to Rosenberg, 7 Mar 51,
SD 291.2.]

Still, to bring about effective integration of the services would take
more than a positive attitude, and Rosenberg faced a delicate
situation. She had to reassure integrationists that the new racial
policy would be enforced by urging the sometimes reluctant services to
take further steps toward eliminating discrimination. At the same time
she had to promote integration and avoid provoking the segregationists
in Congress to retaliate by blocking other defense legislation. The
bill for universal military training was especially important to the
department and to push for its passage was her primary assignment. It
is not surprising, therefore, that she accomplished little in the way
of specific racial reform during the first year of the Korean War.

Secretary Rosenberg took it upon herself to meet with legislators
interested in civil rights to outline the department's current
progress and future plans for guaranteeing equal treatment for black
servicemen. She also arranged for her assistants and Brig. Gen. B. M.
McFayden, the Army's Deputy G-1, to brief officials of the various
civil rights organizations on the same subject.[15-54] She had
congressional complaints and proposals speedily investigated, and (p. 393)
demanded from the services periodic progress reports which she issued
to legislators who backed civil rights.[15-55]

[Footnote 15-54: See Memo for Rcd, Maj M. O. Becker,
G-1, 13 Mar 51, G-1 291.2; Ltrs, Granger to Leva,
25 Jan 51, Leva to Granger, 13 Feb 51, Clarence
Mitchell, NAACP, to Rosenberg, 26 Mar 51, last
three in SD 291.2. Legislators attending these
briefings included Senators Lehman, William Benton
of Connecticut, Humphrey, John Pastore of Rhode
Island, and Kilgore.]

[Footnote 15-55: See Ltrs, Humphrey to Rosenberg, 10
Mar 51; Rosenberg to Humphrey, 26 Mar 51; Javits to
SecDef, 10 Mar 51; Marshall to Javits, 30 Mar 51;
Memo, Leva for Rosenberg, 23 Mar 51; Ltrs,
Rosenberg to Douglas, Humphrey, Benton, Kilgore,
Lehman, and Javits, 26 Jun 51; Memo, Rosenberg for
SA, 16 May 51, sub: Private Lionel E. Bolin. All in
SD 291.2. See also DF, ACS, G-1,