Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1944-10-14
Wilkes Death
Continued from page II

had cause to champion that was
worth championing, Wendell Will
kie laid both hands On the discri-
minatory policy of the United
States navy In March, 1912, at
Freedom House In New York. Cit
ing the heroism of messmer Dorie
Miller and the tremendous efforts
that had been made to have him
identified, Willkie declared:
There's one fact we know posi-
lively and exactly: he cannot en-
list in the United States navy and
only for the reason that he was
born with a blacl, skin. . Don't
you think that as American citi-
zens we should insist that our gov
eminent and navy department ELL
inmate the bar that prohibits any
American citizen from serving his
country" -
Later In 1912 the Saturday
Evening Post published an article
which brought the scorn Of Jewish
and other minority peoples down
upon them. To counterfeit the
Milton Mayer piece the magazine
invited Willkie to write 1.-THE Case
for the Minorities" In which he
outlined his philosophy in these
brilliant words:
RICH ASSETS OR NATION
For minorities are ricn assets
of a democracy, assets which no
totalitarian government can af-
ford. Dictatorships must, Of neces-
sity, fear and suppress them. But
within the tolerance of a democ-
racy, minorities are the constant
spring of new ideas, stimulating
new thought and action, the con.
slant source of new yigor.
ITO suppress minority thinking
and minority expression would
tend to freeze society and prevent
progress. For the majority itself
Is stimulated by the existence of
minority groups. The human mind
requires contrary expressions
against which to test ITSELF"
In this same article he referred
to the present period as one Of
witch hanging and mob batting.
and warned everyone to be on the
alert that he may not find himself
"the unconscious carrier, of the
germ that will destroy our free
dom" He concluded that I'VE must
keep In the forefront of our minds
the fact that whenever we take
away the liberties Of those We
hate, we are opening the way to
loss of liberty for those we love-"
FOR EQUAL RIGHTS
Accepting silver medal for his
promotion of better understanding
between Christians and Jews, In
1912. Willkio said: "No man has
the right in America to treat any
other man 'tolerantly,' for toler-
ance Is the assumption of super
iority. Our liberties are the equal
rights of every citizen"
Indicative of his interest in the
welfare of the under-dog Is the
occasion in November 1912 when
he pleaded the case of William
Schneidernan, Russian born sec
rotary of the Communist party OF
California, before the u. S. Sup
RENE court. The defendant had
had his naturalization papers re-
voked by a lower court decision be-
cause of his political afiliation.
Willkie had view also on CO.
lonial peoples and imperialism. Be-
fore an audience in the New York
Times Hall he made this state
ment: "This world is too small and
too tight place today for any
kind of imperialism whether it Is
national imperialism or the kind
of imperialism WE still practice in
side our own frontiers toward ra-
cial and economic groups. For
once you draw' the line which cuts
peoples into different categories,
into first-class or free peoples and
second-claSS or unfree peoples, I
believe you have taken an 1rretl1e-
vable step toward the eventual
full acceptance of Hitler's doc
trineS."
MADE WORLD TOUR
Willkie made a world tour in
1912 as the special envoy of Presi-
dent Roosevelt. While in Chugking
he issued a statement that truly
established the mans stature. eve
must organize TO our side not SIM
ply the sympathies but also the
active, aggressive, offensive spirit
of nearly three-fourths of the
people of the world who live In
South America, Africa, Eastern
Europe and Asia. We have not
done this and at present we are
not doing this.
eve believe 1t Is the worlds job
to find some system for helping
colonial peoples who join the unit