St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1944-12-01
Eisenhower Answers
Criticism of Negro
Troops in Paper
Stars and Stripes Editor Also
Defends Negro
Soldier

COuuduuSE VI Tile <AhlSu cApSuI-
tionary Force, to a lowly staff
sergeant of Negro Engineer Cen
eral Service Regiment, in which
the general acknowledged and
agreed with the sergeant's protest
of derogatory remarks about Ne
groes in an article appearing in an
edition Of Stars and Stripes, serv-
icemen's paper, has come to the
attention Of the NNPA.
The article appeared in a column
called "The B Bag" of the Stars
and Stripes. In this column, GI's
are given the opportunity to ex-
press their thoughts on any subject.
One signing himself "S/Sgt. H. A.
W., Inf" wrote the following:
"Our outfit is composed of boys
from North and South. We have
often fought the Civil War over
and over again in friendly argu-
ments, but on one point we are
agreed. The Negro soldier in this
war is getting more credit than he
deserves.
"He is, in the majority of cases,
a rear-echelon cowboy who never
saw the front lines. We have been
on the front line since shortly after
D-Day. Never have we seen a col
ored soldier on the front lines.
eve, the fighting doughboys,
give credit where it is deserved.
Even the medics get their share of
credit. 1t makes US mad to see a
bunch of rear-echelon cowboys
grabbing credit where they have
done nothing to deserve it."
Staff Sgt. George Woods, Jr., at
tached to an Engineer Regiment
took exception to the piece and
wrote a letter to Gen. Eisenhower.
After commencing the General on
his success in coordinating the al
lied forces into one gigantic fight
ing machine to crush the NaZi mill
tary forces, he cited the last two
sentences of an official letter on the
Treatment of Negro Troops"
which read: "The spreading of de-
rogatory statements concerning the
character of any group of United
States troops, either white or col
ored, must be considered as con-
duct prejudicial to good order and
military discipline and offenders
must be promptly punished. In the
interest of military efficiency, if for
no other reason, isolated incidents
of friction must be eliminated"
Sgt. Woods then told the General
that the article referred to was
detrimental to the morale of
group of fighters "who are putting
forth every effort in their power
to play their part as good soldiers
where they are assigned to perform
their duty, regardless of whether
it be on the front lines or in the
'rear-echelons'."
Woods said such statements as
those of the sergeant who wrote in
Stars and Stripes have been the
prime motives of recent race riots
in America. at is my sincere hope
that our full military strength may
be continued directed against the
German forces, rather than stop at
this point of success and debate
on the issue which race is playing
the more important part in this
war;" he told the General.
Concluding his letter, he told the
General "you have my sincere pray
ers and best wishes that God will
enable you to successfully accom-
plish the task that has been en-
trusted to you by the people of the
United States and the other allied
nations. Remember that we are
behind you 100 per cent"
In reply, nine days later, the Cen
eral wrote the sergeant saying:
THANK you very much for your let
ter of the 18th. l agree with you
that the publication of statements
that are derogatory to the accom-
plishments in this war of any
American group or race is harmful
to the war effort. also agree that
it is the duty Of the good soldier
to perform well whatever task may
be given him, in the front line or
in the rear area.
81 am glad you invited my atten-
ton to an article that apparently
was written in disregard of these
principles"
Commenting on the Generals
letter, Sgt. Woods declared that the
people of America should know
that "our Supreme Allied Com
mander-in-chief of the European
Theatre of Operation, General
Dwight D. Eisenhower is a mill
tary officer, who pays as much
attention to a non-commissioned
officer of a Negro Engineer Gen
eral Service Regiment as he does
to the members of his staff in GER
tain respects"
It should be added, however, that
the editor of the Stars and Stripes,
in an editors note Immediately fol-
lowing the article to which Sgt.
Woods so bravely took exception,
said the following:
prejudice knows no state or ma
tional boundaries. Uncle Sans men
IL