The Denver star., 1917-03-24
COLoRED MEN FOR
ARMY OFFICERS
Or. SpIngsrn Tells Why Train
Ing Camp Is Necessary.
MOVEMENT MUST NOT FAIL

The eotablIohmont OF q military Train-
lns Camp For the Race 10 Intended to
Fight essrssation. Not to Encourage
Il, oays Netsd Advocate Of Human
Rights.
New York.-In reply to his critics
Z military training camp for colored
onicers at Plattsburg. N. Y. DR.. J. e.
Spingarn, leader Of the movement,
gives his reasons for the course he
pursues In the following statement
DR.. spingarn says:
mo one could make a greater mis-
take than to think that the army wants
colored men to Join this camp. The
army ofncials want the camp to fail.
They refuse to set q time or place un-
til 200 men apply. because they know
that this II the hardest way Of recruit
ing the camp. They have made the
offer merely In order that they might
be able to say that they gave colored
people q fair chance and the colored
people refused to take advantage Of
the opportunity. The last thing the
army wants IL to help colored men to
This project is intended to fight Sc
gregation and not to encourage 1t. II
there were enourh men fit to be ofncers
it would not be necessary; we could
fight for q wide open army with that
material. But there are not enough
men. The New York Negro regiment
did not have enough colored men to fin
the commissions. When war c0mes We
do not wish to be in the same position.
We want to be able to say, Hero are
colored men At to be officers, and you
have got to commission Them
Those who think that a large num-
Der Of o@cers could be obtained from
tho regular colored regiments simply
show their ignorance Of the army and
Of the enormous amount Of paper
work Al ofacer has to do. A good SOL
dier II q man who has had military
training; a good offlcer Is a man who
has military training, ability to lead
and q good education. Few men who
have not had at least a high school
education can ever hope to pass the
written examination that IL necessary
to become an ofncer.
The point has been made that q few
scattered colored men in q white camp
while colored men in q camp by them
selves would all get a fair chance.
There may possibly be some truth In
this, but am not willing to 90 as far
A. that. I regard this camp as q mere
ly temporary expedient, lasting four
weeks. that may possibly alter the fate
Of the colored race throughout q great
war. It u an expedient for . great
crisis. Colored men must get officers
training a. soon a. possible, and there
10 no other way with the whole army
against them.
The south does not want colored
men to get any kind Of military train
ing: nothing frightens it moro than the
thought Of millions Of colored men with
discipline, organising power and 4 dan
gerous e1ectiveness. That Il why Var
daman u % bitterly opposed to univer-
al military training. That II why the
general stan Of the army has decided
to exclude colored men from the train
ing and has reduced its original esti-
mate Of 100000 to 10000. That is
Why the colored man who refuses to
take advantage Of this hard won chance
for a camp, 10 biting OF his own nose
to spite his fAce.
III there IL q war there will doubt
less be conscription Of all ablebodied
men. All pretty talk about voauateer-
ing or not volunteering will have to
cease; all men will have to go. The
choice will no longer be between vol
unteering and not volunteering. but be-
tween cooscription and rebellion. II
conscription comes will the leaders Of
the race help their southern enemies
BY preaching treason and rebellion, or
will they face facts right now and pre-
pare themselves to 60 as leaders and
not As privatesr
CHuRCHMAN REPORTED Ill.