The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-06-29
War Department Bars Ne gro Cooks From BOr-
 der Duty
BIRMINGHAM TROOPS
 IN DIRE DISTRESS
Cannot Take Negro Cooks to Mexico and Battery C Wants Three White Men to Enlist At Once
 for Service

The efficiency of Alabamas fighting force is threatened. Not that they are in danger of annihilation by the Mexicans,
 but they are threatened with such a re- duction of the morale of the guardsmen that they will be unable to go to the border. And all on account of few
 cooks.
 A Japanese soldier can go for weeks and do his most effective fighting on 8
 few handfuls of boiled rice A Mexican
 can do yeoman service for his country
 or his chieftain if he can get little hot tamala and a reasonable amount of
 red pepper. But an American fighting man-he is different. You have to feed
 the brute.''
 Three square meals a day, served in good style and properly cooked-these are
 the first essentials of an American sol
 dier. Everything was all right in this
 regard until the war department made it's ruling regarding the matter of ne-
 gro cooks. The National Guard had been accustomed to have several negro cooks
 with each militia organization and the
 men were thus assured of good food at
 regular intervals. But, under the regu-
 lations of the United States army, negro
 cooks cannot be enlisted. And thereon
 rests the difficulty in which some of the local companies have found themselves.
 WAR DEPARTMENT ADAMANT The war department, despite the plead ing and the arguments of the congress
 men and senators from Alabama, has
 held rigidly to it's ruling that only en-
 listed men can do the cooking. And since
 only white men can be enlisted in white
 companies, a serious situation has arisen.
 The negro cooks who had been secured
 st he turned loose a a the
 militia is mustered into the federal serv- ice. The companies and batteries, not knowing of this regulation of the war
 department, had not recruited men versed in the arts of cookery and hence they are face to face with problem of the utmost seriousness
 Battery c is in dire distress There are
 men in that organization who are capable of almost anything with the exception of cooking. Beyond boiling water and frying an egg, their knowledge of the culinary arts is hardly worth mentioning.
 The strenuous duties of camp life and the exercise incident to wheeling the big pieces of artillery are such that the men show up at regular intervals-three times
 daily-amply equipped with wonderful
 appetite which must be gratified. The
 men must be fed and fed well if they
 are to do any real fighting. A careful
 survey of the enlisted men in Battery c has revealed the fact that none oi them can cook And hence their stren- uous quest for chefs. It is serious mat ter and one which is fully appreciated by the officers and members of the bat tery
 TEACH AFTER COOKS Robert G. Thach, sergeant of Battery c, Is in Birmingham looking for three
 white men who will enlist in that organ iznt to ha fo Men between 21 and 45 years of age are desired and it is announced that they will not be called on to do anything beyond looking after the cooking for the battery. The organiZatio already has a man who is capable of experimenting the work and looking after the commissary end of the business. but three men are needed to take charge of the preparation of the food. The pay of these men is better than that of the other enlisted men. They will receive S30 per month and their expenses, including board and clothes Any men who have a knowledge of cooking and who know how to prepare food desiring to enlist and secure these places are requested to call at once at
 the office of Thach and Underwood, 223 First National Bank building, and make application. References will be required
 and it is urged that those who desire to be considered for these places make their application without delay as the battery will accept the men within the next few days.
 In discussing the situation at the con- centration camp at Montgomery yester- l day, Sergeant Thach stated that Battery c was well situated. "The camp at Van- divier park is we'll arranged and every | detail has been handled in splendid | sEape," said MT. Thach. Our battery is | well located and we have no fault te | find We have one of the best organiza. | tionS in the state and if we can get three | good white men to take charge of the | mess service, we will be ready for the | front. It is generally understood at the camp that the artillery is to be rushed tc | the border at the earliest possible mo.
 ment and every indication points to the | fact that we will soon be in contact with l the Mexicans.
 FURTHER INVESTMENTS Sergeant Gresham. who went to Tus- caloosa several days ago to secure some further enlistments, reports that 23 men
 among the best in the city, will repor1 while we are in Montgomery ready fol | service. We are thus assured of full wal | strength of the best men available in the | state While there is much hard worl l for the men to do, all are falling to theii tasks with the utmost willingness anG ] the spirit of our organization is excep | tionally fine. We are well pleased witt the situation and are highly gratified al | the prospect of soon being at the front.