St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1952-05-02

ub AsiAH "" OONtg ~ " Il lAAdN w
had been a member of organiza-
tons listed by the Attorney Cen
eral as subversive.
Walter White, Lester Granger,
Congressman William Dawson,
Ralph Bunche an a score of other
leading Negrooes denounced the
smear attack on Mrs. Bethune.
Mrs. Bethune is the third Ne
gro Of national Importance to be
attacked because of alleged af-
fihations with organizations on
the Attorney-G Generals list. Fed
eral Circuit Judge William Has
tie was the first and Claiming
Tobias, alternate delegate to the
U. N. from the U. s. the second.
Mrs. Bethune is considered Ameri-
cas- leading Negro woman.
DR.. Bethune, who is considered
one of the leading Negro educa-
tors in the United States, was to
have appeared at Englewood
Junior High School at a meeting
sponsored by the Women's Au'il-
larry OF the Henry Douglas Post So,
American Legion. Instead, she
spoke at a privately sponsored
meeting in the Bethany Presby-
terrain church.
The charges against DIR. Be-
thune were presented to the Board
of Education and the Legion aux
Hilary by the Engiewood Anti.
Communist League. As a result,
the board and the auxiliary an
nounced jointly that the meeting
would be postponed until DR.. Be.
thune had cleared herself"
The decision made by the aux
iIiary was formulated after the
local organization had asked thu
advice of the American Legior
headquarters at Indianapolis. A
telegram received by Mrs. Leon
ard Davis, president OF the auxil
larry, advised her to proceed with
caution" in view of the Legion'I
policy on matters Of American
ism"
After the auxiliary had made
it's decision, county and state Of
ficials Of the Legion Immediately
Cancelled their scheduled appear
ances. This action was followed by
the Joint conference at which the
board ruled that permission for
DR.. Bethune TO speak in the
school had been rescinded until
the question Of subversive affilia'
tons had been answered.
Soon after II was learned that
DIR. Bethune had been barred from
speaking, Walter White, executive
secretary Of the National Assocla-
ton for the Advancement Of Col
ored People, Informed Mayor NJ.
Leslie Dennlng that the assOcla-
ton was amazed and distressed
at the action"
Mr.. White declared that the
charges were absurd and I'M
worthy of consideration in an en-
Iightened community" He assert
ed that DR.. Bethune "is a distin-
guished American who has served
her nation effectively and loyalty
and that TO bar her aids Commu-
mist propaganda, which exploits
such needless discrimination"
DR.. Bethune was appointed d.
rector Of the Negro division of the
National Advisory Committee OF
the National Youth Administra-
ton by President Franklin D.
Roosevelt and was also special
consultant TO the Secretary of
War on officer candidates TO the
Woman's Army Auxiliary Corps.
Mrs. Roosevelt once described
her as being symbolic Of 1.-THE
spirit which all Of us today want
TO be conscious"
Four Twin City Negro leaders
though declining at this time to be
quoted were incensed at the at
tack on Mrs. Bethune. One, a war
veteran attacked the American
Legion national office at Indian
apolis for spending time and
money fighting and chasing Com
munists and fellow travellers but
neglecting TO get its own house in
order on the race question.
The latter leader said there are
Stlli States "HtTt HO ANtBiO may
join the American Legion. He said
that the Legion has refused to do
anything about the barring Of
American Of Negro ancestry from
the 40 and 8, Legion fun auxiliary.
The war veteran said that If the
Legion really wants to do some
thing to fight Communism II
ought to clean up its own prac-
tees and then 1t will have clean
hands instead of attacking Ne
groes like Mrs. Bethune who
fight and resent race discrimina-
ton.
Any organization which claims
II is the chief advocate of Ameri'
canism and dooes not take steps
with its own organization to END