St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1953-10-30

democracy. No longer can the c
chance of promotion, duty ASST,
ance of segregation in the arm
telling, at home and abroad.
Communist propaganda has won
more victories in the battle for
mems minds by capitalizing on
the color of their skins than by
any other issues. Today, hostility
to the white man threatens the
Far East, India, The Moslem
World, and Africa. The color"
question helped the communists
win China and spurred their
troops to fight in Korea. Racial
fissures in America, distorted and
exaggerated by the Red party
line have long been an ace wea-
pom in these cold war maneuvers.
The Soviet propaganda mill will
never drop its favorite theme
song. but the people of Europe
and Asia will reject communist
lies they see disproved before
their own eyes by our fighting
men. The evidence is there. We
need only to ask them to look at
it! Elimination of racial segrega-
ton in our armed forces is the
best possible proof of American
democracy in action. In German
casernes, French and English bill
lets, white and colored soldiers of
the United States Army share
quarters without regard to race;
stand formations with mixed
races. but identical uniforms, in
the same squad. United Nations
troops and observers returning
from Korea can attest there was
no color line in foxholes, nor in
the rest camps, either, of the Sth
U. S. Army.
Aggressive communist argu-
ment has long stressed the bond
age" of American Negroes, COM
prising roughly ten per cent of our
population. Admitting that the
United States has long way to
go before attaining ideal social
status for our Negro citizens, we
need not be apologetic before the
world. Compared to the Negroes
lot in other lands, Americans Of
color have invariably been better
off than members of their race
elsewhere. Even the more "en-
lightened" treatment of Negroes
in the British Empire, where
slavery was abolished years be-
fore our Emancipation Proclama-
ton, cannot measure up 10 the
actual living conditions in this
country at any equivalent stage
of history. When the slaves were
freed there were ten colored
Americans for every slave brought
TO our shores; when freedom came
to the Negroes in the British
colonies there were only one-third
as many persons to free as there
had been slaves imported.
GREAT PROGRESS
The swift progress made by
the Negro in the United States
is without parallel in history. A
shift from extremely primitive
society to almost complete mem
bership in the most complex seq
ment OF the modern world within
an average span of 200 years is
a remarkable achievement.
The measure Of the progress Is
evident in the record. Less than
40 years ago. in 1914, a bin was
presented in Congress to intro
duce segregation in the Civil Ser
vice. Supporting the measure,
Congressman Aswell asserted,
Segregation of the races is i'm
perative and must come. II has
been proved successful in the
Army" Aswell rested his case on
the Almighty, who, by the stamp
Of color decreed that the eau
casian race should occupy posi-
tons Of authority and control the
destinies of this country The
United States is peculiarly COM
missioned 10 lead all other ma
tons not only in purity of race
quality. but in world problems Of
just and wise government. Shall
we fulfill this high mission >"
Unlike Nazi Germany we have
fulfilled Aswell's prophetic COM
mission by rejecting his advice.
We've gained strength at home
and won influence abroad by APP
plying democracy, regardless Of
race. Our demonstration Of racial
equality among the ranks Of our
soldier-ambasssdors overseas IL
doing more 10 explode communist
color propaganda than books or
breakfasts fun Of words.
The end of segregation for Ne
gro serviceren outpaced the ex-