Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1919-07-19
WHITE SOLDIERS MALTRElTED
TOO.

Colorcd troop from overseas have
been compla ming bitterly on account
Of race prejudice ana racial discrimi
, nations. They have alleged that
. they have been brutally treated. 1t
now seems that the same treatment
visited upon colorcd men was inflct
cd upon white ones, but not from the
same angle. III all that has appear
I'd in DR.. w. T.. Il. Dubois disclos
urcs in the New York Crisis nothing
exceeds in downright brutality, the
| following tclcgraphic dispatch from
! the National Capital:
" Washington, July ia species
of dcSputism worse than tina t for
which we are going to punish the
kaiser" WAS charged against tho
officials OF the provost marshals OF
flee Of the American army in Paris,
by Representative Ballingcr, Of Mas
sachuSctts IN the house today.
He said American boys "who went
across the sea imhucd with patriotism
the best blood of our land-arc de-
, clarcd to have been beaten. dubbed,
Starvcd--all in the name OF dcmoc
racy."
Con, inuing he said ii is charged
| that men caught in the web OF tho
: American military police system OF
paris were placed in vile prison pens.
! "'That our soldiers some oi them
iwcaring wound stripes some return
ing to duty after weeks and months
OF suffering in hospitals were thrown
, into prison without trial and without
|, charges ever being preferred against
, thCm for such ollcnScs as failure to
, have proper military travel orders i'll
their possession.
"Eyidcncc is produces; showing
that mon were hit and dubbed until
j'hry blcG and tainted and that one
imam even preferred death to tho
treatment to which he was subjected
and took his own life
Mr.. DallingCr quoted from a lritcI
he had received from James w. Beck
, man OF New York city former SCI
, gcat major OF the American cNpvd
tionary forces. He said he had mot
D by Mr.. Bcckman and had read copies
: OF aifidaVitS SuhStantiating those
{chargcS.
| have talked with men who served
IN the army in Francc,' Mr.. DAZZLING
CT continued and they state that the
II conditions described were matters 81
II common knowledge to the American
;. soldier IN France and I have become
. convinced that there is truth in these
. lcpol s.
y! Three paragraphs from Mr.. Beck
mars letter were read to the house;
~ mos" horrible incident was tx
! Il no not al
English very we'll, much less under
O. stand it thoroughly. He was STRUCK
. ,anl haa.nn for not swapping to ;
miro" coln:n;rd. lie crnd, "This j:
q ,t.rrible."
II Well show You how terrible 1
s lis, r.r!icd those who We're hca'.l:
II shim and he was taken before person
;ncl officer and two scrgcantS. A leu
ttcnant beat him again and put hin
in :, eel: on bread and water. Ev
lGcntly they considered this too goo;
. for him SO he was placed in q pup
4 tent for solitary confinement.
"During the afternoon his quictncs
- was noticed and when they went owe
S and tore his tent down he was lyin!
@ Ion his back with his throat cut.
q was about an hour before the amhu
tlancc arrived and the silent form
= flornc of to thc hospital. And thou
0 tSandS Of miles across the sea ant
Gland perhaps there awaited gray
shairCd mother with q service star i,
the window of her humble home. VIII,
| src"civcd word from the war dcpar
smcnt that General PorShing had II
sDortcd her son among those who dice
c from other causes"
ell Mr.. D2llinGcr resumed. owe cal
:. mot sit idle while stories of torture
ESuch as these arc made.
I have turned over the information
in my possession to the select con
!. imittcc Of the house appointed to Il
lvcstigatc expenditures Of the war d
II Ipartmcnt. | shall watch the invcstig
d ition Of these charges by that commi
f toc and I know that every other mon
Der Of this house will do the same.
W There Will hc unanimous deman,