The Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1931-1952, 1943-04-07
LET us DOUBLE OUR CONTRIBUTION
221s s. E. 37th

In answer to the many err
les who take issue with IN
Northwest Enterprise for II
appeal to members of our rae
to double contributions TO th
American Red Cross: We r,
print an article from the pc
OF Ludlow w. Werner, column
list OF the New York Age
March %, which fits our spec
iflcations exactly.
Read IL and remember you
husband, brother or son, Is
benefactor. We still appeal 4
you to double your contribu
ton. Seattle has not reaches
its goal.
Editor.
The Red Cross is currently IL
Its drive for 1943 funds will
which to carry on its work
Among the important phases of II
and one which is being stressed L
the blood donor service. When
ever | get an appeal from the Red
Cross. am torn between two
thoughts. On tn one hand, be-
cause of its discriminatory blood
bank service to deny the appeal.
and on the other hand beacuse of
the obvious good that is doing to
okay the appeal but with reserva-
lions.
About three weeks ago, tn
publicity director for the drive
called and asked my cooperation
In publishing an appeal for block
Now while I know
that the publicity director is In no
wise responsible for national poll
icies OF the organization. l felt
that 1t was another opportunity
for me to tell him just what Ne
groes think of the Red Cross. I
did 1t because feel that Negroes
should not let an opportunity pass
to tell others about that much
abused word democracy.
The gentleman In question was
apologetic for the national organ
cations discriminatory loodi
blanks but said that 1t was his un-
Outstanding that the policy was
laid down by he Army and was
merely being carried out by the
In compliance with
Army regulations. l told him that
as far as I had been able to find
out from responsible officials of
The Red Cross there seemed to be
40 one who could definitely give
ne the answer to the question
why the separate blood banks.
Apparently, told him. the Negro
Press had caught the Red Cross
off guard when it first started fir
ng questions because the que3-
ions came so thick and fast that
t caught the officials without CIV
ng them a chance o get together
and decide on one story for all of
hem to tell their questioners.
l wound up my discussion with
him by saying that even though l
did not approve of the Red Cross
For its separate blood banks, 1
still had to admit that the organ
Ization was doing lots of good and
that on that score alone l would
In publishing the APP
peal. H'i ~ -
I do not know whether TIE talk
| had with this man did any good
or not but l do know that for the
first time the reason for separate
blood banks was publicized In the
daily press and the cause - of
all things - given as the request
of Negores themselves. Under the
caption Death Cheated by Red
Cross Blood" Howard Whitman
in the March 18th issue of the
Daily News wrote in part
"If you got Herr Goebbels on
the telephone and asked him
about the Red Cross blood donor
service, he would tell you: %
That the Red Cross doesn't pay
you a penny for your blood and
then sells it to the Army for $17
pint. ca That when colored
people donate their blood 1t Is
thrown down the drain as soon as
they've departed. Fantastic az
they seem. these and similar pol
son-rumors occasionally pop up
Here are the facts:
Now what about blood OF col
ored donors?
"In the first place, the Re-
Cross welcomes 1t - needs II
Scientifically, plasma of the col
ored people is no different fror
the plasma of other races. Blu
the problem of segregation wa
unavoidable. At a conference G
Army and Navy medical official
the answer was reached when
high-ranking colored officer salt
speaking for colored service mel
that they would be happier II the
knew that the blood to save the
when they were wounded can
from their own people.
$50, on orders from the Arm
H.oou VI