The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-02-05

tan could have made greater contribution to better
race relations in our city than did the wife of the
President of the United States last week Symbolic
ing in her own person goodwill and tolerance, Mrs
Roosevelt walked majesticaly into our municipal
mad-house and declared flatly without any double
talk that we Americans of all races must achieve
unity and that prejudices must be destroyed. her
Fortnight appeal based squarey our national in
terests was thrilling message for minority groups
and for people of goodwill in all groups.
In her address at the inter-racial rally at Ebe-
Meier church, Mrs. Roosevelt did not dwell on the
nebuous heights of some far-off Utopia toward
which we Americans might make our way IN the
uncertain future On the contrary, she painted
picture of grim reality and challenged us to do some
very specific things about it She cited discrm-
nation in the armed forces, the inadequacy of hous
ing the handicaps of racsm and declared that people
of goodwill of all groups must work together to elm
mate these factors which make for disunity, which
in turn threaten our war effort today and will surely
menace world peace tomorrow.
Her clear, simple, incontrovertible statements
rang out like church bell on quiet summers day,
ennoblng and significant. Hers was not partisan
voice nor was her message keyed for the applause OF
any one group alone. We Americans, all of Us, she
insisted must face our problems frankly and meet
our responsibilities in the best interest of our nation
and the peace of the entire world. We can make of
our society what we will and those who love democ-
racy were urged to get busy now
The throngs which applauded Mrs. Roosevelt
confirm our belief that there in the city OF De-
troit many citizens of goodwill IN all our various
groups who can work together to overcome the nol-
erance and dsunity with which we have been motor
! iousy plagued, They can check the rising tide OF
racism in Detroit and defeat the anti-democratic
olo how
won public acceptance in this war-torn period. The
people of il-will no matter how powerful they may
seem to be- whether in local government or in our
civilian life must be fought and routed for the good
of our own community and the nation at large.
People of goodwill in full cooperation with each
other can meet the challenges which the First Lady
described and bring order out of the confusion which
has crippled contribution to the war effort and
darkened the prospects of internal accord in the post
war period Fighting fascsm in Detroit should be-
come just as popular as fighting fascsm in Italy
and in the South Pacific. Those who engineer hate
strikes defy the constitutional rights of minorites
and propagate their prejudices agents of the
enemy and they must be crushed by the combined
might of all the forces in Detroit who sincerely be-
leve in democracy.
If by some magic the genius which Detroiters
have shown in the field of industry could be applied
directly to our social problems racial tensions would
shortly disappear What does it profit us to build
the machinery of civilization and neglect to solve
the problems that lead inevitably to anarchy at home
and wars abroad? We must begin to realize that
machines are made for men and not men for ma
chimes. Disunity and racism secret weapons of
the enemies of democracy and unless we counter
them, democracy will perish no matter how formid-
able our armament The First Lady came to town to
tell us to get going these social problems we have
neglected. How about it, Detroit?
WAD ATDOCVTJEC