The Colorado statesman. [volume] (Denver, Colo.) 1895-1961, 1919-03-01

OSTON. Feb. 24.-I count it
" privilege to be permitted to
stand on the hallowed soil OF
"A Boston and speak of some of
the heroic deeds of our Eallant
soldiers who fought with such
bravery in the great struggle
which we have been waging for the
freedom of humanity. Here in the
shadow of the monuments of Crispus
Attucks and Robert Gould Shaw, with
all of the beautiful sentiments sur
rounding them in this city, there is no
need to prove the valor and courage
of the Negro soldier. This nation has
never seen a finer demonstration or
loyalty and patriotism than was mani
tested by the Negroes who, during the
great war gave freely of their money.
of their energy and efforts to the end
that the war might be waged to
successful conclusion. I doubt if there
is a parallel in history of similar eff
forts put forth by a people in sim
liar situation. in order that they might
have the privilege of placing their
lives at the service of their country
1t was a privilege to see. at first
hand these battle-scarred heroes and
to get from their officers and from
their own lips, something of the expe-
riences through which they had so re-
Gently passed.
had the opportunity of talking
with some of the leading men in
France and England and all praised
the bravery of the Negro soldiers. One
of these men said that he could not
understand why it was that these Ne
gro soldiers, in spite of the difficulties
which their race faces, should be so
anxious to come back to America and
to leave France and England where
they enjoyed certain privileges that
they do not enjoy in America. That, 1t
seemed to me. was only one of many
evidences of the Negroes undying love
for America.
Loyalty.
We all remember prior to Americas
entrance into the war how the Ger
mans sought in various and subtle
ways to foment trouble and discon-
tent among the colored people. Their
efforts in America failed because the
seeds of distrust and disloyalty which
they sought to disseminate among the
Negroes found no soil in which to
grow. These efforts We're not con-
fined to America. AS soon as the Ne
gro soldiers from this country reached
effort on the part of the Germans to
make them disloyal and to cause them
to desert the cause for which this
country and the Allies were fighting
In the course of my visits. I reached
the front-line trenches near Metz. and
came to the sector held by the 92nd
Division which, as you know. is made
up of Negro troops. At conference
with some of the Negro officers of this
division I was told that the Germans
by throwing literature into the lines
held by Negro soldiers, carried on an
active and subtle propaganda in an
effort to make them disloyal. The FOL
lowing is sample of the literature
distributed: ITO the Colored Soldiers
of the United States Army; Hello
boys, what are you doing over here?
Fighting the Germans? Why? have
they ever done you any harm? VI
course some white folks and the lying
English and American papers told you
that the Germans ought to be wiped
out for the sake of humanity and de-
mocracy. What is democracy Per
sonal freedom. all citizens enjoying the
same rights before the law. Do you
enjoy the same rights as the White
people do in America: the land of free
dom and democracy, or are you not
rather treated over there as second
class citizen? And how about the
law? Are lynching and the most hor-
rible crimes connected Herewith
lawful proceeding in democratic
country? Now. all this is entirely dif-
ferent in Germany, where they do like
colored people; where they treat them
as gentlemen and not as second-class
citizens They enjoy exactly the same
privileges as white men and quite