The Gary American

Between

the

Lines

(By Dean Gordon B. Hancock

for ANP)

THE NEW PANDEMIC:

Influenza in World War I.

Ugly Race Rumors Today!

During the first world war the Spanish influenza scourged the nations. As a pandemic its virulence has scarcely been equalled since the plague of "black death" in Europe.

It remains to be seen what will be next on plague's death list and we shudder to contemplate what will be its extent and nature.

There has already appeared a moral pandemic that is deadly in its implications and ramifications. I have reference to "rumoritis" the new scourge that is especially virulent in the south. Rumors and rumor-mongering are sapping the hope and morale of the white and Negro south. It is easily one of the most dangerous afflictions of this war. Today I had a phone call from a newspaperman asking what I know about an impending uprising on parts of Negroes scheduled to take place July Fourth. Immediately branded such rumor as a "double-faced lie set afloat by the Axis propagandists" so active in this country

Even more startling then the rumors themselves is the importance attached to them by whites who should know better. That whites in this late date can be beguiled into believing and circulating these rumors is at once depressing and distressing. Here in the south where whites are supposed to know Negroes thoroughly we have the sorry spectacle of whites being upset over such silly rumors. If believing these senseless and baseless rumors is an index of the white south's understanding and knowledge of the Negro we are in for some untoward developments.

The governor of Virginia was quoted as saying that although he did not believe the rumors, he was "taking no chances" and preparations had been made to take care of any eventualities. In other words upon the strength of these baseless rumors white Virginia is prepared for Negroes and what's true of Virginia is probably true of every southern state.

And herein lies the pity. These baseless and silly rumors are falling upon attentive ears and the implications thereof are tragic. A too serious attention to these rumors, however ungrounded, predispose our southern communities to look for trouble of the Negro's making: and seldom do we fail to find the trouble we look for. Some isolated incident unrelated to any Negro uprising may easily be seized upon as a pretext to do to death defenseless and law-abiding Negroes.

Some weeks in a casual conversation with an intelligent white man on the streets of a southern city, he let slip the remark that the home guards of the several states had been instructed to summarily put down any Negro uprising. The danger here is that these same home guards may not be further instructed to put down any white hoodlumism designed to prey upon defenseless and law-abiding Negroes.

It makes all the difference in the world whether the home guard is instructed to guarantee the peace of the community or just merely put down Negro uprisings. Here we have an organization definitely assigned to the task of putting down Negro uprisings; but there is no evidence that there is any organization among to stage this uprising.

It was found in the Beaumont, Tex. riots of recent date that there was no semblance of organization among Negroes. In every case of riots of same thing is going to be found that there is no plan or organization for uprisings among Negroes anywhere. To attribute such imbecile assumptions to Negroes as an uprising implies, is to disparage the conscientious efforts of Negro leadership

There are certain elements in the south determined to throw the Negro for a loss during the war even while the Negro is trying to enlarge his already cramped position in the nations scheme of things. Therefore I am not nearly as certain as I once was that these rumors are being inspired by the German and Japanese it is quite as probable that they are being inspired and circulated by these elements of the white south who want some excuse for their proposals to further subjugate the Negroes. If certain elements of the white south are bent on slaughter-

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Race Riots Results of Labor Policy
Of Reactionary Industrialists

There are no American race riots that do not stem from the traditional policy of reactionary industrialists to keep white and black labor split. In every instance, the main victims are the common people, the masses, who can least afford to have their ranks weakened. As a result trade unionism and the workers take a beating.

Race prejudice is a malignant growth nurtured by economic competition which is itself fostered by the diehards in power who know that perpetuation of their historic control over labor, a numerically superior class, is to divide and rule. There are not yet enough progressive capitalists to help combat this ancient ill.

Go back to American slavery. Poor whites down south were jealous of those who owned human chattels, often jealous of the slaves whose forced labor they considered depriving themselves of a chance to get a head economically. Plantation owners, meanwhile, soft soaped the poor whites with wild yarns of the blacks natural inferiority, of the poor white's hereditary Anglo-Saxon superiority, thus turning them into enemies.

Emancipation resulted in freed Negroes being thrown in competition for jobs with starving poor whites. These whites, gullible and ignorant, became fall guys for the propaganda of wealthier and smarter whites who had lost their slaves and possessions and hoped to climb back to monetary power on the struggling bodies of the economically precarious. Freed Negroes, bewildered and penniless, found themselves in a hostile world. Instead of combining forces and working for common advancement, both exploited groups were pried farther apart by those on top who knew it was to their advantage to do so.

That condition still exists in Dixie and every awakening to the fundamental fact that neither poor white nor Negro will better his condition without uniting meets bitter opposition from those who can retain their control only by keeping the races split. Landlords, and big plantation owners used every possible form of terrorism to block formation of the Southern Tenant Farmers union and other interracial organizations among sugar cane and other workers in Louisiana and various parts of the south. Because the Farm Security administration has taught cooperation to impoverished farmers of both races and helped them improve their economic condition, the powerful lobby of the moneyed landowners has tried fervently to get congress to kill this thing so dangerous to the previous status quo.

Up north with the advent of lily white trade unionism, the big industrialist used unorganized blacks as strikebreakers. Unionist and Negroes became bitter foes. Dupes of the capitalists, neither could see the need for joint action or that the salvation of one lay in union of both. They had been divided: now they were ruled. It was some time before enough rational voices could be raised to sound the fundamental fact that all labor will grow strong only if united.

Birth of the CIO and its avowed policies is the most significant development in the history of American Negro since emancipation. Its goal to abolish prejudice and obtain a common front in the ranks of all workers, white or black, is admittedly hard to obtain for it would bring together those who have been encouraged to be enemies. But its progress has caused certain AFL brotherhoods to take stock and liberalize their traditional anti-Negro policies.

Naturally the CIO has been smeared by reactionary big business and its Charlie McCarthy's. Down south attempts to organize the CIO in industrial plants has met with all kinds of opposition on the part of management. Racial antagonism has been shoved to the fore. Organizers have been beaten and chased out of town. Pamphlets have been printed and distributed among white employees insisting that the mixed unions of the CIO would result in "social equality." Comparatively little opposition is met by AFL, for its general policy has been to separate Negro workers into Jim crow locals--and that is all right since it is the lesser of two evils.

Let us consider the Detroit riot. When the CIO organized automobile workers without regard to race and despite opposition by the magnates, certain industrialists cast about for ways and means of weakening labor. The Klu Klux Klan was a ready tool. Let members with their color antagonism be infiltrated into CIO locals, and strife would be the inevitable result. The Klan therefore became industry's fifth column in Detroit trade unions. And so we had strikes over upgrading and integration of Negro workers with the resultant onus placed on the unions, the Sojourners Truth fiasco and now the recent tragedy.

In Beaumont there resentment against Negro Americans getting the same rate of pay as white Americans as ordered by WLB. This was but another example of traditional division of the two classes of workers historically fostered. In Mobile observers find that the ship building company was hoping for strife and did its part to set the stage for the resultant trouble. So it goes throughout.

for without him he can never get nowhere without the aid of his more numerous and better entrenched white friends. Riots indicate that the CIO campaign to educate members along the lines of tolerance has a hard job ahead. Counteracting traditional myths of racial difference and inferiority fostered for generations is no small job. Both white and black must redouble their efforts for mutual understanding through every possible means.

Reactionary big business has been dealt many blows by the social theories and advances of the Roosevelt regime such as social security, excess profit taxes and the like. But that is not enough. Rugged individualism is still too strong. There is today a growing group of progressive industrialists who recognize the rights of labor, who are content with reasonable incomes on investments. But until we have enough capitalists who are willing to fight for American democracy instead of bigger profits, until we have enough common people of both races who have sufficient sense to realize that American race prejudice is a shrewd device to keep workers discontented, we are going to have more Detroits, more Mobiles, more Beaumonts.

That day of labor unity is not at hand, although it can be seen through the mists. There will be more riots, more looting and burning and killing. The reactionary industrialists have sown the wind; today an American at war reaps the whirlwind.

Maybe these riots can be traced directly to axis propaganda as many insist. But it should be obvious to those who know America that it is never too difficult to start a battle between white and black. Axis sparks would have fallen harmlessly had not the powder box been already full.

Maybe we ought to expect certain industrialists to want to leave no stone unturned that will insure their continuing to get all the profits, leaving a bare minimum for the workers. Since strong unions mean more wages to labor, then kill or at least main the unions and let anything else go hang. This is the lowest form of capitalist, but he is not dead. He would rather let the axis win, if it means continued profits, than see victory for America if it means security for the worker.

The blame is also upon black and white laborers for allowing themselves to be dupes. If only for the sake of his pocketbook, the white workers should welcome complete cooperation with Negroes,

BETWEEN THE LINES
(Continued from Page Three)

ing defenseless Negroes, the responsibility should be laid at their doors, rather than at the doors of rumors without any foundation save the clamor of certain elements for Negro blood.