Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1944-05-05

''The division in our ranks and
the fomenting of racial and other
antagonisms are postponing the
day of victory" he declared. "They
are creating doubt among our AL
lies as to our sincerity when we
assert that we are fighting a war
for freedom for all peoples. Who
ever causes the war to last one
single day longer than necessary
is as much traitor to our country
as one who sinks a troop ship or
reveals military secrets to the
enemy. If for no other reason than
TO win the war as soon as it is
humanity possible and to save the
lives of American men-perhaps
among them the life of your son
it is imperative that any person,
whatever his race, who causes
trouble should be stopped. That will
be done only if the people of
America and their government stop
evading or temporizing with this
fundamental question whose soIu-
ton is imperative if we are ever
to have a world of peace"
White, who spent Is weeks in
Great Britain, Ireland, North
Africa and Italy, said he had
travelled more than 10000 miles
and had talked with many officers,
soldiers and civilians.
''The majority of American SOL
diers abroad have been decent
Americans interested in but one
objective - winning the war as
speedily as possible and returning
home. A surprisingly large per-
centage of them-both officers and
enlisted personnel-are concerned
over the bad name being given to
the United States by the friction
which some of their number have
caused. A gratifying large per-
centage manifest deep concern
about the world problem of race
and the necessity of working out
solution to it. Many of these are
from the South. But, unfortunate
ly, highly aggressive and vocal
minority has sought to transplant
patterns of racial behavior like
that of the most backward states of
the South to the countries where
they have been sent as soldiers to
fight a war against Nazi racial
theories.
"Some of them have sought to
poison the minds of British, Italian,
North African and other peoples
against Negro Americans. They
have told such stories as these: that
Negroes are inferior, illiterate, dis
eased and savage. Some of them
have even used physical violence
to prevent the association of Negro
soldiers with British, Italian and
other people. They have objected
to the use of places of public ac-
commodation such as pubs and
restaurants by Negro soldiers.
"Such behavior has puzzled and
antagonized many of the people of
these countries. They have found
it difficult to understand why some
American soldiers should be so
violent in their hatred of other
American soldiers, especially when
all of them are fighting in a COM
mon cause. They have resented
the action of visitors presuming to
dictate to them who they should
or should not invite into their homes
or associate with. Many of our al
lies are puzzled, too, by the Ameri-
can pattern or segregation. Repeat
edly l was asked why the United
States, fighting a war for freedom,
should send abroad two armies
one white and one Negro"
General Eisenhower and John C.
H. Lee of the European Theatre
of Operations were praised by Mr..
White for issuing "unequivocal
directives and taking other steps to
eliminate the cause of trouble"
White scored the events of the
past few months on the home front
saying, certain members of Con-
gress have poured forth hate-flled
TRADES against the COMMANDMENT
Chief of our nation and against
racial and religious minorities, as
vicious and incorporate in content
and tone as any sent out by Goeb-
bells from Berlin" He cited the
politics in the soldiers vote bill, the
boasts of fiibusters against the
anti-poll tax bill, and the state
ments of defiance against the su-
preme court for its opinion in the
Texas primary case. He also hit
Congressman Andrew ]. May of
Kentucky for his threat against the
War department which caused it
to cancel its plan to distribute the
pamphlet, "The Races of Mankind"
White said, "as men approach
actual combat and face the dangers
of combat, they tend to discount
many prejudices," and he praised
the combat record of the 99th
Pursuit Squadron and the work of
Negro supply troops on the Anzio
beachhead.
The radio talk inaugurated the
nationwide membership campaign
of the NAACP which opened May
1, and will close June so.