Arizona sun., 1948-03-12
n. A. A. c. p. SPEAKER = =
CLAIMS u. s. MUST MAKE
DEMOCRACY WORK

against Communism is to make
Democracy work in the United
States" Cloister B. Current, Ma
tional Director of Branches for
the National Association, for the
Advancement of Colored People,
told an audience of NAACP MEM
bers at the First Baptist Church
last Wednesday evening. Mr.. Cur
rent directs the program and activ-
tiles of 1857 branches youths coun-
ellis and college chapters of the
NAACP. The association has a ma
tional membership of 100000 mem
berS.
Speaking on the subject of "Civil
Rights-America's Challenge" Mr..
Current said that Democracy
must be made to work now, or
atomic warfare will forever destroy
that which all patriotic Americans
cherish"
"This country is continually en-
barrassed abroad by its treatment
of minorities at home. Continuance
of segregation and discrimination
practiced against Negroes and 9TH
ers is grist to the Communist prop
aganda MILL" he said =
Current called for immediate
passage and rigid enforcement of
anti-lynching, anti-poll tax, FEPC,
anti-jim crow travel and other civil
rights measures advocated by Pres
ident Truman" He praised Tru-
mans Civil Rights program mot
because the NAACP supports Mr..
Truman or any other Presidential
candidate, but because items in the
civil rights program constitute the
basic program advocated byS the
NAACP since 1909"
CONDEMNS SOUTHERNERS
Mr.. Current said that those
Southerners who oppose the civil
rights program are sabotaging De-
mocracy in America" He called for
the elimination of the House I'm
American Affairs Committee which
"as a publicity side show, had per-
formed no useful function" He
said eff the House Un-American AT
fairs Committee really wanted to
do something useful, it should in
dict those Southerners who oppose
the civil rights program and ex-
pose them as being dangerous to
| the security of the United States
and the American way of life." He
urged the Committee to subpoena
| those governors, senators and
members of Congress who are so
vehemently trying to throw this
country back to the dark days OF
, slavery and disfranchisement by
denying basic constitutional rights
to Negroes"
Blasting the Ku Klux Klan as
zone of the most dangerous organ
izations in America" Mr.. Current
said that the xxx should be inves-
| tigated and exposed in every COM
munity."
He called Tynching Americas
most shameful crime" and urged
immediate passage of the anti
lynching bill.
NEGROES AND POLITICS
"The Negro voter who holds the
balance of power in seventeen
states, will not be fooled by either
Republican or Democratic revolts.
The Republicans have enough votes
in Congress to pass all of the civil
rights bills including FEPC, anti
lynching, prohibition of discrimina-
ton and segregation in interstate
travel, federal aid to education,
equal rights in the District of Co
lumbia," he said.
HITS JIM-CROW SCHOOLS
"The NAACP is unalterably op-
posed to segregation in the public
schools" Mr.. Current said. "Segre-
cation in education is completely
out of step with the American prin-
ciple of justice for ALL" he said.
Pointing to segregation in Phoenix
High Schools, Mr.. Current said
that the NAACP believed that "the
time has come to completely elimi-
nate segregation in such schools
where it is not mandatory by law,
and to repeal all segregatory laws
which continue the practice of sep
Yarating the races" segregation
itself is always unequal" he said,
"and there is no place for it in
democracy"
On Housing, Mr.. Current declar-
ed that Americas failure to solve
the housing crisis is a national dis
grace. The exponents of monopoly
and greed, antiquated building
codes and methods and high con-
struction costs parading under the
banner of private enterprise have
failed miserably to meet the hous-
ing needs of all of the people"
To solve the housing problem,
'there must be, passage of the Taft
Ellender-Wagner Bill" He pointed
out, however, that the "Taft-Ellen-
der-Wagner bill, is wholly lacking
in safeguards to insure equitable
participation by minority groups"
Current urged Arizona Congress
men to sponsor and support non
discrimination amendments to the
bill.
There must be complete elimi-
nation of segregation and discrimi-
nation in the Armed forces and the
u III