Minneapolis spokesman., 1952-11-07

Slstant secretary OF defense, say
white troops in the army has !
much evidence to the contrary
States.
Last week while President
Harry s Truman was reporting
to $4,000 Negroes in front Of the
offices of AMP that he sees army
timcrow fading away. AMP re-
ceived in its hands evidence OF
gross discrimination against Ne
gro soldiers at Fort Sill, Okla.
II appears that outside the
United States, overseas COM
mands are beginning slowly to
carry out the Presidents orders in
regard to equal opportunity for
all men in the armed forces.
Within the United States, how.
ever, it seems that much needs to
be done before the army can be-
gin to brag about integration
here.
Individual Negro newspapers
have criticized the administrations
Of various camps within continen-
tai U.S.A. and so have soldiers.
The GI's who suffer from this
bias, however, dare not complain
too openly. According to reports
from Fort Sill, here Is basic list
Of nine evils making life miser-
able for Negro soldiers stationed
there:
I. SCHOOLS-Sc Schools are run
on a jimcrow basis. The post has
new modern schools, but only
white children may attend. White
children ride to school in army
buses provided by the post, driven
by men on the government pay
roll. Colored youngsters have to
go TO school in Lawton, Okla, in
q l94S Dodge bus furnished by
the state of Oklahoma and driven
by a boy 10 years old.
2. MOO CLUBS-The post has
two clubs for non-commissioned
officeds, but No. Ii for white
NCO's and No. 2 for Negroes
Whites occasionally visit No. 2,
but Negroes cannot become mem
bers of No. l.
3. SERVICE CLUBS-O Officially
there is no service club segrega-
ton on the post, but hostesses
Cwhite) remind the colored sol
diers that Service Club No. 8 Is
for them.
4. NTEGRATIoN OF UNITS
There is very little integratiOn
at Fort Sill. There Is some token
integration Of Negro enlisted men
In lower grades in certain stand
ard units. but that Is all The at
titude here appears to be that lac
cording 10 a statement accredited
TO a high ranking officer Ne
groes cannot compare to white
soldiers and that there really
seemed TO be no need for Ne
groes in the army.
5. HOUSING - Negro enlisted
men live together and are not al
lowed TO live in so-caIled white
areas. Even the wherry housing
act (for CT families) Is on q Jim
crow basis. A civilian, J. d. San
ders. who controls billeting on the
post, has told Negro non-coms
there was temporary housing
available. but only for white folks.
6 POST DUTY DETAILS -
Orders published for units TO pull
guard duty at the post stockade
specify what number Of guards
may be colored. Negro troops
feel this IL TO prevent the posi-
bihties Of a Negro having charge
Of white prisoners.
7. CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOY
MENT-Although Mrs. Ida W.
Boyd. a Negro. il technically sen
Tor hostess at the post, q Caucas-
ian woman has been brought in,
promoted and given the title Of
post director. Although qualified
Negroes have applied for posi-
tons. they cannot get q job re-
Kardless Of vacancies. Negroes
do work as janitors and a few
Mattresses.
g. ARTILLERY SCHOOL FAC
ULTY The Artillery School
does not have a single Negro Of
ncer on its faculty. There IL a
feeling that there are some quail
fed Negroes able 20 fll q fac'
ulty post.
Q. Capt Edward Moon, Negro
dental officer, reportediy il moi
permitted TO practice on Caucas'
ians.
This IL the story Of intsgrati0r
at Fort Sin. known a. the "artil'
Iery center Of the world"
When President Truman ad'
dressed the cheering throngs her
IN Chicago at the monument u
Negro soldiers IN the midst ot
BronzeviiIe. ne presented 70 th'
people the picture given him b.
his advisors about army inte'
grafton
II appears that IN Europe tn
spirit Of his executive order d
1919 s being carried out ate
Negroes had complained, but her
IN the United States this seems q