The Daily Bulletin

Tuesday, July 2, 1946

REPORT OF KILLING DRAWS COMMANDER'S PROTEST

ROME, July 2 (ANP)--A dispatch in the Rome newspaper Giornale d'Italia to the effect that a British officer had been killed in an alleged riot between American white and Negro troops was reported as being false by Lt. Col. R. M. Crow, American commandant at Ciampino air base where the incident was reported to have happened June 19.

Col. Crow announced that he would issue a formal protest to Rome newspapers through the army's public relations office in Caserta.

The newspaper report described a "battle lasting a few hours" and climaxed by the British officer's death when American Negro troops clashed with military policemen who were attempting to eject 30 young Italian women from the field.

Col. Crow declared the report was "completely unfounded."

"No blows were struck. No persons were hurt. No British captain was killed. No MPs were involved," the colonel said.

The only foundation for the report, he said he could imagine, was a noisy altercation between 12 Negro soldiers and a few white soldiers over whether two girls could be brought on the field.

"The girls never did get on the field," he added, "and no blows were struck and no one was taken to the stockade."

er wage but would drop the demands for 43 "working rules" for one year. In insisting upon the firing of Negro train porters, the white union is violating the agreement made with the President.