Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1918-10-05
SATURDAY. OCTOBER 5, 1918.
THE: NEGRO AND
Continued From Page 81

DC Dcllcf 10 give up the war rather
than to try to enforce any such dis
ciplinc. But we hear almost nothing
Of all that now. The simple COM
mon sense of the American army de-
clincd TO cXaggerate or lend undue
significance to Il mere disciplinary
form.
Some Of the things which have
happened at tho environments indeed
show an almost fantastic disregard
OF the race feeling which it was said
would be so dangerously rife. There
are colorcd Y. NJ. G. A. huts at the
camps and in some of the camps they
are constantly rcsorted to by white
and even Southern white soldiers.
And at one Southern camp an order
had to be issued forbidding white
soldiers to use the colored hut, as
there was not sufficient accommodate
ton for both races. And it almost
came to Il point where tho segre-
gated white soldiers protested for
their equal rights!
The "Bulfalo Auditorium" erected
at Camp Upton by the 367th mfan-
try at their own expense or with
money raised by them and presented
to the camp is the theatre Of con-
slant entertainments, and when the
"DarNOwn Follcs" or other classics
OF the colored theatre arc presented
the white audience is as big if not
bigger than the colored, and often
bigger than the audience at the white
camp theatres.
The singing Of the colored soldiers
which has been developed under
competent training has doubtless had
much to do with tho promotion of
good feeling. No one who has heard
la ,,,1.
boys singing "rhe Old Flag Never
Touched tho Ground" "Swing Low
Sweet Chariot or "Little David,
Play on Your Harp" can keep from
ut least Il momcntary fricndliness
towards the singers. And when Lit
tie David is enthusiastically conjurcd
to jump on his harp and even to
slide on ii the infectious good nature
Of the black race generally conquars
the listener.
So much for tho problem OF the
actual mingling Of the races in the
camps. One Negro lad laughingly
assured Il white boy that there was
no harm in their soldering together
he too, SO he said, had white blood
in his veins, as his ancestors had
once eaten Il Baptist missionary!
SO far we have dealt only with
Il soldier-wc have still to touch on
too great oagcrncss to force him into
the ranks. In some parts OF the
South-hy no means all parts-there
appeared on the announcement OF the
draft Il feeling that the Negroes must
be taken for "cannon fodder" before
the white were heavily drawn upon.
The Local Boards Of Exemption OF
Fulton County, Georgia (Atlanta the
county scaD and Taliafcrro County
were so unfair to colorcd draftees
that the Secretary Of War ordered
their Immediate discharge or rcmov-
al.
In the cases OF both of these
Boards there were Wholesale cXcmp-
lions and discharges of white men for
all sorts of causes Or excuses, and
Tin the case Of tho Atlanta Board),
only six discharges or exemptions
granted colored draftees. The UNI
fairness and discrimination was so
manifest that the Secretary Of War
did not hesitate for n moment.
These are Of course exceptionally
fragrant cases, yet tho figures Of the
first draft are food for thought.
1928 per cent. Of the colored men
examined We're certified for service,
while only 2i.75 per cent. OF the
white men were taken. The Provost
Marshal Generals office officially says
that this difference between colorcd
men and white men is "probably not
due to either Il difference in physical
qualifications, nor to a difference
in the applicability Of the sew
eral legal grounds for exemption
and discharge" One can only COM
,ment, probably not. But if the Nc
gro is really so much stronger, so
much more available for military
service than the white man, so much
more is he Il national asset.
Even outside actual military ser
vice there have been what seemed to
the Negro discouragemcnts to pa
triotism. 1t seemed for example
that colored trained nurses should be
enrolled and allowed at least to give
their aid to the i'll and wounded of
their own race at home and abroad.
No very strong argument against
this enrolment was advanced, but
for long time it did not take place.
And the Red Cross, which has as a
national organization, all the best
intentions in the world toward the
colored race, encountered many diff
ficulties in Carrying them out
Membership in the Red Cross was,
1antaSlcaily enough, conceived III
some parts Of the country to be
social distinction which could never
be bestowed upon the Negro. It was
even suggested that a "Black Cross
be organized. Difficulties were put
in the way OF organizing colored
chapters, badges and pins were
withhold. and surgical dressings pro-
duceG by Negro women were rejected
wholesale. Yet the colored people
persisted. The nurses raised money
to present an ambulance and Red
Cross branches were formed and
knitting and sewing do go on.
The Negro is after all an optimist,
an opportunist, and something Of a
gambler. He believes that the war
presents the greatest opportunity of
service to the country which has ever
been offered his race. And broadly
speaking he is content to wait for