Atlanta Daily World

Bishops Endorse Truman Program

NEW YORK, N. Y.- Support of the President's civil rights proposal, countering the barrage of southern criticism, continues to come from progressive church, fraternal and civic organizations. The powerful African Methodist Episcopal Church has entered the drive for enactment of civil rights legislation and has designated a delegation of five bishops to call upon the President and to express to him the church's support of his program.

The committee, composed of Bishops D. Ward Nichols, Frank M. Reid Sherman L. Greene, John A. Gregg and Reverdy C. Ransom, was instructed by the AME Council of Bishops, at its meeting in Dallas, Texas on February 19, to present to the President the council's resolution expressing "thanks, commendation and unqualified endorsement"

of his civil rights message to congress.

Bishop W. J. Walls of the AME Zion Church has sent a telegram to President Truman hailing his ten-point program as "america's truest domestic expression since Lincoln,"

In response to the Bishop's suggestion, the church's youth conference, meeting recently in New York, sent a telegram of endorsement.

On behalf of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority of which she is president, Miss Dorothy I. Height wired the President commending his "timely and courageous civil rights message to Congress....Your message and program offer minimum essentials for America's contribution to a peaceful world. Count us among the people of goodwill everywhere who strongly support your efforts to make our democracy work."

Other organizations which have already gone on record in support of the President's message include the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Congress of Industrial Organizations, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Fraternal Council of Churches and the American Jewish Committee.