Observer_1945-04-22

Page 6 The OBSERVER APRIL 22, 1945 "Soldiers of Same Level Fight the Same"-Gibson the Negro press. Following is the full length statement of Gibson at a press con– ference, April 9, 1945, in Wash– ington, D. C.: Such a policy is working. At the I s B . f Training Center a ·white noncom- I p 0 r t r 1 e s missioned veteran, who was assist- ; In recent weeks, Truman K. Gibson, Jr., Civilian Aide to the Secretary of War, has been crit– icized and denounced for his sup– posing to have made derogatory and discrediting statements to the news reporters concerning the much publicized all-Negro Ninety– second division now stationed in Italy. The controversy over his utter– ances in Rome last month have brought about sharp attacks on his holding office by a large portion of "The press has already reported that Negro and white Infantrymen are now fighting side by side in Germany. In France I visited some of the Negro platoons before they left for the front and talked with the men being trained at the Re– inforcement Training Cent e r. What I saw and heard was evi- dence that the Supreme Command in SHAEF was following in racial matters what must be the basic policy of any Army, in any war, namely, that of utilizing most efficiently all available resources of men and material to defeat the enemy. t-·-·-·-·-·--·----·-··-··-.. ----·-··-··---·-··-··-+ J SATURDAY SPECIAL! FREE-One bottle of Veedol Fabric Cleaner with each lubrication job or oil change. ing in the training program, said J graphically, if ungrammatically, / Seelie Samara, famous Negro b h N . "S 1 wrestler from Boston, avenged the a out t e egro tramees: ure j . f - d - · h' h preVIOUS un atr eciSIOn W IC they'll get along. ~1 right. It don't/ gave the northwest championship matter whose fmng next to you ' title to Ted Christy three weeks when you're both killing Krauts." ago. In a return match, April 11, The Texas-born, battle-scarred Samara threw Christy all over the Commandin~ Officer of the _Cen-j auditorium to demonstrate that he ter was conftdent that the tramees, was the better wrestler. Christy, in all_ o~ whom volu_nteered for the J' the meantime, was disqualified for trammg course ·wtth all noncom- i fouling on the second falL In the missioned officers taking a reduc- j third and final fall, Samara opened tion to the grade of private, would / up and gave him the works. Sam– do well in combat. He said, "These 1 men will fight because they have i U . d K' d B S · • • 1 mte mg om ase ectwn. been trained and treated JUSt hke I Th h d · d t' 11 ey ave a JUSte excep IOna y the other soldiers here and they II · h h · th h . we m t e s ort time ey ave know thev are going to be used m b h · k d • • · • 1 een overseas to t etr wor an the ~arne manner, m the same Dt- h - · h' h th t e commumty m w 1c ey are visions. They want to fight. When . d Situate . the first group went out we had • G l AWOL eneral y on both the Contin- only two cases of among 1 • ' • II h N ld . · h Ce , ent and m England, tt was ap- a t e egro so ters m t e n- 1 W f d h h tw parent that the attitude of the Su- ter. e oun out w ere t e o ' h . d . 1 preme Command that there should men were w en we recetve a wtre . . . . . f f 1. D' · . C 1 be no dJscnmmatiOn agamst any 1 rom a ront me· IVISIOn om- . . ara again holds the title as Pacific Northwest Champion. • • • • • Smooks Lacey, amazing Negro fighter, stated to rep esentatives of the Observer following the raw decision given him in his fight with Johnny Suarez Friday, April 6, that, "I am sure that the racial concepts of the South have been deeply ingrained in the hearts of many western white people." i I I I I I I • d · f · h h h d soldtcr on account of h1s race had j man er m ormmg us t at t ey a h d 11 1 f h Co gon, especialh_' Portland, tolerate : 1 d h' f' h , reac e a e ements o t e m- reporte to 1m to tg t. , h f 1 · · h h 1 Lacey said, "I feel that I act– ually won the fight decisively. Re– porters of local papers, numerous sports fans and even policemen confided to me that the fight was falsely judged. I have had many fights during my career. Some of them I lost. I never quibbed when I was defeated. However, it is ob– vious to practically everyone at– tending the fight that only the opinion of the judges and the ref– eree brought about my defeat. I am amazed that the people of Ore- i l i I i i i GASOLINE NIGHT LUBRICATION SERVICE AUTO SUPPLIES SCHRIVER'S ASSOCIATED SERVICE Phone MUrdock 9797 315 N. Broadway Portland, Oregon mand. Discriminatory acts and in- sue ou practices m w at s ou d l The estimate of this officer has cidents that have occurred were I been confirmed by the report of an regarded by the soldiers as being j official observer who spent time ' individual in nature. As a result l with some of the platoons in the of my trip to the Mediterranean j fighting around Remagen where and European Theaters l am im– t the first of the units were com- pressed that such differences as f mitted to combat. He reported that I exist between soldiers are not due I the Negro soldiers fought as well I to racial characteristics but to such I as any others and that the mistakes II factors as training, motivation and they made were the same as those environment. The fact that the made by other troops lacking bat- ' Commands in these theaters be- . . . the record being made by Negro This policy of making the best ld' · h 1 . h . . . so ters gives t e te to any c arge be clean sporting contests." Lacer fought last Tuesday in Bremerton, Washington. He met Midget Wallgast of the U. S. Navy, whom he defeated. Lacey confided that he would like a return match with Suarez, saying, "Even if the decision is against me, I would enjoy demon– strating that in the ring, he is not my equal." l tie experience. ; lieve this is encouraging. Certainly use of all soldiers Is further ev1- h N d '11 +--·-·-··-~~-·-·-··-·-·-··-··-·-··-··-·-··-·-··-·--··-·-··-·+ . t at :egroes cannot an wt not dence m the excellent performance f' h' Me Cord's REAL ESTATE INSURANCE LOANS J$ J$ WALKER INVES'J.lMENT BROKER INVEST IN THE WEST President UNION LOAN & DISCOUNT CORP. Telephone TRinity 2115 5132 N. E. UNION AVENUE Portland, Oregon FINANCING of the Service of Supply troops j throughout the theater. These troops, a large percentage of whom I are Negroes, regard themselves as soldiers performing vital jobs. 1 They had a very real identification with the fighting front. In one Quartermaster Depot, manned by Negro personnel, the first sergeant when questioned as to why the men were working voluntarily around OREGON FRATERNAL ASSOCIATION 1412 N. Williams Avenue l the clock, replied: "We have got to keep the supplies moving and all of us want to ~o our part." The officers in this unit were white and I were enthusiastic about their men . and their work. Discussing their men, Negro officers in a Quarter– master Truck Company said that Telephone ATwater 0729 NEWBERG MEAT MARKET Wholesale and Retail Dealers in Fresh and Cured MEATS 1 f I f on many occasions their drivers had insisted on delivering white Infantrymen into dangerous terri– tory late at night far in advance of the debarkation points because "they hated to see the 'Doughs' walk." J In the European Theatre of Portla.n.d. Oregon f Operations are the first units of ~-----------------------------------------------------+· IKegro nurses and \Vacs to go 229 S. W. Yamhill Street 0\·erseas. The nurses, stationed at a hospital in the north of England, are busy treatin~ American sol– diers \\·ho ha\ e been wounded in action. Ther are described by their Commanding Officer as being the equals profcssionrtlly of ;1ny nurses inthe area. The Wacs officer and I man the Central Postal Directory for the entite European Theater of drawn repeated prai~ from the tg t. LA VIVIANNE BEAUTY SHOPPE All Work Don·e by Appointment NO WAITING Large Supply of Chignons and Page Boys VIVIANNE BARNETT, Prop. MUrdock 9912 524 N. Broadway Automotive Service Quick, Reliable Service on all Makes of Cars • Gas, Oil, Lubrication and Car Wash 1 • Body and Fender Work a Specialty • Auto Painting • Motor Rebuil'ding N. Weidler St. at Williams Ave. CURTIS McCORD, Manager + ------------------------ HART SCIIAFFNEilj' * MARX CLOTHES i DOBBS HATS ARROW SHIRTS INTERWOVEN SOCKS BOSTONIANS, EDWIN CLAPP SHOES q ~·"' J r i i r I i i I i I Operatiom. Their efficiency has Commanding Officer of the ~ Washington at Broadway J ------·- ----··---- .. - • ·+