The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1917-05-22
TO DRAW
SOUTHERN NEGROES?
ATLANTA NEGRO SAID TO HAVE
ASSURANCE OF ENOUGH VOL
UNTEERS FOR REGIMENT.

WASHINGTON, D. eff the in
formation that reached this city to
the effect that Col. Theodore Roose-
welt, through colored men of the
south, is preparing to muster enough
men of that race to recruit his ex-
peditionary forces and that the gov
eminent is contemplating temporary
camps for their mobilization at GER
tain cities in the south is correct, this
situation coupled with the fact that
those cities where it is proposed to en-
camp the negroes do not want them
may force the war department to
draw the color line.
H. L. johnson, of Atlanta, who
was formerly register of deeds of
the District of Columbia under both
the Roosevelt and Taft administra-
trions, is at the head of the move
ment to recruit the Roosevelt volun-
teers from among the colored men
OF the country, and especially from
the south, where the White element
is none too strong for Teddy.
Movement Has Spread.
Johnson, who is a keen observer
of events, is said to have taken a
census of the negroes in the south
and to have become well satisfied
that within few days he will be able
to sign up enough men of his race
to fully recruit the Roosevelt divis-
ion, in the event the president signs
the army bill with the Roosevelt pri-
vision incorporated.
Johnson began his Roosevelt move
ment in Georgia, and it has spread,
it is said, through Alabama, Mississip-
pi, South Carolina and the other
states of the south until there is
fear that the great havoc will be
wrought the farming interests as
soon as the negroes begin their he
gira to join the new division. Hun
dreds of them in punches are said to
have already notified johnson that
they are willing to quit the farms, the
turpentine and naval stores industry
and the rice fields of the south to
join with Roosevelt. They have re-
ceived just enough information about
the scheme and the exploits of the
negroes who were at the San Juan
fight in the Spanish-American war,
together with the fact that they look
upon Roosevelt as the greatest man
the world ever did or ever will pro-
duce-even greater than Lincoln,
hlmsef-a modern Moses to lead
them out of the wilderness to make
them ready to go.
South May Object.
1t is expected that if the president
signs the military bill with the Roose-
welt amendment strong petitions will
be presented to him involving two
sides of the question: First, the de-
pletion of the farm lands by the or
ganization of the force, and, second,
the opposition of the many cities in
the south to having camps of negroes
located near them.
The latter side of the matter is al
ready being seriously considered
here and should the war department
decide tentatively upon a plan for
the mobilization of the colored men
in Columbia, Greenville, Macon, At
lanta, or elsewhere in the south,
against what is believed to be for the
best interests of those sections, the
president will doubtless be promptly
advised that such action is not want
ed, and he will be asked to direct the
war department to change its plans.
Should the camps be established, it is
expected that thousands of negroes
would flock to them to enroll under
the Roosevelt banner.