St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1943-02-05
Observations in Washington
Discrimination Segregation Vicious in Nations
Capital Rev. c. T. r. Nelson Says in Article
By Rev. Clarence T. R. Nelson

q
l left New York City for Wash
ington, D. c., on January IL, we
were barely able to get seat on
the train. Some people had to
stand up for long while before
they were able to get seat. We
got a chance to see frst-hand why
Mr.. Eastman and his Office of De-
tense Transportation are constant
ly asking people not to make pleas
ure and otherwise unnecessary
trips until after the war. After
getting into Washington we had a
most difficult time finding a place
to stay and might not have, ex-
cept through the kindness of an
old friend, DR.. Fletcher Barber. 1t
is just about true that someone is
waiting for any bed or room when
it is vacated in Washington.
Washington is buster than a
beehive. There is an atmosphere
of tenseness in the nations capital
city greater than that of any other
city in the country, I think. Sol
diers on guard are seen in many
places. When we went to see Rep
resentative Melvin j. Mas on
Wednesday,, January 10, in his of
flee in the new House of Repre-
sentative Office Building, we saw
soldiers with bayonets on their
guns patrolling that building and
other public buildings. If you do
not realize that we are at war out
here in the comparatively quiet
middle west, you will if you go to
Washington. But my suggestion
is to stay away from Washington
unless you really have important
business to attend to there.
Our first conference in Washing
ton was with Judge William H.
HASTE, until January 81 civilian
aide to the secretary of war. Judge
HASTE was very helpful to US. He
burned with resentment over the
mistreatment of Negro soldiers.
He tried to do something about the
matter in his official capacity, but
found his hands tied in various
ways and we take our hats off to
him for resigning as he did. The
good salary. that he was evidently
receiving did not lull the sense of
justice and fair play that is an in
tegral part of his character. We
shall read with great interest his
"expose" Of the War Department
in its undemocratic treatment of
Negroes in the armed forces. A
few more designations might help
our cause! Judge HASTE was one
of the highest paid Negroes in
governmental service. He is a
member of the national board of
directors of the NAACP and form
er dean of the law school at How
ard University.
The Washington Bureau of the
National Association for the Ad-
vancement of Colored People, where
we had headquarters while in
Washington, is very conveniently
located at 100 Washington Avenue
N. W. This office is just two
blocks from the Union Station and
most of the governmental offices
and buildings are in comparatively
easy access to this office. This
Washington Bureau was a venture
of necessity and faith. 1t was
opened, I think, last year without
a regular appropriation for it from
the regular budget of the Associa-
ton. It has more than justified its
existence and merits much greater
support than it is now receiving.
It is a real beehive of activity. The
reglar staff, of two, works over
time constantly in trying to keep
up with the heavy demands of the
office. Leslie S. Perry, an attor-
ney, is the administrative assistant
to Walter White, who spends about
three days a week in the office. /
have seen busy men in my life, but
I haven't seen one any buster than
Mr.. White Il haven't seen Presi-
dent RooseveltD. Mr.. Blumberg
and I went into Mr.. Whites office
to talk with him. It took more
than an hour to complete a ten