The guardian., 1954-08-14
BOSTON
BAKED
BY MABE KoUNTzE

Il am hoping to live long
enough to see the time when
we will have no hyphenated-
Americans"
Gen. Ben. Davis Sr.
ARMED FORCE reports are
beginning to wax optimistic"
regarding the progress of in
tegration in all branches. The
July HUE magazine reported
an estimated $500 colored of
f1cers, including IS ColonelS, one
a WAC. The list, obviously,
leaves much to be desired Many
a Latin American country can
boast of several colored active
Generals. We have none. The
small State of Kentucky can
surely sGxpaSS our list of Is
colonies. So why all the cheers?
THE HISTORY of U. S. col
Ored military officer attainment
Is sparse only because OppOrtu-
nifty has been withheld. The
first all-cOlOred units, like the
54th and 55th, had paleface
top commands. Even at their
height, the all-race units did
not attain a single full-f1edged
General. The great military
martyr from West Point, Col
Onel Charles Young, fought
herOically to win fuller recog-
milton for cOIOred officers. His
story is one of tragedy.
TAN YANK officers entitled
to equal opportunity of grade
and pay have suffered untold
heartbreak, like Colonel Young.
I'ney have seen foreign officer
candidates from China, Japan,
Germany, Turkey, and else
Wnere, come to our choice mi
htay schools and become up
graded" to top ranks as allied
commanders" A British officer
can share a command with |
Americans, but a colored Ameri-
can officer like Col. Young was
barred from commanding u S.
troops.
THE BEEF that some Tan
Yank officers hold against the !
discrimination that has barred
their progress is fully justi-'
fed. If some have argued that |
integratiOn would still cut off |
advancement, that, too, is un-
derstandable. And it is up to
the War Department. and the
President to erase these un-
Certainties with much greater
proof of Officer progress than
We have at this time. The re-
cord to date is nothing to
boast about.
INTEGRATION does show |
some optimistic trends which |
can be increased. The Pittsburgh |
Courier columnist, Trezz Ander-
son, in his May 1948 compiling
of figures before integration,
recorded 987 colored officers.
There were then one retired |
General; 2 ColonelS, 10 Lieut.. =
Colonels, % Majors and 241
captains. Comparing these f.
cures with the 1854 figures !
would indicate that integration
has not wiped out" officer
personel as was expected. 1t
has some.
TIME MAGAZINE, (Which |
tended to discredit colored
troopS) issued a 1914 report |
which said that before WV II |
Mobilization, the Army had |
$4,000 Tan Yanks. After WV II
Mobilization, the Army had |
$4,000 Of which "70 percent" |
were Service Troops. Comment |
ting upon the fact that colored
officers were not allowed to /
command white troops, the
Time editors estimated that |
at that time there were "only
some 5000 colored officers" More |
than to-day.
THE ARMY'S report ssued by
Rep. Bolton (R) of Ohio and
Deputy Chief Col. r. G. Bing,
listed 80 percent of all cOlOred
troops assigned OF integrated
outfits. The list then tOtalled
ALTO colOred officers. This was
still vastly more than the $500
officers mentioned last month
In HUE, and which included |
all branches. Economy has cut
military forces since the war.
How much "cut" will Tan Yanks
experience? Are sepia officers
getting chance?
THE PRESIDENT, himself Of
military background, certainly
Is in a position to both study