Evening star., 1961-07-28
BY WILLIAM DUKE
Star staff Writer

Tor the NaCl0nal Guard bureau
at the Pentagon last night de-
MED charges that the bureau
Disseminated against Negroes
in hiring and promotion prac-
tices.
The charges were made yes
terday by Representative Adam
Clayton Powell, Democrat of
New York. Mr.. Powell said an
"investigative task force" of the
House Education and Labor
Committee had substantiated
the charges during interviews
with rs of the q Negro civilian
employees at the bureau.
"There is no racial discrim-
ination in this bureau" said
Col. Robert Terrill, executive
officer. II wouldn't stand for it.,
and (Maj.D Gen. ID. W. Nc
Gowan wouldn't stand for it. |"
Gen. MCGOWAN is COM
mander of the Guard bureau,
which serves as headquarters
for all National Guard units
in the country.
Col. Terrill said staff studies
had been made in the bureau
about two months ago because
charges of discrimination had
been made by the American
Veterans Committee Of New
York. He said the study indi-
Gated the charges were baseless.
Two Officers Due
Mr.. Powell's investigators
said, however, that there we're
only q Negroes out Of a total
Of 274 civilian employees, and
no Negro officers among the
86 assigned to the bureau.
Col. Terrill said two Negro
officers we're programmed"
for assignment to the bureau
but would not report for duty
for about two months. He
said officers are assigned to the
bureau, among other reasons,
on the basis Of personal Ma
tional Guard experience. He
said that few Negro officers in
the service have such expert
ence.
Mr.. Powell said yesterday he
would ask the Department of
Defense to remove Maj. Her.
man P. Haygood as personnel
officer. The Congressman said
that several charges of racial
discrimination we're made di-
rectly against Mai. Haygood,
an Air Force officer assigned
to the bureau.
DemotiOn Cited
Col. Terrill said the staff
study uncovered no grounds for
discrimination charges against
the major. He said that one
charge resulted when a Negro
section chief was denoted to
supervisor in 1859. Col. Terrill
said. the demotion came when
the bureau was reorganized for
efficiency, and the section
chiefs. division was consolidated
with another division.
when Mr.. Powell's investi-
gators came to the bureau" F"
Col. Terrill said. I'VE had to
order some Of our Negro ci-
villains to talk to them. They
didn't even want to go. We
have complete records of all our
people here, and are ready to
prove that promotion and hir-
ing procedures are in strict
accordance with regulations"
The executive office said reg
ular inspector general inspec-
tiono the unit ended Wednes-
day and that no employe made
any complaints on any subject
to the inspectors. o.
Chance to Complain
"As is the procedure" the
colonel said, 1--WE set aside a
room for the inspector generals
men, and gave notice to all en-
ployes that this was the time
to make any complaints they
had. Not one complaint was
registered"
Mr.. Powell said at his press
conference that the investiga-
tive task force would probe
charges of discrimination in
other Federal agencies in the
Washington area, including the
District government.
His investigators said they
had Mai. Haygood's admission
that he had made derogatory
remarks about Negroes in the
presence of James A. Colbert,
Jr., a Negro. Col. Terrill said
that this allegation was checked
by the staff and that the ere
marks were harmless"
The colonel said that Maj