Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1945-04-27

upon the separation of the blood OF
whites and Negroes in the Red
Cross Blood Bank because the ma
iority of white Americans" object
to having the blood of Negroes put
into the veins of white soldiers. In
almost the same breath, he admits
that the Army is aware and agrees
with the findings of science that
there is no difference in plasma
made from the blood of whites and
that made from the blood of Ne
groes. He admits further that it is
foolish, incorrect, and superstitious
to believe that use of the. blood OF
Negroes may cause future genera
lions of whites to show Negroid
features.
"But in a democracy" he says,
1--WE must bow to the will of the ma
jority, however wrong that will may
be. That's what democracy means"
That, of course, is an over-simpli-
fication. Of course, democracy en-
visions the rule of the majority.
But it includes, too, the protection
of the rights of the minority, it
countenances national unity
especially in time of war, and it dis
counts the "dreamed-up" attitude
of the majority on the part of little
cliques of men who permit the wish
to become father of the fact.
There have been no polls, no sur
veys, no vote on the question of
whether the people of America are
the kind of damfools, dumb clucks,
inhuman monsters and fascists that
Gen. Rankin brands them as being.
don't believe the majority of the
American people know that the
Army insists on this policy of
separation of blood plasma by white
and Negro labels. don't believe
they would vote for the continuance
of this policy if they knew it existed
and were told of it's baseless founda-
ton in science. don't believe they
would say "let my son die rather
than put the blood of a Negro into
his veins to save his life" And
who can imagine the dying soldier
asking "where did that blood come
from which you are about to use to
save my life?" wv
But General Rankin's views are
the views of the War Department.
1t happens he is in position to make
them so. He is the adviser to the
Surgeon General of the Army, Maj.
Gen. N. T. Kirk. Specifically does
the Surgeon General rely on Cen
eral Rankin for advice on the blood
program.
And to add insult to injury, with
the same Army shortsightedness
that has been shown in some of the
planning for strategic supplies in
small arms, etc. when factories
were shut down only to be reopened
again with a demand for greater
production than .ever-an assistant
to Gen. Rankin as much as told a
delegation last week that those who
didn't like the Army policy could
give blood if they wanted to or they
could go Ito hell. He was a Col.
Carter, and he said, with reference
to, the possibility of getting more
blood by lifting this fascist label
ing:
eve are getting ample blood. We
have never failed to come up with
our quota of blood we have needed.
It is not a question of being des-
perately in need of blood. There
has been a continued call only to
keep the flow of blood what it
should be-"
Of course, the war is going very
we'll in Europe now, and it makes
some people pretty coclSy. For the
sake of the lives of the men in
volved, I hope we don't have any
severe reverses, not even tenn
porary ones, and find ourselves
faced with ever increasing casualty
lists of human beings in need of
more blood than now satisfies Gen.
Rankin and Col. Carter.
PRESIDENT TRUMAN'S FIRST
PRESS CONFERENCE
President Harry S. Truman and
l had lot in common as we faced
each other at his first press con-
ference last week.
He stood in his position as the
Chief Executive of this great ma
ton because of Franklin Delano
Roosevelt. I stood across the desk