The Omaha guide., 1945-11-24

New York; request hat the
Navy Department reopen the case
in which As Negro Navy men were
convicted following a riot" in De-
cember. 1914, was made last week
by Walter White. NAACP Secret
airy, who was present in Guam
when the men were tried. and who
acted as defense counsel at the in
vitation Of the island commander.
Whites letter to III. Struve Hen
sci. Acting Secretary Of the Navy.
asked not only for a re1pening OF
the case. but for permission for
NAACP counsel to examine all per-
tinent records.
1t has been the contention OF the
NNACP hat the c~ourt-martial on
Guam failed to take into consider
alton the long series of attacks
which had been made on Negro
personnel by white Marines and
others and the failure OF white Of
ficers in charge Of the Negro rAits
to take any steps to protect their
men. These circumstances created
such a feeling of desperation am
ong the Negroes that they broke i'm
to a supply depot to secure weap
ons and ammunition with which to
defend themselves.
The NAACP contends tina the
court-martial concerned itself sole
Iy with the incidents Of December
"a and 26. 1914 nd like so many
military courts, adhered strictly to
incidents It hand and the part
icular violation of regulations
charged. with no attention 4 the
factors Of prejudice. unfairness and
color discrimination known to exist
Prior to the so-called disorders
of December. 1914" the NAACP let
ter said. there had been a series
Of unprovoked, unchecked and un-
punished attacks on Negro Service
men on Guam. particularly Negro
Navy Base Company personnel. by
white servicemen. chiefly by white
Marines. These acts of aggression
had consisted Of the throwing Of
missiles, including empty beer bot
ties. stones, pieces OF coral and up
on two occasions. hand grenades.
into the camp occupied by -four
Navy Base Companies located on
the side of the Agat-Sumay Road
near the Navy Supply Depots. In
addition there had been repeated
attacks by white aMrines upon Ne
gro servicemen when the latter had
gone on leave into the town of Ag-
ana.
The majority OF the officers or
the -four Negro Navy Base Comp
anies were distinctly inferior.
When their men had reported acts
of aggression against them to these
officers nothing whatever had been
lone by the officers except at
tempts to DISMISS these reports an
unworthy Of investigation or ac-
ton. AS a result the Negro Navy
personnel were led to believe IT
futile to report such attacks TO
their commanding officers. AS I
frankly stated to the Board OF In
quiry. / believe such failure to re-
put aooaulln thu iioulNH DdGtQ Oh
skin color vas a mistake on the
part Of the ~aeerieved men. 7 shar-
ed then and share now their belief
that no corrective action would
have been taken"
The NAACP letter also cited to
Mr.. Hensel the very light sentence
es given to white men convicted Of
crime on Guam in contrast to the
sentences imposed on Negroes.
Il believe it Is not improper to
point out" Mr.. White said. that
a sentence of five years and a BID
CD reduced to three years with
further provision for probation Dp-
on satisfactory completion or eight
cen months confinement seems
wholly inadequate for the cold
blooded and ~uprovoked shooting
and killing of a human being as
was brought out in the testimony
on this case before the Navy Board
Of Inquiry. / wish further to
point out that a sentence of TWEEN
ty days confinement (Which con-
finement was remitted) and one
month EPD appears to me wholly
inadequate punishment for one who
confessed in writing hat he had
thrown a smoke bomb int a fuel
dump in which Navy Base Comp
any personnel were handling 100
octane gas. While on the Island OF
Guam | saw the written confession
Of Pfc. Charles S. Marriott. Jr. who
was the Marine who threw the
smoke bomb. Apparently no pun
ishment was given the other Mar
ines on the truck with Marriott. at
least one Of whom, IL my memory
serve me correctly, also confessed
to throwing a missile at the Negro
servicemen.
yet the record shows according
to the report Of the Island Comm
ander, that approximately forty
men, all Negroes, were tried. con
victed and sentenced to prison
terms because they defended them
selves against attacks when they
had reason to believe and did be-
lieve that they would be afforded
no protection by the responsible
authorities. including their own
officers, on the Island of GUAM
Mr.. White observed that when he
was requested to act az defense
counsel he consented to do So on
condition hat no legal right OF
any defendant would be jeopardiz-
ed because he (White) was not a
lawyer and hat the court permit
the introduction Of background ma
-terial. However, Mr.. White point
ed out. he was not given access to
the secret, confidential and restrict
ed Navy records nor did he have