St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1946-08-16
Dear Joe
By JAMES L. HICKS

ministTatiOn, writes a guest column this
week for Mr.. Hicks. who IL on vacation.
holland 10 former resident Of St PAUL.
Dear Jimmy:
I've thought of you many times
since we both got that ''homing
pigeon" in our lapels; however, un-
I'll now things have been happening
so fast l haven't had a good op-
portunity to write you.
Just as had hoped while in
service, l finally secured a job in
the Veterans Administration. I'm
assigned to Joe Especial Assistant
to the Administrator Albright's
office now as the Special Liaison
Representative and in that capacity
I've made visits to most of the
principal cities in the country talk
ing to veterans groups on various
phases of the Veterans Admins
tration program.
| regret to say, Jim, that the
picture isn't rosy. You are Ia
miliar with the Gil Bill. OF course,
you know of its main features
disqualification, review of dis
charges, education and on-the- Job
training, loans for homes, bust
ness, and farms, and readjustment
allowances unemployment pay.
AS you know, it requires the
cooperation of the local community
to make the two most pertinent
features Draining or education,
and loans) workable. Well, the
communities are not doing a COM
plete job. Despite the Chiefs (Gen-
eral Omar n. Bradley's) insistent
plea for complete community par
ticipatiOn, most cities have too
many laggards. AS always, where
the Tan Yanks are concerned the
picture is even darker.
In too many metropolitan
areas across the country the Tan
fanks are taking a beating from
all sides. Unfortunately, there
are not too many sepia business
men who are informed, and of
those that are aware of their
chance to help, too many are
refusing to do so. To explain my
point, Jimmy, let's (y0u) take
Washington, ID. &.
Washington has often been called
the capital of the world and | am
told daily that it is the center
c"seat that isl of Negro culture
and education. shan't argue
either point, and l will agree that
there is an unusually large group
Of prosperous Negro businesses as
well as a group of firms that are
in an almost all Negro area whose
profits are dependent upon the
Negro populace. With such ad-
vantages existent one would think
that those Negro GPs seeking bust
ness and on-the-job training in
ID. c. would have little trouble.
However, such is not the case.
In d. c. there are only twenty
four firms Negro that have Sc
cured approval from the Board of
Education and the Veterans Admin
istratiOn for On-the-jOb training.
You know, Jim, that is not good,
and since you are always giving
the Veterans Administration hell!
in your column, how about stir
ring up a little interest" within
the Negro community on behalf of
these eX-GPs who wish to learn the
art of businesses such as theater
managers, office managers, real
estate statesmen, insurance sales
men, restaurant managers and the
entire gamut of those businesses
that the District is blessed? =
within the Negro community.
Considering the number of Ne
gro businesses in Washington,
ID. C., including many of the fore
going lines of endeavOr, it is def
nitely surprising that so few have
secured the necessary approval, and
1t is an unpleasant picture, one
of which | am not proud. Incl
dentally, there are one or two of
the approved firms that have no
trainees at this time, and strange
ly enough, in some of the more
popular trades and businesses, for
example, electrical refrigeration
and accOuntancy. Why? | don't
know. 1t is enough to say that the
picture in Washington is repre-
sentative of the entire country and
especially the metropolitan cities
where there are large "concentra-
tons" of Negro ex-GPs.
I'm sorry, Jim, that l have
taken this first letter to you to
"gripe" about the problems of
Negro veterans, but it is a prob
lem that should be of concern to
all of us, and l am constantly
made aware of the increasing
need for help for Negro veterans
from the Negro public. So
please, Jimmy, in some column in
the near future, point out these
things to your public. your en-
plOyers, and your friends. We
vets need help now.
l hope to have the pleasure of
seeing you again soon and until
then, am
Yours sincerely,
George Holland,