Observer_1945-09-30

Page 4 EDITORIAL PAGE S e p t e m b e r 30 , 1945 The OBSERVER I Granger on way me's hall and canteen service; lack In concluding his report to Sec- of regard for the convenience and retary Forrestal, Mr. Granger To South Pacific self-respect of Negro personnel commented: "Constant attention Olftoe ZOl'l N. WDJlalu AftlDDtl, Pert.laDd u, Orecon traveling back and forth from needs to he paid by the Bureau of Telephone WEbster 3840 Lester B. Granger, executive towns adjoining their bases when I Naval Personnel to make certain WILLIAM H. MoOLENDON, Publisher f h J U b . Establlshed lP43 secretary 0 t e ationa! r an on liberty leave; rough handling that in Southern areas especially, The OBSERVER is a valiant defender against segregation and its Leag-ue, left New York on Sep- 1 1 ' of Negro seamen by white shore I commanding officers are doing related evils; a vigilant champion for freedom, equality, Uberty and b 5 h S I justice; an alert guard against all social atrocities; a vitriolic analyst and tpn er 1 t for an Francisco, police, and, in one case, segrega- · their utmost to resist the influence severe critic of discriminatory practices; a sentinel to warn of all impend- Calif., from which city he will tion of Negro seamen in Navy I of local conventions and to bring q retrogressive IIOC1a1 trenda and tendencies. S 5 h The OBSERVER is not financed or subsidized by any partisan group, start overseas on eptember 2 t buses transporting them to and their racial practices up to the orpatatton or lnd1v1dual. for a tour of Naval bases in the f l' b 1 1 1 f h · h · f The OBSERVER bases its whole program on the goal of equality o! . . . . rom t er.ty eave. eve o t ose ot ot er sectwns o opportunity for all minority peoples to share fully in the political, eco- Pactfic. Accompanymg hun on that I Mr. Granger's strongest crit- the country. The wide variance of acmle and publ1c life o! the country. The problema of the Negro people , tour will be Matthew W. Bullock I· . d' t d t th N l racial practt'ces in different South- lball be shown to be related to thoae of other National minority groups ICism was tree e a e ava and to the world tasues created by the War and to the International ar- of Boston, Mass., chairman of the Air Station at Corpus Christi and ern bases shows that a hard-and- I'Ulfrement. l't!IIUlttng after it. Massachusetts State Parole com- at the Naval Mine Depot at York- fa~t rule does not need to be made lhmt. of tU ~~== CAWira'1 NWJIJ4Pf" ~ ,., mittee; Harry McAlpin, White V I 1 d · h d b F- Pa#Jkatiotu. lrw:. p,_ Suvia. 11as. ww ,.,. town, a. n peasant contrast to regar mg w at can an cannot e neenea the right hi print for pubUcatioa all PMW diapatdtee,. featuFea House correspondent for the N a- the Naval Mine Depot were con- done in Southern states. The atti- ucl pbotGt forw.nMci br &h- apnciea or olbenrile credited to them. tiona! Negro Publishers Associa- ditions at the Naval Training and tude of the commanding officer is .._.,s, tion; Lieutenant Robert Roper, Distribution Center at neighboring of primary importance and is more representative of the Bureau of I Camp Peary, Va. In the schools of ~. determining factor than the LEARN A NEW LESSON ~aval Personnel, a.nd Lieutenant and training command of that cen- prevailing civilian customs. Not much attention has been given to those factors (Jg) Sylvester White, representa- 1 ter he found little evidence of NOTICE t~ve of the ~avy's Bureau o,f ~~b-1 rac,ial discrimination though he that are directly responsible for many problems that he InformatiOn. The party s ttm- 1 criticized the fact that no Negro now beset the Negro people here relative to employ- era.r~ i~cludes Pearl ~a-rbor, the 1 instructors had heen assigned to To Whom It ~=r!~· 194 5. ment and housing. The time is getting nearer when Phtltpp111e Islands, Espmtu Santo work in the classes for illiterates many persons will begin to realize that these two in th.e New Hebrides, Manus ls- Iwhere some 700 Negroes are being matters should have received serious study and posi- land in the Admiralties, Guam, I trained. tive actions long before the war moved into its final Tinian and Saipan in the Mari- Better lob Do1te On Ratings anas, and the famed battle islands stages. Many Negroes have become unemployed in The Granger report informed of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. The S F 1 h · recent weeks due to war plant cutbacks and closings. ecretary orresta t at even m party will return to the United d S h b h N · Be f I t th t f th N eep out ases t e avy mam- cause o gross neg ec on e par 0 e egro peo- States about the first of November. . d f . l d d .. b f tame a air v a vance position ple generally on such issues, pro lems o a most per- As personal representative of . h -f . f N 1 111 t e matter o assignment o e- plexing nature have been created for the panacea Secretary Forrestal, Mr. Granger 1 d . . d gro personne to uties m accor - bringers and master minds to solve. will conclude a series of inspections ancc with their training and rating on which he has based a number I Th t C Ch · t' · 't For those who feel that they have the experience . I us, a orpus ns I, Ill SPI e of recommendatiOns to the Navy 1 f th d 1 bl t · · t and ability to deal with these issues successfully, Department for improvement of I' 0 0 e ep ora e shegr.ega lO~IS h · 1 f h h 11 b practices referred to, t e urspectwn t ere are certam essons o t e past t at may we e service conditions affecting Negro d' 1 d Nr d tt Isc ose egro seamen an pe y kept in mind. It is worthwhile to recall the stupidity personnel. The first trip was made I ff' . . h o Icers serv111g 111 sue posts as which the long-time Negro residents of this area d'is- to West Coast installations in · 1 d d' signa man, eep sea Iver, struc- played in matters concerned with improving the gen- June of. this yea.r, and the second tural draftsman, education spe- eral status of Negro workers. The records will show to certa 111 bases 111 the South dur- ciali~t, and storekeeper-the latter ing August. We, the Masons of this area of Prince Hall affiliation, under the jurisdiction of Washington State Grand Lodge and Califontia Grand Lodge and t.heir jurisdic- tions, do not recognize certain spurious organizations established in this area, therefore, we want the public against such parties. Enterprise Lodge No. 1, F. & A. M., and Excelsior Lodge No. 23, F. & A. M., are the only rec– ognized bodies in Portland or Vanport City, Oregon. These lodges meet on the first, second, third and fourth Monday nights of each month at Prince Hall Temple, 116 N. E. Russell St. Signed: CHARLES RAWLINS, W. M. Enterprise Lodge No. I, BOYCE STRA'INE, W. M. Excelsior Lodge No. 23. that only an infinitesimal per cent of the pre-war Ne- having a detail of Negroes and gro population expended a,ny efforts toward collab- Criticizes Condition In I whites assigned under his author- Church Directory • h Southern Bases ity. oratmg wit aggressive and militant migrant Negro In a recent report to Mr. For- Segregation Signs Taken Down war workers in their many struggles to bring about restal, the Urban League executive Before Granger's Arrival better working conditions, job opportunities and pro- severely criticized certain condi-1 In at least one base, the Naval motion privileges. Frequently, persons will be discov- tions which he found in Southern I Repair Base in New Orleans, the ered parading themselves before the unknown as Naval bases-condition~ which he Urban League executive was in– great benefactors of their people. Truthfully, the con- described as being "sharply at var- formed by Negro seamen that "For tributions most of these individuals made during the iance with the Navy's official rae- Colored" signs had been taken ial policy." On the basis of obser- down by a detail sent around a entire war was to keep the enmituous whites and vations made at the Naval Air Sta- day O'r so before the arrival of the others of the opposition informed on the next in- tion, Corpus Christi, Texas, the inspecting party. In commentig on tended move of frienzied Negroes seeking an immed- Naval Repair Base, New Orleans, this fact, Mr. Granger referred to iate release from oppression. La., and the Naval Mine Depot at it as oeing absolutely pointless in This sort of activity was carried on for many rea- Yorktown, Va., Mr. Granger de- view of the fact that his inspection dared to the Navy Secretary "Sev- methods carry him throughout sons. The chief ones being, first, the established Ne- era! of the activities which I vis- shops and barracks where he has gro Portlanders, in attempting to be sophisticated and ited seemed to surrender Navy a chance to talk freely with Negro astute, echoed without questioning the vile utterances standards to the racial practices personnel without any officers be– of prejudiced whites who resented and resisted the and prejudices of their surround- ing around to listen in on the con– influx of Negro war workers. Secondly, the older res- ing communities." Among the vio- versations. This unsupervised in– idents felt no loyalty or allegiance to the newcomers, lations of official policy which he terviewing met h o d encourages even • though their positions in American life were reported were extreme racial segre- completely frank conversations gation, emphasized by such signs with the Negro personnel and similar. In fact, an enormous amount of the unfavor- as. 'For Colored Enlisted Person- many facts embarrassing to local able pro~aganda. that .was circulated in white quar- nel'; segregation of Negro from I commands have thereby been dis– ters agamst the mcommg Negroes was done because white personnel in film shows, closed. MT. OLIVET BAPI'IST CHURCH N. E. First Avenue & Schuyler Portland, Oregon BBTIIEL CIIURCII. A. M. E. N. McMlllen and Larrabee Portland, Oregon ST. PHILIPS CHUROB Epl8copal N. E. Knott and RodneJ Port1and, Oregon AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL ZION CHURCH 2007 N. Wil.l1ama Ave. Portland, Oregon CATHOLIC CHAPEL of the LITTLE FLOWBB Inter-Raclal 21 N. E. Broadway Rev. Jerome M. Schmitz, Chaplain Miss Doris Reynolds, Catechist SERVICES: Sunday, Mass and Sermon, 9 A. M. Wednesday, Novena Devotions: 8:00P.M. THE PEOPLE'S COMMUNITY BAPTIST CHURCH NE 74th Avenue and Gllsan Street (Take the Montavilla Car and get off a.t 73d Avenue) Rev. R. E. Donaldson; Minister, 752-i NE Everett St. Phone TA 1169. McKinley McNeal, Sunday School Superintendent. the self-styled good Negroes of Portland had voiced their distaste over having more of their people move the overtur~s .at adju~tment that must be made be- cHURCH oF GOD IN CHRIST into the community. This ridiculous attitude was tween confhctmg factions. 1207 s. w. Front Avenue Th • t'h f th · bl Rev. B. M. McSwain, Pastor revelled in since it appeared that the "old' timers" us we preceive e crux O e major pro em Devotional services at 12 noon and were safe from any of the economic- mishaps that now existent on the local scene: Will it be possible to a p. m. sundays. weekly services, might suddenly confront the newer arrivals. have the many cliques of a disentegrated and con- Tuesdays a.nd Fridays, 8 p. m. Believe it or not, at one time Negro residents act- f~sed Ne~ro population reach the point that they can ually assembled in meetings and discussion groups to ?Issolve ~Ifferences t~at have all the symptoms of be– decry the infiltration of more ~egro citizens into the mgThflabmi~g anta~omsms? same community. In the meantime the new Negroes e asic pr~gi am to be launc~ed now_ to offse~ fu~were already compelled to wrestle with reactionary j ther accent~abon. of. these previously discuss~ Ills IS white trade union bosses and a hostile local white pop- one that will be designed to teach Negroes m every ulation for the right to help win the war. As a result, walk of life that their real struggles are not against th t "t th N 1 · d" 1 one another. now a um y among e egro peop e IS excee mg y necessary, many members of this group will find themselves unable to become reconciled to accepting YOUNG PEOPLE'S CHURCH M1ll Plain Recreation Center "WELCOME" Young People's Meeting 6:00 P.M. Church 7:30P.M. Pastor-Rev. C. S. Steams Residence 5516-B East 13th St. McLoughlin Heights WEST SIDE CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST 338 N. W. Fifth & Flanders Sunday School 10 a. m. Service 12 noon YPWW 6:30p.m, Evening Service 8 p. m. Rev. J_ C. Lewis, Pastor