Atlanta Daily World

REVIEWING THE NEWS
BY WILLIAM GORDON

White Crosses In The Kremlin

"It is not what Russia is today," he would say to his class. "It is what Russia will be 20 years from today. That is what we will have to fear."

I must admit that this statement became much more real to me a few weeks ago when the "red moon" made its initial trip across the Heavens.

The professor's statement makes even more sense in light of the relentless efforts of segregationists, including industrialists, who work to deny Negroes on so many fronts. It becomes even more frightening when one is faced with this kind of reasoning:

"When we moved into the South, we agreed to abide by local custom and not hire Negroes for production work. This is no time for social reforming in that area, and we are not about to try it."

This statement, according to an article in the October 24th issue of the Wall Street Journal, was made by the manager of a General Motors assembly plant near Atlanta, Georgia. Also, according to the Journal, "The plant employs only a few Negroes, mainly for janitorial work."

It is enough to make one shudder about democratic principles, yet many of us, including Negroes gave their lives and blood in the interest of such concepts.

I am sure that the Negroes who buy General Motors products will be disappointed when they learn that their skills are measured in such small terms. Many were disappointed during World War II, when they found themselves sitting around, unable to secure jobs.

It must be something vastly wrong with people whose manifestations are so blind to prejudices that they jeopardize the security of the country to maintain a pattern of bigotry. Many of us thought we fought Hitler for his master race beliefs. Now we are faced with the Russians who are making bombs, and gaining on us scientifically. Yet, we have people who deny the Negro the right to work, although he represents almost a third of the population in the South and more than ten per cent of the nation's total manpower.

Instead of statements by some, who by accident are in leadership positions, we need the wisdom of a certain midwestern industrialist, who made this statement before a group of workers during World War II. "If there were more black hands on these assembly lines, there would be far less white crosses in Europe."

First of all, it takes a man to make such a statement. It takes someone much bigger than a person so blinded by skin color that he misses the biggest potential market in the world through better salaries that would establish greater purchasing power among Negroes.

It takes a man with a soul, a deep moral conviction and a sense of decency to understand that no man is responsible for the color of his skin or the race that he is born into.

It takes a man with the religious and human understanding of Abraham Lincoln and the firmness of Theodore Roosevelt, with the spine to look beyond the mere artificial aspects of pigmentation. Negroes spend what they make in their communities, no one knows this better than the merchants. In light of this, it seems stupid to deny them skilled jobs and better pay.

The industrialist from the midwest demonstrated vision when he called for more black hands along the assembly lines. We should take note while there is still time. Let's avoid white crosses in the Kremlin.