The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-02-06
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ing practice which now confront
him. But only by being al all times
first class soldier can the man in
uniform help IN this battle which
shall be fought and won
When took office, the Secretary
OF War directed that all questions
OF policy and important proposals
relating 10 Negroes should be re-
ferred 10 my office for comment or
approval before final action. In De.
cember, l940 the Air Forces re-
ferred 10 me plan for segregated
training center for Negro pursuit
pilots at Tuskegee. ] expressed my
entire disagreement with the plan.
giving my reasons in detail My
views were disregarded. Sincethen,
the Air Command has never on its
own initiative submitted any plan
or project to me for comment or
recommendation! What information
obtained. I>had to seek out. Where
made proposals or recommends
tons. volunteered them.
This situation reached its climax
id late December. 1912, when !
learned through army press releases
sent out from st. Louis and from
the War Department in Washington
that the Air Command was about
10 establish a segregated officer can
didate school at Jefferson Barracks,
Mo-. TO train Negro officers for
ground duty with the Army Air
Forces. Here was proposal for a
radical departure from present army
practice, since the officer candidate
training program is the one large
field where the army is eliminating
racial segregation
Moreover, | had actually written
to the Air Command several weeks
earlier in an attempt to find out
what was brewing at Jefferson Bar
racks. The Air Command replied
as late as December II. 1912. giving
not even the slightc,t hint OF any
plan for a segregated officer candi-
date school. II is inconceivable to
me that consideration of such
project had not then advanced far
enough for my office to have been
even II I had not made
specific inquiry. The conclusion is
unacceptable that the Air Command
does not propose TO inform much
less counsel with, this office about
its plans for Negroes.
Still Experiment
But the reactionary policies and
discriminatory practices OF the Air
Forces are much more serious than
the matter of ignoring my office. II
should be understood that from the
beginning the Air Command did
not want Negro personnel. Resist
ance bred OF that attitude has been
met ever since. Moreover, even now
the Air Command views the use OF
the Negro as an experiment" de-
signed 10 determine whether he can
Go this or that in the field OF avia.
ton This attitude is the result OF
wholly unscientific notions that race
somehow controls mans capacity
and sptitudes. The tragedy is that
by not wanting the Negro in the
first place and by doubling his
capacity. the Air Command has
committed itself psychologically TO
courses Of action which themselves
become major obstacles to the sue
cess OF Negroes in the Air Forces
The Negro program of the Air
Forces began some two years ago
with the organization of several So
called Aviation Squairons (Sepa-
rste)." These units. now greatly in
creased in nurber,, were organized
70 serve no specific military need
They have never had a defined func-
ton. Except as individual COM
msnders on their own initiative
have found some military function
for particular small groups of men,
the characteristic a Segment OF the
Aviation Squadron tSeparste)" has
been the performance OF odd jobs
OF common labor which arise from
tine 10 time at air fields. There are
10 equivalent White organizations
Aviation Squadrons tSepsrate)"
would never have come into exist
ence except for the necessity OF
making some provision for Negro
enlisted men in the Air Forces. Re-
Air Command started oft on the
wrong foot by organizing some
Negro labor units. while every effort
was being made TO recruit white
luctant 10 use Negroes at al. the
with mechanical ability
for skilled Sc. vice.
Stop Technical Training
Somewhat later, in order 10 pro-
vide enlisted technicisns for the
rev air base at Tusbegee, a few
negro soldiers were accepted for
technical training at Chsnu,e Field
where . large school is maintained.
The men were well received and
did excellent FORK. urged the i'm
portance Of continuing such train