The Dayton forum. [volume] (Dayton, Ohio) 1913-1949, 1944-11-03
Why | Am
Auti-Roosevelt
By
GRANT REYNOLDS
GUEST EDITOR

BY Act Of Congress- American receiving commits
sion military and naval services becomes officer
and gentleman The Nncty-ffth and Ninctyix Articles
of War which govern his conduct substanate the asse
ton While min somewhat dubious agreement with his
becoming officer by such legislative action, am uaer
ably convinced that Congress cannot make gentleman
white black The facts bear this out II the case Of max
ing officers has too often taken the equivalent Of act
of God to confer this honor upon Negro service men
No group Americas fighting have faced quite the
ignominous treatment the Negro officer Ills has
been an uphill fight all the way with the sqnarey
stacked against him Repeatedly ignored often merely
tolerated frequently Inundated the Negro officer has run
the gauntlet OF everything insulting and debasng that
could offer Yet there has rested upon any
group greater responsibility The War Departments ieluc
ance to commission Negroes IN the first place added to the
convictions strongly held by many military brass hats 1t s
nconceivabe that nggers should become officers has made
it incumbent upon Negro officers to make good IN spite oi
place to place without common sense denied pro
motions and the opportunities to qualify for same given
unassigned status because the War Department many
has made most creditablc record III this emergency
At Fort Huaehuca Arizona Negro Of infantry
regiment Of the 92nd Division who worked along with white
officers throughout the training hours during the day
Jim in the rcgmcnta mess hall It is to the credit
Of these that they refused to cat under the creun
stances They withdrew in body and ate their meals else
where at great expense 10 themselves
the post Of Negro officers assigned to tho
92nd Division martialed for what III many IN
stances petty ofenses There never white officer
SO disciplined The Commanding General Of the Division
ganized disciplinary school for socalled inefficient
officers to which only Negro officers were sent
The story Of the Negro officer III this war well as hat
Of the Negro enlisted man. sordd ard pregnant
with insult and degradation to outrage the se1soles
Of any decent AmericanWhite black Officers have writ
ten being refused food railroad functions
while at the time and place white prisoners Of war
being fed in the dining How this nation III
them segregated halls officers clubs and barracks
the Negro officer spite of his failures instances
instances indicated that did not know what to do with
time of thus destroy the manhood of its lighting
and then expect them to gladly with their lives for It's
protection Of the imponderabes Of the ages II
there moral foundation to the democratic system,
by its treatment of its coored soldiers rent
that foundation aslnder But what else be expected
when the nations military leadership is in the hands Of
southerners who totally void Of human understanding
their very souls have been corrupted by fed and
foul color phobia The Arkansas born 1t. Gen Brehon
Somervel has spoken for this leadership when he
noced his plan for returning Negro service Said he
I'D throw the into the middle of the desert.
America might just well understand that the returning
Negro veteran will be quite different from the sheltered boy
who left home to join the Army He will be hardened
into whose training has gone the most diaboca methods Of
destroying human life.
Mr. Roosevelt and the barbarc southern mob with sur
rounds him have laid the basis for the most bloody out
breaks Of violence after victory that this country has
seen Unless this mob repudated at the polls November
the blood Of Negro veterans will day the streets
Of American cities For the Negro voter the die is cast
Either he will his vote to help avoid this impending dis
aser he will perpetuate in Office the blood thirsty ard
deadly mob which threatens the very lives Of his loved
vote for Roosevelt is knife struck into the back of
Negro service man.