Evening star., 1948-12-30
Bunche Sees Negroes
As Partly 10 Blame
For Segregation

DR.. Ralph j. Bunche, acting
United Nations mediator for Pales-
tine, last night declared that Ne
groes themselves are partly respon-
sible for the existence of racial
segregation in Washington.
DR.. Bunche, himself a Negro, told
a convention of Alpha Kappa Alpha,
national Negro sorority, that there
are practices in the Nations Capital
that make a mockery of democ-
racy," but he added that there are
many Negroes who are either too
punch drunk" or too "complacent"
to help correct them.
He assailed what he termed the
''racialist" attitude of some Negro
leaders and called for a united
effort to achieve for his race "a full
integration into the mainstream of
American life"
DR.. Bunche's speech, made in
packed Commerce Department au-
ditorium, was one of the first he has
delivered since his return to this
country 10 days ago from his Pales-
tine assignment.
Cites U. n Work.
He defended his decisions as act
ing U. N mediator. a post he as
sumed following the September as
sassination of Count Folke Berna-
dotte, as uninf1uenced by his Negro
background He declared that the
Palestine mission is the best exam
pie of interracial integration and
cooperation that the world has
yet SEEN"
There has never been a moment" :"
he said. when any member of that
staff has had any thought in terms
of race. To the best of my knowl-
edge, no one has ever thought of
my race, and I certainly have not
had time to do So"
1t was partly in reference to his
own role as mediator that DR..
Bunche attacked "racialist think
ing" among some of his fellow
Negroes.
A veteran Negro leader, DR.. w. E.
B. Du Bois, at recent meeting in
New York. voiced IAN apology to
the Jewish people for the Negro
people because of my deeds in Pal
estine," DR.. Bunche said. The sug-
gestion, he continued. was that the
prosecuted" Negroes should es-
pouse the cause Of the prosecuted
Jews"
Assails Viewpoint.
DR. Bunche assailed this viewpoint
as ridiculous" emphasizing that it
meant Negroes would be disqualified
for the role of mediator.
ITO disqualify a race because of
The struggle it has made is the
sheerest nonsense" he declared.
Calling for an "unrelentirg'
campaign to free the American
Negro of the segregation and
ghettodom which now press MIN
down." DR. Bunche' warned Ne
groes never would be content with
less than full equality with other
citizens. and he added:
In my view the Negro cannot
fail to win this struggle
RC4Cl / AlS SpCNlllIdAg " GliC IVA
tion's Capital, the former State
Department official and Howard
University professor said he knew
from personal experience" that
many foreign visitors have been
shocked as regards the position and
rights of the. Negro" here. He de-
clared:
Negroes, in insisting on equal
rights, are merely playing the role
of good Americans" he added.
Returning to New York.
DR.. Bunche, who is returning to
his post as director of the U. MS
division, was to leave last
night for New York, where he has
lived for several years. He is on
leave from the faculty of Howard
University. where he taught political
science before entering Government
service in the Office of Strategic
Services and later the State De-
partment He is member of Phi
Beta Kappa and holds a doctor of
philosophy degree from Harvard.
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