The Omaha guide., 1945-03-24
THE DAYS rs COMING
by ERIC HASS, Editor, the Weekly People for
Calvin's News Service)

Calvin'S News Servlce)
A few weeks ago the NAACP sent a letter to
President Roosevelt Directing to compulsory peace
time military training on the ground that it would
''perpetuate the separation and humiliation Of Ne
gro American youths solely on the basis Of race and
color" NAACP said this was its principal OBJ
lection" 1t hnted that, if this objection were re-
moved, peacetime militarism wouldn't be too hard
to take. 1t even spoke Of the possibility of Army
training "tO live in a democratic society,"
/ think military service would be hard to take
with, or without Jim Grow. / think-and I shall
yrove III this and subsequent dispatches-that de-
mocracy has no deadlier enemy than militarism. /
agree wholly dith the late Senator George w. Nor
ris, who said on August p, 1910:
II am afraid of building up a society based on
compulsory military training in time of peace, for
that leads to dictatorship and ultimately to the
downfall of such government as ours, at least, to the
ending Of democracy, just as surely as the sun rises
in the east"
NAACP's opposition to peacetime militarism is
Weakened by the qualification that it might be ac-
ceptablc without Jim Grow. Moreover, the infer
ence that the Army, which has successfully resisted
all efforts to have Jim Grow ousted in wartime,
might alter its policy In peacetime is unrealistic.
Negroes are not segregated in the Army and Navy
today because the brass hats harbor anti-Negro
prejudice. The brass hats-and I'm speaking now
OF tOp-shelf officers and civilians in the War and
Navy Departments who determine policy-probably
are prejudiced. But, even if they weren't, the ser
vices segregation policy would remain unchanged.
Segregation in the services is a reflex Of segrega-
ton in society. If there were no segregation in SOC
iety, there would be no segregation in the services.
If Jim Grow can't be blasted out of his pill box in
wartime-When the conscience of the nation is stirr-
ed by the contrast between noble sentiments and
ignOble practice-hOW can he be leased to come out
and surrender in peacetime-When cOmplacency re-
sumes its sway over the hearts Of men? If the
Army and Navy couldn't screw up the courage to
defy social race customs in wartime, when they can
get any appropriation from Congress that they ask
for, how can they be expected to champion explosive
reform in peacetime, when Congress tightens up on
the purse-strings?
In no nation on earth has the military organizat-
ion dared to step ahead Of society in the matter of
reform. On the contrary, militarism relies for its
airy elements of society, on the properties ruling
class. 1t does not dare offend these elements. And
history bars me out when | say that, instead Of Of
Tending them by championing progressiveness, mill
tarism has always kOtowed to their preJudlced and
agressively supported their reactlonary Ideas.
1t is right that NAACP should cite the services
Jim Grow practices as an objection to compulsory
peacetime military training. Such training Will
surely aggravate both the stigma OF separation for
Negro youth and the anti-NegrO prejudice IN white
youth. But NAACP should not qualify its oppos-
itions. Above all, it should reveal to the Negro
workers that peacetime militarism represents a
grave danger to them, not merely as NEGROES, but as
workers-as human beings who, together with the
rest of the working class, face the task of winning
economic emancipation and bringing to birth a new
world.