The Omaha guide., 1946-06-22
STASSEN, WALLACE
AT NATL ave.

mention of CLIO and AT of L and
the south was rode through. The
substitute read:
I'VE support the right of all or
gained labor to unionize any or
all workers anywhere in these
United States.
However, proponents of the alb
qve statement agreed that we
might do much to give aid thru
the machinery of AVG without an
open statement which would stand
to harm the movement.
The convention adopted a con-
stitution which makes it perfect
ly clear that the American Vet
erans Committee will not tolerate
discrimination within or without
its ranks and makes a strong bid
for Negro and other minority
group membership. In the Pream-
BILE, the very first sentence reads:
I'VE as veterans of the Second
World War associate ourselves re-
CARELESS of national origin, creed
or color" Under Article III deal
ing with members, Section one
states that persons shall be ell
gible for active membership re-
CARELESS of national origin. creed
or color" And Section six re-
quires a person to subscribe in
writing to the principles set forth
in the Preamble as a prerequisite
to membership.
In the platform, the convention
delegation wrote in a strong plank
on discrimination and civil liber-
ties:
We oppose Jim Crow laws, anti
Nisei restrictions and all other
forms of racial discrimination. We
forbid it in our ranks and we shall
fight it in law and in practice
wherever it is found. We strongly
and actively oppc>. any laws. prac
tees, customs or usages whereby
any person or group by virtue of
discrimination due to race. reli-
gion, color or sex attempts to pre-
vent another from obtaining en-
ployment, being paid at a fair rate
for the services performed,
We urge laws to make discrim-
ination illegal and punishable. We
strongly urge and support all move
ments for a permanent federal
Fair Employment Practice Law.
We urge that veterans organize to
cooperate with other similarity
minded groups and with govern
ment law enforcement authorities
to protect civil liberties particu-
larly such regions where they are
nov threatened
Several Negro delegates were
very active on the convention
floor and in the committee meet
ings guiding resolutions and leg
islation important to minority
group veterans. Outstanding of
these is Franklin Williams. chair
man of the New York Metropoli-
tan AVG Area Council and assist
ant counsel for the NAACP. Such
was Williams popularity and de-
monstrated ability the he is. one
of the few nominees whose elect
ion to the National Planning
Board is virtually conceded. An
other very vocal delegate who had
some support for the NPB was
Arnold Johnson.
Edward Brusch from Los Ange-
les was spokesman and leader for
his mixed delegation. Burch's stir
ring statement in opposition to a
bonus was widely acclaimed by
the convention delegation.
WALLACE SPEAKS
Highlight of the Saturday mite
panel of speakers was the address
of Henry A. Wallace as he specif-
ically commended the organiza-
TONS fight for more housing. for
continuation Of price control. for
the full employment bill and
against racial discrimination.
In your own organization YOU
have allowed no place for discri-
mination. And 1 am sure you VIII
fight against discrimination in
every area of our national life.
For you know, we must outlaw
racial discrimination on the lob
just as we must outlaw racial dis
elimination at the polls. You know
that the one is as much a part of
our economic insecurity as the
other is of our political insecurity.
But the enactment of perma-
nent Fair Employment Practices
Act, and the abolition of the poll
tax, are only the beginnings of
our efforts to achieve an economic
as well as political democracy.
Those of us who believe in full
democracy have many other jobs
to do in implementing the EN-
ployment Act of 1916. We must
fight for better health and better
education for all-and social Sc
curity for adjust as we have
fought for better housing for all.
And we must fight for a mini
mum wage law just as hard as we
FIGHT Gov the a0-eo-v1- &- a.