The Washington bee., 1911-06-17
AN OPEN LETTER
To President Taft
RACE PREJUDICE IN THE ARMY
Washington, D. c, June 10, 1911.
President William Howard TAFT,
Executive Mansion,
N ashIngtOn, y. z.

Washington, d. c.
Dear Sir. Permit me on my own
behalf and on behalf Of the National
Independent Political League, to
thank YOU for the stand you take
against race prejudice in the Army
II the United States. of which you are
Commander-in-Ch Chief Both ! and the
League / represent. stand for equal
rights and opportunities for all Amer
ican citizens, and we feel it our duty
10 commend any man or set of men
who stand for the same principle.
We would beg to remind your EX-
cellency Of the prejudice which now
exists and has existed for more than
20 years against the cOlOred men of
the Army and Navy of the United
States, and to appeal to you as COM
mander of the land and naval forces
Of our country to use your influence
and good offices in helping to Danish
this hvdra-headed monster from the
Army and Navy OF our beloved COun-
try,
You will agree with me that the
United States has no more loyal
brave, competent and self-SaCrihCIng
soldiers than the cJlOred men who
have been and who are now enlisted
IN the Army of this country, and yet
few, if any, in the four COlOred regl-
mentS have ever been been put into
the Regular Army as commissioned
officers. and the examination of en-
listed men for promotion to the posi-
ton of Second Lieutenant in the Reg
uar Army, which you have ordered,
and which appeared in the public
press June Q, does not contain the
name of a single COlOred soldier, nor
have we seen the name of any such
soldier in any list for examination
which has been ordered by you since
your inCumbenCy of the office OF
Chief Executive of the Nation. We
cannot believe that you mean to be a
party to race prejudice in the United
States Army, nor do we believe that
in the four regiments Of ColOred sol
diers in the United States Army there
are no enlisted men who are capable
of passing the examination for Second
Lieutenant. 1t must be that your
failure to order such men before the
Examining Board of the Army for
promotion Is an oversight and we be
lieve you simply need TO have this
matter called to your attention, and
YOU will in the future give colored
soldiers. as we'll as soldiers of Jew
ish or Hebrew extraction. the same
opportunity afforded white soldiers.
| am, yours,
For equal rights and opportunities
for all American citizens,
J. MILTON WALDRON,
Pastor Shiloh Baptist Church and
National Organizer the National
independent Political League.
Below will be seen a list of white
persons the President has designated
to take the examination:
A board Of army officers has been
ordered to meet at Fort LeavenWOrth, |
Kan, July I next for the competitive |
examination of such enlisted men as
may be ordered before It to determine |
their fitness for promotion TO the |
grade of Second Lieutenant in the |
cavalry field artillery or infantry. The |
detail for the board IS Lieut.-Col. /
William Stephenson, Medical Corps !
Capt William T. Johnston, 18th Cav
airy; Capt John J. Toffey, Jr, 9TH In
fantry; First Lieut.. Ernest r. Gentry, |
Medical Corps, and Second Lieut. |
Stanley w. Wood, 9TH Infantry.
Enlisted men already designated to !
take the competitive examination are
Sergt Archibald d. Cowley, Co. NJ, |
18th Infantry; Corp. John Dabney,
Co. F, 9th Infantry; Corp. Patrick
Frissell, Co. +, 18TH Infantry; Batta-
lion Sergt.-Maj, Floyd c. Hecox, 9Th /
Infantry; Corp. Thomas G. NJ. Oil
phant Battery T. 9th Field Artillery;
Corp. Joseph d. Patch, Co. d, 9th In
fantry; Sergt Mert Proctor, Battery
A, 4th Field Artillery; Private Theo- |
philus Steele, Co. G, 9TH Infantry, and
Private William J. Wrona, Battery B, |
I'd Field Artillery