Evening star., 1942-09-20
Recognition Accorded
Negroes as Fighters
And War Workers
Most Significant Advance
Being Made on Home
Production Front

The war is winning the American
skilled worker.
On the far flung battle fronts
abroad and on the production front
at home he is contributing his blood
and skill to a cause which his lead
ers say he appreciates better than
any one else-the preservation of
freedom and democracy.
The first member of Gen. Douglas
MacArthur's armored forces in the
Philippines to die when the jap
anese attacked that American out
post was Negro-Robert H. Brooks
of Kentucky. The central parade
ground at Fort Knox has been
named in his honor,
Negroes died fighting valiantly
with their white comrades in
the attack on Pearl Harbor. Ne
gro troops are in training with
American forces in the British Isles,
awaiting the day when continental
invasion begins. Others are guard
ing our lifelilCs In the Pacific in
Australia, New Caledonia and New
Guinea.
Work on Road to Alaska.
Negroes comprise a substantial
part-some say 40 per cent-of the
engineering troops building strate-
gic military road through the Ca
madam wilds to Alaska.
But 1t is on the home-productio
front where the Negro is making his
most significant advances. Once
relegated to the so-called custodial
Jobs in industry-janitor, porter,
elevator operator-he now is making
his appearance with increasing fire.
quency as a skilled and smNi-skilled
worker.
There are industries that employ
Negro engineers, draughtsmen,
chemists and scientists. In one
Ohio defense plant a colored man
Is the chief metallurgist in charge
OF q staff of Negro technicians and
Is recognized as an authority on
stainless steel.
Negro women are leaving their
traditional roles as domestic serv-
ants and making their appearance
on the production line in war in
dustries.
Despite these advances. Negro
leaders say-on the eve of the 80th
anniversary Tuesday of Lincoln's
Emancipation Proclamation that full
utilization in the war effort must
be made of a vast reservoir of 5,000,-
900 Negro men and women workers.
$4,000 to 1,000, 900 Trained.
They estimate $4,000 to 1000 900
of this group are trained for skilled
or semi-skilled jobs and can be
drawn on to meet the growing man
power shortage.
The Government is setting the
pace by employing increasing num-
bers of Negro men and girls as ste
nographers and clerks in the rapidly
expanding war agencies. A sepa-
rate Negro manpower service has
been established in the War Man.
power Commission under the direc-
tion of DR.. Robert c. Weaver, to
expedite the movement of Negroes
INTO war industries.
There is a separate Negro press
section in the Office of War Infor-
nation to keep the colored press in
formed of Negro activities In the
war program. 1t is in charge of
Theodore Postpon, well-known COL
ored newspaperman.
In the War Department, a former
Judge of the Federal District Court
for the Virgin Islands, William H.
Hastie, has been appointed civilian
aide to the Secretary of War in
charge of Negro relations.
A prominent colored woman. Mrs.
Crystal Bird Fauset, is in charge
of Negro activities in the Office of
Civilian Defense.
Ask Only a Chance.
"All the Negro asks" says DR..
Weaver, "is chance to contribute
his share to the war effort. He
wants to feel that he belongs to
this effort and is not being used
merely because no one else is avail
able"
With the growing manpower
shortage, he said, the upgrading of
"underemployed" Negroes and the
hiring of additional Negroes will be-
come necessity in many areas.
Few plants, however, are facing
this issue squarely," said DR.. Weaver.
They are putting off hiring and
training of Negroes to the last"
In Baltimore, the Government has
called on war industries to hire more
Negroes in critical shortage of Ia
Dor and housing.
The Manpower Commission has
made arrangements to expand train-
ing facilities for Negroes in Balti-
more and hopes that by such
methods sufficient skilled labor can
be drawn from the city's large Negro
population so that additional work.
ers will not have to be imported
into a community whose housing
facilities already are overtaxed.
Facilities Held Inadequate.
One reason why more Negroes are
not employed in war industries, DR.
Weaver said is that training facili.
ties are inadequate. In fact, some
Negro leaders claim the colored peo-
pie virtually have been left out o.
the war training. program.
DR.. Weaver estimated there ar,
about 100000 Negroes employed il
war work
The Presidents executive order O.
last year barring discrimination II
war contracts because of race, creec
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