St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1949-11-11

visit to this country had off,
! America was more or leas In
informal and frank conferences
with a group Of well-lrnown Negro
personages.
The meeting which was CO.
ehairmaned BY Or. Ralph nunchs
and Walter White was arranged
at sAe personal request Of panAe
Minister Nshru himself. Ne 70
veaicd that while be had q rather
complete idea Of the general stu
ati=ns facing Americas largest
minority group he desired "a 90
cure . more intimate picture q
the problems confronting Negroes.
Among those present a. ne
gathering which was held AZ tho
home Of Mrs. Robert Lehman. cas-
Park Ave, bcsides hia SISTER
Ambassador vijaya Pandit ana
the chairHnen, were: Mra. Mary
Bethnne, president Of tho Nation-
Al Council, Of Negro Women; Dr.
Mordecai johnson. president a.
Howard university; Gov. wiIiian
HASTE Of the Virgin Ialands. Lea
ter Granger National Urban
league, Judge Irwin G. Mollinon o.
the U. s. Court Of Customs, Roy
wilkins. acting executive secre-
tary Of the NAAcP. DR. Louis
Wright. chairman az the NAACP
board; Or. Robert c. Weaver oE
New York university faculty; AErn.
Robert 1. vann. publisher Of ne
Pittsburgh Courier mrs. Ruth
Rohde, former y. q. Ambassadors
70 Norway vice president o. tho
National League for civil Flights
and mother Of the hostess, Mrs.
Lehman; Mrs. Walter white,
George Weaver Of the National
Starr Of the CIo and Claude A.
Barnett Of Chicago.
DR.. Bunche explained that
Prime Minister Nehru who has
hae little opportunity 10 meet with
Negroes generally during his visit
except the few who attended the
various receptions rendered him.
wished TO secure q cross section Of
opinion in an informal discussion.
He called upon different per-
sons for brief statements cover
lag vR7ious phases Of the place
Of Negroes In American NE.
DR. Bunche, Mrs. Bethune and
DR.. Mordecai johnson gave the
historical background Of the
racial problem here. Gev. HASTE
discussed the legal aspects Of
Of racial restrictions as they at
fected the status Of Negro citi-
zens.
Lester Granger talked Of the
current trends brought about by
the increasing urbanization Of the
Negro.
Mr.. springarn described the
progress made from the viewpoint
of one who had been engaged in
intsrracial activities over a per-
iod Of four decades, while DR.. Ro-
bert Weaver gave a picture Of the
factors involved in
the Negroes struggle.
George Weaver presented q re-
sumo Of the progress along the
labor front. walter White, Roy
wilkins and DR.. Bunche closed the
discussion which had been pune
tuated with keen observations and
questions by Pandit Nehru
Inc Prime Minister explained
that while he had talked about
for racial minorities and
the world problems affecting
color and race in many Of the
numerous addresses he had de-
lvered during his rapid but very
inclusive visit to the United
he had deliberately avoided
the Negro problem
specifically. He said he felt n
would have been highly improper
for him to come into another
especially on an official
visit. and venture 10 criticizs the
internal policies Of that country.
After the meeting. under the
guidance Of DR.. Bmche and Mr..
White, the Nehru party made IN
automobile tour Of Harlan. They
sought. as Or. Bunche expressed
II, 20 show the distinguished viii
Tor hsth tie good and TIE bad.
the constructive and The squalld
sides Of thu ''worid's largest
Negro city"
Nehru expressed his appusula-
ton % khe group for iolnlng h
the oonfsrones and said fhe alier-
noon had provun . most valusnie