Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1918-09-07
'.IHE: L)OCTOAS PROTEST
To PRESIDENT 0N
RACE: ISSUES

Nichmoud Va. Aug 2S-Wc the
r",'.ihcrS OF 'hr National Medical As
sociatiun. in annual convention as
Scnbl"d With Delegates from every
state in The Union. representing five
thousand medical men. feet that We
owe, il rs Il duty to ourselves. our
race andor nation to make the fol
lowing declarations:
|. As loyal and patriotic medical
| men. We have offered and arc offer.
inG our services to the nation now
in the tnrorS oi = great national criS
is. About one hundred Negro physi-
clans have already been called upon
To render professional service in
Tie Mcd.cll Reserve Corr. In utlG'-
t;"n to this ah~ut two hundred phvsi-
clans have been commissioned in the
Medical Reserve Corps but have not
hcrn assigned to @ctivr duty, not
With%tanding the fact that the Gov
rrnmcnt is calling for more phys:,
clans. We have information that no
more Negro physicians will be com
missioncd in the Medical Reserve
Corps in accordance with the present
policy Of The war Department. We ap
prrc.Htc the representa- ION we already
AaNc hut WE drpl0rr the diScriminl--
'icn against our physicians where
by they are excluded from further
commissions. Thousands Of Negroes
,vn hrinn dr,rtnr ir,n tho ,.n,r .,n1
| u.., ,nnn.,I - a., WV I,n,,,r,,'r,;,,t
riGht the inju$t:c" Of the present pol
icy ana 10 give IL 4 fair representa-
! tiUn of commissioned officers
>. NrGr" physicians who are now he
| ing dr,rtrd arn hnirr ,..it,,nd ,s
ur:vatr; with nn ,nnarrnt rh,ncn nf
n,.,r. i;,.,r.,g,.,r,.,, +, t... ;n,-f;..i. y,
servo Corne wncrn ,hrv could rnndrr
thr nrorrSsion.l enrvirn for which
,nrv hoyr hrrn tr,innl J-rdor thn
new draft age is tn a. a lens. 90
u,r cont or nur rhyeiri,n. ,rn eub
i,,.f ia thr draft .,rd n,av hn ,ceirn
rt n priva,crs Nr hcr,l,v nctition
the War Dcnarlmrrt to rrrrdv this
condition or ,rr,ire uo that orr ,,hvs;
cinr4 can he transferred 10 tnc Nrai
cal Reserve Corps.
>. We heartily apnrovc flo decision
| of the War Drpartmcn, to cnli,i No.
gro trained nurses i'm the Red Cross
Service However, ihis nr:yilrrn t.
limited 10 Scrvir" in The Base hospi
tails at home. The Negro trained
nurse IS loval and trur. and vc m
peal to the War Department TO re-
ward her LOYALTY and devotion hv
giving her The opportunitv ia scrvo
he brave black soldiers on the battle
fields Of Europe
l. As close studrnts or tho War 81,
u:,;ion we realize that adcuuatr provi
sion has not hccn made for the train
ing OF sufficient number OF negro
Officers 10 man The large number
Of drafted Negroes In fact tho
righ' Negro regiments now hcing
formed are manned hy white officers
We give due praise for the RECOGNITION
We have already received in the ma.
ter OF officers in the Army. AT tho
same time we feel that il is only fair
and just to Us ;lS II race. hat il we
are TO lp drafted as Negroes. and
| Erpt in separate regiments as Ne
| arors. We should have our proportion
atc share Of Negro officers assi"ncd
Ia such regiments. We feel that at
this critical hour. loyalty should
dominate race prejudice; and that
the brave black soldier and the patri
o,Ic citizen should not be proddcd in
The back with the fangs OF race pre-
judicc while he is facing the brutal
Hun in the defense of this country
We appeal to the War Department
| To give us Il fair proportion OF Negro
officers for our Negro regiments, to
the end that loyalty and faithful ser
vice may be the test and not the color
OF our skin.
). The Negro physicians constitute
one of the most loyal group Of