Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1918-11-14
OUR NEGRO TROOPS
As seen BY hllANS
Are Found to Be Capable Sol
dieTs Who Recognize Author
ity and Respect superiors.

Rome Cby ynaiD-One going among
the American. troops VINO are arriving
in italy viii he struck most by the
fact that the new army is OF many
colors. II comprises men drawn from
every nationality and of every shade OF
color-whites, negroes, mulattoes,Asi-
atics-faces Of ebony AID Of chocolate
hGes. bro.sn ana olive co%mpleNions, rcd
men ard yeli0W. 1t is a band Of heroes,
selected from tae best and most robust
specimens % tt.e %proudeSt people.
brought from oGiside Europe and of
different origin and color-East In
dians and A.lnaluites. Arabs and Senc-
salese. Even we have our Africans.
That, however, is another thing. All
these form colonial troops composed Of
subject races. In the American army,
instead, all races are on the same foot
ing, all the men. whether white or coll
ored, are treated exactly alike. 1t is
n national! army
The citizens are citizens in their own
states. They have the same rights and
duties as the other men, n as citi-
Hens they have been called 20 arms.
They speak the same tongue, have had
the same opportunity for education,
they are civilized and have evolved and
learned like all other moderns, of sim
liar habits and culture.
That there are inequalities n Diff
ferences when it comes to practical life
is another matter. 1t is not possible to
wipe out at one stroke the differences
of racial traits and social relations.
However, the LAW ignores them. The
LAW (Spelled in capitals) does not see
tho color line ard considers them
Americans, who, by chance, happeN to
be black. They are regarded the same
under military rules.
For that reason the negro recet- es
the same pay, uniform, training and
duties as the white soldier. He can
become a non-commissioned officer, TN
officer, or a member of the military po-
lice. He wears a khaki uniform, the
hat q la Buffalo Bill, and the yellow
shoes with propriety and elegance. Ee
is clean, we'll groomed and smooth
shaver and is punctilious in his Oh
Servance of discipline.
YoL find these boys, whether of chot.
olate and milk or burned coffee color,
brave fellows. They are usually tall
n muscular, diligent and we'll in
formed. In their hours of liberty they
go about the streets and public places,
often giving themselves a tone of great
dignity, like perfect gentlemen. They
show, nevertheless, q certain p~erpleXity.
AT heart their new environment in E,u-
ope and their contact with Europeans
makes them bashful. Perhaps it is due
to the memories or the instinct of a
race which is awakening. Europeans
got off too many bad JOKES at the ex-
/, pense of their f~orefathers.
Travels in a Group Of Negroes.
I Once l found myself OIL board the
little steamer which plies on the Gar
onne between Bordeaux and Sorient, in
the midst of a group Of negro soldiers.
The vessel was packed, but my arrival
in a strange uniform. With marks of
rank unknown to them, crea ted an i'm
preston. Whoever was seated arose at
once; all crowded themselves closer
together to make room tor sne and to
keep away. They stood about me,
proud. contrite, silent, dropping their
eyes if l looked toward then,. At bot
tom they seemed to ask themselves:
What animal is this? 1t iE better to
give him room!"
however. they show th1 greatest re-
spect to all white men, wen to their
fellow soldiers, though / ,hink that If
they did not show it tho white man
would compel it on his own %:ccount
Laws and regulations cal ignore the
INEQUALITIES among citizena, but men,
from II to another, see skem in the
laws of nature. AT Brest, where there
were many colored troops az one time, I
remember this incident: a white SOL
der. strolling through the street in a
group OF his comrades, failed to salute
a negro officer. He was called to ac-
count straightway by q ncn-commis-
stoned officer, and answered.: I'm the
service he is my superior, but at pres
ent we ara in the public street"
1t was we'll for him that he did not
explain further. What he had said all
ready sufficed to make an example of
him n sentence him to severe punish-
ment.