The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1918-09-21
OVER THERE.
What the Knights of Columbus are
Doinu for U.s.,

(By Joseph J.. Canavan.)
Unofficial reports filtering back
from the fighting front in France
have added the final touch of amplifi-
cation to the phrase contained in a
German official statement when the
big drive by American troops was at
it's heights a few weeks ago, and
which noted that "black Americans
had hammered their way gloriously
through the Hun lines.
1t was not, though, until the battle
was over, according to the unofficial
version of the same fighting, that the
brigade commander summoned the
colonel of a Negro regiment before
him and demanded to know in terse
military fashion, why hat colonel had
not maintained better control over his
troops, and why, above everything
else, he had not stopped" his men and
kept them from passing beyond their
appointed detectives, and in fact,
hacking their way through ahead of
their own protective barrage.
Stop them?" queried the colonel.
stop them?" He'll, man, how could
you expect me to stop them, when
the whole German army couldn't do
it,"
The brigade commanders reply is
not of record, either officially or I'M
officially, but the story is only one
of a thousand that is being told of the
admirable dash and courage Of the
Americans who compose the Negro
units of the eXpeditionary force and
which everyday are gu there in the
thick of the fighting and holding Their
place in the line wherever they may
be called upon to do their military bit,
In just the same manner, the men
who compose those regiments are par,
taking of the carefully built up well
fare work that is being accomplished
on both sides of the water by the
Knights of Columbus Committee on
War Activities. In fact, they are re-
ceiving special attention, both in the
camps in this country and X. of G.
huts in France, and the work among
the Negro troops is being b~roadened
as rapidly as the numbers of the Ne,
groe troops grow, under the operation
of the selective service laws and by
voluntary enlistment, the latter ap'
~parently being a particularly inviting
method for Negroes getting into the
army.
Under the system as it now has been
worked out, the Negro soldier needs
no other countersign than his khaki
uniform to gain for him everything ad
vantage offered by the Knights serv
ice. True, there r places, both IL
this country and abroad, where the
Knights of Columbus have erected spe
cial huts for the use of the Negro sol
diers. But where that has been done
it has been at the express request o.
Negro soldiers themselves, who il
numerous instances have expressed {
preference for a building of their own
where they may enjoy their own pleas
ures in their own way, and be assure
of meeting their own friends when anC
where and under what circumstances
they desire.
AS the work expands and as thu
number of Negro troops has been en-
larged, the facilities for catering t.
their wants have been corresponding
ly increased in keeping with the re
Gently adopted slogan of the organi
zation Everybody Welcome-Every
thing Free" The baseballs, tenni
equipments, shower baths, books
candy, c~igaretts and all the othe
things which the Knights have beef
distributing to the soldiers in thi
country as we'll as abroad the trans
ports and in the camps, rest billet
and front line trenches in France hav'
gone in equal proportion to the Negr'
troops under the organizations rul'
that the war service of the Knights
shall be conducted without regard Il
race, color, religion or any other fac
tor except that the recipient of it be
member either of the military or nav
forces of the United States.