor would put
him in charge of white workers.
Charles H. Houston, represent
ing the Association of Railway En-
ployees and the International As
ISOLATION of Colored Railway Train
men and Enginemen, testified be-
fore the committee that the direc-
tives being attacked by the rail-
roads are, in view of the nature of
the FEPC set-up, nothing more
than recommendations.
He told the committee that "if
you permit the authority of the
United States to be fouted and
say you will not permit employment
to citizens of the United States
then you are digging the grave for
thousands in the next generation"
The real function of the FEPC,
Houston declared, is to bring the
problem of racial discrimination to
the attention of the public. "Like
slavery" he said, at is a problem
that must be faced sooner or later,
and isn't going to be put off"
Chairman Smith suggested that
if the unions really wanted to elm
mate improper conditions they
ought to do something about the
Negro employees they represent but
don't permit to belong to the unions.
He said that doesn't square with
our American way of life"
He was quick to add, however,
that he was not talking about race
equality" because 81 come from a
part of the country where they
don't believe in it."
Reps. Clare Hoffman (R) of
Michigan, Jennings (D) of Tennes-
see, and Peterson CD of Georgia,
sat through long day listening to
Alderman and Frank Mulholland,
counsel for the railroad brother
hoods, attack the FEPC; but began
to leave when Houston began to
speak for the Negro unions and on
behalf of the FEPC.
In the meantime, the attitudes
expressed by Alderman for the rail-
roads and Mulholland for the
brotherhoods has raised consider
able speculation concerning the
statement made early last week by
Judge Walter P. Stacy, chairman
of a special railroad employment
committee appointed by President
Roosevelt to "study" the impasse
between the FEPC and the rail-
roads. Judge Stacy had said: "The
course being pursued after three
days of conferences and discussions
in Washington this week has the ap-
proval of the railroads, the unions
and the chairman and counsel of
the FEPC."
He declared further that "the
committee is of the opinion that
progress has been made up to the