The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1918-10-12
A CASE IN EQUITY.

The Negro has but one purpose in
the present national crisis and that is
to win the war and win it fully, with
out any sort of compromised peace or
bargain at the peace table. He is
agreed and fully subscribes to the pro-
gram of the nation and gives his last
ounce of devotion without quiver or
question to the end that the Huns may
be driven to their knees and that the
world shall be made safe for all times
We answered the call of the first
draft with an alacrity that dumb
founded our enemies and brought our
friends to their tiptoes. We supplied
our quota and more. The only COM
plant that has arisen from these loyal
and faithful Negroes is that more of
them have not been able to face the
enemy in the very thickest of the
fight. So anxious were our boys for
the fray that they spurned the posi-
tions that were practically free from
danger. They much preferred the spot
Wnere bullets tnlCkeSt lily.
! In the draft that is now under way
we will respond in like manner as we
did in the first draft, and we are glad
of the chance. But in all this we are
frank to say that we are just men
enough to be like other men and de-
sire for ourselves, as well as for our
posterity, every advantage that comes
' 4 aHr-f11 I'M
, ly on the altar of our national life.
In the first draft we received some
thing like 1000 officers, when our
quota, figuring on a rough basis,
would have been something like 5000.
These officers in the line were from
the rank of Second Lieutenant to that
of Captain. Even in this we have not
made very large progress, from the
recognition given colored troops in
the Civil War, for even at that time
there were Negroes commissioned to
the rank of Captain. The Negroes
in this country, and we speak now not
of small segment but for the race
of twelve million, feel that the mini
mum request is that they should have
every line officer up to the rank of
Captain. The 1000 officers who were
given us in the first draft have made
good. The Negro regiment that was
decorated in it's entirety on the West
ern front for it's bravery was led by
colored officers. And whenever col
ored officers have been placed in di-
rect charge of troops they have had a
racial pride, as well as a national
pride, to defend, and they did.
On the other hand, when our quail
fled men are set aside and men of
other races are put over our troops,
our troops may fight, but they do not
fight with the enthusiasm that they
would if their own men were given a
chance. So that in the interest of
morale, as well as the efficiency of
our Army, we are asking that in this
second draft we shall have our pro
rata of line officers, at least to the
rank of Captain, if not further.
1t would seem that the equity in the
case would insist upon this. We know
thoroughly well that it is the desire
of our Negro population. Touch any
element of our racial life and pro
pound the question of Are line Off
GERS desired?" and there is but one
answer. If the French government
can commission Negro men all the
way up to the rank of General, why
should America lag behind when we
| have millions of the best Negro popu
lation of the world?
We have no reason to doubt but
{ that the government will give us an
other such training camp as we had
) at Fort Des Moines, if not a training
camp then any provision to its liking
that will furnish to the Negro troops
, of the second draft our quota of line
/, officers, both for the inspiration OF
our troops and the race in its en-
tlrety, as well as for the efficiency ol
r our troops. and furthermore as rec
r ognition of our enthusiastic loyalty tt
: the nation in this time of its awfu
: crisis.
!, We are calling attention to this
3 fact because there are forces ALREADY
= at work to give us as few line officer:
: as possible. If such a propaganda
a succeeds it will be at the expense o
! the efficiency of our Army and in thu
interest of personal and racial ad
; vancement. The equity in the cas-,
n justifies the expectation that ou
hopes will be realized and that GU
r canabla men of training and of leader