The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-09-23
Forces

dIlA -
Forces.
Into these centers men will be
brought from overseas, after beng
afforded a short furloCgh 10 visit
their parents. friends and relatives
al home.
The whole purpose Of the centers,
however, In TO ret the men In
frame Of mind to 20 back into COM
bat-uxuatly In some other theatre
Of action. This task Is tremendous
psychological problem. Men who
have faced death, seen their buddies
wounded and die. lived In foxholes.
slept in mud. tortured their souls
wondering what and how the folks
back home were doing-such men
feel when they are brought back to
the states that the war for them Is
over. They are inclined 10 believe
that some Of the other fellows, stu
In this country. should finish the
sob.
But the army knows these battle
veterans are ITS greatest asset They
are needed IN combat theatres be-
cause Of their experience. 10 get
them IN the mood 10 return Ia wal
is the Job Of the redistribution CEN
ter The first step in this direction
is 10 have the men relax completely,
forget var for q short time, and
have helluNa good time in the
meanwhile.
He the simplicity OF the problem
ends Thai complex question OF
color rs permitted 10 enter and with
II come the difficulties Shall Ne
grocs be sent 20 the same redlstrl-
button centers with the whites?
They've been facing the same death
watching THEIR buddleS &c;
wounded and die living in the
same foxholes-SleepInsi IN the same
midland torturing their souls
wondering what and how THEIR
folks back home were dong-Just
like the while soldier
But the army, before II thought
about the color problem. already
had selected ~ hotels in the resort
cepters al Miami Beach. Fla. Ash
vile. ~ C.. Hot Springs. Ark. Santa
Barbara Cal. and Lake Placid. N. y
AS an afterthought. the army
selected the Pershing hotel IN Chi
Cago, and now the Theresa hotei in
New York for its colored soldiers.
These they label for colored-" The
other 40 are for white"
The Negro press anc Negro lead
ere and organizations are rightfully
raising hell about this segregation.
Ne N&grs can adsra- - csndone
segregatisn: This b trse despite the
fact that the Negro soldier who
comes back undoubtedly will be
that -helluva good time" In the
Pershing and the Theresa. He could |
hardly get into the frame Of mind |
TO 70 hack into battle under the
treatment Ia which he would be
subjected when he went out into
the town from . hotel In Miami
Beach. or Ashville. or Hot Springs.
He'd have very little enjoyable CON
facts At Santa Barbara. where there |
are only q handful Of Negroes In the
vicinity. AMI how many would en-
joy the be.ow-zero temperatures
and the skiing al Lake Placid?
II isn't the opening OF the
Pershing and the Theresa as reds
tribut Oh centers that is Objection
able from the racial standpoint
leaving out The strain i, puts on the
already inadequate civilian housing
in the Negro neighborhooos in
Nolved II is the labelling OF them
as Negro" and the restriction OF
Negroes 10 these places only.
Negroes, like all other people
rebel al being led by the hand and
told this is what you MUST 90
on the assumption that il is what
they would prefer 10 do
The army would be so much
wiser and make for a much better
program and a wider acceptance of
IL II II wodld give ITS soldiers
choice With very few exceptions.
the Negroes would so Ito the
Pershing and the Theresa The few
Who would choose 10 so else here
should be permitted 20 do so
But The arrys southern hierarchy
and lis dunbness on race relations
mas put II IN very embarrassing
position. subject 10 attack II can
stlll pull itself out and save some
OF democracys face