The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1918-02-09
CAMP FUNSTON, KANs.
The Enlistment Of coIored Men Into
Technical Positions of the coiored
Divisions of Our Army.


1. Believing that your paper has at
| heart the best interest of the country
and Of the Colored race, am appeal.
ing to you to publish an article in the
next edition of your paper, on the
great need of the Colored division
here, for intelligent, educated and
technically trained men.
2. 1t is believed that many men
who have not already been called by
the draft, but who are liable to be
called in future drafts, would much
rather enlist now and get positions
similar to ones with which they are
familiar in civil life than to wait until
they are actually drafted and placed
unfortunately as privates in the
huge concentration camps scattered
all over the country. This action on
the part of a man should also appeal
to his pride, because, if he elects to
choose this method of entering the
service, he can class himself as a
volunteer instead of having waited to
be called.
3. Such an opportunity exists in
this division right now. The Ord
nance Department, the department of
our Army which handles the big guns,
rifles, machine guns, and fighting
equipment of the soldiers, is going to
organize what is known as a Mobile
Repair Shop. This is in reality
machine shop on wheels, consisting of
large number of powerful motor
trucks especially equipped for run
ming up behind the lines in France,
and making all manner of repairs to
the injured guns ad material
4. Every day that is added to the
terrible conflict bears out more and
more the fact that this is a war of
guns and material-individual be-
come more and more dependent upon
the steefpwhich makes up their guns,
and the bullets which go into them
For those reasons it can readily be
seen that the work of repairs is of
paramount importance, and the Mo-
bile Shop is calling for the best talent
of our race.
5. The men desired will receive
rank varying from privates to ord
nance sargeants, and pay from S 80
to S5l month, food and clothing fur
nished free. Men possessing the fol
lowing qualifications must be obtain
ed and must be obtained at once:
Ca) Men competent to act as gen.
eral superintendents in the Mobile
Shop. They should have sufficient
mechanical and executive ability to
be foremen of a good sized machine
shop in civil life. They should be ia
'miliar with the use of the lathe, drill
press, bench grinder, electric drill,
oXyacatelene welding outfit, air-rivet-
in ghammer, milling attachment,
blacksmith and wheelwright outfits.
They should have had extended exper-
fence in the up-keep of gas engines
and the use and repair of automobile
trucks.
CD Men competent to act as fore
men of the machinery sections of the
shop, capable of supervising the vari-
Gus kinds of repairs which come with
in the scope OF such apparatus as is
named in section (a) above.
Co Men competent to act as fore
men of the equipment sections of the
shop, capable of supervising all kinds
OF repairs on rifles, pistols, machine
and automatic guns.
I'D Men who are first-class machin-
lists and all-around auto mechanics.
(e) Men who have a thorough
working knowledge of small machin-
cry and tools and special experience
in saddlery or the repair of leather
goods or canvas articles.
CD Men who are expert mechanics
and who have had special experience
in auto repair work.
(g) Men who have had the train
ing of apprentices in a machine shop
and are qualified to act as helpers
and assistants to expert mechanics.
(h) Cooks.
D Stenographers and typists,
Cd Clerks, men capable of handl-
in ga typewriter, keeping records and
with ability to learn readily the sys-
tenn of military correspondence.
6. Men who contemplate enlisting
for those positions should not be
frightened by the use of the names of
strictly military material. Men who
show the proper aptitude and training
will shortly be sent to large manufac-
turing concerns throughout the coun-
try, and will receive special courses
of instruction varying from 80 to 70
days. along the lines of work which
are particularly desired. This is an
other big inducement for men who de-
sire to improve themselves at govern
ment expense, while they are at the
same time doing their bit. The fact