The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1945-04-21
IN MEMORIAM

a
quiet hour on the warm Georgia afternoon of April
II, 1915, the world leader and U. S. President,
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, joined the immortals
Of world history.
Ranking officials of the u S. Army that day
had announced to members Of the I. S. Senate that
the Collapse of Nazi arms was imminent" Thus
it was that the man who had fought with all Of his
great heart to set the world forever free of organ
lied tyranny died on the eve of certain victory
From Warm Springs, Georgia. around the
world and back again, men of many races, colors
and creeds joined in common sorrow at the news
of his passing. His Lincoln-like love for all
kind had made of him true world citizen. No
greater grief was felt anywhere than among the
millions of Negro Americans who had fought for
him and with him across the troubled years at home
and beyond the seas.
Words cannot give the measure of this man to
whom the poor, the humble and oppressed had
looked for help in the thin times of our depression
and for just share in our recovery. The little
people of America and of foreign lands who eat the
crumbs in time of peace and spill the blood in times
of war loved him like father He carried their
trust as sacred honor and held fast to the demo-
cratic dream of opportunity for all without regard
to race or color.
To the rights which our Constitution calls un-
alienable he added one other-the right to work
By executive order he unlocked old doors which
stood between us and economic opportunity He
knew that jobless men cannot be free and without
freedom democracy must perish. By this action
he became in our eyes worthy of the mantle of Lin
coin and we called him an Emancipation
We of the minorities however, are not alone
indebted to his great vision, for upon his broad
shoulders rested the problems of the whole Ameri-
can people and ultimately of all mankind. He saw
the menace Of fascsm to modern civilization and
he rallied the people of good will everywhere
against it. With the gift Of patience and infinite
skill, he forged new unity among us and among all
those abroad who saw the common danger The
obstacles to unity here at home he tackled one by
one. He fought the anti-democratic impulses of
our prejudice-ridden people and sought to drown
them in larger loyalty. He tried to make us good
neighborS. He knew that it is brotherhood that
makes democracy and that disunity is fascist
weapon.
In the family of nations threatened by Nazi
tyranny, he made America an example of the good
neighbor He translated the concept of the United
Nations into living reality. On August ii, 1886,
before the dogs Of war were unleashed upon the
world, he said with simple eloquence: I'VE believe
IN democracy; we believe IN freedom we believe
in peace We offer to every nation of the world the
handclasp of the good neghbor. Let those who
wish our friendship look us in the eye and take our
hand
Living as full and rich life as has ever been
vouchsafed to man. he spent his gifts upon the peo-
pie. tear in the eye of Mississippi Negro Share
cropper, foreign diplomat, soldier in France, a
Marine in Okinawa arouses no establishment. His
death as personal as the loss Of member of
ones own family. Such love has been inspired by
few men in all our history.
He shall loom even greater in the future. Be-
fore he died he left blueprint for brave new
world and shall follow it because welmust. Pres
ident Harry S. Truman, in his first official state
ment, has pledged himself to the liberal course of
his great predecessor. Our fortune and this new
American President have been bound together by
an inscrutabe fate. Now we must make our pledges
too.
We, as well as the new leader of our country
might well ponder the lines Of a prayer given by
our late President on June Is, 1912.
Our earth is but small star in the great uni
verse. Yet of it we can make if we choose planet
unvexed by war, untroubled by hunger or fear un-
divided by senseess distinctions of race, color or
theory. Grant us that courage and foreseeing to
begin this task today that our children and our