Memorandum from Philleo Nash to Clark Clifford, with Attachments and Related Material
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OCR Page 1 of 7THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
April 9, 1948.
TRUMAN
MEMORANDUM FOR THE HONORABLE CLARK M. CLIFFORD:
NATIONAL
ARCHIVES AND
REGTIROS
SERVICE
COVERHMENT
I believe a situation is developing with respect to the National
Guard policy on Negro personnel, which requires a decision and possible
action by the President.
In addition to the complications caused by the various inquiries
from Governors about non-discrimination, the situation is going to be
further complicated on the 15th of April when the Grey Board makes its
report.
This is an advisory board to the Secretary of Defense, which is
looking into all questions relating to the composition and utilization of
such civilian components as the National Guard, the ROTC, the Enlisted
Reserve, etc.
The question of segregation in the National Guard is a part of
this Board's agenda. In general, there are only three recommendations the
Board can make, and two of them will surely lead to inquiries, controversies,
and embarrassment.
I am suggesting that the President may wish to anticipate the
action of this Board by acting himself along lines already laid out in his
Civil Rights Message.
The three possibilities of the Grey Board are:
(1) To continue the status quo in the National Guard. This
means segregated units in most states, non-segregated units in New Jersey
by special exception, and lily-white units in most of the Southern states,
which do not wish Negroes to carry arms at all.
(2) To require the implementation of the Gillem Board
rec ommendations in the National Guard. The Gillem Board report is the basis
of Negro troop policy in the Army Department at the present time. It
provides for separate Negro units up to, but not including the battalion,
and composite units from there on up. Specialists and officers are to be
assigned without respect to race. If the Grey Board were to adopt this
policy, it would require the Southern states, which do not arm Negroes, to
do so insofar as there are any Negro volunteers, and it would require the
other states with the exception of New Jersey, to recruit and retain their.
Negro personnel in separate units.
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