Evening star., 1949-03-16
McGroth Admits Giving White,
Negro Leader, Tongue-Loshing
BY Martin S. Hayden
North American Newspaper AlIiones

By Mortin S. Hoyden
North American Newspaper AlIiones
Senator McGrath Of Rhode
Island. the burned up" chairman
of the Democratic Party. admitted
today that he administered q
rough Capitol-corridor tongue
lashing" to the boss Of the Ma
tion's largest Negro political or
ganization.
The just-revealed but noisy
battle between Senator McGrath
and, Walter White, secretary of
the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People
took place early yesterday outside
the Office of Senate Secretary
Leslie Bif1le.
Senator McGrath said wit
nesses' reports of near flsticuffs
were untrue but conceded. Il used
some language on him that good
Holy Name Society man can't re-
peat"
McGrath Gets Copy Of Letter.
Subject Of the battle was the
position of Democratic leaders on
civil rights legislation and the
specific fight cause was a conf
Dental NAACP letter to its branch
presidents in which Mr.. White ac-
cused Senator McGrath Of turn
ing tail before the Dixiecrats" and
called on Negro leaders to raise
racket" in Washington. One OF
Mr.. Whites underlings passed a
copy of the letter on to Senator
McGrath.
walter" Senator McGrath ex-
planned today. sometimes drives
his friends harder than he does
his enemies. He makes all sorts
of implications of lack of good
faith and intent. I had been
smarting under it for some time
and I blew up."
The White letter. captioned
Important - Immediate - Ur-
gent" was written on February 81.
It said that Southern Democrats
had "bluffed" the rest of the Sen
ate with their fllibuster and that
democratic Senators from out
side the South gave up and sold
the civil rights program down the
river"
G. O. p. Sincerity Questioned.
THE Republicans. Of course"
the letter continued, "are very
pleased and are yelling for action
but they know that they by them
selves cannot do anything, so 1t
Is safe for them to demand this
and that. Some Of them are
sincere, but many Of them are
just playing"
The letter declared now is "the
time to turn the heat on the
Democratic Party" and added:
"The Dixiecrats fought the
civil rights plank at the Demo
cratic National Convention. They
lost. They walked out. They
fought President Truman and the
regular Democratic Party. Again
they lost in November. Never
admitting defeat. they are back
biting civil rights as stubbornly
as they did last June in Phila-
delphia."
AS one step, Mr.. White sug-
gested the appointment of local
committees to visit Democratic
officials ranging from ward COM
mitteeman to Mayor and Cover
nor and impress upon them the
need for Democratic Party action
on the civil rights program.
Letters to McGrath Urged.
AS another step, he suggested
association members write direct
ly to Senator McGrath.
"Tell him." the letter urged. ito
stand up and fight for the people
who voted him and his party into
power. This is the Oldest law in
politics-to take care of the peo-
pie who took care OF you on elec-
ton day.
"McGrath is a politician who
understands hard straight talk.
Say the Negroes will vote against
the Democratic Party nominees in
1850 unless the party fights for
the civil rights program"
Mr.. White had this particularly
to say about Senator McGrath:
"McGrath is not right on the
question of Negro rights. He Is a
trader. He listens sympathetically
to the Dixiecrats. Last spring IN
the Jim Crow regional college fight
he was on the side ofsthe South
erners. Since the election last
November he has ducked and
lodged every discussion Of the civil
rights program. He has never laid
a card on the table. McGrath
forgets he Is q victorious national
chairman today. not because OF the
Dixiecrats, but because Of the sup
port his party got from Negroes
on civil rights issues"
Nasty Telegrams Received.
THAT burned me up, as natur>
ally it would" Senator McGrath
explained today. Then, on top
II ~ csteles FREE! RI