The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1945-03-24

leadership natCr!-I
That Young wife il working
hard Al the Job of hclDlns her
husband rcadiu>t 90 a normal I've
hut she is getting little or no
cooperation from her govern
ment. TO whom she pad inns
week. Incidentally. an income ian
Of over $500.
TIE HUSBAND $ 20 b., p.eScn'
condition as re- i, OF baiie-"carl-
ness. Yet. he has never come face
10 face with the Japs Or tie Ger
mans. He mas been overs IS win
an engineering unit E!S most
potent enemy. ever, has
beer me prcTgC1Ccs ana ambitions
o. some OF ouT-uWn American army
OIL GERS.
fic and n, men nave been denied
privilege Of leave 10 be- spent m.
cities or even village because OF
the color Of her SKINS lie has
seen white officers come INTO tents
and order p!r-up pictures taken
of the walls because the pih-up
sue1ccl vas "A White g.rl-a famous
movie star. He has heard the white
off Ger make q speech in Gil the
stre. admonishing the men for boot
ing and WhiStllng az the appearance
Of chorus girls on the screen
because they were white girls. un-
known individually 10 either off,
GERS OF men. He has seen the the
stre closed because grumbllng
Of such an attitude was detected
among the men.
He has seen q high-ranking
officer. white, broken In health
and spirit because of the obstacles
thrown in his path as result Of
his humane attitude toward his
coiored troops. He has seen that
efhcer's son prosecuted In first
one division and then another
simply because he was the on
spring Of such q father.
He had TO 60 over the head Of his
regimental surgeon 10 get hospitali-
zation for neurotic condition
which manifested itself in convul-
sions in his sleep And he has heard
that regimental surgeon say that
he would readily recommend white
soldiers for return TO the United
States because Of neurotic condi-
tons, but nary a Negro" because
jAmight hurt his chances Of becom-
ing y colonel
"A NM happened overseas.
AND NOW, he is in this country
nj a convalescent center where
marvellous program is in operation
for the rehabilitation OF men who
are suffering from neurotic condi-
tons resulting from war. And he
sees the same color restrictions He
sees over $50 Negro soldiers, at the,
center for the same reasons. COM
fined to hospital wards. denied par
ticipation in airy Of the daily,
scheduled programs designed %
he,D rehabilitate them. Only white
so crs are being rehabiiitated
thee ...
; dded 10 that are the community
pre- Idices he meets in the southern
area surrounding the convalescent
center And heaped on top OF that
Is What he reads of the attitude OF
some members of the Congress of
the United States toward legiSla-
ton for a permanent FEPC, anti
poll tax, confirmation Of liberal
Aubrey Williams.
He has a chance TO regain him.
self only because his wife has more
than a smattering knowledge OF
psychology, because she Is deter
mined to understand the changes
which have been brought about in
him and TO help him.
But what about the thousands
and thousands who will come back
unable 10 analyze what has hap
pened 10 them? What about the
thousands who will not find the
sympathetic cooperation this off,
GERS wife is giving? What about
the thousands who will not be able
10 exercise the social restraints this
officer has been able to put in use?
What about the thousands who will
have neither decent homes nor de-
cent jobs available 10 them when
they return?
Herein lie the deeds OF interna-
t.onsl scandal America is Offering
leadership TO world composed Of
onc-fourth white and three. fourths
colored people Can il be that the
officers OF our army. and the gov
eminent Of our United States,
whose brilliant military achieve
nent and home front efforts will
have won the war. will be guilty
Of having lost it nevertheless be-
cause Of racial prejudiceS?