December 28, 1942, Memorandum on Complaints against the Chesapeake and Potomac Company in Baltimore, Maryland

To: George M. Johnson

From: Clarence Mitchell 

Subject: Complaints against the Chesape[a]ke and Potomac Telephone Company in Baltimore, Maryland.

December 28, 1942

A great many complaints are being filed against the C&P Telephone Company in Baltimore according to the Afro-American. However, I have not seen more than two in our office, although there may be others. In any event, Mr. Julius Gardner of Region 4 has asked me to let you know that the area Manpower Director, Mr. Royden A. Blunt is at work on this problem.

In view of the fact that we will be awaiting the outcome of our Washington action before proceeding to other points, it might well be that we could call these to the attention of Mr. Blunt and suggest that he send us a statement indicating what action the Commission is planning in connection with the C&P Telephone Company.

I am attaching a suggested memorandum which you might agree to send to him through the Executive Director of the Commission.1

MS: copy, FR42, Region IV. Active Cases (3–624), Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company, Baltimore, Md.

1. Probably George M. Johnson to Royden A. Blunt, 12/26/42, filed along with numerous other related documents with this text. Complaints against the Chesapeake and Potomac Company were initiated by the Baltimore Afro-American by the Baltimore Urban League, and by an umbrella organization called the Total War Employment Committee, chaired by Lillie M. Jackson, Mitchell’s mother-in-law, who was president of the Baltimore NAACP branch, and Alexander J. Allen of the Urban League. The committee also included representatives of the local Communist Party, another organization backing the effort to open telephone and transit jobs to blacks. For subsequent developments, see the headnote on the Telephone Industry and the texts cited there.