Memorandum from Philleo Nash to Clark Clifford with Attachments

s ARCHIVES "NATIONAL TRUMAM RECORDS AND UBAME us. GOVERNMENT April 9, 1948. MEMORANDUM FOR THE HONORABLE CLARK M. CLIFFORD: 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 recommendations 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.