The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-12-19
1Fss- We - toy S-s1ss
War Mi,,Sfygls
u. S. Negroes Sing Way
Into Frances Heart.

F'rench--and on their menu---the r.em-
bers OF a regiment Of American '>sgro
stevedores in France have danced and
sung their way into the hearts Of the
French population in the port where
they are stationed. Warm. heA rtedly
they are already tanning a show for
the benefit Of a. fund for the French
wounded.
Telling OF their work and play and
thoughts. Howard Kahn. In an article
sent TO the National War Work Coun
Gil of the Y. NJ. c. A. speaks of them
as the Wars Minstrel SHOW" In
spite OF their strange surroundings he
says. they carry on their work as
usual They shuttle the same dances
| and sing the same plantation melodies
as at home.
They have no use for the Sene |
| salese--"French niggers" they call |
! them--because they wear monkey |
| caps, have rings In their ears and |
| don't talk sense" The native wit and !
| constant good humOr of these steve
dores have made them 4 joy and de-
light to the officers and men who |
come in contact with them. Moreover,.!
| tuCN NV tHS w W NtS 'VHe t'"Vi-
tions Of the American negro.
Writing from q port In France. Mr..
Kahn says:
| IT'S against the rules to mention
names when you write about enlisted
| men Of the American eXpeditionary
forces, but even the hardest hearted
censor will admit that no military Sc
cret is divulged in this interview with
Mr. Sylvester Bogus Johnson. OF
Nashville, Tennessee. member Of u
regiment Of negro stevedores.
Mr.. Johnson was standing on the,
6ock looking over an eXpanse OF salt
water such AS he had never seen In
Nashville. He started the converse
ton without any preamble from me.
Man. Mani he said. christOpho~
Columbus suah must Of had some
guts!'
".Yon don't like the ocean, them
Not me, boss, Use pale from nah
Tip yet. Pse been an American all
nah life But unless this yer. At
lantic ocean freezes ovah and some
body builds "A railroad back to Tennes-
see. Use a European TO life
"Parlez- yous rancais?" | inquired.
NO sab. stevedpre," he replied.
whats your particular objection to
the ocean?
The scenery is rotten Sylvester
explained. And | couldn't keep nothin
on my stomach except q life pre-
Sc rver.'
Get plenty to eat here"
Eyes. sab. Uncle sam feed us all
, right. But chickens is mighty sca'ce.
: amt had no chicken since | landed.
! amt even seen no chicken walIVn'
around nobody's back ya'd.'
Have you made many friends over
l.. here?
+ Boss, these French nig2ahs amt
q no good. l saw one today with rings
4 III his eahs. ! asks him TO cigar.
cite and he ies' walks away. l done
u heah him say somethin' but it didn'
II have no meanin'. They wcsth little RET
e monkey hats and they is just plum
II ignorant.
:, Maybe he was Il Senegalese?
Il don't Gaze what he was. He
just IL plum no count niggah. Is
even seen 'em ovah heah with whis
n kahs. But they couldn't speak tn
l. English language so you could unde'
20 stand it a-tall. Plum ignorant. That
what l says.
TT you had to do it over agair
= would You enlist?
5. BOSS, when | made my mark o
10 dat enlistment papah. no one tor m
10 about all that watah in this Atlanti
4 ocean. II they had, I'd still be i
Nashville, Tennessee, L. :. A..
III sylvester Bogus johnson was some
e what more pcssimistic than most c
D. his duSky colleagues. 1t isn't at n
~ hard to imagine that one is visiting
i, lower Mississippi landing in tn
southern part of the United States a
one sees these negroes in long singl
file carry box after box of provision
ii for Uncle Sans men from the hi
rc lsteamers. They sing the same planta
;, ton melodies, shoot the same bone
and shuttle the same darky dances.
- Their attire is almost AS pictui
II, esque as that OF the Seneg;,lese.
nc whom MIR. Johnson objected
IL strongly. They wear the uniform
,,r IL rmerly issued to the army befoi
:, the kahki was adopted. Those VII
were fortunate enough to draw Il
~ cid style light blue artillery overco;
Sc with long cape and scarlet lining Wei
n particularly we'll satisfied. The M
al grOes are comfortably housed in bal
racks near the docks. Their ration
are the same as those issued to II
IL fighting men and while their discip!is
10 is not so strict, the hours of duty ar
i'm routine are much the same. ==s
4 The American Y. NJ. c. A.. plai
oe TO look after their social welfare
lust the same manner that 1t cares I,
III the white soldiers. 4 hut for the u'
I'll o, the stevedores is being constructe
lc II is to have electric lights. a movir
7, o. picture machine. q piano and faciiiti'
m for writing. \ negro secretary, co
lege man. will cooperate with II
- white secretaries III providing amus'
st ment and recreation for the men. J.
at has announced that he will write lie
of | ters for all who are unable to wri
ty themselves. ST.
a. 1.-THE negroes already are planning
~ show for the benefit of fund Il
~ French wounded. II will be staged {
T. soon as the hut il completed. Amer