Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1946-03-15
Dear Joe
BY JAMES l.. HICKS


ny JAMES H. hIChS
Dear Joe:
On November 20. 1945, Major
General Paul Hawley, who was at
that time acting surgeon general
Of the Veterans Administration,
told Representative Edith NOurse
Roberts, Democrat. Of New Jersey,
that II for one will not experiment
with the medical care Of the veter-
an. Either he gets the quality Of
medical care that he deserves, or |
quit-and quit at once"
Those are General Hawley's ex-
act words, Joe, and in case he does
not remember them they are now
on file in the NNPA offices.
Last Thursday, on February rs.
exactly three months later, General
Omar N. Bradley, who is General
Hawley's boss at the VA. told a
delegation from the Negro News
paper Publishers Association that
the VA has already made plans to
build another Jim Crow hospital
for veterans in Mississippi, the
nht''e '"'e VI '''"''' ''"U''
Bilbo and Representative Johh
Rankin.
Three days later, at a time when
he seemingly should have been writ
ing his letter Of resignation TO Gen
eral Bradley over this Jim Crow
announcement, General Hawley in
,or,',eu ,ne To'Iu oS aan," I'M ~
nhu accepteu peIn'% S nv Ipp"''..,
h n lIIn "I t,s. ~. "' ~ M :"
.hIei neulI"i u ueIso' "a 49, CIV ~
pHr,me"v "i m re- sn,t. a'u 80 ousI his
w 'ne vi y. ~. NJ Cnno"a I
army p' ~ In, 90 ""''' '' :"
r,,,L A.. -..o-I ...i.,
i"ne HUN Nv '''e ''''" "H"'''
Joe. Three months ago man says
either he gets the quality Of med
iraI r,re no deserves or I mutt
al a,,i, -, ooo.r
Tbos. are prettv encouraging
words In veterans. eSpecially col
Grad veterans. because they thought
nj last here q a man who will al
Ieast walk off the lob IL we aren't
| given "A decent break. but tire,
Javs after General bradley tolt
| the nuhlishers he WAS putting uI
| another linn Crow hospital. insteaI
NJ uniting in protest, Genera
Unwiev accented a permanent iol
With the agency
Is "enera' na"'ey uy'nS 10
tell the "orld thAt ne oehe'es
cOIoTed veteran wiz ne gwen !he
best oi medieaI care IN J'm
'row hospltaI 'ocated W s'a'e
run oy n'Ioo M" ""h~'"' ~ w
-,
Doesh heherhi hA"Iey Ihii'
that u colored veteran deserves IN
best OF med'c9I cate-9r was IN
General Just showing OF ms bras
To the lady wheh ne mace VI"
statement TO Mrs Rogers
/ II the General was sincere In hi
.''iai Nc 20 "k" ~ .o.o,,
W dul. "'s" at T. 'I hont 49, ia,'
VIII 49, sss III, 70 -, W - -
.a'o ~ .os - &c - Jnot",. :
w - =, ~ ,h "a =" I"n,, a.. ~
"a ,. !" III, 90 ho.nj,aI,
w " nSnan, =, ' raro go coso. !, ."
only hire second rate coiored doC
tors because hrst-rate coIored dot
tors VIII not accept assignment
in Jim Crow hospitals a hrst-rat
colored doctor makes more none
maintain his self-respect in hi
community and will not bury hin
self In a Jim Crow hospital
Mississippi
. Co.., p,.n.. Ioo .,
III L w "ns ."r,n,an, ~ S;n, ~,
q I'll he could he given chance to d
' something for colored veteran
Even when he didn't do anythin
for them we kept our tongue IN ot
cheek so long ms he didn't do an!
thing against them.
but the time has come to Spea
out On the credit side OF "eneri
bradleys record so Tar as ald
a colored veterans there Is n"thln
except the appointment OF sever
colored men TO good paying Jo'
which they richly deserve
rA. ,.,, .,.,o,o,,s wh;.
h v'v , "a "" $500 IS uoonIn th ~,
wv ~ Li.LI,. n,i. -, =,
time they were made hut pr"mi'
Will not aid SICK veteran.
~. A.. L,h;, ia. -, Cana,
a p. VII Wv W, 80, - ,n.,nT =,
nu >,hs" ' L., = ~
p is.I -. ~" " wv, M. ,h' 800 49, ~
= ~, /, :. - ~ La1,.h. IN,
4 III" |
:, S'H ~
g Also on the red ink side Of Gen
:. eral Rradley's and Mr.. HawIey'
AL ~ w -. 81 WV -. -"
" ~" 80 ,.." ~. -"
a WV .| ,I 49,,
. "k" " '"
In the same column il the stat
= mept made nv the VA on Move,
a her z. lqlS that The Veteran
q ADMINISTRATOR has found this sIt