The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1918-10-23

TBT UNITED PREss.l
NEGRO SOLDIERS MAKING GOOD.
WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY IN
FRANCE. Oct 2s.-Colored troops
from America already have establish
ed themselves in Europe as being cool
and reliable fighters In the front line
Both American and French commands
say so, and il the Germans ever dis
covered who il was that held part Of
the line through Argonne Forest when
the boches failed to get through some
time ago. tho 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 colored in
fantry The darI<ie doughboys have
made good in the line es well be-
hind They have proven themselves
cool. and brave soldiers in the trench
o. and gentlemen when back at rest
in French towns. 1T,ou are continually
running into -ktEAof these colored
chaps as you II Sup and down the
line from Switzerland 10 Flanders.
Down In little town some miles
ba * OF Verdun the United Press cor
respondent encountered a large unit
Of these colored chaps. sill from Chi
caEo or Whereabouts. They had just
come back 10 rest. after a long period
in the Argonne Forest trenches. Like
their predecessors. negro unit from
New York. they had made a great hit
with the French officers in high COM
mand or the sector. Unlike the New
York negroes. these Chicago boys had
encountered no big fighting. and they
were disappointed at being taken from
the trenches before doing big fighting.
The French officers explained that
good soldiers can be recognized just
as yell when they are holding the line
as when they are fighting. but the
darkie doughboys we're still disap-
pointed Finally the French general
OF the army came down TO review the
negro outfit Down by the creek they
went through some OF the snappiest
exercises ever seen. and thu French
general was delighted. When the re-
view as it had been planned was fin
ished the general turned to the Amer
lean colonel.
If I were an American general
what would I do now? asked the
Frenchman.
Most anything" teplied the colonel.
These boys will do anything You may
wish"
wei. suppose the Germans were
across the creek replied the gen
eral. I'D like to have this nearest
company attack them"
The captain of thee nearest company
was given the order. and he marched
his men across the meadow, where they
suddenly disappeared Pretty soon
whistle sounded and the company was
up and running toward the creek on
~ a minute. and then they dropped |
waiting. then running. always Skin
mishing in the latest approved French
fashion. When they dropped it was
with two skirmish lines in advance
and two support lines leading off to
the rear with each man dropping over
the legs OF the chap IN front Of him
Tin dorbies and packs covered the up
per 20. ton Of their bodies.
After bit. flank movement by a
couple or platoons. the supposed Ger
man positions along the creek were
stcrmed and taken The French gen
eral was delighted beyond words for
a moment. Finally he said. Ny oldest
veterans could not do It better, even if
they were warned II was on the pro-
gram. and your boys did that tre-
nendously." The general remembered
the review. and few days later these
colored chaps from Chicago received
fine letter from him. congratulating
them on their esprit de corps and their
work
1t was interesting to see how those
colored boys mixed with the French
Inhabitants of the village. with whom
the Americans were billeted The
French folk like the colored boys. and
felt highly honored at the way the lat
ter learned French. The darkies are
getting extremely fluent, and it fits
entirely with their scheme OF things TO
use French forms or politeness.
Down the battle line a large unit
of colored troops was encountered a
serious business. It was going into
the line. taking over a hilly and i'm
portant sector. formerly held BY the