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i ° SO mes zee NE RITE EER SPREE REE ce 4 ny EO 100-4692 ) master Depot, Kansas City, Missouri, had an overbearing attitude toward % the white people; that these negroes were reported to be untrustworthy and to be planning some sort of a racial uprising soon. : that in October, 1942, the labor con- ditions and temps of the work atthe 0, 8, Quartermaster Depot sere good , sna that there was a minimum of troublesome employees or labor problems; ' that shortly thereafter it became apparent that pome labor problems were impending at that depot; that during the fall off 1942 the Ameri Federa- tion of Labor had initiated a morement to orgaaige a local uniomi at this i depot, This organization work for the AF of E*Warehouse and Tams ters rf i Union sas carried on largely by R. BE. JAMES, an organizer f al Bo. 2, ™ AFL, 260 State Bank Buliding, Kansas City, Kansas, During this same period the rival CIO Warshouse and Teamsters Union also attempted to organize the workers in this depot, During this period of organizational work, by beth of these unions at that depot, there were some indications of agitation -_ i among the American negroes, with statements being made by sane of the workers as follows: *fhat are you going te be —-—? & white mants negro? Bontt work yourself to death for the white man.” manne The organizing and racial friction at this depot reached its heighth in December, 1942, amd Jamary, 1943. During the latter month about. 300 of the colored workers at this depot were discharged and among thia group ag ad cee enetetenld eaten ve were included ali of the leaders who presumably were causing racial frie- ( * tion at this depot. Since that date the labor situstion at this depot . §& hes constantly improved and there are no apparent labor difficulties at Hi the present time, In addition, there ars no obvious racial problems at this plant at the present time, . Referense letter indicates that the sgitators at this depot we seribed as wearing be me hair and termed "The Red Fes Outfit.” that the only individuals f{tting this deseription at wera &0me negroes who formerly drove a truck and picked up a trash “and waste paper at this depot, He advised that they drove a truck a, for the § and K lastepaper Company; that these individuals were not ex- Fo ployed by the War Department and merely picked up this trash and wazte- paper under 4 private contract. Confidential Informant T-1 further ad- vised that no individuals by the name of BEY or EL are presently employed at this depot or have ever been employed at this depot,