St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1944-09-01

COluIudIIuS1S5 anu IS'hAAAS "a
intervening ranks.
While the stunning progress OF
the war is a tribute to one type OF
versatility on their part, that isn't
the type l mean.
They are the most versatile
group of men in the world when
dealing with rules and regulations
promulgated by the War Depart
ment and laws affecting the opera
ton of that Department. Particu-
larly is this true when those laws,
rules and regulations have direct
bearing on the Negro soldier.
When Congress passed Sen.
Taft's amendment to the soldier
voting law prohibiting distribution
of political propaganda, the Army
was so strict and technical in its
Interpretation that a modification
had to be put through Congress in
order to let the boys read a news
paper.
But when Congress, in 1910,
passed an amendment to the Selec-
tive Service Act, prohibiting dis
elimination in selection or training
on account of race, creed or color,
the Army blandly ignored the man.
date of Congress, set up separate
quotas for white and Negro selec-
tees, sent Negroes to separate
training camps, built up a jim-crow
army, put Negroes, regardless OF
their previous training and expert
ence, in service units, and in gen
eral told Congress to go to hell.
All this was done at the very top
rung of the Army. 1t set the ex-
ample for the little cars further
down the line.
It is no wonder, therefore, that
when the Army, over the signature
of its Adjutant General, sends out
an order that there shall be no
segregation or exclusion of Ne
groes in Army post facilities, that
the post commander at Fort Knox,
Col. N. Butler Briscoe, should say
he sees no reason for changing his
existing policy of maintaining a
segregated section for colored en-
listed men in the post theatre.
1t is no wonder that lowly cap
tain, Wilbur C. Wilson, in charge
of the post theatre at Fort Knox,
should tell two Negro soldiers, 81
don't give a damn about Ulio's sig
nature or any other, give the
orders at this theatre and you
either sit in the colored section or
get out"
It's no wonder that a bomber
squadron commander at Goldman
Field, Capt. Parker, should say
that Maj. Gen. Ulio's order against
discrimination is Gust one of those
things, with no teeth in it."
But when it serves the prejudices
and racial blind spots of the Off
GERS involved, regulations and or
ders are as strictly interpreted as
are some of the laws of Congress,
At Goldman Field, for example,
despite the discretion left to the
Post Commander by the Army reg
ulations, all non-commission officer
promotions are made in strict &C
cordance with the letter of the
order. Privates First Class must
remain in grade months before
being eligible for promotion to Cor
poral. Corporals must be in grade
a months before eligible for pro-
motion to sergeant, etc. 1t takes a
man SO months under this system
to reach top sergeant. And because
the enlisted personnel, other than
supervisory men, are all Negroes
no exceptions are made.
"That's the law" said Col. Sell
way, the base commander. But he
doesn't lift a finger to see that his
men are given equal treatment be-
fore the law in the case of the
Fort Knox theatre. "That's out Of
my jurisdiction" he says.
Yep, the guys are really yer.
satile. But they may yet snap a
vertebrae in their amazing con,