The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1917-06-30
DES MONIES TRAINING CAMP.
By A. j. Booker, NJ. D.

The great military camp is started
officially and the men are down to
work in dead earnest. One of the most
momentous epochs in the history of
the Negro race was enacted when
twelve hundred and fifty men took the
oath of allegiance Sunday. 1t was
more than men declaring that they
were willing to fight and die to pre-
serve intact the glory and the honor
of the United States-any citizen of
this country who would not take such
an oath with the greatest speed take
train or boat to the country he is
willing to die fort meant that the
cream of the Negro race was selected
and stood there with one purpose. 1t
was worth the longest journey to see
over a thousand Negro men of train
ing and culture assembled, to say
/ nothing of the unity of purpose.
The men themselves ought to feel
proud to be participants in such mo-
mentous affair. Every man who held
up his hand was making history. Sure
| ly every mans heart with rapture
| thrills" when he thinks of his part,
both now and the future possibilities.
! A great new trial has come to US.
/ Those who pray ought to send up
silent prayer twice or three times
day for those men at Fort Des Moines
All our hope is in their success. All
our danger is in their failure. This
thing has not happened in the history
of our people before. 1t is wonderful,
it is grand, it is trying, because it is a
nerve racking procedure for the men
who have been selected. They need
our encouragement, our moral support
and the blood of a race is on the hands
of any person who puts temptation in
the way of weak man.
AS a concertative estimate, it must
. cost more than million and a half
dollars to establish and maintain this
camp. There are men there who are
giving up fine opportunities to take
this work. In turn they will be better
able to serve their country and race
when the camp is over. They will
have sense of dignity and of time
and of discipline; they will be better
prepared to organize and direct their
friends and brothers at home when
they return. AS is always the case,
not all of the men viii be physically
able to attend the physical ordeal
This brings US up to the favorite ex-
preston of ours that the race must be
physically strong if we are to deal
with the more and more complex prob
lens of civilization. We must be
healthy; we must be temperate; we
must conserve energy.
All honor to the men of the country
who have a vision beyond color prob
lens, who can see beyond the annoy
ances and injustices OF today, to the
great worldwide duties and obliga-
tions. OF all peoples who fight for
democracy we ought to be the most
willing. Liberty is not gift; it is
the result of labor; it is a reward for
sacrifice.
Every man, woman and child who
can spend railroad fare ought to visit
this camp. 1t will be an inspiration
for children, a restoration of faith to
men, a tonic for the patient faithful
Negro woman, who is the greatest
creature who treads American soil
There is not a man with whom
have talked. but feels the solemnity of
the occasion. The light comes into
their eyes as they talk and seem to
look down the corridors of times see
ing the avenues open for bigger
things. No race of people can meas
ure up to the standard of world val
ues unless there has been hearty par
ticipation with every one in every
thing for development We can never
be the followers of a Napoleon unless
we bear arms and develop military
ideas through generations; we will
never develop a Gladstone or a Bea-
confield until we can lift our voices in
matters of state, Consequently the
entire race must be behind this his
tory making crowd. We are under
everlasting obligations to the men who
made this movement possible. We see
history makers in our midst. For no
matter how the proposition turns out,
the history of the country will make a
record of the camp
1t is a most fortunate thing that
the camp came to midwestern town,
for there is nothing SD provincial as a
town in the middle west, and nothing
more unfortunate can befall Negro
than to be ''the biggest man" in a
small community, unless he has a
broad spirit and teaches people that
he is one of very large number of
men Spattered throuphout the country
The people of the other race are do,