Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1942-11-27


here in their native land, especially
ne together and prepared list Of
amp and Army policies of discrimi-
nation and segregation, and sent
these recommendations over their
several signatures TO the general
in command of the camp. These
recommendations had to do with
the bus situation, (which is terri
ble," the Army Air Corps use of
the service clubs by all Negro
troops Negro soldiers may use
only one) and a few other things
that irked the Negro soldiers. On
the buses the white officers or
drivers have ordered the Negro
soldiers to stand up, so the whites
could sit down and sometimes a
bus would pass by a group Of SOL
diers without stopping, solely be-
cause they were Negroes.
When the commanding officer re-
ceived the list of recommendations
he became enraged. 1t is reported
that he is a Southern cracker of
the worst order" He issued an
order which denoted regimental
Sergeant Major Samuel Reed, a ma
tive of St. Paul, to the ranks as a
private. The commanding officer
blamed Reed principally for the
writing of the recommendations
because of his aggressiveness in all
matters pertaining to obtaining a
fair and impartial deal for the Ne
gro soldiers.
Shortly after his demotion, Pri-
vate Reed was sent to another
camp. He will probably soon en-
bark for parts unknown"
After Reed was sent away from
Camp Lee the commanding officer
called a meeting of the cadre or
non-commissioned officers in the
18th Quartermaster Training Regi-
ment, of which Reed was the high
est ranking non-commissioned Of
ficer before his demotion. The
commanding officer in real South
ern fashion told the cadre that they
would have to stop their damn
mouths, and accept the Army's
policy and practice of discrimina-
ton, or be busted and shipped"
This threat was evidently made to
prevent more protests being made.
However, it seems, from reports
that the fight for better treatment
in and around Camp Lee will be
continued by some of the soldiers
who have been inspired by Reeds
aggressive spirit which charac-
terized his life as a civilian, as well
as in the Army.
Private Reed, who is the son of
Mr.. and Mrs. Dwight Reed, Sr. of
st. Paul, was the president of the
st. Paul Branch of the National
Association for the Advancement
of Colored People when he was in
Quoted into the Army nearly two
years ago. At the time that he
was called into the Army, Reed
was leading the fight to get Ne
groes enlisted in the Minnesota
Home Defense Force without dis
elimination and there are those
who still believe that his number
for induction was called out of turn
to get rid of him at that time.
Private Reed is the brother of
Dwight Reed, Jr., a former All
American end of the University of
Minnesota football team a few
years ago. Private Dwight Reed is
now at the officer training camp
at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and a
member of the Fort Knox football
team. Private Sam Reed married
the former Miss Beatrice Schuck,
also of St. Paul during the sum-
mer.
kilograms protesting against the
continued bad treatment of Negro
soldiers and the demotion of Pri-
vate Sam Reed were sent to Presi-
dent Roosevelt and Secretary of
War Henry Stimson by the St. Paul
Branch of the National Association
for the Advancement of Colored
People on Wednesday. Organiza-
tons and individuals are urged to
send letters and kilograms of pro-
test to President Roosevelt and
Secretary of War Henry Stimson.
Buy War Bonds TOdayl
Gay Nineties, Saturday, Dec. IL,
sponsored by Halle @. Brown
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