The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1950-01-07
EXCERPTS FROM
SEN. LODGES SPEECH

1ShiNAA0 AtFA AAShtS INV
only as matter of justice. Since
the end Of hostilities of World
War II, our national attitude
towards civil lights, as demon
strated by the failure Of govern
ment to act constructively, has
become the Achilles heel of our
foreign policy. With the non
white people constituting two
thirds of the worlds population,
our nation neglect of civil rights
is the chink in our armor, the de-
light of all our enemies and a
cause Of alarm to our friends and
allies. On foreign policy grounds
alone it is entitled to top priority.
"Civil rights are, by the same
token, vital factor in our ma
tional defense. Our armed serv-
ices are only as strong as the
affirmative enthusiasm for our in
stitutions. When large element
in the population has a justifiable
sense of injustice, it means a
serious weakening Of military
strength. II is the people with
sense Of injustice who become a
target for Communist activity
TIE way to defeat the Com
munists is not by trying to shoot
them, but by being just to our
own people.
eve do not think that we can
be charged with being agitators
or that any fair person will say
that we are being unreasonable
or extreme when we contend that
the poll tax as a prerequisite for
voting for Federal officials should
be abolished. We know that in
the free vote" States only 10 per-
cent take part in elections. We
submit that the young men who
were good enough to be DIR; fled
into the military service and to
be sent to battlehelds all over
the world are good enough to be
allowed to vote-to choose the
policy makers in that government
which sent them.
eve will not admit that it is
either unreasonable or extreme
for us to favor Federal action
which will make reality Of that
provision of the Constitution
which protects an individual from
being deprived Of his life, his
liberty or his property without
due process Of law, and by that l
refer to the horrible crime of
lynching.
I'VE will never admit that it is
unreasonable or extreme to insist
on legislation which will, as near
ly as possible, protect the right Of
equal opportunity to work and to
advance in life because of race,
religion, color or country of
origin. Surely the denial of this
right is a blot on the record of
any democratic country. Yet in
the Southern communities where
about four out of five colored
Americans live the average fam
lily income Of white people is es-
timated at $1100 as against $3.50
for the colored.
"There are other steps which
Government can and should take
and which are not legislative in
character. One of the principal
activities Of our Federal Gov
eminent is the national defense.
and there we confront segrega-
ton in our armed forces which,
l am convinced, can be approach
ed in a new and imaginative way
with great advantage to men of
all races and to the great adj
vantage of the country. Certainly
the practice Of segregation in our
armed forces is not only an en-
tirely undeserved humiliation to
our colored citizens in time Of
peace, but is also a source of very
grave danger to all our citizens
Cloth white and colored) in time
Of war who, under a policy OF
segregation, would have to man
combat units alone.
ut is a fairly common practice
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