The Omaha guide., 1934-09-08
HOUSTON AND MACARTHUR
CLASH jim CROW

Washington, Aug. 31-Dean Char
les Fl. Houston Of Howard Univers-
ity law school and the legal com
mittee Of the National Association
for the Advancement Of Colored
People took sharp issue this week
with the reply by General Douglas
Macarthur. Chief of Staff Of the
u 5 Army, to an earlier letter
charging gross discrimination a.
gainst Negroes in the military SER
vice.
Replying to Mr.. Houston's letter
OF August 9th, General Macarthur
denied the existence of color pref
udice in enlistments or in the train
ng OF Negro reserve officers and
colored regiments. "The four Negro
regiments are distinctly combat reg
iments", he insisted, land receive
combat training in like manner as
white regiments. All regiments. col
ored and white due to lack Of ap-
preparations, r compelled from
time to time to perform duties nor
mally falling to service battalions.
The records of the War department
Indicate that here IS only an infniti
SINAI percentage Of colsred apple
ants for training in newer arms"
In an answering letter dated Aug
ust 10th Dean Houston charges that
"the Army has consistently discrim-
mated, and is even now discriminat-
ing, against Negro officers and
troops" I'VE notice that all our
officers from Colonel Charles Young
down to date seem To get shunted a.
way from the regiments into detach-
ed service-Colonel Young was kept
from overseas and combat duty be-
u the War Department was will
cause the War Department was I'M
willing to have q Negro general in
the ssrvice@The morale of the 92nd
Division was shot to pieces because
the Negro officers and the mel felt
there was a determined policy TO dis
criminate against them and keep
them from promotion, regardless of
what their records might be. If
consistent with War Department
policy, Negroes would like to know
why Negro officers are so continu-
,usly kept from active service with
troops"
Turning to the status Of the four
Negro regiments, he insists that
service work is their primary occup-
alton, except for the 25th Infantry"
and that "75 percent Of the Negro
combat troops are actually doing
battalion duty as their pri-I
mary function, which is a greater
percentage than can be found among
the regular infantry and cavalry IS
a whole"
In proof of his contention, the
former army officer cites the fact
tbs. the 2itt Infantry stationed at
Fort Benning, Ga, the 9th Cavalry
stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas and
the 10th Cavalry which Is divided
between Fort Leavenworth, Kansas,
West Point, New York and Fort
Myer, Va, all perform q minimum Of
drill but are largely used as service
and on police and escort
duty, and that none Of these troops
takes part in maneuvers except as
orderlies- Only the 2sth Infantry
stationed at Fort Huachua, Arizona,
functions normally as a combat
regiment oa garrison duty"
No PYoHotion for Non-Coms
Dean Houston further charges
that 'HThe recent non promotion pol
icy Of the War Department operat-
ed distinctly to the prejudice Of Ne
gro troops-In order to fill up the
complement of troops in the newer
arms within the limitations Of the
appropriations, the War Department
until recently had a policy whereby
in case Of a vacancy among the non
commissioned officers in the older
inc regiments the vacancy wouldn't
be filled. but a corresponding posi-
ton would be created in one Of the
newer arms Of the service and the
pay from the cid office transferred
to the new. There would be no OBJ
lection to this policy If Negro sold
iers were permitted TO qualify for
the newer arms of the service. But
they were not and are not. The
result was to deprive Negro soldiers
IN the four regular army regiments