The Informer and Texas Freeman (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 48, No. 10, Ed. 1 Saturday, January 17, 1942 Page: 1 of 16
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Colored Carnegie Library,
Fred erick and Robin St.,
Houston, Texas.
Z-1
HOUSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
HOUSTON, TEXAS
OS LOUIS K. O.’s BAER
PROBESL
INFORMER
28 Soldiers Hurt,
3,000 LoseFreedom;
Army Officials Mum
en
By FRANK A. YOUNG, Jr.
(Exclusive Informer Release)
“WE HAVE MET THE ENEMY
AND THEY ARE OURS.”
(From a famous message)
ALEXANDRIA, Louisiana.—Rapides Parish, where
Alexandria sits knee deep in the Pelican State’s northlan
country, steeped in Southern ideals and heritages, ran the
Gods a close chase for GLORY Sunday evening past, when
the Bear-precipitated riot cost 28 NEGRO SOLDIERS in-
jury. two of them seriously and de-
prived 3,000 or more of their army
I S 9
EDITION
1
TEXAS
VOLUME 48—NUMBER 10
par.
and
in
ally
en-
who
iat
ried
brethren, freedom of the city.
They rest, with military restric-
tions, within the confines of the
three camps in the nearby terri-
tory. None but enlisted married
men are privileged to leave the
camps, and then only with special
permission.
The Army, until Wednesday, as
we go to press, has absolutely re-
fused to make any 'statement re-
garding the matter, either formally
or other wise, except to say that
every “fair and considerate" means
is being employed to gain a
thorough investigation of the af-
fair. Even the police are being
questioned, one by one.
Much is being Mid and much
rumored and the local situation
once seething, but now cooled
down, apparently is well in hand.
The only GOD-FEARING civilian
in the city. Editor Drew of the
Daily Town Talk, had an interest-
ing editorial in Tuesday evening’s
paper, which reads for itself:
"DON’T BELIEVE THE WORST
(Editorial)
Reports have flooded the city,
this newspaper, and to some ex-
.tent the entire country regard-
ing the Negro soldier riot in
Alexandria Saturday night. These
reports say an undetermined
number of soldiers were killed.
We see no point in the army’s
telling anything but the truth and
we believe the army told the
truth when it, through a spokes-
man yesterday, twice denied there
were any deaths.
The riot, despite wartime
partial censorship, is of consider-
able interest here and every-
2 where in this country as indicat-
ed by messages from far and
See SOULDERS Page 8, Col. «
ANTONE FEARS
S NAVY ON
ANA SOLDIER RIOT
»m^ FINDS NO
vormer SOLD
===== ARE DEAD
FREEMAN
*
*
HOUSTON, TEXAS, SATURDAY, JANUARY 17, 1942
PRICE: 6c City; 10c Elsewhere
BAR NEGROES FROM SCHOOL
BAWDY —-----------
HOUSES
RAIDED
FOR VICTORY
HOUSTON SCHOOL
OFFICIALS BRING
HITLERISM TO CITY
Third Ward
Area To Get
Drainage
HOUSTON.—A plan whereby the
area bounded by Leeland, Ala-
bama, Dowling and Scott Streets
will be offered improved drainage
was adopted by the city council
January 8th, it was learned in
a communication to the Third Ward
Civic Club from Duncan Neblett,
city secretary.
The plan submitted by J. G. Tur-
ney, director of Public Works,
provides that authorization be
granted for the preparation of plans
and acquisition of required right
of way for the opening and clean-
ing out of Country Club Bayou
from Altic Street west to a point
where main line ditches on va-
rious streets within the perscribed
area can be drained in the bayou.
Mr. Turney points out that this is
not the best way to provide ade-
quate drainage, but suggests that it
appears to be the only solution in
face of the prohibitive construction
cost of storm sewers. He asserted, in
his report to Council, that the plan
would furnish much better drainage
than that now available.
Mr. Turney's report was submit-
ted December 31, 1941. He said
it approved, the work could be done
during 1942.
The Third Ward Civic Club had
been negotiating with council to pro-
vide better drainage for some time.
Announcement of the plan is the
fruit of their effort and set the
club off on a good start to equal
the meritirious achievements in
1941.
Houstonian
On Ship Hit
In Jap Sneak
HOUSTON.—Antone Fears, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Fears, 1403 ■
Press Street, was on one of the
torpedoed U. S. Warboats at the
time of the sneak attack on Pearl
Harbor, according to a statement
made by his father, .
Mr. Fears, prosperous fifth ward
resident said, ‘‘I have not recieved
any word from Antone, however,
I have received a reply from a
letter which I sent to the U. S.
Navy Department. This reply stat-
ed that the Navy Department had
received no word other than
Antone was alive and well. Antone
has been in the Navy for several
years, and was an extremely popu-
lar student of Wheatley High Sch-
ool before joining the Navy.
Mr. Fears, an S P. Switchman
for many years, said, that one of
his co-workers at Shreveport, re-
cieved word at the time of the
Pearl Harbor attack that his son
was missing, but the confident
father answered with a laugh, and
said: “My boy was reared in the
Red river. My boy will very de-
finitely swim to shore.” Three
weeks later the father received
word that his boy did swim the
two and one-half miles to land.
Negro Citizens
To Memorialize
Life of Rosenwald
Sponsored by a Committee of the
YMCA and the Blue Triangle YWCA,
Negro citizens of Houston will mem-
orialize the life and services of
the late Julius Rosenwald merchant
and philantropist who during his
life time gave millions to foster
rural schools for Negroes of the
South; and besides hundreds of
thousands of dollars toward the
construction of modern Negro Y. M.
C. A. Building in 25 centers thru-
out the United States.
This will be the tenth such pro-
gram conducted by Negroes of
See CITIZENS, Page S, Col.
soon
HOUSTON.—150 policemen this thouh
week staged a modern blitzkrieg MA R 9
on the vice dens of the city, arrest-0
ing some 115 persons. A soonse)
Raids, made under the direction
of Police Chief Ray Ashworth came AUB
at the request of Paul V. McNutt,%
director of the Office of Defense,
Health and Welfare ServicMc-A:
Nutt had written Chief Ashworth
informing him that the government SOU
is concerned with the situation in M 1
Houston "because the army is be-
ing denied the many asne)
men who should be in the prime N
of life and at the height of phy- MO IN
sical powers." *
63 women arrested were classedAN
as prostitutes. 10 colored maids IBOMA
taken well MST
many Negro porters among the 42
men apprehended. F
Three of Houston's most gilt-is
edged houses of prostitution were IBAS
raided. One of them is known to
have $30,000 worth of antique fur-T FSEAEn
niture.
In connection with the raid, po-NET
lice surprised the establishment at I F
208 Bastrop, rumored among many
of the people in town as being op-FNAS,
erated by persons of Negro origin I 5 •
who have goner ‘across the eline’ ■
and do not socialize with colored F
Bea BAWDY, Page 8, Col. s ------
Red Cross Calls
“A Symbol of
n
dice
many
Iduy
NEW YORK.—The American Red Cross has stated that it not only does not want,
but does not need the blood of Negro donors for wounded sailors and soldiers. It did not
stop there, but declared that individual prejudices should be respected as a symbol of
democracy.
In a letter to Dr. E. R. Alexander of this city, December 30, S. Sloan Colt, director of
Council Of Negro
Organizations Set
Up At Dallas Meet
DALLAS.—Representatives of major Negro organiza-
tions from over the state met here Saturday and formed a
Council of Negro Organizations of Texas. A. Maceo Smith
was elected chairman and L. I. Brockenbury, secretary.
Meeting primarily to discuss the questions of educa-
tional inequalities in Texas and
national defense, the Council by
unanimous vote adopted a four-
oint program:
1. To seek a standard State uni-
versity, with liberal arts college,
graduate and professional studies
and all the other facilities inicdent
of the operation of a standard uni-
versity.
2. To seek the strengthening of
Prairie View as a college of agri-
•ulture, mechanic arts, homemaking
with approproate graduate studies,
See COUNCIL, Page s, Col.1
Name School
For Late Mrs.
Mabel Wesley
(See PICTURE, Fage 2)
HOUS T O N. — To honor the
TEXAS BAPTIST
CONVENTION MEETS
(By CONVENTION REPORTER see representatives from all sec-
TYLER.—Tuesday, January 6the,
forces of the Texas Baptist con-
tions of the state filing in as an
vention assembled in the Audito-
rium of Butler College, Tyler, Texas
in a special finincial effort to re-
lieve some pressing needs of the
institution.
Encouraging indeed, it was to
Walter White
To Speak At
Good Hope
Walter White, executive secre-
tary of the National Association
for the Advancement of Colored
People, will speak February 3, at
Good Hope Baptist Church at 8:00
p. m.
This is to be the beginning of
a tour of Texas during the month
of February by Mr. White, working
in the interest of the N. A. A. C. P.
evidence of their loyalty to the
program of the Convention and
their interest in the continuation of
Butler College. The weather was
exceedingly cold but the spacious
auditorium was filled to capacity.
The program sounded a note
of high interest from beginning to
end. The Butler College Choral
Club under the direction of Miss
Johnnie J. Lakey, instructor of
Music at Butler College, furnished
much of the singing. Oh, bcw
those young people did sing! The
sudience was inspired as never
before to lay their all on the Altar
of Sacrifice that the work at But-
ler College continue only with great-
er achievements.
Te keynote address was given
by Reverend S. T. Alexander, pres-
ident, Texas Baptist Convention.
The message was filled with
thought, businees, and information
climaxing with an outlined pro-
Bee TEXAS, Pasers, Col. a
memory of Mrs. Mabel B.
Wesley, the deceased principal of
Crawford School, interested patrons
of the Highland Heights school have
moved, and Superintendent E. E
Oberholtzer and the school board
have approved, changing the name
of the school to the M. B. Wesley
school. It is the first time a Negro
woman principal has been so hon-
ored in the city system of Houston.
The school itself (Highland Heights)
has been built up by a woman and
is now under the principalship of
a woman and six other women
teachers. So similar is it to the
school that Mrs. Wesley built her
reputation in, that it could almost
be one of her products.
Perhaps the rest of the story
could best be told in the words of
the historian of the school itself,
who has furnished the paper with
the following story:
This school was first opened Sep-
tember 19, 1932 with one teacher!
and a two-room structure. Mrs. R.
J. Mosely was given this assign-
ment. The first day’s enrollment of
89 made it necessary to add an-
other teacher immediately. On the
third day Mrs. Bessie M. Catchings
was sent to take charge of the first
three grades. Year after year the
enrollment has increased until now
there are about 330 students and 6
teachers. In addition to this, buses
are provided to transfer junior
pupils to Harper Junior High
school and senior pupils to Booker
See NAME, Page 8. Col. 4
the Red Cross War Drive states:
"The Red Cross is now able to ob-
tain from white donors enough
blood to keep all the processing
plants fully occupied so that the
total amount of blood plasma avail-
able to the armed forces is not
lessened by our inability to ac-
cept Negro donors.”
The letter, which Dr. Alexander
has referred to the NAACP was
in answer to a protest from him
about the Red Cross policy.
The NAACP pointed out the
irony in Colt’s statement attempt-
ing to explain the policy.
After admitting that there is no
(By STAFF WRITER)
HOUSTON. — Houston Negroes
were shocked by the demagogy
when school authorities took an-
other page from Hitler’s book and
went one better in their program
of intimidation and humiliation
against Negroes in Houston as Sup-
NEGROES
SCORE IN
BLACKOUT
By 3 DON DAVIS
HOUSTON — Colored Houston
scored heavily in the city’s 99.9
blackout enacted Monday night,
according to the observations of In-
former reporters petroling strategic
points in the city.
Authorized by Assistant Chief of
1 Police Cecil Priest to patrol the
three reporters saw the rod of
light that is usually a part of
Lyons Ave., West Dallas and Dow-
ling flicker into a pit of darkness
I at the first sound of the "attack
I signal" as if touched off by magic.
I Many residents in third and
I fourth wards impatiently watched
their time pieces end put their
I homes in darkness several seconds
before" the siren sounded.
From a vantage point on Lyons
no sign of light was seen. One dim
light was observed on West Dal-
las just below Heiner, but the echo
of the first siren had not died be-
fore it was out.
In third ward a reporter, look-
ing from Leeland and Dowling, ob-
served the only light in the lower
Dowling area, and one seemingly
near Polk. These were the last
lights to go out in this area.
Amusing and serious expressions
were heard out of the night as the
homes of people were passed with
many observing the blackout from
porches and windows.
"Man, you had better go find you
some shelter,” a heavy female voice
on Leeland said as the reporter
passed her home. "If the Japs and
Germans were up there what good
See NEOROES, Page 8, Col. 8
erintendent Oberholtzer, Business
Manager H. L Mills and Supervisor
of Buildings Wagner un-Ameri-
canly ruled that Negroes union
members and non-union members
alike could not enter the James S.
Deady Public School Building, to
attend a joint CIO meeting, Sun-
day, Jan. 11.
At such a time of National crisis
when all influences are pulling to-
gether for National strength and
unity, it remains for Houston's
school authorities, who are in-
trusted with the teaching of our
children, to make a ruling that can
bring nothing but racial disunity
and diacord.
It is disgraceful to think that
two days after Joe Louis was risk-
By FRANK A. YOUNG, JB.
(Exclusive Informer Release) F
ALEXANDRIA, Louisiana. — All
the Neros were on watch with their
fiddles while Rome burned and
none of the 38 Negro soldiers
wounded in the riot which took
place on "Little Harlem’s’ Lee
street, are dead” is the army’s
statement.
Thus comes the announcement
from the Fifth Army Corps head-
quarters at Camp Beauregard, re-
garding the riot.
The two soldiers most seriously
injured during the display by mili-
tary, city, and civilian police, of
riot equipment, were Bennie Rob-
inson, 24, and Lewis Lawrence, 23,
both from Camp Claiborne. Taken
to Charity Hospital in Pineville
last Saturday night, the soldiers
are now in the military hospital at
Camp Claiborne. Robinsons condi-
lion is “fair." Lawrence’s condition
is good.
Secrecy veils all statements made
by Chief of Police Gray and mili-
tary authorities and all information
given either to the white or colored
press seems cloaked in military
terms and intent.
The local white daily, member of
the Associated Press, has been
commended by high corps authori-
ties for the manor in which “they
handled the story."
A woman, May Frances Scales, 22,
shot in the hip during the fracas is
likewise in a “fair" condition at
Charity Hospital.
Negro troops are restricted to
Camp Claiborne housing the infan-
try regiment and tank battalion,
and to Camp Livingston where the
field artillery brigade is quartered.
Meanwhile white troops calmly
parade the downtown section of
Alexandria and the M. P.’s can be
seen in prominence on the corners,
with their billies swinging and their
pistols buttoned down.
Only married enlisted men of the
two outAta A%AT. ‘%
ing his million dollar heavyweight
crown in a fight, the proceeds from
which were contributed, unstinting-
ly and unselfishly, to the United
States Navy Relief Organization
the use of a public building was
denied patriotic and taxpaying
American citizens because of race
and color, which is Hitlerism with-
out Hitler and further proves the
soundness of Presdent Roosevelt’s] claint-perinission. 959
remarks in his, last speech, that) The two hour disturbance, whic
“there can never be any compro
mise with evil."
Negroes east never submit to
compromising on such dastardly
acts. War or no war, such evils,
such enemies of democracy, must
be first destroyed within before
we can assume any righteousness
in the destruction of the same
evils abroad.
When information concerning the
matter was first received from the
See HOUSTON, Page ■, Col. 5
rocked Lee street here in the heart
of Rapides Parish and the center
of Louisiana, where the local white
daily, "The Town Talk” is known
in some sections as “The Colored
Peoples Bible,” caused windows to
be broken and shattered by glass,
bricks and pop bottles.
The Military Policeman who at-
tempted to arrest one of the Negro
soldiers thus precipitating the riot
is known to be from the 32nd Di-
See FINDS, Page S, Col. 4
F. D. R. Warns Against Racial
Discrimination in Address
WASHINGTON.—(ANP)—In his message to Con-
gress last week President Roosevelt emphasized the
following racial attitude:
“We must be particularly vigilant against racial
discrimination in any of its ugly forms. Hitler will try
again to breed mistrust and suspicion between one
individual and another, one group and another, one race
and another.”
scientific basis
transfusions
for objections to
of the blood of Ne-
groes, he said: ‘It seems that the
feelings and perhaps even the prej-
udices of individuals to whom
transfusions are given
should be
respected as a symbol of democ-
racy."
Informer Staff To
Meet January 24th
HOUSTON. — A meeting of all
agents, managers and employees of
the Informer chain has been set
for Saturday, January 24, at the
home office here. Not only will the
work of ‘41 be reviewed, but pro-
grams and plans will be put into
effect for 1942 to cover the general
work and also to cover the aid
See INFORMER, Page 1, Col. 8
ALL FOR
DEFENSE
Here lies Budy Baer who dared
to face Joe Louis a second time.
Buddy gave a part of his check to
the Naval Relief Fund, so we guess
he lies here consoled that it ie all
for defense. -
Champion And Willkie Lead
Display Of Real American Spirit
By STAFF CORRESPONDENT
MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, New York.—Joe Louis and Wendel Willkie put the
Jim Crow policy of Uncle Sam’s Navy on the spot here Friday night, the brown prince of
fistianna contributing his entire earnings from his quick explosion on Buddy Baer’s chin
to the Naval Relief, and the G. O. P. Presidential Nominee taking to task the most nar-
row-minded pale face who would stymie this fight for freedom with racial discrimination.
Millions of words have been and
will be written on the fight, but no
writer here tonight could accurately
paint a word picture of what act-
ually happened . . . Things hap-
pened too fast.
Baer, cocky from his previous
showing against the dark symbol
of democracy, came out fast and
had Joe in his own corner before
things could really get started. But
this was not for long.
Rights and lefts whizzed through
the ozone, beating a steady drone
on a bulky foe. A riveting right,
that barely traveled inches, sent
Baer down once. Courageous as he
is, the big Californian was up at
nine. It was only seconds later that
the feat was duplicated.
Only against Nazi Schmeling
has Joe ever gave such a savage
display of ring fitness as he did
when he sent Baer down for the
third and final time. The big boy
hit the canvas with a thud that
echoed throughout the garden.
His feet went straight up. But
that courage that made the fans
go for him came into play again.
He pulled himself to the ropes
as referee Frank Fullam reached
See CHAMPION, Page 4, Col. >
JOE LOUIS
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The Informer and Texas Freeman (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 48, No. 10, Ed. 1 Saturday, January 17, 1942, newspaper, January 17, 1942; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1626682/m1/1/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.