Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-06
THE NEGRO TROOPS
To Be Sent to Duty in the Phil
ippines.
Mr.. TAFT'S STATEMENT
Simply to Take the Place of Other
Regiments.
NOT AN ADDITIONAL PENALTY
For Failure to Aid the Authorities
in Discovering Participants in
the Brownsville Affair.
lot AN ADDITIONAL PENALTY

AS was stated in yesterdays Star. three
cavalry regiments, 4th. 9th and 10TH and
four infantry regiments, 18th, 18th, 18th
and 30th, have been ordered from stations
in the United States to duty in the Phil
ippines to relieve an equal number of regi-
ments who have about completed their tour
of service in the archipelago. The troops
ordered to foreign service include all the
colored regiments now in this country, to
wit: The 18th Infantry and the 9th and
10th Cavalry. The only other colored regi-
ment in the army, the 24th Infantry-is al
ready in the Philippines. Because of this
general assignment of all the colored troops
to foreign field service the impression arose
that it was intended as an additional pen
atty upon the soldiers of that race for
their failure to aid the authorities in dis
covering the miscreants who took part in
the midnight raid at Brownsville.
In consequence of the prevalence of that
idea Secretary Taft felt mpelled to issue
the following statement on the subject:
Secretary Taft's Statement.
There was a time, between 1902 and
1905, when the colored regiments were not
sent to the Philippines at all. In 1905, how
ever, this policy was tentatively changed,
and the oath Infantry, colored regiment,
was sent to the Philippines and is now
there. The service of the oath Infantry in
the Philippines has been entirely satsfac
tory, and it is thought that the service of
the other regiments will be.
I'm reporting upon this subject, Gen.
Wood states:
Il recently visited and made an inspec-
ton of the departments of the Visayas and
Mindanao, and found the oath Infantry very
well liked by the civil authorities in the
neighborhood of its various stations. In
fact, at Tacloban the governor expressed
particular appreciation of the fine conduct
of this regiment.
Equal Foreign Service.
Because Of this report and experience,
the general staff recommended and the
department decided 1t to be wise to return
to the former policy of equal foreign service
Of all the regiments of the mobile army.
THE present assignment of the other col
ored regiments to the Philippines is merely
for an equal distribution of foreign service
They have not been there for four years.
1t now becomes fair to them and to other
regiments that they be assigned to the Phil
ippines in due order
Foreign service 1t should be stated, in
creases the pay of the men 20 per cent and
counts double time for retirement. 1t was
pointed out at the department therefore
that the idea that these orders We're preju-
dicial to the colored troops or were made
utterly absurd"
To Sail First.
The negro troops are to sail for the Phil
ippines before most of the white organza-
tons, the last of which will not leave this
country until early in January of 1905. Upon
its return to this country the sth Cavalry
will take station at Fort Robinson, Neb.,
and Fort D. A. Russell. Wyo. The It'll
Cavalry stationed
Kan, and Fort Leavenworth, Kan. The
4th Cavalry will go to Fort Yellowstone,
Wyo.. Fort Meade, S. D., and Fort Keogh,
Mont.
When 1t returns to this country the 10Th
Infantry will be stationed at Fort Bliss,
Texas, Fort Reno, Okla, and Fort McIn-
tosh, Texas. The 9th Infantry is to go to
Fort Sam Houston, Texas. The 10Th In
fantry goes to Fort Omaha, Neb., Fort Lo-
gan H. Roots, Ark, and Fort Reno, Okla
The Goth Infantry is ordered to Fort
Leavenworth, Kan, and the 10Th Infantry
to Fort Douglas, Utah.