The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1945-05-26

crow all OF your life. you can
spot a jim-crow proposition a
mile away Just by the smell.
This proposition did not smell
right and 1t still stinks for my
money.
Think Of having TO put In
streets. lights, sewers. trans
portation, shopping centers. gas
and other facilities. Think OF
having 10 build n town which
Will be Inhabited by all Nc
gr0es. That II What entered In
20 our thinking. We have seen
what happens when the in-mI-
grafton Of Negroes Il gradual.
But when the location Of 5000
people Il done on n planned
basis. all OF the evils OF segre-
CATION will accrue Immediately.
Ghettos are ghettos, wherever
they are voluntarily created or
Whether they are the creatures
OF the federal government. Put
5000 people In ghetto when we
are faced with cut-backs and
receding employment and you are
simply making economic condi-
tinns, which are now becoming
less desirable for those In the
low income groups and OF low
seniority status. worst
There are those Who say In
answer TO the segregation ar
gument that this project Il
unrestricted" So Is the pro-
iect at Onkdale In Oakland
County. managed by Raymond
HATCHER "nnrestricted.' To date
there Il not n single white
family living there II unre-
restricted means Indignation,
then why doesn't the federal
government make an effort TO
mix the projects under their
jurisdiction. No. they leave the
matter Of referrals to the War
Housing Center Mt 307 w. Fort
Street. The War Housing Cen
ter Is stu operated under the
policy OF the Detroit Housing
Commission which says that
there shall be no mixed hons
Ing. Remember. II you don't,
my memory Is not 80 limited.
What about relief for families
on the periphery Of the employ
ment cycle in Detroit? II they
are moved in 10 hostile town
ship, who takes care OF them
during the reconyersion period?
Those are vital questions which
have to go into planning on
such large scale and TO my
satisfaction the question is still
unanswered.
On this point We are all
agreed. there i a continuing
need. But that does not mean
We have 10 sacrifice principle
for policy. In this fight against
segregation and discrimination
we must continue 10 define our
battle-ground. The fault for In
adequate housing Hes In De-
trolt with the mayor, the Conn
mon Council. the Housing TOM
mission. There our fight Is and
there II should remain. Scat.
ter your Battle-Ground area and
you automatically scatter your
prospects Of success. Just Ina
CINE how much RogelI and DO.
rails and other proponents Of
moving Negroes on "the out
skirts Of town are gleefnlIy
pointing TO the effort OF FPHA
10 take them off the spot.
Finally the time has com,
when the opponents OF segrega
ton should not be afraid 10 figh
against segregation as an issue
and not accept It just because
reactionaries might be on In,
side you want TO be on. but foI
different reasons. The Ford Mo
tor Company and the Kluxer,
are fighting the project because
they don't want TO lose their
land. and because they don
want Negroes in that area. Oh
the other hand. is II such goot
proposition that we would up
hold II just to be on the oppo.
Site side?
Well, 10 continue this argn.
ment Is time wasted. The need
still remains and that's all