The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-07-29

gressman Lonergan has gathered com plete data on the activities of the col lored race in America in the war which shows the many ways in which the colored people are doing their bit" They are in the forefront in the Army, in the Navy, and in other branches of war work, and the Illuminating statement so carefully prepared by Congressman Lonergan will not only be of great interest to the colored pop ulation of Connecticut, but to the white residents as well.
 He states, Under the first draft made in pursuance of the Selective Service Law, there were 737,62S col cred registrants, or nearly per cent of the total registration of the B. l686,508, and of these 737,628 colored .registrants over 227 900 have been mo- bilized for service in home camps or ordered to duty overseas. Approxi- mately 4,000 young colored men are in Is of the leading colored schools of the land taking special courses in technical and mechanical branches, fit ting themselves for such essential ser vice in the army as radio operators, auto mechanicE carpenters, electri- clans, bench wood workers, truck dri- vers, blacksmiths. wheelwrights, con- crete workers, pipe-fitters, horse shoers, machinists general engineers, and the like.
 These schools are located in the North and South and West. Colored troops are stationed in camps in all sections Of the country, and evince a remarkable aptitude for military du- ity and are enthusiastic to the last de- gree.
 The number of voluntary enlist ments Is very large among the ne groes, indicating a willingness to serve the nation and to aid in winning the peoples war" The selective draft is being cheerfully responded to.
 A memorandum from the Provost Marshal General to the Secretary of War, of date June 1st, says. in part:
 "The first draft shows that of 2O8,- 95Jcolored men. who, before Novem- Der 12, 1917, had been called for ex- animation by the boards, 133,256 had been rejected, exempted, or dis charged; of the 2,S73,996 white men
 
 been rejected, exempted or discharg- ,ed. It thus appears that 63.77 per cent. of the colored men were reject ed, exempted, or discharged, as against 75.25 per cent. of the white men. To put 1t in another way, 36.23 per cent. of the colored men examined were certified for service, and 24.75 per cent. of the white men were cer- tified for service"
 Estimates indicated that the per cent. of exemptions claimed by col ored men was gratifyingly low, in pro- portion to numbers called.
 Enlistments of whites and blacks in the army are on the same basis ac- cording to recent ruling by the Sec ,retary of War, and the declaration was made that all instances of alleged un- fairness by local boards would be carefully investigated by the War De- partment and all proven wrongs cor rected regardless of color.
 About 1000 negro officers have been commissioned in the National Army as captains, first and second lielftenants, with approximately 25O \ colored medical officers of the Medi- cal and Dental Reserve Corps. Many of these officers are graduates of first grade colleges, such as Harvard. Yale, University of Pennsylvania, Am herst, etc. The officers training school for colored men last year at Camp Dodge, Des Moines, Iowa. was a success, as was also a camp for the training of colored men in artillery at Camp Meade. Provision has been made for training camp in field ar ttillery for colored men at Camp Tay- flor, Louisville, Ky, and one for train ing in infantry at Camp Pike, Arkan- sas.
 Negroes are now represented in practically every branch of military service including:
 Infantry. Cavalry, Field Artillery Coast Artillery, Signal Corps (radio and telegraph operators) Medical Re serve Corps, veterinary corps, .engin- eers, hospital and ambulance corps besides an array of chemists, agricul- tural experts, topogra phical drafts men, surveyors, etc. Negroes are al so rendering yeoman service in service battalions, stevedore regiments and depot brigades, in this country an6 Fa aDTOdu. 1TOVlSlOn VIII soon DC made for the utilization of many O. the colored physicians, surgeons pharmacists dentists and trained nur ses now in readiness for induction in to the active service of the army.
 Thirty-five or more colored chap 1ains are in the various companies and they are doing excellent work il elevating the moral tone of the negrt troopers. Two hundred are engaged in Y. M. c. A. work, with more com ing. many taking special training fo the same at schools devoted to train ing men for Y. M. c. A. war work. l goodly number of colored women ar in charge of hostess houses and so cial centers, yielding a wholesom moral influence upon the men In tn camps and making conditions for tn visits of female relatives and friend under proper and pleasant auspices.
 The social evil is being reduced t a minimum by rigid regulations an instructions by experts on the danger of contact with immoral women. Re creational centers are being establish ed in the camps and in the cities near by and soldiers clubs. directed by tn army authorities and religious agen cies are giving to the men the diver sion they need while off duty. Mu sic-folk-songs and "spirituals" clas sic music, and bands and orchestra. with theatres for dramatic and phot exhibitions are to be found in ever place where soldiers are stationed These recreational centers are largel