Evening star., 1948-05-09
Plan 10 Disobey Draft
Gets Mixed Reception
Session. d
" the A,soe;oisd Press

A Philip Randolph. sponsor OF the
civil disobedience plan under which
Negroes would refuse to be drafted
into the armed services, said last
night his program Is gaining ma
tional momentum.
Mr.. Randolph, president Of the
Brotherhood Of Sleeping Car ,Por-
ters, came from New York to testify
before . commission Of inquiry into
segregation in the armed forces.
He was cheered by q packed as
sembly hall at the Twelfth street
branch Of the Young Mems Chris
tian Association as he advocated
his program, which he said would
"do the country a favor" by ending
what he called undemocratic and
unjust racialism.
But twice he evaded direct ques-
tions on whether he would urge
Negroes to ignore the draft in time
of war. Finally he said:
well cross that bridge when we
come to it."
He warned that civil disobedience
would be dificult.
you must be willing to live dan
gerously," he said. But he added
there must be mo violence, no hate,
no revenge"
Howard Professor Objects.
The meeting was adjourned when
Prof. Frank Coleman, who teaches
physics at Howard University, said
from the floor that the plan was
unsound and not poplar with many
Negroes.
He was told he could appear to-
day as a witness.
Prof. Coleman said he represented
two American Legion posts COM
posed Of about 500 Negro ex-sol-
diers, He said they endorsed, with
just one dissenting vote, resolu-
ton that opposed civil disobedience.
Several witnesses have been ques-
toned, in the unofficial inquiry and
more are scheduled to appear at
the final session this morning.
Arthur Garfield Hays, attorney
and veteran civil liberties cam
paigner, is a member of the inquiry
board. He injected a political note
into the questioning when he asked
Mr.. Randolph If his group had been
liable to smoke Gov. Dew wey out" as
to his stand on racial discrimination.
Mr.. Randolph said no.
improvements Described.
James C. Evans, Negro who Is
advisor to Secretary of Defense For
restal on Negro problems, testified
at length on what is being done to
better conditions in the services.
Mr.. Evans said the Navy has made
marked improvement, although he
added that at one time it was the
worst branch of service for Negroes
Mr.. Randolph first read pre-
pared text, in which he recon-
mended a bold and immediate pro-
gram of action" to get what he
called universal justice"
During questioning later, he was
more emphatic. He said the civil
disobedience program was the only
program that would advance the
Negro cause. He said that America
is fluid" and now is the time to
strike. If Negroes wait, it may be
too late he said. $1,000 - ~
Asked Stand on Communism.
He said ne has received hundreds
Of letters from over the country
He read one which said his civil
disobedience program would do more
for Negroes than Lincoln's enianci-
patton proclamation. -
Mr.. Randolph said he didn't op-
pose Negroes fighting for the
country, but he did oppose their
fighting as slaves" -
Mr.. Hays asked him fatty
whether, he thought American de-
mocracy was better than commu-
nism. = .@7 49,.
Mr.. Randolph said he favored a
vital, virHe and dynamic demec-
racy." He said he was not in favor
however, of the war hysteria which
he said is being whipped UP against
Russia through propaganda.
you can't stop Communism by
the atomic bomb" he said. But
you can by making democracy
work.
The remark brought loud ap-
plause.
Draft Policy Discussed.
Selective service in war time told
the armed services that they had no
legal right to designate persons to
be drafted on a racial basis but the
advice had no effect, Col. Campbell
C. Johnson, assistant to Maj. Gen.
Lewis B. Hershey, the director, told
the panel.
1T is matter of record that the
Selective service informed the serv-
ices as early as 1941 that they had
no right to designate on color
basis under the Selective Service