The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1940-08-31
ACTS TO END JIM CROW RULE
IN ARMY AND NAVY

ACTS TO END JIM CROW RULE
IN ARMY AND NAVY
Efforts by colored organizations to
wipe our race discrimination in recruit
ing the nations armed forces were
encouraged today by Senator Barbour
OF New Jersey. He has announced he
would introduce an amendment to the
draft bill now before the Senate open
ing all defense branches to volunteer
enlistments regardless of race or color.
Other amendments may also be offered
providing for equal treatment of all
races under any CONSUMPTION plan that
may be adopted.
Ii Congress decides to draft peace
time army, there are 100000 coIored
men between q and 81 who will be
eligible.
Right now the regular U. S. Army
keeps its colored soldiers carefully
segregated in colored units. The Air
Corps accepts none at all. Neither
does the Marine Corps. In the Navy
the highest rank to which member of
the cOlOred race may aspire is that of
mess attendant No colored man has
been graduated from Annapolis, and
only one admitted since Reconstruction
days. Only four colored men have
graduated from West Point.
The Navy Department explains its
exclusion policy as necessary for the
deficiency of the Fleet" General
Arnold, Chief of the Air Corps, simply
advises that mo provision has been
made for the establishment of coIored
air units" and therefore Refreshments
are not being accepted from members
Of the colored race" Secretary of War
Stimson warns that unity can be de-
stroyed by attempting to establish a
(colored enlistment) program which is
contrary to War Department plans"
Colored men who try to join the only
defense service open to them on any
terms at all-the regular Army-often
find themselves turned away when they
attempt to enlist. Testifying before a
House committee, General Marshall,
Army Chief of Staff, said:
"In the colored organizations, much
larger percentage of men re-enlist than
in white organizations. The result is
that there are very few vacancies for
new soldiers as compared with the
vacancies in white organizations. In
other words, it takes no recruiting effort
at all to find men for the colored
organizations"
Present regular Army expansion
plans provide for 10000 colored sol
diers out of total of $4,000 enlisted
men, or approximately one man in 3S,
Colored persons make up about one in
ii Of the country's male population
The National Defense Act says that
mo Colored men, because of race, shall
be excluded from enlistment in the
Army for service with colored military
units"-another way of saying that jim
Crow organizations are open to any
colored men unless they are already
filled up.
Most of the 100000 draft-age col
ored men, therefore, do not have a
shot at even segregated, regular
Army unit and must take their chances
with CONSUMPTION. OF the 100000 col
ored men drafted for the World War
all but some 10000 were assigned to
service as laborers, hostlers, kitchen
help and the like. Prospects this time
are not much better-P.K.
ADDENDA FLASH - Mr.. and
Mrs. Jesse (Hazel Langston) Chase
visited here recently from Austin, Texas
and kidnapped Theodore Babe
Stephens upon their return more
later many thank to the bevy of merry
| makers who zoomed down on Town