The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-02-27
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER

| BY WESTBROOK PEGLER
| Copyright, 1945 by King Features Syndicate)
The people of the state of New York appar-
emily are condemned to a period of bedevil-
ment by new state board charged with he
duty of preventing discrimination in employ
ment the ground of race, creed, color or
national orr gin.
The Republicans including Governor Dewey,
seem to have decided that votes are more
precious than principle for they engaged
in an unseemly scuffle with the Democl ats
of all hues, including the Communists, to CAB
credit for a pernicious heresy against the
ancient privilege of human beings to hate col
lectively or selectively and to choose their as
sociates. Carried to its logical extremity, this
law might be invoked some time to compel
Catholic parish to hire rabbi for its pastor
should he be first under the wire with his
apple for the job in case Of a vacancy,
or a Jewish family to engage for the duties
of butler in their home an unreconstructed
ex-member of the Nazi-American bund with
papers to prove that he came from Hamburg
or Munich. Or a producer of a movie play
could be forced to hire a colored girl for tie
title role of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Ali such proposals and measures, including
the national device inprovlsed for the indus
trial emergency of the war, are the works of
the Communists and their kind whose intent
is not open to opportunity to Negroes but to
cause friction and provoke disorders by Great
| ing intolernble personal situations. They til ut
| solid facts of life because birds of feather
| do and will continue to flock together, in
business, at work and in their social life.
The United States, ITSELF as nation, dscrlni-
mates against all orientals on the ground OF
race, color and national origin. So do cur
good neighborS to the south and our gallant
ally, Soviet Russia, has similar stout aver
sions. In the city of New York, many Jewish
employers reveal marked and understand
able preference for their co-religionists with
never G complaint from other groups, who also
seek compatibility in the same way Hoosier
cries to Hoosier when a job is open End
brother to brother in the bonds of the college
fraternities. We are divided into groups by
our sympathies, religions, old associations and
national origins and such preference in hiring
has always been regarded as a right and,
by many, as a moral obligation.
1t will be observed at glance that this is a
hypocritical plan in its basic pretense. 1t PRE-
tends to abhor discrimination because OF
creed Creed means belief. I believe no Amer
lean should be compelled to join unioh as
la condition of employment. But in circum-
stances which are common and almost pre-
valent I could be rejected by an employer for
that belief and the ant-discrimination board
would rule that it served me right.
1 note that discrimination on the ground of
political affilition is not mentioned. This may
seem to be concession to the sound preju-
dice of Americans against Communists out it
is more likely to work the other way. In prac-
teal effect, it is more likely to compel en-
ployers to favor registered Democrats lest
they find themselves denied priorities or facil-
ties for the operation Of their plants by this
or that agency of the party in power, in
Washington. This would be discrimination
against Republicans.
Politicians naturally would dodge the subject
of political qualification. Dewey cleaned out
the Democrats within reasonable time, as
politicians always do when one party unseats
another, and President Roosevelt's principal
stated reason for nominating Henry Wallace
to be Secretary of Commerce was that Wal
lace had been a loyal party worker in the
campaign. That rank discrimination
against Jesse Jones whose work in the lob
Roosevelt was forced to praise in kicking him
out. And discrimination on family grounds was
flagranty apparent when he appointed his
son, Jimmy, to a $4,000 job in the White
House, some years back and his cousin 70
$4,000 job selecting curtains and harmonious
furniture in the embassies and mnist. les
abroad Some of the Roosevelt appointeeS to
the Supreme Court have been more noted for
their tolerance of his policies than for their
possession of the traditional qualities of mind
and balance. Here was political discrimina ion
again.
We should not forget even in the glamor and
confusion of war, the effect of similar prohi-
bition against discrimination under the Vicious
Wagner act BY virtue of this evil writ, agents
of the Labor Relations board made it possible
for the most descriptive member of a normally
harmonious newspaper staff to keep his job,
provided he never let down in his hateful
agitation against the peace and efficiency of
his colleagues If he was fired, the reason
then was union activity and the boss had
to reinstate him, with accrued back pay In
one notorious case, a group of men who APP
piled for work and didn't get it because no
jobs were open, were deemed to have ucen
| rejected because they were union men and
awarded back pay for purely arbitrary and
hypothetical period Of employment, although
they had not been hired Their union cards
thus became drafts on the company's Donk
account. A dark skin, a foreign accent or
certificate of membership in religious sect
could be used to similar effect under the New
York scheme.
The New York law would encourage and p1 o.
tect incompetence, loafng and other mIsbe
havior on the job by any complainant VINO
claimed he was fired for any of the forbldden
reasons And any applicant for work who was
turned down the honest, unprecedented judge
ment of employer as unsuitable Tor The
job could drag the executives OF the nrm
through long, expensive proceedings merely
by proving that he was colored man, Sap-
tist Jew or native of Italy, Poland or Bull
garia. It probably did not occur to the archl-
tects of this monstrosity that in some cases