The Twin City star., 1916-08-05
CAPABLE Men FOR
new YORK GUARD
Our C0untrymen Eager to Enlist
In Nations Service.
TANDY FIRST LIEUTENANT.


Soldiers Pass Rigid Examination
With High Average-LiveIy Interest
Shown In Effort to Recruit Fifteenth
Infantry to Full War Strength.
The Fifteenth infantry Of the ma
tional guard, the first regiment Of Ne
groes to receive q New York designa-
ton, although not by any means the
first to be raised in this state, will be
recruited to full war strength in the
next four weeks If the enrolment OF
new members continues at its present
rate, says the New York Evening Post.
It was the latter part Of June that
william Hayward, public service COM
missioner, was commissioned a colonel
of the national guard by Governor
Whitman for the purpose of organiz-
ing the new regiment, and in this short
time 425 men have been enrolled. A,
B and G companies of the First bat
TALON have been mustered into the
state service. with total membership
have passed the physical examinations.
The surgeons who have been eXamin-
ing the applicants say they are the
finest lot of recruits ever passed on
for the national guard. Their standard
Of physical fitness may be judged from
the fact that despite the most rigorous
physical tests only 20 per cent who
apply are rejected. Poor teeth and
eyesight, frequent defects among white
men, are almost unknown among these
Negroes, who, it must be remembered.
are largely town born.
According to Colonel Hayward and
the officers detailed to assist him, they
are an unusually clean cut lot, intelli
gent and keen for work. The men have
no armory, their only adequate head
quarters as yet being Lafayette hall
at Seventh avenue and One Hundred
and Thirty second street. and almost
no rifles and uniforms. But notwith
standing these handicaps from GO to 20
per cent of the recruits report every
night for drill, and the schools for
officers and nOncOmmissioned officers
which have been started are eagerly
attended.
A number Of men hOnorably dis
charged from the four colored regi-
ments of the regular army have en-
listed and already three men have
passed their examinations for commits
sions. V. w. Tandy, an architect, who
has been commissioned first lieutenant
and assigned temporarily to command
Of A company. was the first Negro to
receive q commission in the New York
national guard. Charles w. Fillmore,
an OK major Of the Ohio national guard
and lieutenant Of United States VOL
unteers in the Spanish war, has bsen
appointed captain and placed In COM
mand of B company. V. Fl. Parks, who
has seen service in the Twenty fifth
infantry and Tenth cavalry Of the reg
ular army, also will be commissioned
captain and probably placed In COM
mand Of c. company.
It Is the intention to give the Negroes
every opportunity to furnish their own
officers. A request already has been
sent to the war department for the
assignment to the Fifteenth Of Major
Charles Young. Tenth cavalry, the only
Negro graduate of West Point now in
service and one of tho finest officers In
the regular army. and Of Captain Benz
amin o. Davis, cavalry. unattached,
who entered the army through the vol
unteers In the Spanish war
In some quarters 1t is hoped that an
Young to take command Of the Fiji
teenth. He has had thirty-one years
service, including service on the plains
In the last days of the Indian from
tier, In the Philippines and In Mexico.
Besides, he has undertaken special
I, service in Liberia and Haiti, in each
case acquitting himself with great sue
cess The most significant tribute to
Major Young's tact and personality is
the fact that he has never had the
slightest trouble with the white officers
under his command
The present plan is for one battalion
Of the Fifteenth to be recruited in
Brooklyn. one In the Harlem section
and one partially In Manhattan and
the Bronx. Recruiting stations are 10
Gated at Lafayette hall. In Harlem.
and in Brooklyn at ia Myrtle avenue,
besides a recruiting tent at Dean
street and Rochester avenue A
fourth company. d. has been mus
tered I'm.
Although the regiment will conform
In every way to the latest tactical re-