The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-05-16
THE NEGRO AND THE WAR


their money, and their energies tt
the task of mobilizing the Nation fol
the cause of democracy. For thu
Negro holds his citizenship high
Friends of the United States are his
friends. Its foes are his foes.
The United States draws no colol
line in the Army and Navy. 1t sum
mons Negroes to arms just as it does
white. More than 100000 men O
color registered, and already 100000
of these have been called to the train
ing camps to fit themselves for ser
vice.
Thirty-six per cent of all the Ne
groes examined were certified as ply
sically fit for the National Army, &
ratio higher than the whites car
show. In 16 cantonments scattered
throughout the Northern and South
ern States the dusky troops are being
prepared to meet the Hun.
In the old Regular Army of the
pre-war days were four colored reg
iments-the Twenty-fourth and
Twenty-fifth Infantry and the Ninth
and Tenth Cavalry. These troops
proved their value in Cuba during the
Spanish-American War, just as they
did in the Indian campaigns on the
border. They are notably steady
under fire, patient to endure hard
ship, cheerful and good natured at all
times. And they can fight.
The War Department has organized
division of colored troops, known as
the Ninety-second. To lead these
men $50 colored officers were com
missioned after a course of training
at Fort Dodge, Iowa Already a
number OF Negro chaplains have been
named to serve with these and more
(are soon to be appointed. Three reg
iments of Artillery have been formed
and as school for Signal Corps train
ing has been organized Howard
University, an institution for colored
people in Washington, D. c., will be
kept open this summer to supply tech.
nical training to promising men OF
that race. At least $50 Negroes are
engaged in Y. M. C. A. work in the
Army. Some of these are now in
France with the troops serving under
Gen .Pershing.
Back of the actual fighting army is
the army of civilians at home. The
Negroes of the country have joined in
every activity that evinces a spirit of
patriotism. They show whole
hearted desire to take their full share
of the war load. They support the
principles which President Wilson
has defined for us, and they assume
cheerfully the burden laid upon the
country as a whole.
The way that the colored citizen
has taken hold of the Liberty loan is
encouraging. Five thousand Negroes
recently attended a patriotic meeting
in small North Carolina town and
established a record for the quick
purchase of war saving stamps.
This is good but not at all sur.
prlsing," comments the Charlotte IN.
|C0 Observer. 1.-THE southern Negro
has long ago proved his intense pa
triotism. In wars of the past he has
shown that his valor is second to
none, and in patriotic undertakings
in civil life he has done his part
when once that part has been made
clear to him."
The Mosaic Temple, with head
quarters in Arkansas, subscribed $685.
900 to the first Liberty loan and later
invested an additional $4,000. Re-
Gently Secretary McAdoo telegraphed
the Knights of Pythias of Florida, an
other colored order, his appreciation
of their subscription of $4,000 for
bonds. The Provident and Mutual
Insurance Co. of Durham N c., put
$4,000 of its spare funds in the loan.
No figures are available to show
the total amount Of bonds and war
saving stamps purchased by the col
ored people. AS rule they have
bought at the banks where they did
business, and no record has been
kept of sales made particularly to
them. But to show how extensive
these have been it may be mentioned
that Amos Scott, of Philadelphia, has
sold to date bonds to the value of
more than $4,000 to negroes of that
vicinity.
Both white and colored speakers
have toured the country to enthuse