St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1946-10-11
Dear Joe
WHICH WAY JOE!
By JAMES L. HICKS

Grams to join one veterans Organi-
cation or another.
Three months after VI Day new
veteran organizations were spring
ing up all over the country. Today
they are dying out just as fast
as they were organized. Only the
strong remain and here is a look
at the strongest:
THE AMERICAN LEGION:
Probably the strongest, one OF the
most conservative, recently broke
a precedent and permitted several
Jim Crow chapters to be organized
in the south, even more recently
denied a charter to an interracial
group Of vets in the District Of
Columbia. It offers cOlOred veterans
the benefit Of a national service
officer, mixed chapters in the north,
Jim Crow chapters in the south
and the opportunity to wear
hashy uniform in parades. Several
Of the Jim Crow chapters have
excellent club houses.
Dues can be paid annually for
life. Cost you a buck a year. Six
bits of your dough goes for sub
scription to the two Legion publi-
cations and two bits goes to the
national office. The Legion fayors
compulsory military training, OPP
poses the Wagner-Murray- Dingell
Social Security Bill, refused TO com
nit itself on FEPC, transfer of
USES to the states and anti-poll
tax legislation.
VETERANS OF FOREIGN
WARS: Lots of dough behind this
one. Has a legislative lobbyist here
in Washington which it pays $40.
900 a year (ten thousand, that isl
to lobby for veterans legislation.
Throws a lot of weight around in
the Veterans Administration. Does
MT mention race or color in its
constitution, but leaves membership
to discretion of state commanders
who may approve or reject cOlored
organizations. If you are south Of
the border and join this one you
will be in a Jim Crow chapter.
Offers the service of a national
service officer. Jim Crow club
houses, plenty pretty suits and pa
rades and a He'll raising conven-
ton every year. Agrees with Le-
gion on compulsory military train
ing, undecided on minimum wage
bill, surprised everyone at its last
convention by going all out for
Wagner Ellender- Taft housing bill,
stuck its tongue in its cheek on
FEPC, anti-poll tax and transfer
of USES to states. Cost you two
bucks to join but has a minimum
fee Of three bucks a year. Must
have had foreign service to join.
AMERICAN VETERANS CON-
MITTEE: Loudest, lustiest and
most liberal of all vet groups. Con-
stitution forbids Jim Crow chap
tiers, has colOred vets on national
planning committee, called COM
munistic by the VFW because of
the way it looks out for your peo-
pie, had one tussle with Jim Crow
over an interracial housing project
in Washington, D. c., took one look
at the racial restrictive covenant
on the property site, cancelled the
whole project and came out with
flying cOlOrS. Was officially recog-
nized by the Veterans Administra-
ton last week but BilbO has sworn
never to let it get a Congressional
charter. Criticized for accepting
Merchant marine and war CORE
spondents but seems to thrive on
criticism. Sidesteps the compulsory
training issue, goes all out for min
imum wage, Wagner Murray Din
CELL social security bill, opposed
Case anti-strike bill, favored FEPC,
fought return of USES to states,
support Wagner Ellender Taft
housing bill and fights for anti-poll
tax legislation. Cost you a five spot
to join for one year and there are
no assessments.
AMERICAN VETERANS OF
WORLD WAR II (Amvets): Sur
prise outfit Of World War ii. Let
AVG do a lot of yelling while it
quietly went about getting a char
JSl rum ShllsItSS anu DGGOIllllR
the first World War II outfit to
be recognized by the VA. Put on
a bold front for colored veterans
memberships until it looked as if
it would be able to buy a swanky
housing project in the District Of
Columbia. Did an about-face then
and told tan yanks they could not
become members of the coopera-
tive and live in the project. Sits
back and plays both ends from the
middle, being non-cOmmittal on is
sues like poll tax, FEPC, minimum
wage law and housing bill; wins
lots Of friends by walking the mid
die of the road but looks the other
way and allows its chapters to cater
to Mr.. James Crow. Cost you four
bucks to join, offers you national
service officer and some of the
smoothest national staff operators
in the country.