And this soon became official Red Cross policy. On November 5, 1941, the blood program's director G. Canby Robinson issued a "confidential policy statement concerning volunteer Negro blood donors." He commended African Americans for their laudable "desire to participate in this [blood donor] project," but added that "in obtaining blood plasma for use in the armed forces the American Red Cross is acting pursuant to the requests and instructions of the Army and Navy and up to this time the Red Cross has been asked to supply only plasma from white donors." Robinson explained that this policy was necessary "because about ninety-five percent of those serving in the armed forces are white men, who it is understood prefer plasma from white donors."