St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1945-03-02

elements OF Ln6 SupSISSIISl-
tive Negro press that at the
same time are not sensitive
enough to the criterion of &C
curacy," voiced from Rome Feb. Ia
by Milton Bracker of the New York
Times, was answered in a wire to
Editor & Publisher this week by
Carl Murphy, president of the Afro
American Newspapers of Balti-
more.
To Crackers statement that the
Pittsburgh Courier had inserted
"extraneous and highly misleading
material into stories of correspond
ents on the Italian 'front.'" and that
Army Public Relations had been
forced to issue an unusually de-
tailed and candid statement of a
Negro units reverses "to avoid dis
tortion or false play in the Negro
press, Mr.. Murphy declared:
False Conclusion
eff some irresponsible editor of
the Courier so violated the ethics
of his profession, the Courier man
agement will be as quick to rebuke
the offender as we. However, those
who gave last weeks story hasty
reading might we'll conclude that
other colored papers with war cor
respondents abroad are charged by
Breaker with responsibility. Moth
ing in the story warrants that de,
duction."
(Mr. Murphy specifically object,
ed to the Editor & Publisher head,
line FEB. II, p. 14l which stated;
"War Reporter Charges Negro
Press Distortion.
Said Mr.. Murphy: "Mr. Brack,
er also charged that some coloreC
papers are supersensitive and over
emphasize the accomplishments Of
the 92nd Colored Division in Italy
Art Carter, Afro-American cor
respondent just back from Il
months in Italy, commenting on the
Breaker charges said:
"I regard him as fair and i'm
partial reporter and 1 do not believe
that it was his intention to indict
the colored press because of alleged
bad ethics of one newspaper.
GAS to supersensitivity, l found
most of it among Army censOrs
who are quick to cut out dispatches
when they detail ways our country
takes Jim Crow abroad to nations
not accustomed to it.
concerning Over-emphasis Of
any particular outfit in war accom-
plishments, the simple fact is that
the Army's insistence on racial seq
regatiOn leads naturally to re
peated mention of those few cOlOreC
units which are in forward areas.
"'The daily press frequently
overlooks the colored soldiers &C
complishments. Thus, the FIRE
quency of news concerning any
one colored outfit in the coloreC
press appears to be over-empha
sis. l was never embarrassed b!
any over-emphasis of my stories
from Italy and I think Mr.. Brackel
is assuming a great deal when h
says other correspondents WERE :"
That there are millions of col
ored readers who would get LITTLE
news of their boys and girls over
seas but for the colored press wa
charged by Mr.. Murphy, who said
"The Army has 100000 tai
Yanks, 5000 commissioned officer
including 500 in the medical ant
dental corps, $50 chaplains and 20|
nurses.
"The Navy has 100000 coloreC
seamen, including $4,000 in tn,
Marine Corps and 5000 in tn
Coast Guard. Roughly 1919 of tn
military personnel in the Unite'
States armed forces is colored.
Manned Big Guns
"When the Allies landed in Nor
mandy, these boys manned barrag'
balloons and big guns, loaded ant
unloaded ships, and drove thousand
of big trucks carrying troops ant
supplies on the French highways t,
the front lines.
''They built $50 of the 1900
mile Alcan highway and the Led
Road in Burma. Colored pilot
have bombed Sicily, Italy, Ger
many, Romania. Thirty of then
have earned the Distinguishes
Flying Cross.
"a colored military unit helpet
hold Bastogne in Belgium whel
McAuliffe's 10000 were entirel,
surrounded by Nazis. The dali!
press mentioned the 10000 and Nc
Auliffe, but not the tan Yank ar
tillery."
For that, says Mr.. Murphy, thu
Negro press had to rely on its owl
correspondents.
"Since the beginning of the wa.
the Afro-American ape,
chain has sent seven correspond
ents, including a woman, to Nortl
Africa, Italy, France and England
the Aleutians, Pacific and Philip
pines.
"The Pittsburgh Courier has sen
out seven, the Norfolk Journal ant