Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1918-06-29
DENIED FULL USE Of
GOVERNNEDT PASS
TO ARMY POST

New York, June 22.---Thc National
Association for the Advancement OF
Colorcd People, through It's Secretary
John r. Shilady, OF Now York,
makes public IL letter addressed TO
the Secretary Of War in which the
Association asks for ruling on the
attitude Of the War Department in
the ease Of colorcd private. S. Il.
Jones, OF st. Louis who while on his
way TO Camp Cody, Dcm!nG. New
Mexico, travelling on train ana
transportation furnished by the gov
eminent. was ordered cut Of Il Pull
man car by the train conductor at
Texarltana. on the border between
Texas and Arkansas.
The Associations letter says in
part, This incident seems to put
sQuarcly up to the War Department
for decision whether the Department
will insist that enlisted men travelling
under government orders shall no ac
corded the kind Of service authorized
by the government and provided for
by the transportation furnished, to
wit, service without discrimination
in Pullman cars when Pullman ser
vice is authorized and provided by
the Department.
In y statement concerning this case
Mr.. Shillady said that the case ltSGit
involved tho question OF whether tAa
government was going to allow us
soldiers, because they were c0iOroH,
to be denied Pullman accommodate
lions even though tho government
had ordered and paid for such ac~
: comm, odations, merely because pre-
Judged elements i'll tiTV@e~elh were
disinclined to allow colored people TO
sit in the same coaches with them.
Mr.. Shillady referred to tho case
of First Lieutenant Tribbet, who on
March 2, while travelling under SIM
liar circumstances upon Iullmah
transportation furnished by the gov
eminent was taken from a Pullman
coach at Chckasha, Oklahoma. ar
rested, and fined five dollars and
costs, approximately twenty-five dol
lars In all, without redress.
1.-THE Association at that time,
said Mr. Shillady, addressed an In
Quiry to the War Department which
was acknowledged during Secretary
Bakers absence in France, with tho
explanation that the matter had been
referred to the Judge Advocate Gen
eral Of the Army. No further action
so far as the Association knows, has
been taken in the matter by the War
Department"
Following is the Associations lot
ter concerning the case OF Private
Jones: II
June 81 1918.
Hon. Newton D. Baker,
Secretary Of War,
Washington, d. G.
Sir,-Jrhe st. Louis Branch OF the
National Association for the Advance
ment. of Colored People advises us
that on Wednesday, June 10, S. p.
Jones of st. Louis, colored, who vol
unfairly enlisted as private in the
United States Army, while travelling
on train and Pullman transportation
furnished by the government, and on
government order to proceed to Camp
Cody, Deming, New Mexico, was or
dered out of Pullman car by the
train conductor at TeXarkana.
The train conductor having de-
clined to honor the United States
government Pullman transportation,
Private Jones left the train at Mar
Shall, Texas This incident seems
to ,>rt Hruar2ly up to tho War Dc
partment for decision whether the
Department will insist that enlisted
men travelling under government or
0erS shall be accorded the klnu OF
service authorized by the government
and provided for by the transporta-
ton furnished, TO wit, service with
out discrimination in Pullman cars
wien Pullman service is authorized
and provided by the Department.
The uniform of the United States
at such a time as this should protect
any citizen from indignity. Can the
government Of the United States con
sent to invidious distinctions between
her soldiers. all alike, whether white
or black, offering themselves in the
service Of their country?
In the name OF the III active
branches OF this Association with a
present membership Of $4,000, and
in that Of the many more thousands
of loyal colored Americans, we ask
your sympathetic consideration OF
the problem presented by the case OF
Private Jones which is typical OF the
treatment either accorded or likely
to be accorded to hundreds, If not
thousands, OF his fellow American
soldiers.
Sincerely yours,
(Signei) JOHN r. SIIILLADY,
~. Secretary