The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1941-08-23
Negro Draftees In Arkansas

NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS from colored draftces at
~ Camp Robinson in Arkansas and other military
camps pouring into Detroit telling of the brutal treat
men to which our boys being subjected by military
police and white citizens.
The complaints come mainly from draftees in the oath
Engineer outfit duty at Camp Robinson
There rlore than thousand in the organza-
ton, the majority being from Michigan and Illinois, with
approximately thirty white officers in charge
According TO these letters from draftees. whites of
the locality are nfcting humiating insults and mistrea-
officers
Here are a few paragraphs taken from some of the
letters received this week from Camp Robinson in Arkan
sas, by draftees whose names we withhold by request
They are as follows
"JuSt line to let YOU know are in hell in Arkan
am fine for the time being but every night there s
some hell going on White draftees and coorcd not
mixed here. The whites do not like for go to town
and they out night out Negro draftees
are treated like dogs. Don't tell my mother about this.
Another Detroit boy writes:
Il am in a very bad condition here in Arkansas The
crackers rode into camp horses and gave until
down Thursday to get out While hiking down the high
automatic shogunS and pistols. and told our
commanding oficer that if he didn't get those D
black Nigger> of the highway he going get bunch
Of them killed So YOU see what we re up against
Here's what another drafee writes:
Yesterday we went tenmie hike. marching
along the side Of the highway. All of sudden
six ruckoadS OF mobStcrs came speeding down the road
from the opposite direction. They jumped with
guns sub-machne guns and riot drawn, and began
cursing. and appng boys awful. They drove
US of the highway into the woods daring to speak
word They hit Two Of our white officers who attempted
70 speak back some Of the military police with
the mobSers and were agans, We about five
miles down in the woods Our officers almost afraid
as are. The crackers call them Nggerlovers' and
hey call us black Yankees
Surely this is enough 70 make Hitler and his secret
agents split their sides laughing to what dSnity and
cudice prevail in the United States must please
the dictator Immensely 10 learn how whites in the back
woods ~ Arkansas and other sections of nation
rampering the Governments program of training Negro
drafee for national defense II the United States be-
comes involved in shooting the dictators know
better than the backwoodSndn Of Arkansas know what
courageous fighters our Negro soldiers will prove to be-
as demonstrated in the first World War How blind
some Americans are.
Why is like waving a red flag before bull, for
some white American To see Negro soldiers in uniforms?
We have always fought Loyalty in defense of country
and have never engaged In revolt in the face of fla
grant roNocaton Why then hated feared I?
We vigorously protest u President Roosevelt and to the
Us War Department against the brutality and humiliang
treatment accorded Negro draeeS at Camp Robinson and
other military camps in various parts Of the country We
are Americans too patriotic Americans and as such
entitled To all the fair treatment encouragement and
opportuniY Tor service and advancement that enjoyed
by other citizens In the present struggle to democ
racy and liberty the world there should be place for
color discrimination