St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1946-04-26
HENRY WALLACE SPEAKS
AT TUSKEGEE, ALABAMA

in the help Of God Wallace said
Henry Ford told him that Carver's
faith impressed him deeply.
Then came the things Wallace's
audience expected him to say. After
reviewing some of the Negroes
problems he said a good word for
FEPC. He said the poll tax should
be abolished. He said that educa-
ton Of white people, and a revival
of religion would help. Then he
concluded:
1.-The real answer, however, lies
elsewhere. This, / believe, is the
answer. When by education, you
at Tuskegee and at other schools
throughout the land have pre-
pared the Negroes Of America to
do useful, skillful, and remunera-
tive work, they will be capable of
and ready to go forward happily
and prosperously in a prosperous
America. All we need, then, is
such an America.
1--WE must have continuous full
employment opportunities here at
a fair minimum wage. The aver
age American laborer, farmer,
school teacher and professional
man lives in fear. He has seen
depressiOns before. When he sees
a Negro operating a streetcar, he
thinks, tomorrow business will be
bad. This Negro is taking a white
mans job. There must be no Ne
groes operating streetcars." Some
carpenters, bricklayers and farm
ers feel the same way. So do all
white Americans who feel insecure.
"'It is your duty, and the duty
of all Of US, Wallace said, Ito
work diligently for full production,
full employment, full use of all our
resources, and a more abundant
life in America. When full en-
ployment is achieved, when the fear
of insecurity is gone, all of the
races which make up this great
country can dwell together in
peace"
The Advertiser did not report
that Mr.. Wallace made it clear
that there are no superior or in
ferior races. At that point, three
supposedly white supremacists
walked out of the chapel while
the upwards of 500 other whites
held their seats and by the ap-
plause of all it was evident that
Mr.. Wallace not only expressed
his conviction but that of his
listeners also. The deep South
speaks.
Secretary Wallace hit high note
when he stated that in order to
carry on in these difficult days one
must have pugnacity-the ability
to stick to job until it is done
with vigor-that this is most de-
pendent upon being properly fed,
which in turn is dependent upon
the opportunity to work at a decent
wage. What Mr.. Wallace was say
ing, it seems to me, is that in order
for the Negro to get ahead in this
world he must understand the i'm
portance of diet.
This most certainly means that
where by segregation based on
race, unfair employment practices,
RELOCATION to so-called Negro Jobs
at the lowest wage, the power of
pugnacity is taken from millions
of Negroes and they are rendered
unable to even learn the importance
Of diet in their effort to progress
to say nothing of the more ter
rible consequence-victims of NAL
nutrition who labor with two
strikes against them in the ninth
inning Of the game of life as
played today.
Mr.. Wallace made his hearers
understand that in order that it
may be possible for the people of
the South to have the more
abundant life, the South must
achieve five times as many indus
trial setups as it has today en-
ploying ten times as many people.
There was the benediction, the
choir sang amen, and 1916 Found
er's Day was ended. Sweating,
Henry Wallace stood and shook
hands manfully with a long line of
well-wishers. Then he was rushed
out to the air field, climbed into
his little blue-and-white plane, and
took off for Washington, Democ-
racy's enlightened standard bearer
had spent some four hours in what
often is called the stronghold of
conservatism" though that is a
matter for debate.