The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1917-07-06
TRAINING OF NEGROES
FOR ARMY OFFICERS.
BY Victor H. Shultz.

Twelve hundred Negroes, from
every corner Of the United States.
4O per cent of them with college edu.
cation, 40 per cent professional men
OF high standing, 10 per cent with
business training and 10 per cent sol
diers from the regular army colored
regiments, will complete tomorrow
their first week Of training drill at
Fort Des Moines in preparation for
offlcers' positions in the twenty-five
Negro regiments to be raised by the
selective draft law.
Yes sir, this is some Job, making
ofncers out Of these fellows in three
months said one husky sergeant
who had been private in the regular
army. You can't give these tender
young college boys orders just any
old way, you gotta be careful. No,
now, don't put that in the paper un.
der my name; 1t might hurt these
fellows feelings. Why, they think
they're tough" And the big soldier
laughed heartily.
Fourteen Companies Formed.
Fourteen companies, each occupy.
ing building with its officers, have
been formed, and have been drilling
hours every day for the past week
learning formation drill, rife disci.
pline, signal practice and all the
manuals of the army that they could
assimilate In twenty-fUur hours of
study and discussion. The men have
been eating, sleeping and living army
regulations.
For the war department has decided
that henceforth Negro soldiers of the
United States army shall be Differed
by men Of their own race, and to this
end has gathered together what is ex.
pected to be q sufficient number of
capable men who, with training, will
be able to command the troops when
they reach France.
And they are eager to go, too.
We're only afraid that the war'll be
over before we get there" said Sergt.
George A. Holland, who has served al.
most twenty years in the regular
army as regimental supply sergeant
OF the Twenty-fourth Infantry, col
ored. Sergeant Holland stands feet
tall, and weighs at the present date
23S pounds. He outranks all other
supply sergeants in the country, and
has only been prevented from climb
ing higher because Of the rule that
only white officers shall command
Negro troops in the regular army.
But all that is changed now, and the
sergeant may become a captain, or
even a colonel, perhaps, in the con.
scripted army.
Proud of His Rockies.
Zine bunch OF mem" said the SER
geant in reply to question. eyes,
sir. Why, in my company alone, this
morning when they called for all the
doctors and dentists to step out Of
the ranks, I found five who had been
nracticing medicine in Georgia. We
have two undertakers and nearly all
of our men are graduates or have
been students Of the colleges in Geor-
gia."
Company 7, Of which the sergeant
was speaking, Is made up exclusively
of men from the state of Georgia. As
far as was practicable the fort COM
manders placed the men from differ
ent sections Of the country in the
same companies. There is one COM
pany that includes men from WASH
ingtOn, d. c. In this company the
great majority are from the famous
Howard University for Negroes. It
Is estimated that Company 3 has 95
per cent Of its membership from
Howard.
Col. Bailou Popular.
Col. Ballou, in command of the
camp, is good humored officer who
is known by his men as an easy man
to get acquainted with, and SYM
pathetic listener to all their troubles.
But he is strict disciplinarian. He
has orders to make the Negroes as