Phoenix tribune., 1918-11-30
FRENCH AND AMERICAN
GENERALS PRAISE OUR
COLORED TROOPERS
Cool and Brave Soldiers in Trenches
and Gentlemen at Rest in Towns.

WITH THE AMERICAN ARMIES
IN FRANCE-Colored troops from
America already have established
themselves in Europe as being cool
and reliable fighters in the front line.
Both American and French commands
say so, and if the German ever dis
covered who it was that held part of
the line through Argonne' forest, when
the Boches failed to get through some
time ago, the German command has
decidedly high respect for American
colored infantry.
Up and down the line, after the
test of years service, you hear no
doubts expressed regarding the COL
ored infantry. The colored dough-
boys have made good in the line as
well as behind. They have proven
themselves cool and brave soldiers in
the trenches, and gentlemen when
back at rest in French towns. You
are continually running into units of
these colered chaps as you travel up
and down the line from Switzerland
to Flanders.
Some Snappy Drilling
Down in a little town some miles
back of Verdun the correspondent en-
countered large unit of these col
ored chaps, all from Chicago or there
abouts. They had just come back to
rest, after long period in the Ar
gonne forest trenches. Like their pre-
decessors, a negro unit from New
York, they had made a great hit with
the French officers in high command
of the sector Unlike the New York
negroes, these Chicago boys had en-
countered no big fighting. and they
were disappointed at being taken from
the trenches before doing big fight
ing.
The French officers explained that
good soldiers can be recognized Just
as well when they are holding the
line as when they are fighting, but
the colored doughboys were still dis
appointed. Finally, the French gen.
eral of the army came down to review
the negro outfit Down by the creek
they went through some of the snap
piest exercise ever seen, and the
French general was delighted. When
the review. as it had been planned,
was finished, the general turned to
the American colonel:
eff were an American general
what would l do now?" asked the
Frenchman.
"Most anything" replied the Col
onel. "These boys will do anything
you wish"
well, suppose the Germans werc
across the creek" replied the general,
I'D like to have this nearest com
pany attack them"
Maneuver Well Executed
The captain of the nearest com
pany was given the order, and he
marched his men across the meadow,
where they suddenly disappeared
Pretty soon a whistle sounded, and
the company was up and running to-
ward the creek. Only a minute and
then they dropped. waiting. then run.
ming, always skirmishing in the latest
approved French fashion.
When they dropped it was with
two skirmish lines leading off to the
rear, with each man dropping over
the legs of the chap in front of him.
Tin derbies and packs covered the
upper portions of their bodies.
After a. bit of flank movement by
a couple platoons. the supposed Ger
man positions along the creek were
stormed and taken. The French gen
eral was delighted beyond words for
moment. Finally he said: my old
est veterans could do it no better,
even if they we're warned it was on
the program, and your boys did that
extemporaneously." The general re-
membered the review, and few days
later these colored chaps from Chi
cago received a fine letter from him.
congratulating them on their spirit
de corps and their work-Baltimore
American.
-O--