St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1950-04-14

EcAlS REPRESENTING iauoN uihotAS
protested vigorously for four days
the barring of Mrs. Robson from
speaking at the community house.
Board action came after John
Louis, public relations director Of
the Council Of Social Agencies and
other officials received telephone
call protests against Mrs. Robe
sons being allowed TO speak at
the house, which Is supported by
the Community Fund.
The most vocal protests are said
to have come from Mrs. Joseph
Eldred, 214 Humboldt Ave. NJ, an
active member of the Glenwood
Civic League.
John Louis conferred with MEM
bers of the Negro community on
the matter after he had informed
Charles d. Fist, president Of the
board, of opposition TO Mrs. Robe
sons appearance. Louis told this
newspaper that the council had
received 25 phone calls, all Of
which were anonymous except
two.
The house auditorium was rent
ed to the group, as It has been
for a number of months. There Is
no set rule at the house which
bars any organization because Of
political beliefs, Henry Thomas,
head resident, explained. All poll
teal parties have used the house
auditorium from time TO time on
a rental basis, Mr.. Thomas said.
Because Of the admitted pres
sure Of the Council of Social Agen-
cies. the board was called to q
special meeting Friday, April Z.
After a two hour session the
directors voted eight to six to bar
Mrs. Robson from the use Of the
house auditorium.
Negro leaders in the community
serving on the board supported
by Fred Hadley, manager of the
Sumner Field Homes, fought to
allow Mrs. Robson to speak on
the grounds that the Civil Rightn
Congress had previously used the
accommodations; that closing 1t
to Mrs. Robson would be a denial
OF free speech and that such clos
ing would be misunderstood by
the community Wheatley House
serves.
Might Cause Violence
Opponents argued that permits
sion for Mrs. Robson to speak at
the house might cause violence
from unnamed sources; that Mrs.
Robson was a Communist; that
such a meeting would give the
house a bad name and that the
Council of Social Agencies might
withdraw financial support from
the agency.
Roll Call Vote Held
After a thorough discussion,
the board had a roll call vote TO
decide the issue. On this vote.
eight members voted against al
lowing the meeting to be held at
the house.
They were: Mrs. John Mathys,
Mrs. J. X. Mortland, Mrs. John
Bridge, Mrs. e. S. MoOers, Mrs.
Avis Chase, Mrs. J. Frank Fraser,
Mrs. Paul Curry and Mrs. Earle
Kyle.
Voting to allow Mrs. Robson
to speak were: Clifford Rucker,
Fred Hadley, Mrs, Mae Marshall,
Mrs. Helen Whiteside, Raymond
w. Cannon and Cecil Newman.
Not voting was Wendell C. Jones,
She Speaks at CLIO. Hall
and University
Cancellation Of the house date
made it necessary for the Civil
Rights Congress to seek another
place to hold the meeting. After
considerable negotiation a small
hall at CLIO. Hall was secured.
The meeting was held Tuesday
night and a crowd of 300 Negroes
and whites heard Mrs. Robson.
Earlier in the day she spoke at
Coffman Memorial at the Univer-
sity Of Minnesota.
Storm Of Protests Begin
When the daily press reported
the action of the Wheatley board,
a storm of protests arose from
Negro and interracial organiza-
tons.
NAACP Raps Action
The Minneapolis N. A. A. c. p,
through its president William
Cratic, strongly protested the ac-
ton Of the board Of directors in a
letter to board president Chas. d.
Fist.
The NAACP said:
while the NAACP is not in