The Omaha guide. (Omaha, Neb.) 1927-19??, March 24, 1945, Image 1

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

    0
i
j
I
I
/JUSTICE /EQUALITY HEW TO THE UNE\
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY _ _ PHONE HA.0800
2420 GRANT ST
^ ^ ^ "Largest Accredited Negro Newspaper West of Chicago and North of KC■ ^ *Cy
Entered as 2nd class matter at Post-oft ice, Omaha, Nebr.. Under Act of _ , , _ _ . _
March 8, 1874. Publishing Offices at 2420 Grant Street, Omaha, Nebr Saturday, March 24, 1945 ★ 10c Per Copy ★ OUT 18th Year, NO. 7
'■ ' .- ' --
✓
A Cr Ann Watch Next Week’s Guide For a Message
t\ vjtuup Direct From The Radio Queen, KateSmith
A Broadside Fight Against Army Aviators!
Read About the Treatment of Flying, Fighting,Dying Americans’ Recording Now being made by
The National Urban League. Watch Next Week’s Issue of the Greater Omaha^Guide for Full Story.
—" .. 11 i . ■ -
Brig. General Hines to Seek Negro Veterans9 Wishes in Hospital Policy
In Address Before
Nat’l Urban League
Postwar Discussion,
Planning Group
New York—Answering an inquiry
as to what the Veterans' Adminis
tration's future policy would be on
segregated veterans' hospitals,
Brigadier General Frank T. Hines,
Veterans' Administration head, re
plied that he would ask Negro vet
erans themselves what they want
ed to be done about it, and would
follow their desire. This promise
was made by General Hines as he
appeared with a panel of speakers
at a Forum on "Planning Now for
Jobs Ahead" sponsored by the Na
tional Urban League at New York
Times Hall, on Tuesday evening,
March 13.
Mrs. Lillian N. Poses, War Man
power Commission Regional Attor
ney; J. Raymond Walsh, CIO Eco
nomist; Nelson H. Cruikshank, A.
F. of L. national representative,
and C. S. McDowell of the Anna
Corporation were other members of
the panel of government, industry
and labor experts discussing future
Job planning with emphasis on Ne
gro employment. Flanking these
were Urban League staff members
from some of the racial tension
areas throughout the country who
acted as consultants: William Val
entine, Jr., Administrative Assist
ant of the Detroit Urban League;
Howard Gould, Director of Indus
trial Relations of the Chicago Ur
ban League; iRchard Jefferson, In
dustrial Secretary of the St. Louis
Urban League; A. J. Allen, Jr., Ex
ecutive Secretary of the Baltimore
Urban League; and W. Y. Bell, Jr.
Director of the Southern Division
of the National Urban League. Leo
Cherne, Executive Secretary. Re
search Institute of America, served
as chairman of the Forum, with
lister Granger, Executive Secret
ary of the National Urban League
introducing the panel.
Speaking formally earlier in the
evening. General Hines had insisted
that “for almost a quarter of a
century as the Administrator of
Veterans' Affairs, it kas been my
privilege as well as my official re
sponsibility to carry out the laws
of the Nation as they provide var
ious rights, benefits and privileges
for former members of the military
and naval forces of the United
States and for their dependents and
survivors. No distinction has ever
been made by that Administration
between veterans because of race,
color or creed.” Hines assured his
audience that as far as the Veter
ans' Administration is concerned,
“there will be established and car
ried out freedom from discrimina
tion in the administration of the
law; freedom from inequality in
education; freedom from inequal
ity in expenditures for health, hos
tntalI*atfoi> and rehabilitation;
freedom from obstacles and preju
dices which prevent eaual work op
portunity and equal pay.
BOIEERVt AKERS’ AIXILIARV
ABOLISHED
Nelson H. Cruikshank in his
speech announced the recent vote
of the Executive Committee of the
International Brotherhood of Boil
ermakers, Iron Ship Builders and
Helpers af America to abolish the
class or "auxiliary'' status of Negro
locals. He also asserted that the
A. F. L had incorporated the
principle of non-descrimination as
far back as 1881, at its first Con
vention in Pittsburg, and disclosed
further the fact that the total num
ber of Negro members in A. F. of
L. unions “is greater than any
other, now numbering upwards of
a million.”
CIO l KC.ES LEGISLATIVE
APPROACH
J. Raymond Walsh, CIO repre- I
sentative. emphasing the import
ance of legislative action in better
ing job opportunities for Negros,
mentioning specifically the Federal
FEPC. He pointed out the establish
ment of an FEPC within the I'Aff,
and the 100 percent record of NMU
In its Negro-white brotherhood as
examples of CIO achievement in
the specific field of Negro employ
ment.
Captain McDowell stated his be
lief that the Negro wants and is
entitled to the right to compete on
an equal basis with the whites in
terms of training, experience, and
ability for employment. He also
disclosed an opinion that the re
sponsibility for the solution of
race problems lies outside the
field of industry. It rests in part
on the schools, the churches, social
institutions, labor organizations.
Captain McDowell continued," and
upon individual members of each
community, and to a large extent
on the Negro himself.”
Attorney Poses, who spoke ex
temporaneously, although she had
a prepared speech, was puite em
phatic in declaring the declared;
policies, laws and constitutional
provisions against discrimination
were not enough. “Epual opportun
ity must cease to be words used as
window dressing for democracy.
she stated,” but must become part
and inherent in the process. As a
people we intend to protect the
right of minority groups to epual
employment. As a result, we are
prepared to penalize those who
thwart epual opportunity.
I.KAOI E SOCIALISTS PREDICT
INCREASED TENSIONS
The evening was highlited by re
ports from the League specialists
from varioue tension spots in the
country. Bell, in discussing the
S iuth, stated that contrary to some
of the thinking of many elements
in the South, the southern Negro is,
■ ‘t adjusted to his situation, add
ing that, "we hardly expect him to
he if for no other reason than
that for the past four years, he
has been exposed to a constant
barage of governmental propaganda
'■ailing for a brigh new world of
four freedms. . . he has to accept
those ideals as his own.”
The Detroit situation was out
lined by Valentine, who accented
the tensions in that city on house
ing, asserting that 62,000 Negroes
had moved into the aere in the past
four years, up to last summer; :
that 14,000 applications for house
ing which had been presented by
Negroes last year had yielded only
1,000 filed; that there were only
three areas left which can be utiliz
. ed for houseing, but they cannot be
: used untill the Mayor and the Com
mon Council reverses the policy
that the racial composition of these
neighboorhoods must be kept.
St Louis' tension spot was em
ployment, Jefferson indicated, with
more than one hundred of the city's
employers still refusing to hire
Negroes. He also observed that St.
Louis' record of twelve to fourteen
all Negro strikes led the country.
Allen of Baltimore predicted ser
ious conflict in employment after
the war, but emphasized the fact
that with 30.000 Negroes having
moved into a residential area with
out appreciable expansion of the
area, early, serious conflict was
likely.
Gould was the only optimist in
the group. He expressed himself as
not too pessimistic about the pro
• gress of race relations efforts in a
I number of aeras in Chicago.
The Forum, exceptionally well
i attended, was a part of the Nation
i a! Urban League's Vocational Op
portunity Campaign Week, which is
set aside each year to stress vocat
ional training as a means of helping
to solve the problem of the Negro's
status as a worker.
cast from his neck down with a
fighting chance to come out OK.
Labor Leader to Lecture
In Interest of Urban
L’ge Membership Drive
AWARDED DISTINGUISHED
SERVICE CROSS
! C APTAI\ CHARLES L. THOM AS Commander of a Tank Destroyer com
pany in France who was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross on
February 28, 1945, by the War Department for "extraotrdinary heroism
in action." Captain Thomas, who entered the Army from Detroit, thus
becomes the second Negro in the present was so honored. The other,
Private George Watson of Birmingham, Ala. received the award post
humously after losing his life heroically at Fordoch Harbor. New Guin
ea, in March 1943. Sustaining multiple wounds in the chest, legs and
arms, this courageous officer won the Army's second highest decoration
by literally shooting his way through the Siegfried Line last December
in a blaze of fire from enemy rockets, artillery and machine guns. Photo
by Hi-Lite Studio, Detroit, from Bureau of Public Relations.
OpaLaxity in Negro
Neighborhoods
Pointed Out
Washington, DC.,—In urging the
establishment of the Price Control
and Stabilization Act under which
OPA operates, Leslie Perry of the
Washington Bureau NAACP, charg
ed among other things in his testi
mony before the Senate Banking
and Currency Committee, violation
of rent ceilings on the part of land
lords in Negro neighborhoods and
the negligible lack of attention to
this problem by OPA. Pointing to
this single reservation which could
be ilminated through appropriate
surveys made with a view to better
enforcement. Perry declared, "the
NAACP heartily endorses the con- ■
tinuation of the present program.”
Basing the major part of testi
mony on experience reported by
NAACP branches all over the coun
try, Perry said, “I can say that the
overwhelming majority of our mem
bership appreciates the importance
of price control legislation and is
heartily i t favor of an extended and
strengthened Price Control Act. I
Without the controls in force today
by virtue of this Act( the cost of
living during World War II would
have spiraled just as did in 1917-18“
“A problem that is perculiar to
the Negro in this whole question
flows from restricting Negroes to
overcrowded, segregated neighbor
hoods. As a natural product of
this practice, which obtains for the
most part in urban centers through
out the LTnited States, is the distind
economic disadvantages that he suf
fers as a consumer. Landlords and
operators of retail food stores in
Negro neighborhoods have been
prone to regard such segregated
neighborhoods as beyond the pale
of the law insofar as observing
price ceilings is concerned. In this
connection, surveys made sometime
ago by our branches in New York
City and Chicago disclosed that Ne
gro shoppers in their neighbor
hoods must pay considerably more
for foodstuffs than persons in com
parable white neighborhoods. .In
New York, for example, it was
found that a Negro family of four
pays an average of 5 percent more
for the privilege of shopping in
Harlem and in Chicago such a fam
ily pays roughly 3 percent more.
From all reports, these conditions
are typical of differentials obtain
ing in most urban centers with a
substantial large Negro population"
This difference is due not only to
sub-standard food products sold in
stores catering to Negroes, but al
so reflects the practice of these
merchants to edge up the price in
violation of the Act."
GIN STOLEN FROM HOME
OF MILTON JOHNSON
A .25 caibre pistol valued at $13
was reported stolen from the home
of Milton Johnson, 2836 Decatur
Street last Saturday. A basement
window had been forced open.
FOI Ml WITH THRO AT Cl T
Eloyde Combs. 49. of 2616 Maple
street, a packinghouse worker was
found with his throat slashed Sun
day in the basement of his home.
Police said Mr. Combs was found
by Edward C. Clark, same address,
after he heard a cry in the base
ment. A razor was found by pol
ice. Mr. Combs was taken to Doc
tor's Hospital.
Grace Hutten Memorial to be Dedicated by Rev. Sanchez at St.Philips Church Sunday, Mar.25
PI I.PIT GIVEN IN HEK
MEMORY BY SON, LT. JESS C
HUTTEN
A pulpit given in memory of the
late Mrs. Grace Hutten, by her son, !
Lt. Jess Hutten, will be dedicated j
at Saint Philip's Church, 1121 North j
21st street, Sunday, March 25 at [
11:00 am., by the Rev. S. G. Sanchez 1
D. D., rector of the parish.
Mrs. Hutten was a Case Worker
for the Family Welfare Association
for 20 years. She was also a mem
ber of the Nebraska Welfare As
sociation, of the American Assoc
iation of Social Workers and a faith
ful communicant of St. Philip’s par.
ish.
Lt. Jess Hutten and his wife now
reside in California, where they
went after his honorable discharge
from the U. S. army.
□□□□□□□□□□00
: THE LIVING|
I SOUTH :
(BY HAROLD PREECE) 3
(Copyright. 1945, by New South
Features)
Strikes to Help
John Rankin
This week’s candidates
for the penitentiary —
Vance Muse, secretary of
MR. HAROLD PREECE
the Christian Americans,
—and John L. Lewis,
president of the United Mine Work
ers of America.
This week's boupuets-. to the
little group of legislators in Arkan
sas and the little group of legislat- J
i ors in Georgia who spiked the
Christian American anti-closed shop
anti-FEPC “right to work" bills
which would give John L. Lewis'
undercover gumshoe men in the
Southern Labor movevent the
chance they want to call more
strikes and strech out the war.
This week's big question mark—
the Texas legislature which has be
fore it the same kind of bill turn
STETTINIUS ASKED WHAT IS THE
ROLE OF COLONIES
IN 'FRISCO MEET
NAACP. Adopts Resolutions
On Colonial Issues and Policy
NEW YORK—A resolution on
Colonial issues and policy adopted
by the NAACP Board of Directors
and transmitted March 15 to Secre
tary of State Edward R. Stettinius,
for consideration at the San Fran
cisco Conference to be held April
26, called for "a declaration of rac
ial equality of the great groups of
mankind in ternational law", and
provision against economic and gov
ernmental exploitation of colonies.
The resolution written by Dr. Du
Bois demanded that these steps be
taken "to make war at once unlike
ly and unprofitable.”
In regard to the control and
ownership of colonies, the state
ment urged “it be the sense of the I
ed down in the legislatures of Ar
kansas and Georgia.
If Texas passes this bill which
bears the mark and the spirit of
Hitler's swastika, the Christian
Americans will have won the Souths
biggest bridgehead: the Lone Star
State. The road will be wide open
for the Christian Americans, backed
by the dime a dozen poll tax office
holders to shut the Negro out from
every skilled job in Dixie and to
keep all of Dixie's laboring folks
down to grits and hoecake.
The road will ajso be open wide,
if Texas stabs in the back her own
men in uniform, for Lewis and hi"
wreckers to call strikes, not only
in the mining industry, but in every
other industry where Lewis has
kept a bridgehead by keaving his
rough and tough boys in the CIO
after he himself had drawn from
it. It is the Lewis gang which is
responsible for the current strikes
in Detroit's automobile plants.
S.O.S. for Democracy
I‘m writeing this column as an I
S. O. S. to my readers, and to the 1
Southern people of both colors. I
want our boys of both colors to
finish up the job of shooting out
the Hitlers over there so that they
can come back soon and finish up
the job of voting out the Hitlers
over here. Every ton of coal or
every machine part held up by a
strike not only lengthens the days
of Adolf Hitler in Germany, but
also the days of “Pappy O'Daniel,”
"The Man Bilbo,” and old cussspitt
ing John Rankin in Dixie.
You will remember that Congress
enacted the Smith-Connally anti
strike act sponsored by Howard
Smith of Virginia and Tom Connally
of Texas after Lewis had pulled the
1943 coal strtike. Now 1 have been
informed that Vance Muse's best
friend in the Texas legislature, Rep
Marshall O. Bell of San Antonio, is
prayinp to <?od that Lewis will call
t'ne miners out on strike on April
1. This is just what it will take
for Bell to stampede his fellow
legislators into passing tne anti
Negro anti-labor “Right to work”
Bill.
The Smith-Connally Act did not
stop strikes. It caused strikes.
And the “Right to Work” Bill will
start strikes rathen than stop them
Reactionary big employers support
"anti-strike" legislation to cause
strikes so they will have an excuse
after the war to clamp down a fas
cist dictatorship on all of us. John
L. Lewis and Vance Muse are help
ing them prepare for that job.
Now friends I'm not throwing off
on our brothers—the Negro and
white miners of Dixie. Their wage
demands are just. I am hoping
that the government will take over
the mines before April 1 in order
that our brothers will have a little ;
more to take home to their wives
and babies come Saturday night.
But I hope also that our brothers
will not play into the hands of
those who would wreck the human
race—the Christian Americans.
United Nations that the ownership
and control of colonies and depend
encies be recognized in internation
al law only on the following terms:
"(a) That the dominating country
solemnly engage to give the peopl
es of sucn areas immediately a
voice in their own government, (b)
That it solmely declare Its intention
that by a given date these peoples
shall either be integrated into the
polity of the mother country with
full rights of citizenship; or shall
be allowed to become independent
and autonomous countries as the
peoples themselves shall decide, (c)
That the natural resources of these
countries including mines, rorests,
land and its materials shall be otyn
ed by the colonies and used prim
arily for the benefit of the inhabit
ants of the area; that the organiz
ation of industry, the control of la'
bor and investment of capital sl^all
be ordered for the benefit of the
people in the area and not simply
for profit of invested capital or pri
marily for the welfare of people out
side the colony, (d) That an inter
national Mandates Commission be
established and implemented under
the supreme authority of the Unit
ed Nations with the right to sup
ervise the government of territory
mandaated after the First 'World
War and any such enemy territory
acquired in the present war and to
investigate report and recommend
action in the case of countries who
do not keep their commitments in
colonies or will not make such cas
es the conduct and administration
of these colonies be placed under
control of the Mandates Commis
ion, backed by the authority of the
Usited Nations.”
Warning that no action less than
indicated in the foregoing para- I
graphs could be depended upon “to i
rescue this world from continued
war and the persistent exploitation I
of a large portion of mankind, if |
not indeed the majority of human
beings,” the statement pointed out,
“that every demand on colonial
powers here made has at some time
or other been declared by these
powers as an integral part of their
policy. Peace and civilization, hu
manity and religion today demand
this sacrifice of independence on
the part of the world's great powers
for social progress and democracy."
M-Sgt. J. B. Crumbley
Awarded Certificate
of Merit in France
Master Sergeant James B. Crum
bley has been awarded a certifi
cate of Merit in recognition of con
spicuously meritorious and out
standing performance of military
duty.
Stationed somewhere in France,
he has been cited for his ability in
receiving, storing and issuing am
munition.
Sgt. Crumbley has been in the
service for three years and has
been overseas for one year.
In civilian life, he was owner of
the well-known Xaborjiood Car
age.
E. W. Sherman’s Son
Seriously Wounded in
Germany Combat Area
FAMILY RECEIVES SAD NEWS
OF SON IN SERVICE
Mr. Sherman, one of the propri
etors of the Edholm and Sherman
Laundry. who is chairman of sel
ective service board No. 3, was in
formed of his son being dangerous
ly wounded in combat duty in Ger
many. A few days ago he arrived
in America- He is now at Fitz
simon's Hospital in Denver, in a
5 Letter Signed by
W, E. B. DuBois
I New York—An inquiry directed
j by the NAACP to the Secretary of
State asked if on the agenda of the
i approaehinb conference in San
j Francisco, the question of colonies
and their future status and treat
ment will be considered?" In addi
tion, the letter which was signed
by Dr. W. E. B. DuBois, inquired if
“any commissions or spokesmen
from the colonial peoples will be
present to speak directly or indir
ectly for their aspirations and pro
gress." Finally it inquired ‘‘if any
provisions will be made for the rep
resentation of American Negroes at
the San Francisco meeting in order
that they may advocate an advise
measures for their own social pro
gress and also be given opportunity
to speak for other peoples of Afri.
can descent, whom they in a very
real sense represent?”
Dl HOIS TO BE NAACP
OBSERVER AT SAN FRANCISCO
New York—Dr. W. E. B. DuBois,
director of special research for the
NAACP, and long a student of col
onies particularly African affairs,
was named March 12 by the NAA
CP board of directors to be an ob
server for the NAACP at the Unit
ed Nations conference opeeiing
April 25 in San Francisco, Calif.
Willard S. Townsend. Noted Labor
Leader, who will speak at the Pil- j
grim Baptist Church, 25th and Ham
-iiton Sts., next Thursday. March
2!t»h. under auspices of the Omaha
I Than League.
TICKETS STILL ON' SALE FOR
W. S. TOWNSEND LECTl RE
Miss Mae B. Taylor. Chairman of
the Membership Committee of the
Omaha Urban League announced
that sale of memberships and tic
kets to the meeting March 29th at
Pilgrim Baptist Church, will be at
the following places on Saturday,
of this week: Johnson Drug Store;
Omaha Outfitting Co.; Macel's Res
taurant; Ritz Theatre; Tuxedo Bar
ber Shop; Killingsworth & Price
and Mayo’s Barber Shops.
Salespeople at the above locations
will be—Mrs. Cloma Scott; Mrs.
Grayce Bradford: Miss Evelyn Bat
tles; Mrs. Lucy Mae Britt and Miss
Mae B. Taylor: and Mr. Bums Scott
Mr. H. G. Clark; Mr. E. M. Forrest
and Mr. Arthur B. McCaw.
Midyear Graduate Atlanta Social
School Gets Cleveland Pont
Miss Clarice V. Helm, 1945 mid
year graduate of the Atlanta Uni
versity School of Social Work, be
gan work as Case Worker with the
[ Children’s Service Bureau of the
: Cleveland Ohio Humane Society
* February 15, 1945. Miss Helm is a
I native of Wichita, Kansas.
Urban League
Takes Over 40
Credit Union
“After more than a year's study,
the Four “C*s” Credit Union has
come under the sponsorship of the
Omaha Urban League Community
Center” said Hr. E. R. Fletcher,
president of the Credit Union
Board, today.
The Credit union membership
after the proper notice, took ac
tion at their annual meeting on
January 20 and received the Cer
tificate of Approval for the change
last month.
The Credit union one of several
thousand in the United States, was
organized in 1938 by the Central
ized Commonwealth Clclc Club,
commonly called the Four “CTs"
Club for the purpose of encourag
ing thrift among its members and
to make loans where needed by its
members. The Four “C?s” credit
union is covered by the State Bank
ing Department of Nebraska ,has
an annual audit by a state examin
er and carries a sufficient bond on
the Secretary-Treasurer.
The amendment to the By-laws
approved by the State Director of
Banking of Nebraska makes it pos
sible now for every member of the '
Omaha Urban League—men and
women—to become a member of the
Four “C's” Credit Union.
During the past seven years, me
credit union has loaned $3831,25 to ]
;ls members. All of the money was |
paid back to the union without aj
lawsuit or without the use of a
collection ' agency. The Board of
Directors recenty raised the loan
limit to $200. The 135 members of
the Union have purchased $1081.61
in shares as of December 31, 1944.
Members of the credit union save
by borrowing money from their or
ganization and avoid carrying
charges for cash purcnasea. The
interest charges on loans are con
siderably lower than those charg
ed by commercial loan companies.
Dividends may be declared to mem
bers at the end of the year.
Anyone in this community may
become eligible for membership In
the credit union by joining the O
maha Urban League Community
Center at 2213 Lake Street. whic’»
is also the headquarters of the
Credit Union. The Board of Dir
ectors must approve all applica
tions for membership in their reg
ular monthly meeting.
The Board of Directors and of
ficers recently- elected are: Edw
ard R. Fletcher, President; George
Harrisf Vice .President.; Raymond
R. Brown, Secretary-Treasurer; —.
M. Forrest, H. W. Smith, A. B.
Wright, C. W. Pierce, Dr. J. J.
Jones and Du ward R. Crooms.
Supervisory- Commitee: L. F. Mc
Intosh, Robert Harris, and James
W. Headley. Credit Committee:
Dr. M. E. Johnson, Charles Cole
man, John T. Davis, E. W. Me-1
Cowan, and Bert Tate.
Army Studing More Effective
Way Of Training Neg roes
NEGRO LAWYER, IN ITALY
FOR STIMSON. CALLS ILLIT
ERACY' A FACTOR IN 92NO
DIVISION
(BY* JOHN CHABOT SMITH) I
by Wireless to the Herald Tribune
Copyright, 1945, New York Tribune’,'
Inc.
HOME, March 14—The War De
partment is making a special effort
to find out why the 92nd Infantry
Division and other Negro combat
units have made unsatisfactory
showings, and to work out new
methods for dealing with the par
ticular problems of Negro troops,
it was revealed today by Truman
K Hibson, Jr, civilian advisor to the
Secretary of War.
Mr. Gibson a Negro attorney from
Chicago, who has been in Italy since
February 28 on a trouble-shooting
mission that will take him to other
Negro units in other war theatres,
said he had found no reas< to be
lieve that Negroes as a rac< re any
less courageous than other people.
The 92d Division labor® -..Oder the
handicaps of excessive illiteracy
and inadequate training, he said, ]
while Negroes are always sensitive
to incidents which revive race pre
judices, and many of them lack a
clear conviction of what tnev are
fighting for.
V POSTWAR FATCOR
Mr. Gibson said the War Depart
ment is especially interested In the
problem because it is a stumbling
block to the department's hopes for
post-war universal military train
ing legislation. "If we have uni
versal military training, Negroes
have to be included," he said. “One
of the keys to defeat of the nurse
draft bill is that out of 9,000 reg
istered Negro nurses it (The Army)
has taken only a few more than
200."
“The problem cannot be solved
merely by legislation, but it can and
will be solved by determination on
the part of the Army,” he added.
Mr. Gibson will report to the War
Department's Advisory* Committee
on S' ecial Troop Policies, of which
Assistant Secretary of War John L,.
McCloy, is chairman.
Talking frankly at a prc.-s con
ferr.co, Mr. Gibson said he had tri
ed to find out why Negro troops
so often “melt away” in the face of
the enemy. Similar things have
happened in white units, he said,
but not on such a large stale.
Where a few stragglers will fall
by the wayside in other units, a
whole Negro platoon will sometim
es get panicky, particular at night
when the individual soldier feels
he has been left alone with no one
around to support him in battle.
Not all Negro troops melt away un
der fire, he said.
He C'ted numerous instances of
personal courage and of companies
battalions and regiments which had
distinguished themselves.
WHEItE THE TKOIBI.E LIES
Mr. Gibson found the answer to
the 92d’s problem largel y in the
division’s history. It was activat.
ed three years ago. before the Ar
my’s special training program for
illiterates was developed, and many
(Continued on Page IW~4)
Let Us Build that New Home for You and Your Family
The Realty Improvement Co. 342 Electric Bldg Jfl-7718 w^sn^