St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1941-02-07
THE
MILE-POST
By Samuel A. Reed.
Stassen and the Min
nesOta Defense Force

Governor Stassen stated recently
in answer to a reporters query
concerning the evidences of racial
discrimination in the Minnesota De.
Tense Force that: .'the case has not
come to my attention"
That is Governor Stassen's ex-
PLANTATION, but -.
Records will show that this mat.
ter has been brought to the Cover.
nOr's attention on at least six diff
ferent occasions since he was first
introduced to the subject some
months ago.
He has received no less than
three letters from various individu-
ais and organizations, and, even
more recently, a registered letter
from the Negro Defense Commit
tee: all of these letters vigorously
denouncing the extremely pro-
nounced and irritating discrimina-
ton against Negroes in the Mime
sofa Defense Force.
To my own knowledge the Cover
nor has been politely asked four
times to arrange a conference with
certain Negro leaders in order that
satisfactory solution to this prob
lem could be arrived at.
Furthermore, the Governor has
been personally approached by at
least one high federal government
official and one high state official
relative to this question.
Now it is just possible that one
or two Of these letters of protest
did not reach the Governor. They
may have been lost in the mails
Or perhaps his secretaries, not yet
wise to the full political import of
these protests, did not trouble to
burden the Governor with such
trivialities.
However, if return receipt for
registered mail serves the purpose
for which it is intended, then it can
be safely stated that the Governor
did receive one letter acquainting
him with these conditions in the
Defense Force.
So now, when the Negro citizens
who are taxed to support this De-
Tense Force are so completely out
of patience with the Governor after
over three months of futile negOti-
ating that they plan to march on
the Capitol to find out what is
wrong now, the Governor in
nocently states that: ''The case has
not come to my attention"
If, now, this whole question has
developed into an embarrassing is
sue, the Negro people are not to
blame. The Governor alone, be-
cause of his indifference and neg
lect, is responsible.
And for the benefit of those mis-
informed and suspicious persons
who question the sincerity of those
protesting this discrimination in
the Defense Force, it should be
clearly understood that partisan
politics play no role whatsoever in
this matter. An injustice remains
an injustice regardless of whether
it is committed under a Republican,
Democratic, or Farmer-LabOr ad-
ministratiOn.
This issue is not a political foot
ball-yet. At present it, is, more
precisely, hot potato!
Those in this state who have
presidential aspirations should be
given to understand that while the
potential voting strength of Ne
grOes in Minnesota is relatively
small, the united strength Of Ia
million Negroes in the United
States becomes a veritable political
club.
It is the cumulative effect of just
such trivial" issues as this dis
elimination in the Minnesota De-
tense Force which will determine
at some later date, for whom these
ID million people will vote =.
and perhaps who is to be future
president of the United States.
Big trees from little acOrns
grOwi