The Omaha guide., 1945-01-27

In October 1913 Hawkins filed all
application to the Civil Aeronautics
Board for a certificate Of public
convenience and necessity for Union
Airlines to operate three routes. He
is president and general manager.
The routes he seeks are.
Washington, Baltimore, Philadel-
phia, New York, Buffalo, Cleveland
Chicago, indianapolis. Cincinnati,
Memphis, and New Orleans.
Chicago-St. Paul Minneapolis,
Fargo, Butte. Seattle, Tacoma, Port
land San Francisco and Los Angel
es.
Washington Louisville, ST. Louis,
Kansas City, Omaha, Denver. Salt
Lake City, and Los Angeles.
Union Airlines is the only color
ed airlines in the world filed with
the Civil Aeronautics Board. We
know there are lots Of white air
lines operating now. Well, if we
show we can do it too that we can
run it efficiently and economically.
the CAB would naturally give us
some routes. They might not give
us exactly the same routes we're ask
ing for but | think they'll give US
some routes out of fairness.
Il don't think the other a~irlines
will be SO much interested in giving
jobs to the colored boys now over
seas, 50 colored people should oper-
ate airlines for themselves. What
we could do is open up the
for those boys SO they use the skill
they learned overseas in civilian life.
Hawkins said that he wouldn't
draw any color line in hiring pilots.
He will hire colored and white, if
they want the jobs, and added that
he would naturally have to hire a
white man to handle the airline be-
cause he is the only one who has
had experience in airlines-
Hawkins also revealed that his
venture has no financial status. 1--WE
are just a promotion company now"
he explained.
His five-passenger WACO plane,
which is the flagship. was christen-
ed by DR.. Mary Mcleod Bethune
on November 18th.
One Of the most interesting things
about the whole incident is the next
step taken by PMS reporter who in
tervlewed several prominent Negro
es around Washington as to what
they thought about Hawkins ven
ture. Leading off was Charles H.
Houston, famous lawyer and coun,
sci for the National Association for
the Advancement of Colored People.
who probably expresses the view.
point Of that organization in state
ments Of this kind. Houston broad
ly bet Hawkins couldn't do it in tell
ing the white folks why Negro ven
lures couldn't succeed. He said,
Yes | know:who the man is. Per-
sonally' | doh't see how this thing
can go in competition with the estab
llshed airlines. There are very few
Negroes at present who are riding
planes and he'd hardly get n white
traffic. The airline traffic is the
cream Of the passenger business and
how on earth is he going to get the
cream Of the passenger business?
About his flower shops: the Ne
gro florists will tell you that their
main source of business is funeral
orders. You don't have Negroes
buying flowers for dances and other
occasions. So the level of business
IS small. | don't know if Mr.. Haw-
klnS could start a line of suits eth
er. | doubt if he'd be able to weas
the Negro living cloe to his salary,
ike a lot of the white Government
workers, away from the department
store charge accounts. Unless he's
50 good he can compete in anybody's
market No, I'm afraid it's lust one
OF those darn dreams"
There were two or three other
Negroes around Washington who
spoke about it also and attempted to
beEttle the venture before it gets
started This reveals the type of
thinking among our leading Negro
es which keeps US from getting
places economically as well as rae
tally. If left to them, we would al
ways be in position Of glorified
beggars and alms-seekers, living on
the largess of the white man, but,
thank God, there are enough little
Negroes with the vision, courage,
and the tenacity Of purpose to make
them out a liar by going ahead and
doing what they say cannot be done
Instead Of encouraging ventures,
people like Houston and the others
who were interviewed have a phil
osophy in tearing down everything