Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1944-10-07
Jim Grow
Continued from Page II

plete Indignation, by assignment
In the centers at Lake Placid, n
Y, and at Atlantic City. The lat
ter place recently has been added
to the 5 resort centers where rs
hotels already had been selected
by the Army.
VOLUNTEER BASIS
In New York City, the center
will be integrated on a volunteer
basis. Returned overseas veterans,
white and colored, may express a
preference for New York They will
be housed Unfortunately in the
same hotels.
A new center, not yet selected,
will be opened on the West Coast.
In view of the social and recrea-
tional pattern Of the program and
the necessary community contacts
and cooperation outside the hotels
to make the program a success, no
Negroes will be assigned to centers
In the South. Otherwise, and ex-
cepy tor volunteer requests to be
sent to New York City, the men
will be assigned to centers near
est their homes.
While no announcement has been
made, it is believed the Army will
abandon both the Peshing and the
Theresa hotel sites in Chicago and
New York City, respectively.
PERSHING SEIZURE HIT
Tn
been taken toward the actual
seizure of the Pershing and &C.
cupants notified to be out by Oc-
tober /, the Army is known to
have sent a representative to study
the community reaction and to
learn whether abandonment Of
the project is advisable.
The Chicago Sun, daily news
paper, has denounced the seizure
of Pershing, and the Mayors Com
mittee on Race Relations in Chi
cago has recommended the hotel
be left to fill critical civilian
housing need,
This reversal of position has
come only after the Army, through
Lieut.. Gen. Brehon Somervell, cher
of the Army Service Forces, and
his staff, put up a stiff and bitter
fight for a week to retain a segre-
gated arrangement. The fight con-
tinued even after the Army was
told by the White House to work
out its own new plan but only
within a very definite framework
which would provide for integra-
ton.
NEW YORK MEETING
The first sign of weakening on
its jimcrow plan came when the
Army was informed of the results
of an "off the record" meeting
called by Gen. Terry, commanding
officer of the Second Service Com
mand, with a group of outstanding
citizens in New York City. These
citizens protested against the jim
crow policy outlined by the Army
against the taking of the Theresa
which helps meet stringent hous-
ing problem in Harlem, and against
the use of a secord-rate hotel
for Negros while white soldiers
would be brought back to luxury
type hotels located in resort Gen.
tiers.
Following Gen. Te:ry's report to
the War Department, all further
Army action was held in allegiance
as affected the Theresa, though
the decision to take 1t over def
nitely had been made and Terry's
meeting presumably was for the
purpose OF giving out this infor-
nation.
AID BATTLE-WEARY
The redistribution centers are
being set up to provide means OF
relaxation for battle-Weary soldiers
lifted out of the hell of war over
seas. Efforts are made to get the
men in a mood to return to COM
bat. They are given the best OIL
food, provided dental and medica
care, and undergo series OF psy'
chiatric interviews 10 determine
the best classification for them ir
the Army. But mainly, they are en-.
couraged to forget all about wa
for about two weeks and have
'helluva good time"
Other than the Theresa and thu
Pershing hotels, which the Arm!
had planned to take over for Ne
groes, it had already taken 40 no
tells in the resort centerS at Mia
mi Beach, Fla, Ashville, N. G.
Hot Springs, Ark, Lake Placid, N
Y, and Santa Barbara, Cal. II
these have been added proposed
centers in Atlantic City, N. j.