The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1945-01-20
coLoREp NURSES VOLUNTEER


h The following letter to the New York Herald Tribune
eas submitted by Marianne Allan in answer to the des
hoerate appeal for nurses which was printed recent
sesue Of that publication The writer says "The article
casks Where these needed nurses? Why don't they
correspond, come forward and enroll? Are civilians hold
ring them back? Join the armed forces and prove that
nurses have the imagination and courage the need
,of these tremendous hours.
There are 5000 registered colored nurses who are
willing and eager to their country. Of this group
the Army has taken 247 the Navy In the face Of
these facts it clear that the challenge proof
Of imagination and patriotism has been flung in the
wrong direction Isn't it up to the Army and the Navy
to eliminate outmoded and outlawed Jim Grow practices
in the armed servce?"
Speaking in New York at a nurse recruitment meet
ing which the emergency prompted Mayor La Guardia
to initiate, Mayor General Norman T. Kirk, Surgeon
General of the Army, told the gathering of several
hundred that drafting may be necessary to supply the
Army with nurses. Thereupon arose Mrs. Mabel K
Staupers executive secretary of the National Associa
ton of colored graduate nurses, who asked General
Kirk: IF nurses needed desperately, why isn't
the Army using colored nurses? The Army has taken
247, the Navy Colored cadet nurses instead of
getting the last six months of their training Army and
Navy hospitals white nurses do instead assigned
to civilian hospitals wherever they be placed In
the New York area colored cadet has been
signed to military hospital but in the South coored
serving white and colored patients in military
hospitals"
The Generals reply to Mrs. Staupers was based upon
the colored and white quota practice which
back it reported the Army had abolished because
public Impotence the banning of coored who
volunteering when there exists pressing for the
services they render.
1t is difficult find calm words to describe the folly
which color prejudice in the desperate shortage
Of Men who have suffered all the horrors of
battlefield the wounded and the SICK forced I'M
dergo needlessy prolonged suffering by the color bias
Of Army and Navy big wigs. Such action the part of
the brass hats" nothing short of criminal and
reasonable. The Commander in chief will be backed
up in this instance by the great majority of the people if
he orders cessation of the outrageous ban nurses
because of skin color and thus helps to modernze the
armed forces by Kidding them of the fogyism which in the
Army and the Navy in civilian life of the greatest
barriers to national growth.
Colored nurses in Northern hospitals though only
lately admitted have been well received. In the Soutl
the of coored private homes been
tomary during many many years. When patient is in
great need of the skill and the gentle hand of nurse
he is in no mood to take note of her skin cooring.
The emergency is real and demands plain talk and
firm action. It's the peoples Army isn't it?Its the
peoples Navy isn't it? They pay the bills and what
touches the people keeny is that their sons and
brothers and husbands the ranks and the fighting
and dying while coterie of brass hated generals and
admrals, some of them, maybe, ncompetents safe
at home elsewhere the sidelnes If color bias, them
uniting temperament nterferes with the mnsterng
of mercy with the prompt relief and of sick
dwounded heroes of battle the pride of brasshattism
must be made to suffer for such exhibition of inqu
tous stupidity
The CONSUMPTION of nurses, which the Army Surgeon
General suggested repugnant to all lovers of freedom
The need for be reduced by making full
Of all qualified volunteer regardless Of their skins