The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1917-07-06

good officers as possible In three
months, and he's trying to do It.
Yes, we are paying all off them
800 per month";" he said in answer
to a question, and" he added with
twinkle In his eye, we're making
them earn it"
Colonel Ballou believes that one
temporary injustice was remedied by
an order he received from the war de-
partment recently fixing the pay OF
regular army privates at the same
amount paid the civilian candidates
for officers positions, 500 per month
The regular army men had been re-
ceiving the same pay given them
when they were in the ranks, which
was from third to half of what
the remainder of the camp was get
ting.
OF the regular army colored soldiers
at the fort 109 were assigned from
the Ninth Cavalry and Tewnty.ffth
Infantry, now stationed in the Philip
pines. The infantry contingent, num-
bering about eighty, arrived yestsr-
day.
May Be Medical Camp.
Colonel Ballou announced that the
recommendation had gone in to the
war department mentioning Fort Des
Moines as the most likely place for
the location of the training camp for
Negro medical officers. Approximate.
ly 100 medical men will be trained
at the local post if the department
decides to locate the camp here, and
the work will begin at once, so as to
have the medical men in shape to
accompany the colored troops now
! training at the Fort. With the excep-
ton Of two or three officers, all the
| doctors will be colored practitioners
! Colonel Ballou said that the location
of the medical school might mean
that Fort Des Moines would later be
made base hospital for the Camp
Dodge cantonment.
The army Y. NJ. c. A. has located
at the Fort and is doing a big bust.
ness. Last night they dedicated their
big canvass tent, and Colonel Ballou,
W. w. Gethman, in charge of the
army camps for the national associa-
ton, and r. II. Frantz, secretary at
the Fort, and for a number of years
national secretary of the colored Y.
NJ. G. A., made speeches. Every day
the men gather in the tent when not
on duty and much of their camp life
surrounds the association home
There are desks, with writing paper
and ink, for writing home; there are
chairs and a platform for speakers
} and singers programs, and a piano
and victrola were recently installed
} A number of good singers have been
found among the men and nightly
programs by quartets and soloists are
, a feature of the camp life.
Originator of Camp Here.
Among the men at the camp are 9
: number of representatives of some Of
; the best colored families of the ma
: ton. There is DR.. G. w. Cabaniss Of
Washington, d. c., who is one of the
leaders of his race, and who was one
= of the committee of 100 who conceiv
> ed the idea of training Negro officers
! for Negro troops and visited Presi
r dent Wilson with plan that was at
terward carried out by the war de
partment. That is why the camp was
founded, and DR.. Cabaniss, who is no
a soldier himself, goes about amone
the soldiers of his race with conf
dence in their ability to make good
Then there are bankers, lawyers
and doctors galore. One man, T. ]
Ewing, who is having some difficult,
in training down to regulation weight
: was for ten years banker in Vicks
. burg, Miss, and is a law graduate o
= Walden University at Nashville, Tenn
!, He was practicing law when he hear
! OF the camp provided for patriot
!, Negroes, and decided that he woul
:, come north to train for service.
' Only Three Rejected.
:. Only three candidates have been re
!, jected by the physical examiners a
! the fort. One because he was to,
big, and two because they were to,
- small. The man who was overweight
: tipped the scales at 26O pounds, an,
. in spite Of his record as captain O
= the Forty-eighth volunteer infantr,
in the Spanish-American war he ha,
I to be turned down.
The men are training for the sam
y service that their white brothers a
+ Fort Smelling and the several othe
= officers training camps are trainin
Tor, and their life and work diffe
but little from the men in thos
camps II people who have friends a
Fort Smelling wish to learn Of tn
life their friends are leading in tn
northern camp, let them visit For
: Des Noines for day. and they will
: md not only the Same kind Of men
= educated and experienced, but tb
same kind OF camp routine. Ever,
= Negro at the fort is a man of intelli
u gence and imagination and he realize
i that the opportunity for his race I,
make good has come. He does no
, want to fail.