The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1942-01-17
1aHnt. Mnnrnr Trnttpr
EDITOR and PUBLISHER
1901 - 1884
DEMOCRACY IN THE ARMED FORCES

movement the support of THE GUARDIAN can be counted
in advance Putting democracy into the nations armed
forces by eliminating herefrom all forms OF segregation
and discrimination has been continuously advocated by
this paper ever since the beginning of the emergency 1t
has seemed foolish tell the world that out to
defend democracy abroad while we have not yet sue
ceeded in establishing democracy at home not where
the Government in complete control 1t is only within
recent weeks that the President banned Color discrmna
ton in the civil service; it only recently too that the
Fair Employment Practice Committee instituted but
nothing yet has been to wipe out segregation and
Jim Crowism in the Navy Army and Military Aviation
although the power to do so is wholly in the hands of
Government that wants to call itself democratic. With
apparent complacency but with absolute authority to
effect change, the Government still permits intolerance
to be insed in the minds of youth by dual system of
public education, based color, in Washington D. c.,
the seat of the Government where would expect dem
ocracy to develop in fuorbed spendor beacon-ght
to the rest of the country and to the world
In the Navy Colored enlistees allowed to serve
only mess-boys. The Government processes helpless
to smash the caste system which the absurd pride
of Navy brass hats seeks to perpetuae But the prob
lem would be easy of solution for any openmlnded de-
partment head with the courage of fortnight American
ISM In an editorial May 81 last year this paper suggested
a remedy:
Isn't it time to stop labelling young white Am
erica as the embodiment of 'snootiness'? There are
numbers of today's youths who resent the implication
that color prejudice and snobbery are of right and
ough to be- fixtures of American character. w hen
courageous department head wants to try out prac-
tical democracy in the Navy there'l be plenty OF
volunteers among enlisted men and officers to accept
the challenge"
The simple request of the Commander-m-Chlef
would suffice to bring forward officer to take command
of any ship where the Government wants TO introduce
democratic practice Unquestonaby that fortunate ship
and its commander would be acclaimed as the Nays
most popular unit And perhaps that would be reason
for blocking the project.
Resistance to change old fogysm senseless race pre-
dco are the chief obstacles which the propoa for the
new divion is likely to encounter Anything so mover as
democratic army unit certain to be opposed oy army
ura-conservaves who to hold tighter 10 ooSoleCV
traditions as new ideas and methods are advanced
The sm total of their for opposing the pIoPoo"
will he simply that it has been DONE and therefore
i cannot he done and ought not to be attempted lhey
will NOT want to recall for instance, that II was notably
done in the Revolutionary War when Cooreo coloni"l9
we're ntegrated in Washingtons attered regiments J9
as NAVY brass hats are apt to forget that oooleu m
hand fought side by side with his white compat1oS III
the first naval engagement between America ana Ofea
p+n and to forget that Colored heroes fought also
IN naval battles since then In meeting this sort OF oo
structon it will be encouraging for us to remember Oe
"Billv" Mitchell and then drive ahead harder Win III
creased enthusiasm for the cause.
"We don't want jim Grow army chasing all over
the world" exclaimed Chairman Jack McMichael' pres
delnbia last July t would take US more than year
to democratize our Army the point where we would
want to let it get out of the country There plenty OF
democracy to fight for right here At the time the
Youthful president of the organization repuedy repre-
sentinc several million young and women was pro-
testing against an AEF but he voiced sentiments winch
appear to reveal the attitude of the Congress toward
segregation in the army His statement recalled the case
of the young white New Yorker who resented assignment
to white regiment the grounds that such assignment
was contrary to his conception of democracy that he
tended school with coored boys that he preferred place
ment with Coored troops and that separation accord
ing to skin cooring holds up to ridcule the idea of
democracy 1t was our belief then and still is our be
eI tha there are other white youths who share in
the views OF that New York young In this connec-
on 1t Is interesting to note that the National Association
Tor the Advancement of Colored People, which the
immediate sponsor of the proposal for the mixed divi-
slon reports that "a gratifying number of young white
Americans have expressed themselves believing that
racial segregation in the Army undemocratic and dan
gerous to national morale Our belief in the prac-
hcabily of such division based upon correspondence
IN the Office and contacts which various members of