Senator DONNELL. So you have been at the University of North Carolina about 7 months? Mr. BARBOUR. That is correct, sir. Senator DONNELL. And are you able to tell us what other student organzations at the University of North Carolina have considered this subject of discrimination in the matter of employment? Mr. BARBOUR. I made that statement, sir, because of the lack of time, the briefness of the time I have been on the campus. I am not intimate with all of the organizations, but the church groups of all denominations, we will say, in the community of Chapel Hill are very active in dealing with these issues. We even have what they call the Carolina Conservative Club and they, amazing as it may seem, are very active. Senator DONNELL. Is that in the university? Mr. BARBOUR. That is a campus organization. Senator DONNELL. I meant to confine my question to campus organizations. What is the name of that last organization you mentioned? Senator DONNELL. Has it considered this matter of discrimination? Mr. BARBOUR. That, sir, I do not know. I am only associated with individual members of the organizations. I do not attend their meetings. I do not have the time. Senator DONNELL. I appreciate that. Mr. BARBOUR. I only discuss these problems with the individuals who are members of those organizations and I assume that they follow the same policies. Senator DONNELL. What I wanted to get at is whether or not these organizations to your own personal knowledge-have been thinking on the subject of discrimination. Mr. BARBOUR. I would not want to voice an opinion on that. Senator DONNELL. You would not express any opinion as to whether there is any other student organization than the Students for Democratic Action on the campus of the University of North Carolina which has been considering this subject of discrimination in employment? Mr. BARBOUR. I cannot speak for any other organization. I can only speak for those individuals of the organization whom I know and I might say in the light of some of the activities of the program that they have sponsored on the campus, I think it is generally known that the whole campus-it is the university policy-I am referring now to the sociology department, Dr. Odom's work in the department-I think the University of North Carolina is known throughout the country to be concerned with problems of the races. Senator DONNELL. What I am trying to get at, Mr. Barbour, is whether any other student organizations of the University of North Carolina have considered the subject of discrimination in employment, to your knowledge. If you know, all well and good. If you do not know, all well and good. Mr. BARBOUR. I do not know, sir. Senator DONNELL. I think that is all, Mr. Barbour, and we thank you very much for presenting the testimony and for representing your crganization. Mr. DAVID D. LLOYD (Americans for Democratic Action). I represent the Americans for Democratic Action with which Mr. Barbour's organization is affiliated and if there is any additional information which the Senator would like about that organization, we would be very glad to furnish that for the record. Senator DONNELL. Thank you very much. Mr. LLOYD. I also want to say that the subject of FEPC law in California has been mentioned several times in the record this morning, before the Senator arrived, I believe, and we have a representative here of the Americans for Democratic Action from California who would like, if possible, to have just a minute of time to give the Senators his views on Senator DONNELL. No, sir; it will not be practicable to take the oral testimony but if he desires to make a written statement we will be very happy to have it in the record. In fact there is a letter which has come to me from California which I will offer for the record, if similar letters are not printed. It will not be practicable to hear his oral testimony. Mr. LLOYD. It would be germane to the general record. And if it would be inserted at an appropriate point. Senator DONNELL. How soon can we have the written statement? (Subsequently Mr. Lloyd transmitted the following communication :) Mr. PHILIP R. RODGERS, AMERICANS FOR DEMOCRATIC ACTION, Clerk, Labor and Public Welfare Committee, United States Senate, Washington, D. C. DEAR MR. RODGERS: Pursuant to the request made during the hearings yesterday before the subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Labor and Public Welfare concerning S. 984, I transmit the following information concerning Americans for Democratic Action, an organization which sponsored the appearances of Mayor Hubert H. Humphrey, of Minneapolis, and Mr. Clarence Barbour, of North Carolina, in behalf of the bill. Americans for Democratic Action was established at a national conference in Washington, March 29-30, 1947, when a constitution and a statement of policies were adopted and officers were elected. The national officers and the national board are as follows: National chairman: Wilson W. Wyatt, Kentucky. Chairman, executive committee: Leon Henderson, New Jersey. Vice chairmen: Hubert H. Humphrey, Minnesota; Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr., New York. Treasurer: Louis H. Harris, New York. Secretary of board: Joseph L. Rauh, Jr., Washington, D. C. Executive secretary: James Loeb, Jr., Washington, D. C. Board members at large: Harvey Brown, Washington, D. C. George Edwards, Michigan. Paul A. Porter, Washington, D. C. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., Massachusetts. Monroe Sweetland, Oregon. H. L. Mitchell, Tennessee. Other board members: Mrs. Jim Akin, Illinois. William Batt, Jr., Pennsylvania. Edward Hollander, Washington, Eduard Lindeman, New York. At present Americans for Democratic Action has approximately 40 chapters in 20 States and is in the process of organizing local chapters elsewhere throughout the country. Students for Democratic Action is an organization of students affiliated with Americans for Democratic Action, in which membership is open to college and university students. It has at present 70 chapters in 22 States. In the course of yesterday's hearings, Mr. Barbour stated that Students for Democratic Action is the successor of the Students' Union. The correct name of the organization to which he referred was the United States Student Assembly. In January of this year United States Student Assembly voted to change its name to Students for Democratic Action and become the student division of Americans for Democratic Action. Membership in ADA and SDA is on a local chapter basis-that is, local chapters pass on the qualifications for membership and issue membership cards. Members in ADA and SDA upon joining must subscribe to the following declaration of principles: "Americans for Democratic Action (or Students for Democratic Action) is an organization of progressives, dedicated to the achievement of freedom and economic security for all people everywhere, through education and democratic political action. "We believe that rising living standards and lasting peace can be attained by democratic planning, enlargement of fundamental liberties and international cooperation. "We believe that communism, like all forms of totalitarianism, is incompatible with these objectives. In our crusade for an expanding democracy and against fascism and reaction, we, therefore, welcome as members of ADA (or SDA) only those whose devotion to the principles of political freedom is unqualified. "I subscribe without reservation to the principles stated above." The constitution of Americans for Democratic Action provides as follows concerning the aims and objectives of the organization. "We, liberals and progressives dedicated to democratic principles and the rights of the individual under law, establish and adopt this constitution for Americans for Democratic Action. We pledge ourselves to political action, in accordance with constitutional democratic principles, on local, State and national levels, and to the support of the progressive objectives of labor unions, of cooperatives and farm organizations, and of other social and economic organizations of the people. We are neither a third party movement nor a part of any political party. Our aim is to provide a medium and a program to unite the liberal and progressive forces of America to promote action for the general welfare locally and nationally." I enclose a copy of the declarations of policy adopted by the organization at its meeting in Washington on March 29-30, 1947. These declarations of policy contain the following statement with regard to discrimination in employment: "We favor the prompt enactment of a (Federal) Fair Employment Practices Act designed to eliminate discrimination in employment because of race, creed, color, or national origin." On behalf of the organization I would appreciate the inclusion of this statement in the record of the hearing at or near the testimony of the first witness associated with ADA, Mayor Humphrey of Minneapolis. Sincerely yours, DAVID D. LLOYD, Director, Research and Legislation. Mr. ROBERT W. GILBERT (cochairman of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Council for a Permanent FEPC). I would just like to make the record show my name and affiliation and then I will submit that document upon my return to California. Senator DONNELL. How soon will that be submitted, Mr. Gilbert? Mr. GILBERT. According to the desires of the committee, I will be returning to the coast when these hearings adjourn and immediately upon my return I will write it. I would say within a week's time. I would like to state my affiliation for the record and not attempt to testify. I am appearing as cochairman of the Los Angeles Chapter for a Permanent FEPC, in which capacity I have previously requested an opportunity to testify to the clerk of the general committee and have not received any reply whatsoever up to this time. I am sure that the press of legislative business caused this oversight. I would not have come on from California if I had received a definite telegram stating that the committee did not wish to hear my remarks. So that it will be clear what my affiliations and connections may be, I am attorney for the Los Angeles Central Labor Council of the American Federation of Labor in that city; a member of the legislative committee of the welfare council of that city which includes all of our community-chest organizations. I do not want to impose on the committee, but while I am on my feet Senator DONNELL. Are you just giving testimony? Your testimony will not be received orally. We have another witness here now. Is there any other affiliation which you wish to submit? Mr. GILBERT. No; I will submit the statement in the capacities already mentioned. I appreciate the Senator's courtesies. Senator DONNELL. We will be happy to have your statement. (Mr. Gilberts' prepared statement appears hereafter in the proceedings of June 20.) STATEMENT OF MRS. THEODORE O. WEDEL, CHAIRMAN, COMMITTEE ON CHRISTIAN SOCIAL RELATIONS, UNITED COUNCIL OF CHURCH WOMEN, WASHINGTON, D. C. Senator DONNELL. Proceed with your statement Mrs. Wedel. Mrs. WEDEL. Mr. Chairman, I wish to speak in favor of S. 984, the National Act Against Discrimination in Employment, on behalf of the United Council of Church Women. Senator DONNELL. What address in Washington? Mrs. WEDEL. 3508 Woodley Road. Senator DONNELL. And what address in New York? Mrs. WEDEL. 156 Fifth Avenue. Senator DONNELL. Will you tell us briefly what that organization is, how large a membership it has, and something of its general principles? Mrs. WEDEL. It is a federation of the women's societies and women's organizations in Protestant churches. It is a relatively new federation; it was formed in about 1941 and there had been various interdenominational organizations of that kind before, all of which came together in this one large group and because it is a federation, we do not have an exact membership but the total membership of the women's organizations which are affiliated with us is considerably over 10,000,000 women in all parts of the country. Senator DONNELL. Is your most recent national assembly the one which was held in Grand Rapids, Mich. in 1946? Mrs. WEDEL. Yes, sir. Senator DONNELL. How large was the attendance there? Mrs. WEDEL. About 4,000 were there. Senator DONNELL. And I observe, if I may anticipate for a moment, the fact that from your written statement here that at that gathering, as well as in one in 1944, your organization has gone on record as favoring legislation designed to prevent discrimination in employment. Mrs. WEDEL. Yes, sir. Senator DONNELL. Do you have a copy of the resolutions? Mrs. WEDEL. I am sorry I do not have. Senator DONNELL. Will you furnish a copy of the resolutions of those two meetings? Mrs. WEDEL. I will be glad to. Senator DONNELL. Will you proceed, Mrs. Wedel. Mrs. WEDEL. I will save time by simply reading this. Senator DONNELL. Very well. Mrs. WEDEL. The United Council of Church Women wishes to go on record as being in favor of S. 984. I will not repeat information about the organization. As churchwomen we are concerned with such legislation for three reasons. First, we are convinced that the United States must demonstrate to the world that our democratic form of government offers to all people the best possible opportunity for a full and satisfying way of life. The eyes of the entire world are upon us, and those who would discredit our political and economic system are quick to seize upon any instance of discrimination as evidence that America and the American way does not provide real freedom of opportunity for all men. We feel that the passage of this act will make it clear to the entire world that we really mean what we have said in our Constitution and in the Charter of the United Nations about human rights and freedom. Secondly, as Christian women we are deeply disturbed by the racial and religious tensions in our country and the flagrant discrimination which we see practiced on all sides. May I insert something there? Mrs. WEDEL. We have felt that our churchwomen are disturbed about it but we were not sure that their concern was always based on facts, so about 2 years ago our organization prepared and sent out to our member groups that is, local and State councils of churchwomen—a very brief and simple questionnaire on segregation practices in their own communities and just suggested that it would be an interesting educational device. Churchwomen from about 250 communities made this very simple study. It is not scientific. It was just a very simple one, and we discovered then that churchwomen were startled to discover the discrimination which was practiced in such things as employed in their own communities. At our assembly in Grand Rapids the feeling was much stronger for such legislation because they had discovered for themselves in their own communities that discrimination was practiced, and many of them had never been aware of it before, had never thought about it. So we felt our action now is based on real knowledge on the part of the women in their communities. Senator DONNELL. Your organization has branches in southern United States, south of the Mason and Dixon's line? Mrs. WEDEL. Yes, sir; and we have a good many officers and committee members and committee chairmen who come from the South, and we are also an interracial group. We have Negro as well as white women. |