Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1947-04-12
VA Official Call For Opinion Advocate
Editor As Medical Society And NAACP
Launch Protest Against Vet Hospital

'NoHAA5 VII, IL ~. NOONJ
The 200-bed Veterans Hospital will
be built in the all-colored town
OF Mound Bayou, Mississippi des-
p1te the protest of the National
office of the .NAACP and other
groups, it was revealed by high
officials sources here last week.
Following the announcement
that President had approved the
location or the 200-bed Veterans
Hospital at Mound Bapou, pro-
tests and demands that the Presi-
dental order be rescinded were
lodged by Walter Whiteo the
NAACP and DR.. w. Montague Cobb,
editor of the monthly bullentin of
the Nerico-Chirurgical Society of
the District of Columbia and pro-
lessor of Anthropology at Howard
University.
Both the NAACP and DR.. Cobb
based their protests and demands
that the Presidential order to be
rescinded on the grounds that the
location of the hospital at Mound
Bapou was a severe blow to the
cause of Indignation and equality
in medical care for veterans and
furthered the ENHANCEMENT of the
pattern of segregation in hospi-
talization.
In his editorial under the cap
ton New Jim Grow Vets Hospi-
tar, in commenting on the Ioca-
ton of the hospital at Mound
Bayou, in an editorial appearing
in the monthly bulletin. DR.. Cobb
said in part:
"The Veterans Administration ha
just announcer that a new 200-bed
hospital for negro veterans to cost
$5,50O,000 and completely stated
with a negro personnel of 500
will be erected at Mound Bayou,
Mississippi"
This step is severe blow to
the caue of interrogation ad e.
quality i medical care for veter-
ans. 1t is furthered entertainment
to the pattern of segregation in
hospitals which has never meant
other than inalequacy and inequi-
ty for the negro"
con October 25, 1916, a delega-
ton Of representative organiza-
lions urged Major General Paul r.
Hawley, medical director of the
VA to end segregation in the vet
Grams hospitals system. 1t furnish
ed him clear instances of hospital
in which negro patents were not
segregated and negro doctors and
nurses integregated on the staff
without friction"
"The decision now to place a
new segregated hospital in the
home state of Rankin and Bilbo
cannot be regarded as other than
a long stride backward with seven
! league boots
The position taken by the MA
ACP and DIR. Montague Cobb was
generally upheld in editirial COM
ments in certain sections OF the
negro press.
The decision to go ahead with
the building of the hospital at
Mound Bayou despite all protest,
was revealed by high officials of
the Veterans Administration and
influential members of Congress
to Percy Greene, nationally known
editor of the Jackso Advocate, OF
Jackson, Mississippi during a visit
here last week.
Following the launching OF the
protests by the NAACP and DIR.
Cobb, in replying to a telegram
from Joseph Albright, special as
sistant to the administrator Of
the veterans bureau, requesting a
statement 70 his position respect
| ing the location of the hospital
at Mound Bayou, the militant Miss
issippi editor stated that he was
100 per cent in acord with the
action of President Truman in
| placing the hospital at Mound
Bayou.
In an editorial which aroused
wide spread discussion and COM
ment among the high ranking
officials of the Veterans Admin
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