The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1919-12-25
THE NEGRO SOLDIER.
What Col. George Harvey Says on
the Subject.


the bass for a system Of universal
military training contains the war de-
Lartment's estimate that approx
mately 100000 boys will be aValla-
BILE for instruction annually. At
least 10 per cent. of this number are
negroes. So far as we have been IN
formed, the Sadvisabil:ty of training
the negroes as combat troops has not
been questioned at the war depart
ment or at the capitol. Secretary
Baker has said nothing on the sub
iect. Nor have Gen. March and his
advisers at the war department. Con-
sideration of the legislation is pro-
ceeding upon the assumption that no
reason exists for differentiating be-
tween the races.
Much has been said and much has
been written in praise of the exploits
of our negro troops in France. News
paper and magazine writer's have
found in Young Black joe ready
vehicle for exploitation. Race pro-
pagandists (with a purpose) featured
him. Estimable ladies and gentle
men, imbued with a praiseworthy de-
sire to minimize racial antipathies,
have found in his patriotism the base
for many heroic stories.
We wish these reports and stories
were accurate. We wish there were
no compelling reason for revealing
the truth. But there is. Distasteful
as the task may be, it is essential
that the facts be presented. Legis-
lation based upon the hypocritical un-
willingness of assess ;ng the true val
ue of the negro as fighting man,
must inevitably lead to waste Of great
sums of government money in train
ing men whose record proves them
incapable of meeting the demands of
modern warfare.
The ninety-second division was or
ganized in November, 1917, and was
composed of the best negroes draft
ed. It was the only negro division
sent to France. Originally all COM
pany officers were negroes. The COM
manding officer and the field officers
were regulars, assigned to the divis-
ion because they had seen service
with regular negro regiments. AS
the training proceeded, the negro Of
fcers in the artillery and engineer
regiments were relieved by white Of
fcers, because of ineficiency.
The average period allotted for
training white troops in France was
four weeks. The ninety-second was
kept in the training area seven weeks.
On August 20, or thereabout, the di-
vision, minus it's artillery, was Or
dered to a quiet sector in the Vosges
where it remained one month, and
then moved on to the Argonne as
part of the great concentration pre-
paratory to the last major action of
the war.
With the exception of the 36Sth
regiment, which was ordered to the
front line, the division was held in re-
serve with the first corps. The 36Sth
was assigned to the thirty-eighth
French corps, and directly fanked
the seventy-seventh American divis-
ion. When the advance was ordered,
the French and the seventy-seventh
moved forward on schedule. The
368th broke. The French comman-
der and the commander of the seven
ty-seventh reported that their forces
were being attacked on the fanks be-
cause the negroes did not go forward.
The negroes refused to obey orders
but in several instances the white
field officers forced small groups of
them to go forward. AS result of
this action, thirty-one negro company
officers were Immediately removed for
cowardice and inefhciency. Five of
them were tried for cowardice, and,
while the decision of the court is not
available, it is understood that they
we're sentenced to be shot.
The regimental commander report
ed as follows:
"In general, the second and third
battalions disintegrated without rea-
son, and failed to go forward. The
officers (negroes) and men, with ex-
ceptions as noted, fled to the rear in
disorgantzed mass. No negro off,
Ger or non-commissioned officer ex-
ercised any command at the time, and
could not be distinguished from the
enlisted men,"
The commanding officer Of the first
battalion reported:
81 have worked night and day to
the very best of my ability since the