St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1944-06-02


Since the beginning of the war,
100000 or more Negroes from
Northern States have been indicted
into the Army and sent to south
ern camps for training.
And, as their number increased,
reports of mistreatment and perse-
cution of Negro soldiers, both by
military authorities and civilian
population, have grown at an
alarming rate.
Stories widely circulated-and
almost as widely believed-in Ne
gro communities in Philadelphia
and other northern areas have
brought about tragic lowering of
morale-even to the extent of i'm
pairing patriotism among thou
sands of the folks at home.
War bond sales among Negroes
have decreased; bonds bought on
the payroll deduction plan are
cashed far too often; even the Sal
walton Army-which always had a
good standing among Negroes
finds support dwindling.
PrOpagandists Active
Propagandists have been alert
to take every fair and unfair ad-
vantage of the fact that Negroes
have been sent south to train-a
wartime necessity, according to es-
tablished military principles, for
the simple reason that in a warm
er climate there are more days
suitable for drill and maneuvers.
The propagandists have twisted
any incident they. can lay their
hands to into declarations to the
effect that "the administration is
sending Negroes down south to be
kicked around and is doing moth
ing to help them"
The reports from the South-by
propagandists, by grapevine and in
direct letters from Negro service
men-add up to a mass of rumor,
which it is impossible to judge from
a distance.
Record Reporter Hunts Facts
For that reason, the Record sent
me on a 3,400-mile tour of southern
camp areas to get the facts. I am
a northern-born Negro. I had never
been in the South before. In those
respects I was like thousands of
Negro boys who have been sent
to southern camps.
I was in and about IA camps in
7 States. I talked to hundreds of
Negro soldiers from the North.
What He Found
On the basis of what I saw and
heard, I can report these facts:
1. In every camp, the Negro de-
tachments are separated from
white troops with definite Negro
areas and white areas, with one ex-
ception: At Fort Benning, Ca, Ne
gro and white officer candidates
by voluntary agreement - train,
live, and eat in the same quarters,
with no friction.
2. With rare exceptions, north
ern Negro soldiers stated without
qualification that the food, quar-
tiers, entertainment facilities, and
treatment generally in these areas
were as good as among the white
soldiers.
Case of Deliberate Discrimination
3. In only one camp - Gordon
Johnston, Fla.-was there evidence
of downright, deliberate discrimina-
ton. There, Negro soldiers are
forced to perform mental tasks
(such as latrine duty) for the en-
tire post, thus being made, in effect.
servants to white soldiers.
A. In towns near camps, Negroes
are subject to the severe segrega-
ton prevalent in the South. Most
southern Negroes defended this to
me with such statements as: eve
know where we can go here, and
don't pretend, like you northern
Negroes, that we can go anywhere
When did you rent a room in the
best hotel in Philadelphia 2" North.
Nine-Newman Cliff
ern Negroes resent the obviousness
of the segregation, but, with rare
exceptions, take it philosophically
Negro Officers Resented
5. Negro officers are resented by
white civilians and some white sol
diers. Sometimes the officers take
off their insignia before going into
town, in order to avoid unpleasant
ness.
6. Despite all propaganda to the
effect that racial tension is increas.
ing in the South, Negro leaders to
whom I talked were unanimous