The Colorado statesman., 1919-01-04
DENVER, COLORADO, SATURDAY. JANUARY a, 1919

ltlD Will NOlln uCluOSld dNS, ohOuiu ~ +.
subjected to embarrassing and retard- 4
ing Determinations and segregation.
Monsieur Diagne also told of GER
tain American white officers writing
to French high officials, urging that |
the treatment accorded colored men I
from America in France, by French |
officers, be the same treatment ac-
corded our race in America by GER
tain white people; that colored Amer
leans were an inferior race, and .
should not be accorded the equality of !
treatment French officers and civil |.
ians had been in the habit of accord
ing to colored soldiers This request
for discrimination against colored
soldiers and officers, on the part OF
the Frenchmen, was referred to Mon
sieur Diagne, a colored man, genuine
ly black in complexion, who is deputy
commissioner general, charge du con-
troll des effectifs coloniauX, with the
request that he tear it up, such de-
struction of the paper to constitute
the French officials only reply to the
impertinent and unreasonable request
from Certain American white army Of
ficers. Commissaire General Diagne
is keeping the torn bits of that re-
quest as a souvenir.
There have been some American
white officers over here-not few,
but many-who have, ever since be-
ing here, prosecuted a propaganda
against the colored soldiers; who have
/ done their utmost, but without avail,
/ to taint France with Americas preJu-
dice against Americas loyal fighting
| colored soldiers. There have been
| few American white officers, not
many, over here who have treated the
/ colored soldiers as American soldiers,
notable among them being Brigadier
1 General NJ. H. Barnum and Brigadier
General Sherburne.
In spite of the unjustifiable discrim-
nation and handicaps, at the hands OF
certain American white officers over
here, colored soldiers, officers and
men, have given the best in them Tor
their country; have patiently endured
determinations, because of their col
Z or, as they have heroically endured
the expected hardships of soldier life,
and as heroically fought against the
Hun.
Had it only been the Boche, col
ored soldiers had had to fight. against,
they would return to the States with
out a single complaint, but in not a
few instances, | regret to admit, they
have had to fight the Hun, while at
the same time they We're enduring an
| infilading attack from those whom
they had supposed were here to fight
for the same thing they came over
seas to fight for-world democracy
However. with it all, the colored sol
dier is proud that he had an oppor-
tunity to again prove that which the
country had never had an occasion to
doubt--his loyalty to country
Thousands of our colored soldiers
are now busily preparing for the over
seas return. They are impahentiy
4 counting the days. even the hours anu
moments, that must intervene before
they can again see the face OF the
Statue of Liberty in New York mar
bor, before they can again greet reia-
tives and friends Many of them VINO
came here on American troopshlps III
the fullness of manhood and patriot
ism. will not return, for they are ly-
ing, where they will forever lie, in
soldiers grave, rudely marked, up
around Verdun, ChateauThierry, Sois-
son, Champagne, in the Argonne
woods. and in the Mouson valley.
France has been magnanimous TO-
wards the American colored soldiers
her men and women have voiced
praise of their fighting qualities. OF
their soldierly bearing and OF their
faultless behavior. France would wei
come them as permanent residents OF
France, but they-those who have
survived this awfully decimating,
| friehtfuI war-are going to return to
the States, firm in the resolve to help
secure, through peaceful means for
themselves and their people. that
which their arms, their blood ana
their lives helped to achieve on the
battlefields for the alien countries
over here-democracy.
The 92nd Division has orders to pre-
pare to rove for a port of embarka-
tion I hope to move with it. The
real "first-page" story of the colorei 4
soldier in this war. his fighting and
his enduring, will be written on my
return.