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rs. Roosevelt Cou Interracial Conference he By FRANCES LIDE .. Concentration on one impor- -tant goa) at a timaA was urged “by Mrs. Franklin D- sur- mount barriers to human and ~¢ivil rights. Keynote speaker at the two- - day Interracial Conference of women being held at the Ward Hotel, Mrs. Roosevelt “warned against trying to do ithe same thing everywhere -and everything at once in the. fight for racial equality. +s “I think you must be con- “tent to put your greatest em- - phasis on what you think ts -the most important thing in -Four area,” she told delegates to the conference aathich is tha’ Watianal Mae “Sponsor ea by .Co " ™¥ou will have"to decide “what you think is most im- > portant. But don't be divided in your efforts. Lf you ate do- “ing too many things av once you will lose the drive that ph necessary.” : = Housing Important = The speaker said that com- i:plete desegregation in housing is Ge Of the Most imiporieni objectives to be sought in New > York. “That must happen be- <fore we can have rea! de- . segregation in schools,” she - asserted amid applause. “In the Southern States,” { she continued, “it seems to me | that the right for protection f° I “in your right to vote should be the very first step. This is a Federal right, and I think -~Ways could be found to have Federal supervision through _Jocal authorities.” - She further suggested that >the aid of churches might be ‘enlisted in effecting “this im- ‘. portant step.” +, Mrs. Roosevelt also stressed ithe adverse effect of segrega- i ce : schools. he said. ‘ ro fo unse Is": “All the world watches what happens in the United States,” she said. “And everything - that happens here is known | throughout the world.- ; “One of the great barriers to leadership of the United States is that we are felt not to think of all people as being equalinallthings. * “We will never be able to fight the Communist process satisfactorily unless Wwe can solve this problem.” Several hundred women are attending the conference, ar- . ranged in connection with the council's mat annual con- vention. Dr, Mordecai Johnson, pres- idetit—of—Hown niversity, shored the nrngram at waeter Shei S240 Page eae me eee day's opening session. Influence ef Wemen Dr. Johnson said women could have a profound imffu- ence in America and the world if they became aware of their potential strength and faced up to the problem of human rejations. The Supreme Court ruling that public school segregation is unconstitutional offers # special challenge to Women, both as mothers and teachers, ee ee ere ete “It is the loving heart of the teacher that is going to be decisive in this,” he con- tended. Dr. Johnson criticized ; churches for their failure to | take the lead in desegregating I Wash. Post and —__—. Times Herald Wash. News i Wash. Star AT Without identifying him further, he said one of the Supreme Court justices - told him that “one of the Great tragedies of America is that the Christian churches of America didn't precipitate this.” . The speakers were presented by Mrs, William_ThomasMa- N.Y. Herald _——__—- Tribune N. Y. Mirror N.Y. Daily News —— Daily Worker The Worker _____-_—- : tien~ca-thjs country’s prestige. £0. national president nfdhe- = “tn internaticnal affairs. “Founcil. ‘New Leader —__- ——e ee lr en ere te, Bai ealnee ee” - ' ee oe TT Date NO¥3-7-4958— _ 100 -3¢ PSDbA nk nel ~