The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1944-04-01
Bx REV. WILLIAM H. MoLBON

Lie in Detroit. and in many othcr over-crowdcd
cities. has OF late been described in many ways
know OF no description, however. which Is more nj
ting to our metropolis than these words put into
verse by Ale Rev. Frank Mason North
Where cross the crowded ways Of life
where sound the cries OF race and clan,
Above the noise Of selfish strife,
We hear Thy voice. o Son OF man.
Ia haunts OF wrctchcdness and need.
ON Swallowed thrcsh dds dark with fears
From paths whore hide the lures of greed
We catch tho vision Of rhy tears
This is not only description OF Detroit, but II
pictures as life in great number Of cities which
have become the Crowded WAYS cities aad towns
filled with strangers aud loaded with fears; each
race each color each creed fearing the other. In
many cases the individual is driven about with any
number of fears. Hero, people are very prone to-
change and are easily persuaded by ill kinds Of
leadership and ideas
would call Detroit he Crowded Way. because
there is hardly sleeping space for hundreds. The
population has grown by thousands in The last two
years YET there are ony few hundred additional
homes Trailer camps. store fronts. garages, and
abandoned gas s'atigns house the resi- Of The new
lcomers. Among these our new neiehhols. are Mex-
cans. who have come to helm in the labor shortage
japanese recently released from the relocation CEN
icrs: and hundreds Of whites. having from
imany sections Of our country and especially from
the hntcrands OF The South and Midwest Hundreds
lof Negroes have come from d0ercnt sections Of the
country including plantations small towns and
hamets Each group has come to make boier SIS
economic and social NE.
Il is interesting 10 not, that 40 one % these
groups OF people came alone Will sach came cul-
ltufal background high. medium. or low VIA these
people have come ihcir likes and their dsiikcs iher
prciudces and fancies their htpes and their fears
Ofiimes they would mako ihe nov environment as
near as possible like The old In some elscs were
this done, 81 would mean That We would we in
much cleaner ATMOSPHERE, politically Socially, and
morally. hui in mo-' cases. would De deirimnt
20 allow this to hapren Therefore, the Crowded
Way IS filed with many different aud conflicting
PHILOSOPHERS Of life which sometimes make Tor
class and race strife
Upon observation. one can clearly see that our
Swallowed thresholds are dask With fears Fear
is Characteristic OF the "cr wdpd WAY" Old cit-
zers OF Detroit arc pleased 20 have their city known
las the Arsenal Of Democracy, but there IS often
Feeling againsi The newcomers We say that 'tAey ao
not speak our language and 0e fear that Tho, vll
make life 10 general. more dinicrt SO we leaSc
them 70 themselves. Rolieious institutions III tho
very center OF The Crowded way are sighting
l,rrrihc battle 20 keen themselves ly whifeH while
an around them hundreds ot Ncefoos li,e and work
and their childcn play IN the streets and dream Of
the very hnc rynnasiams which are idle IN these
buildings The fear that people Of a different race
Will atien 20 move into better nriphbofhl DDS has
caused temporary HOUSES 60 be placed n The already
ovcrcro~dcd area % The city. and hundreds Of units
OF war housing are nnoccuped because the poiic of
me Detroit Housing commission Is against The mix.
ing OF Negro and white workers Along with these
fears there are some leaders who whip MP the eno-
tons OF their people by telling them that they muse
protect themselves by keeping clear Of any mfcr-
racial movements. IN the Crowded Way far +.
oiien employed in the manner known 90 the Oh map
makers They put fear where there was no knowl-
edge and understanding
Greed Is another characteristic OF tho crowded