The Omaha guide., 1942-07-18
Land Grant College Conference Up In Arms As....
Navy Refuses to Reconsider
Exclusion of vi Program
10y Hazel L. Grigsl

july II lANPH
Declaring that the u. S. Navy mad
worked out no plan for use Of Negro
officers and that the navy was not
disposed to train men for officers
and then nOt use them, Addison
Walker. assistant to Sec. Of Navy
Knox and Dean Barker. director OF
the navy training program. last
week told Dean c. H Thompson Of
Howard university and Charles II
Houston. noted attorney, represent
ing the Conference OF Presidents Of
Negro Lang Grant colleges, that
the navy could make no further ex-
pansion in the navy program to
train Negroes at this time.
Mr.. Walker and Dean Barker, in
effect, declined to recommend thai
Negro colleges and Negro students
be permitted to participate IN he
new vi training program, which is
designed to provide officer caudi-
dates for the navy out of quotas Of
college students, and over protests
OF the Conference of Presidents Of
Negro Land Grant Colleges and 9th
representative organizations
throughout the country. stood adam
ant on the navy policy OF discrim-
nation
Under the vi program, as it now
stands. no Negro college may parJi-
cipate and no Negro student enroll
ed in a white college. may take ad-
vantage Of the opportunity for tu-
ture naval service to his country.
In accordance with the plan, the
navy has a quota Of approximately
one-third of the nations college
students, who are permitted to en-
list in the navy. pass TO the naval
reserve. remain in college until
graduation and then go into the VI
program for commissions in the
navy. AS long as the students col
Iege work is on a satisfactory level
he is not sent to active service. If
he fails in college, however, he Is
sent Immediately 70 active duty.
The purpose Of the plan is to fur
nish the navy a continuous supply
for the duration Of the war Of train
ed and intelligent potential officers
Mr.. Walker and Dean Barker stat
ed to the land-grant Representatives
that it was contemplated that re-
/ cruits for officer raining wouli
come from he men now being train
ed at Great Lakes naval station and
at Hampton. when and if they
qualify as officer candidates"
The training at Great Lakes AMI
4. Hampton Is not designed to qualify
sailors as officers. but for the enlist-
I'd ratings. the committee pointed
: out. and an officer candidate has the
I further disadvantage Of the require
: ments of a years sea duty and the
4 RECOMMENDATION Of his commanding
officer in order to take examin-
atoms to qualify for a commission
Dean Thompson and Mr.. Houston
declared that the condition that the
sailor b recommended BY his com
handing officer was a "loophnle
and a snare for the elimination OF
ran Negroes and that in effect the
navy has not opened the way for
Negroes to become commissioned
officers.
Impetus to the action by the land
grant conference. headed by John
W. Davis. president OF West vir-
ginia state college. came when the
conference learned, during its two
day meet at Hampton recently, that
Howard university and several other
coIored schools had applied for par
ticipation in the VI program and
had been refused. This stand had
been taken by the navy while the
army had invited all colleges Be-
longing 10 the conference to partie-
ipate in the AERO The arm-s
'oHtinued on mage - y