National Affairs: Smear

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Negro divisions of Presidential campaign committees are always part of the show, like bunting, buttons, parades. They also have some practical nuisance value. Another thing they can be used for became evident last week.

Last week the Colored Division of the Democratic National Committee in New York City issued a five-page mimeographed document which 1) underlined Wendell Willkie's German ancestry, 2) quoted Adolf Hitler as saying: "Negroes are lower than apes."

Willkie, said the statement, was nominated "by the Hitler formula" with the calculating support of Isolationist Senator Arthur Vandenberg of Michigan, anti-New Deal Congressman Charles Halleck of Indiana, and Harold Stassen, "the Governor of the 'German' State of the Union—Minnesota." Elwood. Ind.. Willkie's birthplace, the statement went on, barred Negroes as residents, put up signs warning: "Nigger, Don't Let the Sun Go Down on You". The document quoted Harlan Miller, columnist on the Boston Traveler, as saying that Willkie's favorite crack under emotional stress was: "You can't do this to me—I am a white man."

If Willkie were President, the document implied Negroes would know what to expect.

The mimeographed sheets, headed "Speakers Bureau," were presumably intended to be used as a thesis for speeches to colored voters. Of even more interest was a companion piece, which also emanated from Colored Division headquarters, an eleven-page printed pamphlet bearing the title "Let's Follow Thru," with halftone cuts of Roosevelt and Willkie, the record of the New Deal, and an anti-Willkie blast which drew heavily on the "smear" statements in the mimeographed pages. The pamphlet, a slick job with a neat layout, had obviously been prepared by a master chef. One day last week the whole mess was given an airing in New York newspapers.

Alan Valentine, executive director of Democrats-for-Willkie, laid the blame for this nasty bit of work on Democratic National Chairman Edward J. Flynn and Publicity Director Charles Michelson. Governor Stassen angrily called on Boss Flynn to apologize to the State of Minnesota for "slurs upon the patriotism of the people. . . ."

Boss Flynn vehemently denied all responsibility, declared: "The circular was not submitted to the publicity division of the National Committee for its approval prior to its issuance." Neither he nor Charles Michelson had known a thing about it, Mr. Flynn maintained. Said he: "I am chagrined to think that some reckless individual has done such a disservice to our great President and Party as to issue this stupid document."

Head of the Democratic Colored Division is Julian David Rainey, Boston lawyer. Mr. Rainey got his signals crossed with Boss Flynn, first "repudiated" the mimeographed statement, later admitted that it had been prepared in his office. It had been whipped up by an underling, said he, who had it mimeographed without Mr. Rainey's knowledge.