New Britain herald., 1918-08-01
CONG. LONERGAN OFFERS FACTS ABOUT THE NEGRO IN THE WAR
 Colored Registration Represented Nearly Eight Per Cent of the Total Out of Which 227OOO Have been Mobilized-Statstics of Value to Colored People

Washington, D. C., Aug. 1.-Con- gressman LonorGAn has gathered romptetc dat4 on the activities of the colored race in America in the war which shows the many ways in which the colorcd 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 llum- mating statement so carefully pre- pared by Congressman bonergan will not only be of great interest to the co1ored population 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 787S2S col OTed roGiStrants. or nearly & per cent. of the total registration of the g. 385.50S and of these 737,6 cOlOred regstrants over 327,000 have been mol1ilizCd for service in home camps or ordered to duty overseas. Ap- proximately 4 1000 young COlOred men are in 15 of the leading cOlored schools of the land taking special courses in technical and mechanical branches. fitting themselves for such essential service in the army as radio pICld l0Io, auto ulCtuHIltS, 1rtl oCli- ters, electricians, bench wood work CTS, truck drivers blacksmiths, wheelrights concrete workers, pipe filters, h0rscshoers, machinists, gen. oral engineers and the like.
 Remarkable Military Aptitude.
 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 duty and arc enthusiastic to the last de- gree.
 The number of voluntary enlist ments is very large among the Ne groes indicating willingness to serve the nation and to aid in win ming the "people's wat The selec- tive draft is being cheerfully respond ed to-
 Provost Marshal's Mcmorandum.
 \ mcmorandum from the provost marshal general to the secretary Of war, of date June 1st, says in part:
 "The first draft shows that of 2OS,- 953 colored men. who, before NOvem- Der 12. 1917, had been called for ex- animation by the boards, l33 256 had been rejected, exempted, or dis charged; of the 2,875,996 white men called for examination, 2.162,7S3 had beon rejected, exempted or dis charged. It thus appears that 63.77 per cent. Of the colored men were re- jected. exempted or discharged, as against 75.25 per cent. of the white men. TO put it in another way, 36.23 per cent of the white men were certi- were certified for service, and 24.75 per cent of the whit men were certi- fled for service"
 Estimates indicated that the per cent. of exemptions claimed by col orede men was gratifyingly low, in proportion to numbers called.
 White and Blacks Equal.
 EnIstments of whites and blacks in the army are on the same basis, according to a recent ruling by the secretary of war. and the declaration was made that all instances of al- Ieged unfailness by local boards would he carefully investigated by the war department and all proven wrongs corrected regardless of color.
 About 1000 Negro officers have been commissioned in the national army as captains, first and second lieutenants with approximately 25o colored medical officers of the modi~ cal and dental reserve corps. Many of these officers are graduates Of first grade colleges, such as Harvard, Yale. University of PennsylVanla Amherst etc. The officers training school for colored men last year at Camp Dodge, Dcs MC;nes, 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 tiIInrv for rOlOred men at Camp Fay Tor. Louisville, Ky, and one for train ing in infantry at Camp Pike. Ar1an- SaS.
 Cotoled Doctors Soon.
 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 reserve corps, veterinary corns. engincers. hospital and ambu- lance corps besides an array or chemists, agricultural experts, tOpO~ graphical draftsmen. surveyors, etc. Nocr0os are also rendering yeonlan service in service battaliOnS, steve dOres' reainCnts and depot hriGadoS, in this country and abroad. Provision will soon be made for the utilization
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