Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1946-07-12

during the final days before tn
We shared table, food and eognac
IN Paris Hotel Scribe where the
newsmen who had been through
the toughest part Of the war knew
how asinine Il Is TO draw color
lines.
Then. later, on the other side
Of tho world we Sweated together
making an old tishy-smelling Japan
restaurant into the Tokyo Foreign
Correspondents Club.
Ryan and have known each
other under some trying circum-
stances, and we have always mot
and moved about on a strictly man
to-man basis, heretofore.
Also. there are q few other guys
aboard the press ship. uSS Ap.
palachiAR. proceeding TO Bikini.
whom ! have known elsewhere.
There's Clete Roberts Of ARC
who was one 81 the early crowd
u correspondents under Mae
Arthur's command In Australia
back In the days when we weren't
exactly winning the war,
There's Larry Scion Of the Lon.
don News Chronicle, whom I knew
both In Europe and the Far East;
there's Keith Wheeler 81 the Chi
cage Times, who was out In China
In n ricksha when last | saw him;
there's Tom Pricstly " Universal
Newsreel and Bill Tyrec Of United
Press, who are my cabinmatcs and
acquaintances Of long NARROWER.
AEe standing.
There are a few others left over
from the wars, and several with
whom I've been on the same ms.
siRnments back In the States -
among these Volta Torrey Of Pop
ular Mechanics Magazine and
Frank Bartholomew Of United
Press.
We nod TO each other and pass
chatter when our paths meet on
this big shin Of many divisions hut
the cRmaradeTi that existed among
ncwsmen who saw and covered the
war doesn't exist aboard this craft
Occasionally. the "old gang" will
get together and swap yarn or
two, but n wet rag IL always thrown
into the conversation by some glor.
fled Statosidc copybov who sRun-
tors up and asks silly questions
like, "WhRt did you do when thew
were shooting In your direction ?"
Too many Of the people aboard
this vessel simply "don't belong"
TO that democratic society Of news
men who saw the war.
I'm from the South
The SouthcrnerR come IN when
the gang Ii having n sctto and
preface whatever they have Ia con.
tribute by saying, am from South
Carolina, y'know"--aS II that mat.
tered
Such announcements are doubt.
less meant for mo and catch them
d"xterously, throwing out n sharp,
That's too bad" and carrying on
with chidinV Clete Roberts about
headlong dive into a New Guinea
| forhole.
The rebels create n queer nitua-
tion aboard the Appalachian and
the Navy policies, which those bald.
faced double takers In Washington
claim brook no discrimination, aid
and Rbet the Dixie attitude toward
this lone cOlorcd citizen among
Crossroads correspondents.
The full qualifications 81 this are
what confound my good friend.
Cornelius Ryan.
He In first Of all an lrishman
who works for this 81. Louis paper
because he's trying TO learn some.
thing about the States. During
the war, he represented an English
newspaper and he still has the basic
unbiased attitude Of the United
Kingdom peoples.
lie tells me he noted for several
days that my seat at the ward
room table In nj the end; that !
get served last and the three others
at the table are two places away
20 the side and before me.
He asked, rather bluntly, one
day: What sort 81 plague In there
NJ your end Of the tablet"
tried 10 explain 20 him that
such II the way Of Americans and
he nearly fooreh me with the told
20 uS) observation that fear I'm
contaminated because NJ my color
IL silly because all the messmen
are also my color and the food
would certainly already he con
tanlinated II color has anything 10
do with II.
He went on 20 say he's found
America n disappointment because
Of "shnllowness." Our nation lacks
culture and good manners. this
keen minded Irishman says.
The national white attitude on
the race question, including that
~ the so-called liberals, stinks 30
the high heavens, he contsnda. and
sets out 10 prove II by announcing;
Prom now on I'm sitting with you
at meals"
Now. really, I'm having some.
thing Of q time with Ryan.
Navy Gets blame
There are others 10 whom The
attitude Of the Navy officer who
assigned ward room seats ~ often
Eive. They have come over and
kIdded me about the "Iim crow
corner" because we've discussed the
matter nj other times and under.
stand the thing at least under |
stand the thing .. or at least each
other.
They are willing 10. or A. least
have no quslms about sitting be.
side me. but they know they might
lose q rood contact with OF a rood
tip from n Southern-b0rn scientist
Or newman II they did 40. They
are praRmatists who dstsst bu,
rive ground 20 Americas racial
attitudes.
Ryan IL something else. He hates
the thing, thinks its petty. and
proposes 10 do something about n,
What's more. he's beIligsrent
enIugh about his convictions 10
6Vht mbnut them should anybody
try 10 talk him away from me.
Interesting . -. thIsi
And. about the Navy we'll
rs sort 81 responsible for the
while thing.
I'm not the basic reason for the
anti-colored attitude aboard this
ship. It's the pattern ~ sspars.
tim. segregation and selection ~
rrsniSI tssks for eoiored that sets
the stage.