The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-05-19
ROOSEVELT WANTS NEGROES.
PREPARING TO MUSTER LARGE
NUMBER FOR EXPEDITION TO
FRANCE.
Reported That He Has Had Agents at
Work i'm South for Weeks Engaged
in Preliminary Recruiting Work
Among Negroes.

Washington, May 15.-If the in
formation that reached this city to-
day to the effect that Col. Theodore
Roosevelt, through negro men in the
South. is preparing to muster enough
men Of that race to recruit his ex-
pedtionary forces and that the gov
crnment is contemplating temporary
camps for their mobilization at cer-
tain cities in the South is correct,
this situation coupled with the fact
that those cities where it is proposed
to encamp the negroes do not want
them may force the war department
TO draw the color line
III. L. Johnson of Atlanta, who was
formerly register Of deeds of the Dis
trict Of Columbia under both the
Roosevelt and Taft administrations
and who is perhaps one of the fore
most negroes i'm the United States
since the death of Booker Washing
ton, is at the head of the movement
to recruit the Roosevelt volunteers
from among the negro men of the
country, and especially from the
South, where the white element is
none too strong for Teddy.
Johnson, who is keen observer
Of events, is said to have taken
census of negroes in the South and
to have become we'll satisfied that
within a few days he will be able 10
sign up enough men Of his race to
fully recruit tho Roosevelt division,
i'm the event the president signs the
army bill with the Roosevelt pro-
vision Incorporated.
johnson began his Roosevelt move
ment in Georgia and it has spread, it
is said, through Alabama, Mississippi,
South Carolina and the other States
of the South until there is fear that
great havoc will be wrought the
farming interests as soon as the ne
groes begin their hegira to join tho
new division. Hundreds of them in
bunches are said to have already no.
titled hnson 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 received 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 Roose-
Welt as the greatest man the world
ever did or ever will produce-even
greater than Lincoln himsclf-a
modern Moses to lead them out of
the wilderness to make them ready
to go.
1t is expected that if the president
signs the military bill with the
Roosevelt amendment strong petit
tions will be presented to him in
Vo'ving two sides to the question:
First, the depletion Of the farm lands
by the organization of the force. and.
secondly, 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 de-
eide tentatively upon q plan for the
mobilization of the negro men i'm
Columbia, Greenville, Macon, Atlanta
or elsewhere in the South against
what is believed to be for the best
! interests Of those sections, the presi-
dent will doubtlcssly lie promptly ad-
vised that such action is not wanted
and he will be asked TO direct the
war department to change its plans.
Should The camps be established If ;s
expected that thousands of negroes
would flock to them to enroll under
the Roosevelt banner.