Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1919-05-10
TO WHOM 1T MAY CONCERN.

The carly, years after the restora-
ton of our Union saw the ccntraliza-
ton of American soldiers descended
from African ancestors into four
popular units, namely: The Ninth aud
the Tenth Cavalry Regiments and tho
Twcnty-fourth and the Twcnty-fifth
Regiments Of Infantry. If we add to
these outfits several companies Of
supply, headquarters and machine
guns and the large number of recruits
(unassigned) that were drawing the
pay of soldiers prior to June 10, 1916
enlisted men of the extraction mon
ton above exceeded the one tenth
G-1O) ratio generally allotted to
them in mutual federal affairs. This
excess percentage, however or any
fluctua;ion that might have attended
it during the weary years of these
units military service did not hind
CT their making splendid record.
1t is noted with regret that this re-
cord has been married at intervals by
certain intolerablc exhibitions.
While these soldiers have been con
spicuous for their acts OF bravery and
faithful service, permanently commits
stoned officers Of the same race have
very few. This fact we charge pri-
marily to two conditions: % that
they were without congressional re-
presentation; (2) that the ombarrass
ments hcapcd upon the cadets who at
tempted to study the Federal Mill.
tary Academy West Point, New York
discouraged the most Of such aspir-
ants.
The entrance Of our country into
"Thc World War" awakened in the
friends of the Negro Il strong desire
to see him represented in the great
struggle by officers as well as by sol
dicrs. Many thanks to all who stood
by this idea until it maturcd it's
fruit.
And now amid the Joys of West
ward bound" comes the report that our
government will maintain in the flu
ture an army of half million men.
BY the old ratio tradition fifty thouS
and colored men will form part of
it. The events touching the lives OF
the U. S. colorcd troops during our
association with the allied powers
against the common enemy have
clearly demonstrated to the men who
will constitute our quota Of the new
OF having their own officers. II will
only be Il matter Of fairness and eX--
al,ation of the principles of American
independence if colorcd officers arc
appointed to command colorcd troops
How shall these officers be obtained?
Realizing that segregation, the pre-
vailing attitude toward the Negro in
America is not ideal and that it will
sooner or later bring forth
within Il nation we will commend the
future to '"Thc God Of All Grace" and
go ahead, trossng the bridges as we
come TO them,
Our military Academy COM
monty known rs "Wcst Point" was
founded II hundred and seventeen
years ago for tho tactical training OF
American youths. But Negro youths
are not welcome there. Tho method
demonstrated by the organization
and training of the "Seventcenth Pro
visional Training Regiment" Fort
Des Moines, Iowa, greatly advanced
the cause OF the Negro. The six hun
dred men who won their commissions
at that school made the way posi-
bic for many more hundreds OF their
comrades who were to attend the
camp schools during the next twelve
months. 1t may we'll be called a com
mon sense method for handling n deli
cate situation.
In consideration Of the facts here
in expressed it seems highly fitting
and proper that a federal military
academy with the same status as the
academy now in existence at West
lp
equipped for the training Of Negro
cadets. I present this idea to the
friends Of the colored race and to the
Congress of the United States that
is about to rcasscmblc.
Faithfully subscribed,
JULIAN l.. BROWN,
Chaplain U. S. A., Paris France,
April s, 1919.