St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1952-02-15


bow to the views Of southern Sen
ators and Congressman. The only
way we can forget that statement
is for the General now TO come out
clearly and forcefully on the is
sue of civil rights.
On their present records, Eisen-
hover, Kefauver, and Taft would
be wholly acceptable to the Dixie
crat elements, and, II they were to
be elected at this time, the north
ern bank of the Potomac River
would be an outpost of the re-
surrected Confederacy In other
words, what General Lee could
not accomplish with the force of
arms. these three, on the basis of
their present stand, would ac-
compEsh by a surrender on civil
rights.
The Republican and Democratic
National Conventions are yet TO
be held. We want these candidates
20 know that In the next few
months they can do much TO win
the support Of the cOlored voters.
Senator Kefauver must make 1t
clear by actions on the Senate
floor that he will vigorously follow
the standard on civil rights set by
the Report Of the Presidents
Committee on Civil Rights in
l947.
Senator Taft, who Is the leader
Of the Republican Party has it in
his power to permit the issue OF
civil rights to come to a vote in
the Senate Of the United States in
this session.
General Eisenhower can now de-
clare that II Is his intention to in
tegrate all OF the American Forces
in Europe and he can accomplish
this forthwith.
Now, let us turn to President
Truman. In his high office, ne has
many opportunities to implement
much of his own civil rights pro-
gram. He has taken valiant steps
to reduce segregation in the
Armed Forces. He has set up two
anti discrimination committees
by executive order. One Of these
committees has the responsibility
OF eliminating job discrimination
in government and the other has
the duty of enforcing non-discrim-
nation clauses in government con-
| tracts
The President also vetoed II. r.
54l1 which contained trick lang
uagc that southern members of
Congress would have used TO re-
quirc segregation In schools on
Army posts.
But We must let the President
know that there Is much that he
can do yet. One Of the most ser.
Ious problems on which he must
act Is In the field Of housing.
There has been a steady and
dangerous trend in the applca-
ton Of racial policies by the
Housing Agencies of the Federal
Government since the u. S. SUI
prcme Court decided the restriC-
tive covenant cases in May Of
1913. When the Court made that
decision, II opened the door for
cOlorcd home seekers to purchase
and use property in any neigh
boThood where there is willing
seller This has resulted in a
steady expansion of the colored
population out Of the racial ghetto
into non-segregatcd housing areas
in communities such as Los An
geles, California; Cleveland. Ohio;
Washington, d. c., and Richmond
Virginia. The chief threat now to
this progress in eliminating Ne
gro ghettos comes from the Fed
eral Government iself through the
operations of the Housing and
Home Finance Agency and its
constituent agencies.
Under the Stun Clearance and
Urban Redevclopment Program
colorcd residents OF some areas
that will be cleared are being
forced to move out while white
persons will be the only racial
group admitted to the new rental
OF sales housing to be erected on
the cleared site.
The number one illustration of
incredible type of discrimination,
: with the assistance of the Federal
Government, is Baltimore, Mary
land, where there are two areas
designated for redevelopment -
one known as the Waverly pro-
ject and the other in the vicinity
Of the Johns Hopkins hospital.
In several cities, public housing
! projects will be built in areas
where colored people have lived
for many years but when the new
projects are completed they will
be designated for white occupan-
cy.
The most critical example Of
this II Savannah, Georgia. In this
community, a number Of colored
families viii be moved from what
Is known as the Old Fort area.
We are advised that, because the
site selected for the housing pro-
Ject In Savannah II of historical
interest city officials have de-
cided that the project must be for