The Gary American

Negro Officers To Be Promoted
GARY IN
Appoint Committee To Investigate Discrimination in Army -d
Officers To Be Promoted According To Ability--Stimson

WASHINGTON, April 21.-(AP)-Almost simultaneously with the announcement of Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson that his department will promote Negro officers according to their ability it was learned in another quarter that the block system of promotions has been eliminated and that colored commissioned personnel will be raised in rank as the individuals qualify.

The secretary's reply came in answer to a question at his Thursday morning press conference as to whether the policy stated by Under Sec. William Patterson last week in a letter to the Washington Federation of Churches, would be followed throughout the army wherever command of Negro troops is involved. Patterson had said that Negro officers would be advanced according to their ability as they qualify.

"Yes, that is our intention," was the Stimson answer.

The block system is the method whereby Negroes could not be commissioned as lieutenants until an equal number could be elevated to the rank of captaincy, and this latter would not be done until there was an organized unit sufficient Negro personnel to require the particular number of captains.

It was this limitation on advances that was lifted out of a speech of Maj. Gen. Frederick Miller, commanding general for the 93rd Division stationed at Fort Huachuca, a few months ago and highlighted in the Negro press. It was not generally known, however, that even at that time, Gen. Miller had submitted to his superior officers the recommendations for the promotion of several qualified at his base.

The probability is that these and possibly other names will be acted upon for promotion at an early date, although no specific promise was available.

Sec. Stimson also declared that "the policy of the war department is to utilize trained Negro troops wherever they can be used to further the war effort." He disclosed that there are now more than 75,000 Negroes in the various overseas theaters of operations. This number includes not only service troops he said, but combat troops as well, such as coast artillery and infantry.

(Negro tank units are reported to be engaged in action now going on at the Tunisian front where they are credited with having taken an important sector from the axis.)

"Negro troops of all the principal arms are now under training," Stimson said. "Typical of these are the following: two infantry divisions, one cavalry division and a number of infantry regiments and field artillery battalions.

"The 93rd division is now undergoing manoeuvres as a division. This is an advanced stage of training for this unit. I think that these evidences give clearer indication of our policy to utilize the Negro soldier in combat as well as in active theaters of war."