Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1940-10-18


tor Of Camphor Methodist Church,
st. Paul, created quite a stir in st.
Paul last weekend when he tried
to enlist in the U. S. Army. Sew
eral youths who had tried to enlist
were turned down. When Rev. Mel
son heard of it he tried.
Sunday morning he told Of the
incident in his pulpit. He wrote a
letter to President Roosevelt urg-
ing him to halt such tactics. Mon
days Pioneer Press gave consider
able space to his experience. Tues
day the st. Paul Dispatch raped
the Army officials for practicing
discrimination in the acceptance of
Negroes who live in the north who
want to serve in the Army, and in
statement released Wednesday,
the Saint Paul Youth Council pro-
tested the discriminatory action Of
the local Army recruiting office in
refusing the applications Of several
Negroes who volunteered for en-
listment in the United States
Army. The statement also pointed
out that not one Negro was repre-
scented on the draft boards although
lists of Negro citizens have been
submitted for service on the draft
boards. The text of the statement
follows:
'In the proclamation on con-
scription made by the President a
short time ago he declared that in
asmuch as the Negro people consti-
tute over 99O of the population, the
task of defending the nation should
be shared proportionately by the
Negro people. In line with this he
stated that $4,000 Negroes would
be included among the first 100000
men to be called up for training as
a result of the CONSUMPTION Law.
But in recent action and state
ments of Army officials and others
responsible for the administration
of the draft, it is becoming increas-
ingly evident that the democracy
for which the Negro people are
asked to defend is in turn being de-
MED to them.
Hershey Admitted Discrimination
This is demonstrated by the ad-
mission of Lieutenant Colonel Her
shey, director of the draft, that the
Army does practice discrimination
against the Negro people; in the
refusal of applications of several
st. Paul Negroes who volunteered
for enlistment in the United States
Army; and in the absence of a
single representative of the Negro
people on the local draft boards"
"The American Youth Congress"
the statement continued, "to which
the Saint Paul Youth Council is af-
filiated, stands unequivocally OPP
posed to any discrimination in the
operation of the Consumption Law.
If the Negro people and the youth
are to be called upon to defend
America, let them share alike also
the job of ensuring the fair and
equal operation of the draft.
IrOnic Task
Ironically enough, while the Ne
gro people are asked to share pro-
portionately the task Of defending
the country, there is exhibited no
concern on the part of the Admin
istration and Congress with but a
few honorable exceptions for the
democratic rights of the Negro
population as witness the shameful
treatment accorded the anti-lynch
and the anti-poll tax bills; as wit
ness the continued violation of the
State Civil Rights Law designed to
curb discrimination in places cater
ing to the public; and as witness
the deplorable living conditions of
a majority of the Negro people
brought about by a policy of seq
regation and discrimination which
prevents Negroes from obtaining
satisfactory employment, adequate
relief, and decent housing.
Strongly DisapprOves
''The Saint Paul Youth Council
strongly disapproves of the dis
criminatory treatment suffered by
the Negro young men locally and
nationally through the operation of
the Consumption Law, and urges
that full rights of the Negro draft
ees and volunteers be safeguard
ed"