1941-01-31

---:; Under Special Dispensation Puget Sound Lodge Elks No. 109 will receive new members at $3.50 each. Former mell!bers may rein– state for $2.50 each. This dispensation will expire March 1, 1941. Be an Elk and join the March of Progress. E. R. Chainey, Ex•. Ruler W. E. Vrooman, Sec. SEATTLE, WASIITNGTON, FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 1941 PRICE: 5c Per Copy !.,__-----------~ Andy 1\ir~ Plays To Packed House At Comet Theatre 23 States Protest Jim Crow Defense Japan Has Rights (Washington Afro-American) According to news reports, Ja– pan expects this year or· next to take over the Dutch East Indies. Tennessee Protest NAACP Rushes Congressional Probe Wired Washington jOf Discrimination In National Defense Chattanooga, Tenn.-Scores of I telegrams and letters, representing the united expression of Negro cit– izens in every walk of life here, were sent this week to President Roosevelt and Congressional Rep– resentatives from Tennessee, pro– testing the discrimination against Negroes who have been denied Andy Kirk and his famous , Clouds of Joy took over the mam-1 moth stage of the Comet theater Wednesday and proved to the man– agement that real name bands will pay dividends in this city. Featuring the talents of three St. Louis products, Edward Inge, Harold Baker and Floyd Sfith, the aggregation thrilled the packed house with hit after hit. Though the voice of Pha Terrill, the lad whose rendition of "Until th~ Real Thing Comes Along" made the band famous seasons ago in Kansas City, was missing, the aggregation relied upon torrid vo- New York-Mass meetings pro– testing government-sponsored dis– crimination against Negro citizens under the national defense pro– gram will be held in twenty-three states on Sunday, January 26, ac– carding to r eports received here at the office of the National Asso– ciation for the Advancement of Colored People. Since Holland is now in German hands and Holland's protector, England, is having great difficulty in keeping out of Hitler's clutches Japan is not expected to have much opposition except from the United States. What this opposition amounts to jobs in defense industry. The nation-wide protest cam– paign which is sponsored by the NAACP through its branches, will find outlets in the following cities according to a preliminary survey: can be understood from avowals of both Willkie and Roosevelt that According to Mrs. Daisy E. Lampkin, field secretary of the National Association .for the Ad- we a r e not ready or willing to fight unless this country is attack- ed. vancement of Colored People, who New York City, Brooklyn, The Bronx, Jamaica and Peekskill, N. Y.; Detroit, Mich.; Wilmington, Del.; Monroe, La.; Charlotte ~d is here conducting a membership If Japan marches into these drive, Negro citizens here are tired Dutch Islands close to the Phil- of being turned away from factory ippines, we see no re;u;on to shed gates in defense industries located tears. Rocky Mount, N. C.; Montclaire, We believe in America for Arne– Elizabeth, Newark and Jersey Ci- ricans. Why not Asia for the Asia- June Richmond ty, N. J .; Springfield, Mass.; Hart- l tics? We have no more right to re- Floyd Smith, the Mound City's ford, C~nn.; Chicago, Ill.; Newport sist Japanese control of Asia than favorite son, gave a solid almost-! R . I .; Plttsburg and Parsons, Ka~.; Japan has to rese~t our. policy of talking guitar interpretation of To~edo, N~wark and Akron, Ohw ; the Monroe Doctnne wh1ch keeps "Moon Glow" followed by his "Gui- Ph1ladelph1a, Pa.; Tulsa, Okla.; Pa- foreigners out of Canada, Mexico tar Blues" that all but had the ducah, Ky.; vVaterloo, Ia.; Shef- , and North America. mob hanging from the lights. field, Ala.; Nashville and Chatta- We think Japan will do far bet- in and near Chattanooga, and want the President to take action in the matter. Mrs. A. B. Butler New York-Plans for obtaining a Congressional investigation of the treatment of Negro citizens under the national defense program will be ironed out in Washington early next week when Walter White arrives in the Capital Mon– day, January 28 for a three-day stay, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peo- ple announced today. The association seeks to have in– troduced in Congress a resolution calling for a Senate investigation of discrimination practiced against Negro citizens in every phase of the Government's defense program. The investigation will cover the de– nial of jobs to Negroes in defense industry, particularly those holding Government defense contracts; dis– crimination against Negro youth seeking vocational training, segre– gation in the Army, Navy, Army Air Corps, Army medical reserve, and in the operation of the draft law under local draft boards. The resolution will call for holding pub- nooga, Tenn.; Denver, Colo. ; Cairo I ter by the East Indies than the Mary Lou swung mightily forth Ga.; Omaha, Nebr.; Bakersfield, Dutch have done. The telegrams have come from organized church groups, minis– ters, union workers, women and young people. One letter sent to Representative Estes Kefauver, whose home is located here was signed by 204 Negro citizens in– cluding twenty-five ministers. The letter said in part: Mrs. A. B. Butler, a resident of Seattle continuously for the past 30 years. She is a charter member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Lady's Auxiliary, Lewis Ford Post 289 and at present is serving her third consecutive term as presi- lie hearings. on "The Girl That Swings the and San Diego, Calif. Under Dutch rule, the rich is- Band," and June's best was her dent. She was three times presi- Mr. White will confer with Sena– dent Ladies Auxiliary John Tan- tors who are favorable to the in– "We are protesting against the lands are exploited for oil, rice and N 5 Sp · hAm · w Andy Kirk "Dark Town Strutter's Ball." The band is swinging as strong– ly and as evenly as before with ' the tall, lanky maestro doing the fronting. Tommie James, genial owner of the Comet, promises to give St. cals by hefty June Richmond and Louisianas more of this type of the swingy ivory tickling of Mary stage show throughout the year. Lo" ~filliam-" tb kP-ep things in the groove. It is the .on""-n.:~us of opinion that the residents of this city want Henry "Dicky" Wells, trombon- and appreciate hearing name bands ist, is now filling the vacancy left from the comfortable seats of their by Terrill but his voice falls short neighborhood theater. of the smooth, free deliverance of Andy Kirk and his famous the singing star now at Club De- "Clouds of Joy" are billed at the Lisa in Chicago. Senator Auditorium, 7th and Union Wells' voice is good, but he sings Sts. in Seattle on the 17th of with a self consciousness that does- February. Duke Browning who n't register wel-l on numbers as made a special trip to Hollywood "I'll Get By." "Now I Lay Me to book this famous band, also Down to Dream,'' made famous booked the well-known "Ink Spots" by the unforgetable Pha. for a. later date. NAACP's Barred from Spell Jury Roland C. Bartlett For Lower Carfare Bridgeport, Conn.- Solely on the ground that he had at one time been a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Robert A. Three and a half cent car fare Thompson on Wednesday was ex- cluded from the jury panel sitting for children, one hour transfer any in the trial of Joseph Spell, 31 _ .direction and four hours on Sunday 'year-old chauffeur and butler, is the promise of Roland C. Bart– whose white socialite employer, lett, candidate for mayor. Mrs. John K. Strubing, Jr. charges . that he raped her three times on Tuskegge Strike Over the night of last December 10. Thompson, an employee in a Io- Tuskegee, Ala- The strike here cal shoe shining and hat cleaning over f ood came to a n end Sunday establishment, was one of two Ne- night, January 19th, according to gro prospective jurors examined President F. D. Patterson. Classes by the state and the defense, from were normally resumed Monday a list of 33 persons, during the morning. Italy Calls Youth discrimination being shown Negro ner 0 • • ams encan ar, · minerals._ Holland has repeatedly Veterans and 30 years a member workers in this area, in the na- refused reforms and publicly an- and deacon ss of F'rst A M E tiona! defense program. As our e 1 · · · Milan, Italy-Things have been nounced tha t even in war times Church. · b dl Representative, we are insisting gomg so a Y with Italy in Africa there is no danger in refusing to Mrs. Butler has 1· 0 m·ed County that you use your office to bring that Mussolini dispatched to the grant concessio:t~s. Auditor Earl Millikin in his cam- f t th· presure on the industries which ron IS week 20 thousand boy I Of the 40,000 islands military paign for ·mayor. Joined with have been awarded contracts in voluteers, all of whom are under forc es, only 2,000 are natives, and George Moore they will feature 21 t h I the national defense program. We . ,. o e P. fill the rapidly dimin- ~ these a re "ha ndkerchief heads,•• Mr. Millikin in a rally at Ma- have the list of these industries 1shmg Italian ranks. The youn- chosen with great care to keep na- sonic Hall 21st and E. Jefferson. t h 1 be a,nd we are sure that you have the s "rs ave on Y en trt..ined for a,. tiv~s frOJl. i:!uc.l ''fUH.iity mfec- Friday, February i at' 8 p. m. f ths · same. If you want more informa- ew mon m camps in northern tion. All kinds of refreshments, liquid It I tion along this line, we shall be a Y· · (Continued on Pa:-e Four} and otherwise will adorn the ta- glad to send it. As a citizen of EDITORIAL I Chattanooga we are sure that you bles which Mrs. Butler is prepar– are well aware of the <Conditions ing for the big feast following the confronting the Negro here. We roily. Good Neighbors Quartette will furnish music. Fifteen canditates have entered the race for mayor of Seattle. They are all good men and deserve to be elected for the high honor they seek, because each candidate has said so himself. shall be pleased to hear from you r--------------, as to what steps you will- take." The letter was signed by Dr. P. A. Stephens, president of the local N . A. A C P. branch and 203 other County Auditor Earl Millil{in who has qualifications befitting a mayor of Seattle, will bring his message in person to Seat– Seattle is a growing city and in the course of the next citizens, including twenty~five min- tie's colored voters next Friday few years will loom large in national importance. It will need isters. night, Feb. 7. He will speak at the most capable man it can get as its executive. A letter setting forth the facts a lUillikin for Mayor rally in were also sent to Robert c. Weav- the Masonic Hall, 21st and E. All the candidates will not fit perfectly the specifications er, administrative assistant in the Jefferson. which the people required when they elected Arthur B .. Advisory Commission to the Coun Come out and see what Seat- Langlie. They certainly are in no mood today to lessen those cil of National Defense. qualifications. Scanning the faces of the many candidates A letter protesting the refusal of . and accepting their own personal version of their qualifica- I the Stillwoll Construction . Com- t . ld t b ff' · · . pany of Macon Ga. to hire Ne- wns, wou no e su Icient reason for denymg their entry. ' ' tie's next mayor looks like and enjoy free refreshments and a musical program put on by his friends in this community. groes in construction work at Fort No see r is necessary to immediately place s ome of them Oglethorpe, Ga., was sent to sen- D F W p • k th " 1 " A r. . . en1c among e a so rans. utomatically it relieves the elec- ator Kenneth McKellar and to torate the necessity of peeking behind the sce~1es. Representative Kefauver, by mem- Celebrates First If our democracy was real, neither would it be necessary bers of Local 2216, United Broth- Anni'versary f · erhoo-d of Carpenters and Joiners or any mmority- Catholics, Jews or Negroes to scrutinize of America (A. F. L.), whose the past of those who seek executive positions. Luckily if headquarters ,are in Chattanooga. By Joe Staton d t f . d th f A year ago, F ebruary, the late we o no m e names o any whose signature adorn a The letter said the company "ab- Dr. L. K. Williams, president of treaty guaranteeing rights to some which it denies to others. solutely refused to ·employ Negro the National Baptist Convention, Discriminatory acts of public officials are tmforgiveable. wo_rkmen, evenff'l~htoudgh ~the tahre Inc., and Dr. w. D. Carter, r ecom- Th · ty f f unwn men a 1 1a e w1 e . . e mce o some o their acts conceal a latent danger. The American Federation of Labor." 1 mended to Mount Zwn Baptist rank stupidity of others would shock the conscience of the Church of Seattle, ·the Rev. Dr. The local br anch of the N. A. A. t . W p . k th f ....__ d Vii h . If Foun a1n . enlC , en o l!l'va n- e llDSe • C. P. will sponsor a huge mass ston, Illinois. m eeting protesting defense dis- Mount Zion called Dr. Penick crimination on Sunday, when and after one month of trial ser– vestigatipn in an effort to get the resolution introduced as quickly as possible, the announcement said. "We are particularly anxious,'' the NAACP secretary said, "to get bonafide cases of discrimina– tion backed up by signed affidavits from those who have sought jobs in defense industries, in order that we may produce accurately the volume of information that we' know is available on this subject." W. E. Vrooman Ends 55 Happy Birthdays In her beautiful home, 1674 21st Ave., fittingly decorated for the occasion, Mrs. Jennie Vrooman was hostess to her husband as she led him to an elaborate dinner in honor of his 55th birthday, placing him just thiS slde of his goal, three score years. With the W. E. Vrooman past two days. Both Negroes were But the strike did not end with- Pro Bono Publico certainly is not the real motive behind excluded. The Rev. James W. Wat- out some penalties. Fifty five the many filings. Neither the bus transfers which aggravate son was rejected Tuesday, January students were actually suspended the women and kids. The Pot of Gold at the end of the rain- 22 by the state's Attorney ~orin and twenty were put on probation. bow is the appointment of the chief of police for a term of W. Willis, after the minister had It is admitted here that at least five years. R e :r;nove that office from the hand.'3 of the mayor answered "No," in response to Wil- 1,400 boys and girls took part in speakers will voice the demands of the ·citizens ,and more letters and telegrams of protest will go out to Washington. mons was so pleased, the church same nic:ety of precision, placed demanded he keep .the position. To opposit him, his elder friend and please Dr. Penick, whom Seattle brother, Mr. Gus West. lis's question, asking him if he the r ebillion against the food and and candidates would have to be drafted. would "be embarrassed" by serv- service in the dining room which Fewer than 100 Negroes in Seattle are bound hand and ing as a juror in the case. Thomp- they termed was too strict. ',Che ! foot to any candidates. These few would lead you without son was excluded by Judge Carl highway patrolman who had to be any regard for your future security. Foster after he answered the ques- called in to quell the disturbance, Fearless! 'th t d f 't f t . b st t . Att w - 11 . d' t c t M w K' y, WI ou any r egar or 1 s own sa ety, the wn y a e s orney 1 1s, as accor mg o ap . . . 1m- r . . . . • . to whether he was a m ember of brough except the two who are No thwest Enterpnse accepts Its miSSIOn as a sacre d obhga- the NAACP, by stating that al-l regula;ly on duty in the vicinity. tion, nor will its bugle ever sing truce. though he was not a member of Candi~ates may appe ar before you seeking your vote. the association at the present time j pointed out that to bar T~ompson They will tell you plenty. When they assume office, you he had been a member a few years on such a ground, would m effect will be mailed a letter of regret. Their promises do not ago. bar practically all Negroes in N ew Willis then pointed to Thurgood England, because of the associa- amount to much anyway. Befo~e the y l e ave _you, supp~se Marshall, NAACP attorney , asso- tion 's la r ge m embership in this you back the Northwest Enterprise up by plymg them With ciated with Friedma n in the case, area. this que ry: What have you done and what will you do to ad– who was seat ed at the counsel ta- Judge Foster, after hearing both vance the cause of Negroes in securing employment in gov– ble, sa ying tha t the NAACP was sides, said: "If this man is not ernment defense works which now bar them? The y may be interes ted in the defense of the chosen, no harm will be done ; if case and for that reason Thomps on he is chosen h arm might be done." able to d eliver your ple a; you can't e v e n approach them. should be ba rred from s erving. He then excused Thomps on. Fried- 3,000 votes intelligently used ·may mean some candid- Protesting vigorously, Friedman (Continuea on Page Four) ate 's future s e curity. Picket Jim Crow Inaugural Concert Washington, D. C.- Protesting against the Jim Crow program of entertainment set up for Negroes by the Inauguration Committee which made plans for President Roosevelt's third inaugural here last Monday, representatives of twenty-six organizations, including the local branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People picketed the De– partmental auditorium on Monda y evening, where a "special" musical concert was held for the benefit of N egro visitors. had already learned to love, the ' Guests and close frien<ls of the church and parsonage were r efin- honored two showered the prin– ished and new furniture purchas- cipals w ith warm felicitations and ed for the parsonage. good wishes for many more happy During the twelve short months, years, share and share alike: To Mount Zion has experienced the W. E. Vrooman for 55 happy bir– most successful y ear in its history. thdays; to Mr. Gus West who One hundred and six people have boastfully points with pride to joined the church, s ix thousand three gererations. West, affection– dollars ($6,000) raised, two lots ately called "uncle Gus" by his adjacent the <Church purshasel as close friends, arived at the party a sight for future recrea:tional pur- a happy grandfather. poses and literally hundreds have Card tables arr anged about a returned to the fold. "Fountain of Youth,'' k ept the Among the cultural events were merry crowd happy and ended a t he entertaining of the Goodwill pleasant evening for other guests, Group of the Na tiona l Baptist Misses Birdie Morris, Zelma Win– Convention consisting sixty-five slow, Marion Fulmighter, Oliver nationally known ministers and Docket and Mr. Ruse! Smith, leav– Christian work ers ; delegates were ing Vrooman and West -to ponder sent from Mount Zion to the Nat- over the many gifts on a happy (Continued On P r..ge Four) birthday. Musicians Jam Sessiori; 35 Arlisls. Moore Thealer Sunday1Three p. m.