Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1946-04-19

Over in Tampa ''
when handed Percy Villa
my piece TO the telegTapher ] would
come back to the hotel and stand
around the lobby because the town
is dead and there's no place TO 90
since the army ran what night
life there was up the road beyond
the city limits. am a guy who
stays up late no matter where
am and I did lot Of talking to
! strangers as men travelling alone
and on the wagon often do. Most
If them were sOutherners and the
majority Of them Disguised me with
their dark minded intolerance.
When they found out what |
did they usually sounded me out
on Jackie Robinson and when they
located where I stood, they would
hack at me with their sneeTinR
biRotry. II we were alone, they
stayed courteous and presented
their prejudices as necessary TO
perpetuate our civilization which
they believe IL imperiled by equal
Ivy among the races.
But II they had an audience, they
would snipe with dirty and point
less jokes and try TO catch laugh
with their venOmously humOrless
imagery 81 races agony. In that
lobby, standing around in the heat
~ the spring Of the wear, knew
there are ways TO lynch man
without hanging him from tree.
Robinson Carries Burden
II is useless To wrangle with
them in hotel lobby or here in
print. They are proud ~ their
ignorance and the small every
day punishments 81 the Negro in
the south il considered by them
great heritage thew must UNFOLD
and they find a corrupted grandeur
in their inhumane at'itudos. Not
today nor next year will the Negro
be given his true freedom in the
south. But what happened here
Yesterday in minor LEAGUE hall
park indicates the long journey they
have made up out Of slavery has
destination they will reach in
llIVF W NbIlNs
On this chalk measured meadow
Negro PLAYED with eight other
men whose skins were white and
not once did any one In the stands
or in the game Indicate he was an
| Intruder. II IL hard to say IL Jackie
| Robinson will ever come upstairs
Rnd make il In the big leagues.
There is no way to guess now be-
cause the burden Of being the first
NEGRO to come into organized base
ball Is lot Of weight for a young
| PLAYER to haul around the circuit
with him.
| But after watching him for
nine innings, this I know. He Ia
| base thief whose haunting leads
upset the Dodgers the three times
he reached first, twice on singles
and once on a walk. He is sure
and loose on ground halls and his
! instincts are right when he has
70 break fast Such JUDGE as
George SislHr. now SCOUTING for tn"
Dodgers, believes he will hi ball
long ways once he Is playing for
himself ard not for tho people sit
ting in the segregation Of the
hleRchcr seats.
az I don't make the Montreal
hell club its not their fault" Rob
irson told me, pointing 10 the
ROYALS on the bench, "Thev'rc
Doing everything they can Sure.
It's tough. There's u lot Of pres
sure on NC As soon rs I get that
~ II viii ne lot better for me
The pcorle In the stands have been
1--WE. They DON'T ride me anv more
'hon thew ride anv one else. I
would say they've all been 100 rcr
cont mean the players and the
/ fans"
| Montreal Teau- Mates Decent
IT," ci'v Of Jacksonville locked
IN the hall mark and called OF
| thc hall game hc"ause Pohirsor
wnS comin" IN with the Montreal
sNuHd 10 NAV the Jersey Giants
Rut tho casual de"en"v 81 the Vuvs
/ ON the h"ll club see~rs 10 have
/ Co''"crsatcd Fnr thc insult.
! "Fvrn though DON'T urdcrs'and
"hv tNnv do "" he said "it's
law N Jacksonville 7 d"rt unIer-
"'NNd whv Rut tha''S tho custom
| Us going 10 take r'orn than ono
/ hal' "NUr - hrr"t IL down. Put
~ TIVE I"ctSorvilc will he Eke
/ N0v'ruo Roach They don't accent
"a as human hc'~~s in Jacksonville
Ru' Some dHv Jacksonville will %,
""rt ne ne nst = few other people
In the world"
Robinson thinks he will hH. He
'a TIGHT every tlme he walks Nm
'hrrc ord he fccls ~ though he
w"r" HITTING for millions Of reonle
30 has rcv"r seen. Rut ne can hcar
'H"r' pull'rc for him of in the
darkness 81 the bic CITY 'ene-cr's
and IN the sharkS On the frir~cs ~
southern towns. II Il NJ though
thcv were going to mdCp al Of
'hCm for what one guy did IN ono
time ~ hat He knows u isrt tha'
wav hut he c~rt make himself
believe u, II viii take n lorv tiruc
for him 10 convince himself he Il
nan on his own and not guy
whose skill at n game elected hir,
to rcnreSent race Of persecuted
renrle in country that Il con.
sid"red a citadel Of liberty over the
world
A lot Of fellows on the club are