Arkansas State Press

The "84th" Convenes -- Diggs
Takes Oath

Charles C. Diggs, Jr. (Dem)
of Michigan's Thirteenth District.
stooped slightly as he raised his
right hand to take the oath of
office as a member of the 84th
Congress -- his left was firmly
clasped in that of his small son,
six-year-old Charles C. Diggs, III
standing close beside him.

Earlier in the day, at Union
Station, Congressman-elect Diggs
had met the train from Detroit
bearing his little son, his wife,
Mrs. Juanita Diggs, her sister,
Mrs. Carmelita Rothario, and 350
friends and well-wishers from
Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Pontiac and elsewhere, come to see
him begin service as a member
of the greatest parliamentary
body in the world.

Meeting the train with him
were Congressmen Adam Powell
(Dem.) New York, William
L.
Dawson
(Dem.) Chicago, and
Thaddeus Machrowicz (Dem.)
First District Michigan,

The first vote cast by the new
Congressman was one of the 226
which helped to elect Sam Rayburn
of Texas, Speaker of
House -- once more.

Every American, regardless of
party, should find encouragement
in the following excerpts of Congressman Diggs' address to the
Michigan delegation, at Union
Station:

The reports ... I have re-
ceived since the election, from
Japan, India, Africa, Sweden, and
South America, convince me positively, that regardless of a person's personal prejudices -- and
we all have them -- if we truly
believe in the democratic philosophy, if we truly appreciate the
superior features of the American
way of life, there is only one
course to take, and every deviation from it, however slight, puts
more soldiers in the enemy's
camp.

"That course was charted by
the architects of the basic law
of this land, 168 years ago, when
they proclaimed that 'all men
were created equal and endowed
by their maker with certain in-
alienable rights ...'"

Reception at NCNW
A reception in honor of the
new Congressman was held at
the Council House, headquarters
of the National Council of Negro
Women. Mrs. Mary McLeod Bethune, founder of the Council,
Mrs. Vivian Carter Mason, president, and Congressman William
L. Dawson, of Illinois, were in
the receiving line.

Among the nationally-known
guests present were: Judge William C. Hueston, Grand secretary
of IBPOEW, Joseph Ray, top-
ranking Housing official, Philip
Sadler, of Housing, Dr. and Mrs.
Rayford Logan of Howard university, Dr. William Stewart Nelson of Howard, Elder Solomon
Lightfoot Michaux.

Mrs. Charles Diggs, Sr., mother
of the Congressman, with his wife
and her sister, Mrs. Rothario,
Herbert Jones, Grand organizer
of the Elks (Congressman Diggs
is a legal adviser for IBPOEW).
Mrs. Marian Jackson, Iota
Phi
Lambda president, Mrs.
Rosa
Gragg, Mrs. John Henderson, Mrs.
Ethel Bradfield and Mrs. Lucius
Long of Detroit
Mrs. Corinne Lowery, former
executive secretary of the National Association of Colored Women,
Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell Yarborough
and Mr. and Mrs. Guldfet of Seattle Washington. Mr. and Mrs.
Martin of Youngstown, Ohio
Miss Denise Hyde New York
Mrs. Nounu Mayee executive
of the Council Mr. Conrad
Mason with
[garbled text continuing with additional guests and attendees including Congressmen Dawson and Powell, Ambassador Jaques Legere of Haiti, Ambassador Clarence Simpson of Liberia, Detroit delegation, office staffs, and others meeting the people of Washington.]