The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-04-03
NEGRO PRESS
COMPL|MENTED.
BY CHAPLAIN
To Face COurtmartial
PrOce e d ings For
Defense Of Race

Graphic eyewitness stories Of brutal
ity by white officers toward Negro
soldiers in the Southern Pacific area
OF war were told this week to the
Associated Negro Press by Chaplain
Luther Marion Fuller. who has been
called back here to face court
martial proceedings, allegedly for
certain Of his efforts. in behalf Of
colored soldiers which violated
army rules.
Rev. Fuller, a prominent eastern
pastor before joining the armed
forces as a chaplain with the oath
Infantry at TT Benning. Ga, in
June, 194l, and who saw action in
the South Sea Islands combat zone
lust below the Solomon Islands
spoke particularly Of the attitude
of their wkite officers to members
OF a coast artillery. anti-aircraf:
regiment. This is the same group
which, when assigned to guard duty
in Pennsylvania shortly after Amer
lean entry into the war. awoke one
morning to And notices on the. bulle-
tin boards threatening death to those
who became over-friendly with
1 white women.
At The same time tie chaplain
said he had observed that those
white commanding officers who
read Negro newspapers and thus
were able TO understand what the
Negroes felt were the fairest in
their treatment OF colored soldiers.
"One OF the finest pieces OF work
that the Negro press has ever done
land ttis is putting it very con-
servatively). Is uncovering the great
wrongs and injustices heaped upon
the Negro soldiers in the U. >.
army" said Rev Fuller. During
the entire period of my service
eolored soldiers both al home and
abroad have said that the Negro
papers are their source OF comfort
snI Inspiration
IAN OF tie officers I'M regiments
where We have served and who
read the Negro papers and tried
20 understand the colored man and
the conditions under which he Is
laboring and striving. were always
men who treated the colored SOL
diers in a kind and Just manner.
Al Fl Benning. a certain command
inr officer was seen reading the
PITTSBURGH Courier. Afro-American.
Chicago Defender and other Negro
nswspapers on every Saturday or
Monday mernirs when we went to
kis Omen y@.ss -v--a ,,g,,
He was drying to zee just what
eli the trouble was about concern
ing the bad treatment OF Negro
soldiers. and he was determined
that no such treatment would be
given out in his unit We found him
10 be one OF the most fair minded
and Jus, commanding officers we
have ever worked with The col
orc soldiers really loved him for
he would never allow them 10 be
mistreated by the white officers,
There was another commanding
officer at the same post who, II Is
said. would never allow Negro
newspaper 10 come into his office.
and e can truthfully say that the
Negro soldiers in his regiment were
clways in the dog house. and his
only concern was 10 remain at the
head OF a Negro regiment in order
get a promotion 10 higher rank.
which he never succeeded l., getting.
I'VE went from Fort Benning 10
New York City, 10 California and
then 10 the South Sea Islands with
certain coas, artillery tAA group.
II this latter regiment we never
saw white commissioned OFF, r
reading a Negro newspaper at any
time and, according 10 the enlisted
mems own testimony. thi- regiment
wa. one OF the worst governed and
administered, and cruel and abusive
in regard TO treatment Of the SOL
diers. and the least trained OF all
the Negro regiments in tie army
According TO one first sergeant. this
organization is the popular fallacy
OF the war department at Washing
ton. and should have never been
sent into foreign service
Another enlisted man said: The
white officers of this regiment have
been so cruel and abusive in their
treatment Of Negro soldiers from
TT. Bragg. ~ c., TO the South Sea
Islands that TIE latter have little
or no respect for their superiors
Still another enlisted member OF
this organization said: Our white
commissioned officers treat us more
like work horses, lower animals, ana
niggers than like real soldiers.
came over here 10 be a retl SOL
der and 10 Rght and die for my
country IL necessary. but il appears
that we were brought over here
to be slaves for the white officers
IN fact, this chaplain was told
by some OF tie natives on thai
island where this regiment was sta
toned that some OF these white
officers said that those niger sol
diers are really our slaves and We
brought them over here 10 work
for us and for you and you shouldn
associate with them at ALL We also
have personal knowledge OF thu
fact that some OF these same white
officers had Negro soldiers fannint
the flies away from them while TIT
f.rmer ate their meals. This chap
lain is In possession OF the res
tscts about this coast artillery regi
menl ana we know tina: these en-
Listed men are telling the truti
about the bad AMI unjust treatmen
they received from their superior
officers who never read a Negr'
newspaper and never tried to un
derstsnd OF And out anything soou
the Negroes condition.
In our opinion the whole trouol
with that unit is that the Ncgf'
~ !