The Omaha guide., 1947-04-12

Walter White Asks for
Retraetion of Statement

NEW YORK, April 7th-Walter
White, executive secretary of the
National Association for the Ad-
vancement of Colored People, last
week end demanded an immediate
and public retraction of Kim Sig
Ter, Governor of Michigan, for
statements made by the Governor
listing the NAACP as a Comm
unist Front Organization" The
NAACP head demanded the re-
traction in an unusually vigorous
day letter in which it was pointed
out that the Michigan governors
predecessor, Supreme Court JUS
tice Frank Murphy, was a mem
Der of the NAACP's Board of Di-
rectors4 Other members include
former Governor of New York.
Herbert H. Lehman; Eric John
ston; Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt;
Governor of the Virgin Islands.
William H. HASTE and many 9th
err distinguished Americans.
Mr. White in his message to Gov
ernor Sigler stated, You are
quoted in an International News
Service release from Washington
dated March 18th as listing the
Association for Advancement of
Colored People as a Communist
Front" organization. We assume
you refer to the National Assoc
iation for the Advancement of
Colored People. If that be true.
we hereby call upon you to issue
a public retraction of this charge.
The National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People is
most unqualifiedly non-communist
and non-political. Since its organ
ization in 1909 and it's incorpora-
ton in 1911, it has unremittingly
worked as a non-political organi-
cation for enforcement of the u. S.
Constitution irrespective of race
or color. It's Board of Directors
and officers include such distingu-
ished Americans as U. S. Senator
Arthur Capper, Governor Herbert
H. Leham, Governor William H.
HASTE, Eric Johnston, Mrs. Flea
nor Roosevelt, Mayor Fiorello H.
La Guardia, Philip Murray, God
frey L. Cabot, Judge Ira Jayne,
Russell Davenport, DR.. Claiming
H. Tobias and Arthur B. Spingarn-
Your predecessor, Honorable
Frank Murphy, was a long time
member of the Board until he was
elevated to the U. S. Supreme
Court. The national policies of this
Association are determined at the
Annual Convention of the Associa-
ton by vote Of the delegates repre-
senting 1907 branches and bi-rac-
ial membership of 5000. Nc
political party whether it be Com
munist, Republican, Democratic or
any other, has ever been permitted
or ever will be permitted to influ-
ence policies of the Association.
Your inclusion of this Association
among alleged communist front
organizations, if taken seriously by
any American unfamiliar with the
facts. can do serious harm to the
cause for which Americans devot-
ed to the democratic ideals have
given themselves unSelfiShly and
in accordance with American form
of government. We are therefore
requesting immediate and full
public reaction of your statement"
That groups hostile to the pro-
gram of the National Association
for the Advancement of Colored
People would attempt to discredit
the organization was indicated In
the deep South only recently when
white students on the University
of Texas campus, who organized
anNAACP Youth Chapter in open
defiance of University officials at
the height of the battle to force
the University to admit a Negro,
the Law School asked the National
NAACP office for a statement
of policy and political affiliation.
LII d lSlcSl Gill " 01olIO1A
a member of the College Chapter,
Mr.. White declared: I'm response
to your inquiry, position of Nation
al Office NAACP is that no pol
itical group. whether it be Commu-
mist, Republican, Democrat or any
other, will be permitted to influ-
ence Association policy. That pol
icy is created in democratic fash
ion by annual convention ofAssoc-
iation whose resolutions are man
date on entire Association and
which is supplemented by National
Board of Directors. If communists
or anybody else attempt to take
over any Association unit, speedy
and uncomprising action will be
taken by National Board of Direct
ors. You are at liberty to use this
cor in anv waV YOU see fit"