Army, CS 291.2 Negroes (5 Jan 52).]

The Chief of Staff approved the Project CLEAR final report, although
his staff had tried to distinguish between the report's view of
on-the-job integration and social integration, accepting the former
with little reservation, but considering the latter to be "weak in
supporting evidence." The personnel staff continued to stress the need
to reimpose a racial quota quickly without waiting for black
enrollment to reach 15 percent as the Project CLEAR report suggested.
It also believed that integration should be limited to the active
federal service, exempting National Guard units under state control.
General McAuliffe agreed to drop racial statistics but warned that
investigation of discrimination charges depended on such statistics.
He also agreed that blacks could be mixed with whites at 10 to 20
percent of the strength of any white unit, but to assign whites in
similar percentages to black units "would undoubtedly present
difficulties and place undue burdens on the assigned white personnel."
Finally, McAuliffe stressed that commanders would have flexibility (p. 450)
in working out the nonoperational aspects of integration so long as
their methods and procedures were consistent with Army policy.[17-73]

[Footnote 17-73: G-1 Summary Sheet for CofSA, 5 Jan
52.]

These reservations aside, McAuliffe concluded that integration was
working in enough varied circumstances to justify its extension to the
entire Army. General Collins agreed, and on 29 December 1951 he
ordered all major commanders to prepare integration programs for their
commands. Integration was the Army's immediate goal, and, he added, it
was to be progressive, in orderly stages, and without publicity.[17-74]

[Footnote 17-74: Ibid., 29 Dec 51, sub: Integration of
Negro Enlisted Personnel, G-1 291.2 Negroes.]

The Chief of Staff's decision was especially timely for the European
Command where General Thomas T. Handy faced manpower problems similar
to if not so critical as those in the Far East. During 1951 Army
strength in Europe had also risen sharply--from 86,000 to 234,000 men.
Black strength had increased even more dramatically, from 8,876 (or 11
percent) to 27,267 (or 13 percent). The majority of black soldiers in
Europe served in segregated units, the number of which more than
doubled because of the Korean War. From sixty-six units in June 1