The Omaha guide., 1944-01-08
DISILLUSIONED
Cby ERNEST E. JOHNSON

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8 amp =
An important, and one of the or.
liglnal, members of the so-caIled
-black cabinet is about TO resier
source is responsible for the ex-
kclusive information that Or. Rob
ert G. Weaver, chief Of the minor
titles section, War aMnpower com
mission, and a government en-
ploye for eight years, is quitting.
Almost a year ago to the day
Dean William H. aHstie, another
cabineteer of rank, resigned as civ
Hin aide to the secretary of war,
q development which provoked cor
siderable comment both in and out
Of government. HASTE was in
dignant over the treatment being
accorded Negroes in the armed
forces and specifically in the army
air force.
Friends of DR. Weaver represent
him as recognizing the hopeless
ness Of the federal approach" at
this time to the solution Of prob
lens affecting Negroes so long as
government is being cntroIIed by
those who comprise what Sen.
Guffey of Pa only recently des-
cribed as an ''unholy alliance.
The reference was to the coalition
of northern Republicans with the
southern bloc to thwart forward
looking legislation and to emascu-
late certain war agencies.
Weaver was a pioneer in the
field of training and employment
OF Negroes in industry. After
President Roosevelt appointed the
FEPC, differences of opinion re-
garding techniques and policies de-
veloped between Weaver and Law
renee Cramer. the then executive
scrtary of FEPC. Waiver had been
permitted to carry on the function
of training in those agencies which
preceded Manpower while FEPC
sought to break down the barriers.
When the committee underwent
its reorganization last June and
was taken from under the man
power wing, Weaver wanted to re-
sign but Paul V. McNutt, VINO
chairman, prevailed upon him to
stay on. He remained long enough
to assist in the drawing of the CO.
operating agreement between VIM
c and FEPC and to establish the
field offices for the minorities
group section with liaison 20 FE-
PC regional and national offices.
About four weeks ago Weaver re-
turned from this field trip and
commented for publication that
housing is the mo. l problem"
facing Negroes today. But he held
other views which he told this
correspondent, views of a social.
political and economic nature
which he could not at the moment
discuss publicly.
His observations were discourage
ing. While housing was possibly
the outstanding problem, he did not
feel that many agencies were will
ing to buck a southern-dominated
house appropriations committee
which continually has sought to
exert its influence over the expend
lures Of money at all levels Of
government Weaver intimates
confirm this as his attitude.
Currently the cabineteer has been
spending most of his time as a
member of a five-man committee
aking an overall approach to post
war manpower problems. Even in
the ost-war picture, his friends say
he has been unable to see anything
more than a bad situation"
DR.. Weaver entered government
in 1885 under aHrold Ickes, In
terror Secretary. One Of his earl
lest Jobs was the securing of a
fair share of public housing for
Negroes. 1t was Weaver who first
insisted with any degree Of success
upon the percentage formula for
Negro participation
Later when the United States
Housing Authority was established
through an act of congress, he
joined Nathan Straus in that agen-
cy. as racial relations advisor. For
three years. Rep. Joe Starnes Of
Alabama and chairman of the
house appropriations committee,
tried unsuccessfu1ly to find and get
Weaver off the payroll. A paper
which Weaver read before the 1899
convention of the National Negro
congress calling for integrated
housing for Negroes and whites
caused such a furore in congress
that ultimately an $500. 900. 900 ap-
preparation was held up and Stratus
was forced out because Of the rae