The Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1931-1952, 1948-05-26
RACE SEGREGATION
DECLARES PRIEST


CATION is an aid to the "commun-
istic conflagration that is sweep
ing the earth. and the South's
position in the matter Is an
'ostrich-Iike attitude" Msgr. T.
James Mcnamara, outstanding
Catholic prelate and rector Of the
Cathedral of st. John the Baptist,
here. declared in an address be-
fore members of the local Xiv
anis Club.
The Monsignor spoke in favor
of President Harry S. Truman's
civil rights program. He asserted
that his purpose was to face facts
and my hope is that in facing
them we may be inspired to give
greater substance to the American
dream of equality before the law
Mark you, did not say social
equality because in my estima-
ton that is a red herring used by
those inimical to our country's
best interest to divert attention
from the substance OF things"
When the Monsignor had ION
cluded his talk, harles J. Musante,
club president. urged his fellow
Kiwanis ito go home and think
over the thoughtful and effective
speech"
Monsignor Mcnamara said the
United States would act more
consonantly with its traditions If
Legislation such as the Stratton
bill. to permit entry of DPS into
the country, was enacted. "As I
see it," the Monsignor said, "a
person who has suffered exile in
behalf of democracy. would have
less an ism to contribute to the
welter of confusion which besets
our national life today than the
so-called native American who
hides his face and his identity
and who is. as yet, to reach the
maturity of the founding fathers
of our glorious nation"
After citing the background of
President Humans civil rights
program, the Monsignor said that
reaction in Dixie was "a hue and
cry that developed into crescen-
do" He charged that the dominant
note of the crescendo was the
term segregation with all Is "ugly
connotations," reelxing with con-
tradictions. He said the South's
legal pattern of segregation drama
ties flair for making laws and
then disregarding their content.
He asked that II the South has
segregation as its laws proclaim,
how can it be explained that out
of the $4,000, 900 Negroes in the
country, not more than 100000
"are biologically Negro in the full
lsense of the term" He continued:
lido you wonder that the Negro
inks under the burden of the legis.
lative pattern or segregation when
he finds the dignity of motherhood
lexploited to serve the passions OF
those who cry segregation"
Monsignor Mcnamara told his
audience: 1--WE can no longer pro
TESS one thing and act otherwise
If we believe the principles of the
Declaration and the Bill of Rights
to be truth, solidly established or
which a governmental structure
can be successfully reared, then II
lis highly imperative that our per
sonal and public relationships re
fleets these principles"
The speaker recalled that In
October, 1913, the Diocesan Coun
Gil of Catholic Women advocated
to the postwar planning commit
tee of Savannah that Negroes b.
allowed to move "from the lane!
: and alleys of the city" to housing
projects, and added that had sucl
plan been adopted it would have
improved the city's position ii
police and health problems. HI
recalled that the council also pro
posed Negroes be appointed al
policemen. This has been done II
limited way, he declared, ant
said the full benefit of the plai
will not be realized until thu
authority of Negro policemen il
is extended beyond the restriction
of a particular segment of tn
! city's population.
Monsignor Mcnamara asserte'
that the Negro objects to its lega
pattern of segregation which "stig
matizes him and labels his
7 second-lass citizen" The Negr
wants more than anything the as
surance of the unmolested vote
the Monsignor said. knowing tina
then and then alone he can ear
I. nestly pursue happiness in tn
sense of our country's declaration
of principle, which declares tn
pursuit of happiness to be tn
: citizens God-given right, irrespec
tive of race, color, creed or ma
tional origin"