The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-10-28
UN-C0vERING
WASHINGTON

white House Correspondent
(Refeased Through the Atlanta
Daily world by NNPA)


Perhaps this will make interest.
ing reading-maybe IL won't. In
one way of looking at it, II Is
personal matter-the fact that re-
Gently !. as a newspaper CORES
pendent. have been the center of q
storm Of protest and considerable
furore. From another view, how
ever, II Is the public's business be-
cause what write, or any other
correspondent, becomes public
property--and the public has q
right to know the attitude and re-
liability OF the persons who feed
them information
The story I wrote three weeks
ago criticizing the FEPC chairman,
Malcolm Ross. has aroused official
resentment in the FEPC. I have
been accused OF deliberately snip
ing at Mike-who as an individual
Is a fine fellow that like very
mudl. But as a self-assumed ex-
pert on Negro affairs, he needs TO
be debated lest he become danger.
Gus TO our general welfare.
A protest was sent my employ.
ers, by direction of the FEPC com.
mittee, saying the article about
Mike was full Of inaccuracies,
though not saying what was untrue
in II. still maintain II was true.
and have written the committee
asking the chairman and the MEM
bers to point out the alleged mac
curacies to me. I shall be anxious,
OF course. to retract and to throw
away further information haven't
used yet IL they can prove / was
wrong. l took pains, however. to
be sure before wrote the article.
The FIJI. the White House and
others have been asked 10 help stop
the leaks" through which got my
information. That's practically q
confession. because q dry pipe
doesn't leak.
Another storm was created when
/ revealed in this column two
weeks ago that Lieut.. Gen. Brehon
Somervell. chief Of the Army
Service Forces. had said In q
meeting regarding disposition of re-
turning battle-weary. Negro sol-
diers, I'D like to dump the coons
in the middle Of the desert"
Indirectly. I have learned that
the General claims he said no such
thing More directly. however,
have been further convinced that
he did. His previous record on the
Negro question Is not conducive TO
any belief that he would be above
saying such a thing-nor would the
manner in which he baked at the
Presidents orders that a new Re-
distribution Center plan be worked
out minus the jimcrow proposals.
Nevertheless, l have asked. in.
directly, that the General be in
formed that / will be happy TO cor.
rect the statement attributed to him
IL he will tell me what ne did say.
confess ! may have left out an
adjective OF emphasis just In front
OF the word "coons."
And to top all this. have been
accused of being politically parti.
san to the Democrats and ,politi-
cally partisan to the Republicans.
Democrats tell me | am hurting
Roosevelt by exposing Army i'm.
crow and administrative ineffi-
ciencies. Republicans say my
stories "ooze" with New Deal fla
vor. and that I wrote a preponder.
ance Of New Deal news.
Personally, / am partial to Roose.
Welt That of course, is my perog.
alive. No man or group OF men
may take from me the right 10 my
own political choice in the light Of
what ! think best for the world,
the nation and for the Negro. But
in my work. representing both Re-
publican and Democratic papers,
submerge my personal preference
and try TO report the news as IL
comes or is uncovered by me re-
gardless Of where the chips may
fall
In The same way. ! drop too. the
personal admiration, animosity and
even friendship may have for
men and women In public office
when their activities. attitudes and
administration are not In the best
interest Of the general welfare 40
| see IL. believe. in such cases,
they should be held UP TO public
light In their true colors When
they deserve pat on the back, !
think they should have that too.
In no other way could ! justify
70 myself remaining In the news
nw-see McALPIN. Page I