The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-10-07
NEGRO SOLDIERS AT SOUTHERN
POSTS

1
the Gulf, that negroes be enlisted for
the artillery, and that they be as
signed to companies serving at seacoast
posts, from Virginia to New Orleans,
will not have the approval of the peo-
| pie of the South. and we doubt that
it will have the approval of the off,
| GERS OF the army. Perhaps he want
ed to say something in his report that
would attract attention to himself.
| The recommendation will bring noto-
| riety, but not of the kind that will be
! gratifying to him, because it indicates
| a lack of judgment. 1t tends to COM
plicate rather than solve a problem
that is puzzling the nation, namely. the
race problem.
If there were a probability of the
recommendation being approved the
entire South would protest against it,
There is nothing the government
could do that would tend more to in
| crease race friction than the garrison
! ing of Southern army posts with negro
| soldiers. The negroes would interpret
such action in a way that would make
| them more aggressive, and thus pro-
woke a more intolerant race feeling.
If the government wants negroes in
the army let it enlist them and send
them to the Philippines. There is no
climate at any post in this country
quite as Objectionable as the climate
of parts of the Philippines. White sol
diers are thought to be none too good
to serve in those islands. AS mat
ter of fact, however, negroes are not
wanted in the army. Their enlistment
is discouraged. only enough being en-
listed to keep full the negro regiments
already in the service.
Gen. Barry says the climate and mos
quitoes are so bad at the posts from
Virginia to New Orleans that soldiers
at these posts cannot be induced to re-
enlist. What nonsense! Is there not
as healthy and contented a population
of white people along the entire South
ern coast as there is elsewhere in the
country? If the native white people
find nothing objectionable in the cli-
mate we see no reason why soldiers at
the seacoast posts should complain of
it.
We doubt very much that they do
complain of it. We have certainly
heard no complaints from soldiers at
the Fort Screven post on Tybee Island.
They are as healthy a lot of men as
can be found anywhere and, we ven
ture to say, are as contented as are
the soldiers at any other post.
And, as far as the mosquitoes are
concerned, are they not to be found
at every seacoast post north of Vir-
ginia. and at every post in the interior
where there are mosquito breeding con-
ditions? Where is there to be found
such irritating. annoying and death
dealing mosquitoes as those of New
Jersey, Maine and the Middle West
and Northwest?
And is it proposed by Gen. Barry
that the officers of the Southern sea-
coast posts shall be negroes? If not,
why should white officers be subjected
to conditions which, Gen Barry inti-
mates. white soldiers cannot endure?
1t may be said white officers have more
comfortable quarters and better sur
roundings than the enlisted men have.
That may be so, but not much better
than are being prepared for the men,
and besides, the men have it in their
power to greatly improve their sur
roundings. The men at Fort Screven
have made improvements of one kind
and another that greatly contribute to
their comfort. And as for drinking
water, of which Gen. Barry makes
mention, there isn't better to be had
anywhere else in the country.
No, we don't want negro soldiers at
our seacoast posts. We would rather
have the posts practically abandoned,
put in charge of a sergeant. Negro
soldiers, on leave from the post, on
our streets, would lead the unthinklng
portion OF our negro population to act
in a way that would provoke trouble
between them and white people.
We are sure Gen. Barry will serve
his country better IL he confines his
recommendations to matters pertaining
strictly to military affairs. We have
no doubt he is very good soldier, but
1t is doubtful If he would be a success
as statesman, particularly in map
ping out policy for the government
that would require the race question
to be dealt with