Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1953-11-06

HA80A9 HNN148gH Aug0 Nv N@py
New Opportunities
When u came, World War II
was 70 present exceptional oppOr-
tunitiss TO the Negroes In Amer.
ca. The Armed Services faced the
problem Of 1917 all over again IN
aggravated form, particularly the
Army. Negro soldiers. ~ q group
had less education; Iess opportun'
ity 20 acquire mechanical and
other technical slsiiIs; and gen.
orally made lower scores on
Army Qualification tests" test
which less reflect native intsili.
Ence than Adaptability for service
based upon previous Opportuni'
ties 10 learn.
While the Army never accepted
any racial doctrine. II had 20 take
into account the fact that the ra'
ciaI prejudiess which exist out
side continue 10 influence msr
even after they don q uniform
The Army had 10 decide how II
could best use Negro personns
and simultaneously maintain th'
efficiency Of the Army ~ q whole
Emergency condition are mol
conducive TO experimentation
Once more the Army organized ia
ooIored and white troops into sep
arAte units Segregation was held
TO be a matter Of practical ex
pedlency. not an Endorsement oI
racial beliefs and distinction. ThiI
policy resulted in establishing two
coiOrsd infantry divisions and
numerous separate anti-aircrafI
oolored battalions. A War De
partmsnt survey conducted Ia
ie4s among soldiers Of both raesI
supported planners satimAtsi
that there would b less inter
racial friction n colored Rnt
white enlisted men continue Il
serve In unmiNsd units.
However, In 1914. the shortage
OF good combat riflemen prompt
ID the War Department 10 con
duct practical tests toward In
crcaHing the Army'H fighting
power. CoIored platoons. compris
ID entirely Of volunteers. wer'
mixed with white companies IL
combat. and volunteers from non,
combatant units exceeded require,
menta When they went into &C,
ton this simple test began 10 op,
crate automatically. Would thes,
Negro platOons fight a. well Al
the white units they had rsplac'
sdP
Results Of this experiment were
recorded In the report Of q preai'
DENTAL commission, entitled. Free,
dom 10 Serve: Tho great ma
Iority Of white officers and en-,
listed men agreed that the Negro
soldiers who had fought along,
side them had performed excel
iontly In combat. Eight cut Of ter
white men said they had done very
well. and almost all Of the resi-
that they had done fairly well
Only two per cent Of the enlisted
men. and none % the officers fell
that they had done not % well
or were "unaocided." no white Of.
iOsE OF enlisted man said that
thsy had dine not very wSlL'"
on the basis OF testing hll
small unit fighting ability. ths
American Negro soldier stood up
much better. In fact. than when
he was organised into completely
separate units. Higher motiVa.
ton . sense Of belonging made
the difference. II Ia true that
every race and every nationality
has been able 20 provide good
fighting material. History shows
this again and again. Take the ~.
action Of q platoon sergeant from
South Carolina 20 these sids-by.
side tests. when I heard about u
I said I'd be damned u they could
wear the same shoulder patch I
did AFTER that first day. when we
saw how they fought, I changed
my mind. They're Just like any OF
the other boys TO US"
Under the stress Of q great war
these tests received httls attsn.
ton throughout the Army. much
less the nation. But they had been
. source Of encouragement TO Ne.
gro leaders, . revealing syr-opsn-
sr 10 the military high command.
No drastic action to break down
segregation In the Military EstAb.
liahment followed Immediately.
That was to require another ma.
tlonal emergency, 30 far. only
Negro NnluntNera had hem test.