The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-20
NEGRO TROOPS STILL IN ARMY
! ORDER OF DISMISSAL NOT YET
PUT IN FORCE.

epened-Cen. oliver Defends the or.
d~er-Inquiry Showed That the Men
Were Dangerous to Have IN the Service.
WASHINGTON; Nov. is.-Athough many
days have passed since the order was issued,
the three companies OF the Twenty-ifth
Infantry ordered discharged without honor
from the army by the President because
Of the participation by some OF their MEM
vile. Tex; in August are still in the
army. and there is a possibility that the
case may be reopened. Secretary Taft
has telegraphed to President Roosevelt
to ask IL the case could be again considered,
but in the absence Of the Secretary It is i'm
possible to learn II the orders which went
out from the Department to dismiss the
colored troops have been revoked or their
execution postponed.
1t is understood that some Of the men
who were under arrest at Fort Sam Houston
on account OF their alleged participation
in the row nave been discharged in COM
pliance with the order, but the greater
number OF the men are still on the rolls.
The War Department has prepared and
will soon make public the full report Of the
Investigations which were made Of the
Brownsville troubles. Three officers were
sent out to look INTO the matter and all
made reports. These have been printed
and will be- published.
In the War Department there is a feeling
that the action of the Department and the
President in ordering the dismissal OF the
men has been misunderstood throughout the
country, and there is considerable concern
manifested because OF this belief. 1t is
pointed out that the three companies are
being thrown out OF the army becau Sc
OF the firm conviction OF those in charge
that as a body it is dangerous TO allow
them to remain in the service.
Acting Secretary OF Wal Oliver said
to-day that the belief had become prevalent
all over the country that the men were
ordered discharged because they would
not tell the names of the men who were
really guilty, and because they were black.
This. Gen. Oliver said. was not precisely
80; the real reason for the drastic action
was that the companies had shown them
selves to be dangerous to have in the service.
IF on account of the feeling that they
ha d a grievance, as was the case in Browns
vile, said Mr.. Oliver, -the same companies,
or men from them, participated in another
disturbance Of the same nature in a place
to which they were transferred, what would
the country say? 1t is impossible, both on
account Of safety and army discipline.
to allow the men to remain in the service.
Some members OF the company organiza-
tons now ordered dismissed shot up the
AouunB at RrOunuvtIa LfIEnn nnn and
endangering the lives Of other men, and,
as the official reports show, of women and
children. That is not what soldiers are
for. They are supposed to protect citizens
instead OF e~ndangering their lives.
With the fact before the Depart ment
that some members of the companies had
gone into Brownsville and made this dis
turbance an investigation was beg I'm.
Three officers were sent out to get the
facts, but could learn nothing as to Just
who were the guilty ones. One Of the re-
ports which has been made is very long,
containing the interviews Of one Of the
Inspectors-Genera with every man in the
organization who could ave had anything
to do with the case, or who would know
about it, but the guilty persons were not
discovered.
the War Department found the army
with three companies Of soldiers in it con-
tanning men who were capable, because Of
real or fancied grievances, OF shooting up
a town and killing citizens. What could
be done? The army had to be rid Of the
men who were guilty. Every eff fort TO find
just who these were failed. The Depart
ment could not let the case pass over an d
discipline had to be maintained. There
was but one Course and that has been fol-
lowed. 1t was not because the sol diers
were black. The same thing would have
happened under the same circumstance
il they had been white. II the Depart
ment had allowed the affair to go unpun-
ished the result might lave been disastrous,
and the same troops might again do the
same thing"
Asked II it would not have been possible
to get at the facts through court-martial,
Gen. Olive answered:
"A court-martial Of any Of the men was
impossible. To try a man it is necessary
to have charges against him.. There " az
no one against whom direct charges could
be fled. In making an arrest and order
ing a court the charge must be specifically
set down, followed by the specifications
and a list OF witnesses. Under the cirCum-
stances in this case 1t was impossible
Fort RENO, Okla, Nov. l9.-The first
discharges Of the negro troops at Fort Reno
were a to-day when twenty-five soldiers
were paid of and given transportation to
their homes. Twenty five or thirty troops
will De discharged each day a. the rolls
are completed, until all OF the three COM
panies of the Twenty-ffth Infantry have
been dismissed from the service.
Secretary Taft got here from New Haven
last night and went TO the nome OF his
brother, Henry w. Taft. He declined TO
talk about the delay in carrying out the
order for the d~ishonorable discharge OF the
negro sold ers.
DIR. CRAPSEY GETS THE DECISION.