Evening star., 1946-09-22
Gen. McNarney Favors
Negro Development
For Army Leadership
BY the Associoted Press

| L. McNarney declared today that
the Negro soldier needs new anc
wider opportunities to develor
standards of leadership demanded
in certain types of combat duties
and denied that he even had sale
the Negro was failure as soldier
Gen. McNarney said he had made
a statement that leadership quail.
ties in the Negro soldier were be-
low the required efficiency standard
for certain types of combat duty
but that this was due to the Negro's
inability to find lin America during
the last 100 years" equal opportunity
for complete economic and social
development.
Discussed Negro Leadership.
Referring specifically to a state
ment on Negro soldier leadership
made in conversation with Tru-
man K. Gibson, jr., Negro aide in
the War Department during the
latter's inspection of Negro troops
in Italy last year, the United States
commander in the European Thea
/ ter said:
ut was intended as frank ad-
mission that the leadership quail
ties evident were below the stand
ards required for the efficient per-
formance of certain types of combat
duties, and an equally frank state
ment that for some time to come
the Negro soldier would need new
and wider opportunities in order to
develop the standards of leadership
required"
Gen. McNarney said he reported
to the War Department on his talk
with Mr.. Gibson after he was in
formed that the Pittsburgh Courier
published column apparently
written by Mr.. Gibson in which
am erroneously quoted as having
said the negro is failure as SOL
dier. 1t will be hundred years be-
fore he can develop to a point where
he will be on a parity with Ameri-
cans Very bluntly. this quotation
is inaccurate"
Gen. McNarney said that during
the conversation Gibson rather re-
luctantly agreed" that some negro
combat forces were not up to re-
quired standards, particularly in re-
spect to leadership.
Agreed With Gibson.
He said Mr.. Gibson expressed the
view that the American negro, due
to social and economic conditions at
home, entered the army with spe-
clflc disadvantages which resulted
in his lack of ability to develop lead
erShip in combat as quickly or as
well as the white American soldier.
Informally, I agreed with Glib
sons view and suggested that since
the negro, through no fault of his
own, had been unable to find in
America during the last 100 years
completely equal opportunities to
develop his full social and economic
potential, it would appear profit
able If, for the next hundred years.
American negroes could be afforded
the opportunities which Mr.. Gibson
claimed they had been denied, Gen.
McNarney declared.
My comments were in no way
intended or offered as ridicule
either to the American Negro at
home or the Negro soldier in the
/ service"
In Chicago, Mr. Gibson said Sat-
urday that what I reported in the
Pittsburgh Courier was the CONVEX
sation in which Gen. McNarney
generallZed about the conduct of
Negro troops in the Mediterranean
theater of operations. His remarks
principally concerned combat troops.
These generalizations were based
on reports of alleged incidents that
had been sent to him by lower unit
commanders"
He added that an Army board of
officers had considered Gen. McNar-
neys official reports, and had re
Jected their validity" Mr.. Gibson
SAID he visited front line units and
talked again with Gen. McNarnev,
and that the general did except
certain units-principally the artil-
lery-from his generalizations," and
did agree that there were con-
trlouting causes, resulting from un-
equal opportunities for Negroes in
civilian life, to some of the Incidents
reported to him.
I did not at any time regard Gen
McNarney's statement as ridicule
Wnle l did not agree with them
nor with some of his reports to the
War Department, I regarded them
as sincere expressions