Cayton's weekly. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1916-1921, 1918-12-07

in the Aviation Corps there or elsewhere
Thus again back to the army and the
Negro as a soldier. But as the war progresses it
is the Negro at the front in France who seems to
call for notice. Here the batte-line is his real
test as American in the year 1918. Here he
well other races not of. the old American
stock, hopes to be fused into the new American
ism which embraces all. Here on this old and
SCARED soil, the Negro hopes not only to receive
the cross from France, but from America his own
America he feels it, the even greater prize,
American citizenship in broader deeper sense
than ever before
Testimony must come straight from the front.
And happily is possible to reproduce here parts
of letter to Mr.. Emmett Scott from command
ing officer of one of the first in France. Himself
white man, he speaks for us all with authority
"I have two battalions in the trenches The
three rotate Our boys have had their baptism
of fire. They have patrolled No Mans Land They
have gone raids and of my lieutenants has
been cited for decoration. Of course it is still
in the experimental stage, but two questions of
the gravest Importance to Country and to the
Negro race have, in my opinion, been answered.
First: How will American Negro soldiers, in
Guiding commissioned officers (of whom I still
have fve) get along in service with French SOL
diers and officers-as for instance Negro regi-
ment of Infantry serving in French combat d.
vision?
Second Will the American Negro stand up un-
der the terrible shell fire of this war as he has
always stood under rifle fire and thus prove his
superiority spiritually and Intellectually to all
the black men of Africa and Asia, who have failed
under these conditions and whose use must be
limited to attack for shock troops?
eve have answered the first question in most
gratifying way. The French soldiers have not the
slightest prejudice feeling The poilus and
my boys great chums, eat, dance, sing march
and fight together in absolute accord. The French
officers have little, if any feeling about Negro Of
fcers. What little, if any, is not racial but from
skepticsm that colored (judging of course
by those they have known) can have the technical
education necessary to make efficient officer.
However, I write these lines Capt. and
Lieut.. - are living at the French officers mess
at our division Infanterie School, honored guests
''The program enclose gives you an idea of the
way I've cultivated friendship between my boys
and the poilus You should have seen the 500
soldiers, French and mine, all mixed up together
cheering and laughing at the show while the Boche
shells (bOX size) went screaming over our
heads
Nov on the second question: perhaps I am
premature. But both my two battalions which
have gone in have been under shell fire, serious
and prolonged once, and the boys just laughed
and cuddled into their shelters and read old news
papers. 1t was getting very around the roll
ing kitchen. The cooks went along about their
business in absolute unconcern until the alarmed
French soldiers to them and told them to beat
it. One of the cooks said oh that's all right
boss. They amt hurting none They are pos
itively the most stoica and mysterious men I've
ever known. Nothing surprises them. And we
now have expert opinion. The French officers
say they are entirely different from their own
African troops and the Indian troops of the Brit
lsh, who are so eXctable under shell fire. Of
course. l have explained that my boys are public
school boys, wise in their day and generation, no
caste prejudice, accustomed to the terrible noises
OF subway elevated and street traffic of New York
City (Which would drive any desert man or Hima-
laya mountaineer mad) and are all Christians.
Also that while the more ignorant ones might not