Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-11-20
WILL PUNISH
NEGRO TROOPS
--------------------~-.---
President Remains Fixed in His
Determination About Twenty.
fifth Infantry.
C0MBATS RACE ANTAGONIST.
VIII be Amelioration OF Penalty When
The Offenders Arc
Given Up.

New York, Nov. 2O.--secy. OF Wai
Taft got here from New Haven last
night and went to the home of MIS-
brother, Henry w, Taft. He declined
to talk about the delay In carrying out
the order for the dshonorable dis
charge OF the negro soldiers.
Golfers Weekly has received . dis.
patch from its correspondent who is
travelling with the president. IN reply
to one sent asking II Mr.. Roosevelt
would suspend action in regard 70 the
negro soldiers until he got homa The
reply says the presidents views are
clear and unchanged" that tho dis
bandment is due to him, and that the
presidents view Is that the negro SOL
diers, In refusing information neces-
sary TO the apprehension OF the men
who committed criminal acts at
Brownsville. Tex, struck at the very
heart Of military justice and discipline.
Had white troops done the same thing,
the reply says they would have SUI
fered the same penalty. In conclusion,
or white, the president proposes 10 com.
bat race antagonism, his action In
the Brownsviue matter was taken In
the face OF much adverse influence and
advice before he left. There can be
DO amelioration OF the penalty until the
men concerned show their sense OF du-
~, as citizens and soldiers, by giving
up the offenders to Justice"
DISCHARGES SUSPENDED.
Washington. Nov. 19--Aoting under
orders of Secy. Taft, Maj-Gen. Aims
worth, the military secretary, has di-
rected that further discharges OF the
men of the three negro companies Of
the Twenty-ftth infantry, on account
OF the shooting at Brownsville, Tex,
be suspended pending further orders.
The action, 1t Is said tonight, is In
order TO await the return of Secy. Taft
to Washington tomorrow, and is pend
ing further advices from President
Roosevelt, who has been communicated
with on the subject.
The war department has been dell
uged with protests against the order
directing the discharge of the three
companies. 1t is reported tonight that
further investigation will be pladc
and that certain officers may be called
on for an explanation IN connection
with the movements OF these men at
the time the Brownsville incident oc-
CURED.
THE three companies of the Twen-
ty-ffth infantry were ordered dis
charged because II is not safe 10 have
them In the army. They cannot be
trusted, and for the protection of the
public and the preservation of the dis
oipline of the army their discharge is
Acting Secy oliver of the
war department said today.
The idea seems TO prevail that the
men were ordered discharged because
they refused TO tell on their compan-
ions and because they are black. Moth
ing could be further from the truth.
These soldiers shot up town. All OF
them refuse TO tell anything about the
affair at Brownsville which
resulted in murder. The companies are
murderers. There are men in
the companies who are criminals of the
worst sort. Every effort possible has
been made by the war department to
find the guilty men, but without avail.
IL these companies were permitted TO
remain I'm the service and were TO shoot
up another town and again endanger
the lives OF citizens, the war depart
ment would be I'm an indefensible posi-
ton. II is impossible to court-martiai
each OF the men in these companies,
for n charge cannot be preferred
against every one of the members OF
the companies. The government has
no means of Furnishing the crime COM
nitted except by discharge OF all the
men,"