Letters to the Editor

              Letters to the Editor 
Reader Complains of 
Editorials on Negroes 
 
Dear Editor: 
 
Recently in your column you have been expoundmg on the theme of racial prejudice. I have read these articles and, frankly, I fail to see what you are trying to: 
prove. It seems to me that you are trying to stir up trouble where there is no trouble. I admit that there is racial prejudice in the United. States, ,but here at Southern I have found very little. 
THE NEGROES on this campus 
are allowed the same .educational and recreational advantages as the while students They may partici-1 pate in athletics; they may attend the dances; they are given cathpus jobs; they may enroll in any class they wish; they. have their own, fraternity anatarious organzations; in short,, all university facilities, are.1 at their cQnyefljewe.. It is. also .a known fact that no fraternity on, this campus may become ffillated with a flational fraternity which has an anti-racial clause in its chapter laws. 
In recent articles you stated that’ the IBM card pertaining to race should he eliminated because it was aimed at discrimination of the Negroes. Come now, Mr. Hollada let’s be . sensible. In this world we have three major races: the Mongoloid, the Negroid. and the Caucasian. 
ANYONE BELONGS to one of these races and it is as much a part of his makeup as the sex to to which he belongs. If it is discrimihation to ask a person his race, then it is discrimination to ask him his sex, or the color of his hal r 
in conclusion I would like say that this is my fifth year Southern’s campus and I have 
to see any Negro here walk around looking dejected and claiming that’ he was being discriminated against. 
THE NEGROES seem to be happy here at Southern, so why not’ leave them that way. It is people 
 
THE EDITOR REPLIES  
 
Dear Mr. Criminger: 
 
I agree with you that there is little racial prejudice here at Southem. Furthermore, if you will examine all editorial comments I have made on the race qiestion, you will find that only two criticisms have been aimed directly at Southern: 1. That Arkansas State should be dropped from our schedule because of the race prejudice of the school and community which ‘k,,ept several SIU Negro football players from playing in the Arkansas State-Southern :rid game, and 2. that the race question should be eliminated from registration forms 
I FEEL that both editorials were needed. Shortly after the editorial on Arkansas state, Southern’s athletic committee announced that Southern would not schedule opponents having a ban against Negro players. 
The suggestion that the race ‘question be eliminated from registration forms was a direct recommendation of a special state committee investigating discrimination at colleges and universities. 
THE REGISTRAR’S office here has said that now no question concerning race is required to be filled out on registration forms. I feel these two steps have gone even farther to make Southern as undiscriminatory as possible. Mr. Criminger, do you find objection in that? 
In writing editorials on race— with the exception of the two mentioned—I admit I was not thiuking so much about SIU; instead. I 
to was thinking that many Southern on students would not be here very yet long and that as they went into 
I the various parts of the United, States many would be in an excellent position to ease racial prejudice which you readily admit exists in many parts of the United I States.