St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1950-09-29

and white soldiers Is presenting
picture-nOt that in itself it is
across, but because of not two,
First, there are those who
gram of complete Indignation.
downright stubborn in the oppo-
site direction. The third and wha
is even worse, those who us
sneaky methods which pubhcl
approve indignation" but priv
ately condemn and fight agains
it.
Indignation and "two-faced in
tegration" are being practiced il
the Korean theatre of war Int
grafton is being praCtiCed in
least one training center in tn,
United States-at Fort Ord, Calf
Segregation is still being praCtic
ed in other centers, and the out
look with the change in defens,
secretaries is that the army!
slowness toward Indignation will
soon ground to a standstin.
Recently, it was announced
that the 25th Infantry division,
of which the famed oath Infantry
regiment is an integral part, had
begun integrating white troops
into the all-Negro unit. This
move was heartily commended
by both the fighting troops in
Korea and the folk at home.
For the oath, it meant that re-
placements sorely needed would
once again return the unit to its
former formidable and top-fight-
ing strength. The oath, unable to
get Negro requirements for it's
wounded and killed, is operating
against overwhelming odds at
less than so per cent of it's eff
fective strength.
Not Members Of Regiment
Last week, however, the diW-
sion's chief of staff, 1t. Col Ed
win C. Grennelle, disclosed that
the white requirements assigned
to the oath were really not
members" of the unit.
He said that the white replace
ments were % assigned not for
combat duty under the oath, but
merely to train a group of South
Korean soldiers who also have
been assigned to the regiment,
and (2) the requirements were
all non-commissioned officers.
He claimed the assignment of
the white soldiers was made at
the request of Col. Arthur s.
Champeney, former commanding
officer of the oath, author of the
recent statement that "in my esti-
nation, Negroes do not make
good combat troops"
Asked why the Negro non-coms
could not be used for the training
program instead, Grenelle said
he did not know of any reason,
and then passed the buck by ad-
ding, These commanders, you
know, have wide latitude"
So the 25th divisions integra-
ton policy is not Indignation af-
ter all, though division chiefs
maintain there is an informing
ling going on-a sort of "segrega-
ted Indignation"
In sharp contrast is the situa-
ton with the companion and for
mer all-white oath Infantry divi-
sion. This unit, the first division
in combat here, the longest in
combat and boasting the best
combat record, has quietly gone
about the business of migrating
Negro troops within its ranks. 1t
has done so without raising any
fuss or notice, and oftimes out
siders are unaware that Negro
troops are serving in integrated
fashion with the division until
they are seen in actual fighting
roles.
It is the opinion of one division
officer that "colored troops in
this now An-American division
have done more for the combat
efficiency of the division than
Jackie Robinson did for the Dod-
gers.
1--WE have been drawing re-
placements since the beginning
of the war without regard to race |
or color and there is hardly a
squad 1.-THE lowest group of CTS |
in the army in our division now
which does not have a Negro |
member. This so-called racial dis |
sension has backfired and is
reaping an angry harvest on the
enemy"
The all white Second division |
has also quietly undertaken a
sort of indignation program. |
While not on par with the Path
divisions action, il does have a
battalion Of Negroes serving in
the Ninth Regimental Combat