New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-05
Baker Says Germans Back
Complaints Charging Ne
gro Discrimination
An Inquiry Is Ordered
Secretary Asserts Majority OF
Changes Are Due to Over
worked System

WASHINGTON, Dec. An ordering
an investigation of complaints of al
legged discrimination against negro men
in the National Army, Secretary Baker
made it plain to-day that he considers
most OF the complaints unwarranted
and due TO German propaganda. Inc
inquiry is to determine whether the
War Departments instructions that
the negroes be required to do only
their fair share of the manual labor
Of the army have been carried out.
The Secretary, in a memorandum TO
Emmett j. Scott, former secretary to
Booker T. Washington. and named re
Gently an assistant in the department.
TO look after the interests OF the
negro soldiers. calls upon all citizens
of both races TO cooperate and prevent
the enemy propagandists from at
tanning their object.
"All of my reports" he says, "inGi-
cate that the colored men are accept
ing this as an opportunity to serve. and
not an occasion for creating discvrd or
trouble, and white men and officers are
passing over the question of race diff
ference in a helpful spirit. What we
need in this emergency is the help OF
right thinking people in the cities and
towns around the camps, and We are
getting that cooperation so generally
that our course seems free from en-
barrassment, If German propagandists,
who want to make discord by stirring
up sensitive feelings, are simply not
allowed to do their work"
Overworked Hysteria
Racial determinations" the memo
randum says, had been discouraged
both as a matter of policy and to safe
guard the very institutions which we
are now at the greatest sacrifice en-
gagged in defending, and which any
racial disorders must endanger.
81 very much regret what seems TO
be a certain amount of overworked hy-
steria," the Secretary says, ION the
part of some Of the compliments, who
seem to think that only colored
draftees are being assigned to duty In
service battalions, whereas, thousands
of white draftees already have been,
and more Of them necessarily will be,
assigned to duty in such service battal-
ions"
These complaints are held by the
Secretary TO be unwarranted, in view
If the fact that more than 626 grad
yates of the negro officers training
camp have been commissioned in the
army, that nearly 100 negro doctors
have been commissioned in the medical
CORPS and that a full fighting division
the 92d National Army Division-of
$1,000 negro troops IS being organized
"for duty in France under General
Pershing."
Camp Relations Satisfactory
Relations between white men and
negro men at the camps have been
worked out on a satisfactory basis, and
little or no trouble seems likely to
arise Mr. Baker finds.
The War Department is not attempt
ing to solve the race problem, Mr..
Baker said, but is calling upon whites
and blacks alike to defend the coun-
.ry's honor.
1--WE are bending all our energies 70
the building up of an army to defeat
the enemy Of democracy and freedom y
the memorandum said in closing, "and
the army we are building contains
both white and colored men. We are
expecting that they will all do their
duty, and when they have done it they
will be alike entitled to the gratitude
of their country"