The Colorado statesman. [volume] (Denver, Colo.) 1895-1961, 1919-03-01
Extracts from Address
By DR.. Robert R. Motion
Symphony Hall, Boston, Mass.

number of colored people have fine
positions in business in Berlin and
other German cities. Why, then, fight
the German? Only for the benefit of
the Wall Street robbers and to protect
the millions they have loaned the Eng
lish, French and Italians? You have
been made the tools of the egotistic
and rapacious rich in England and
America and there is nothing in the
whole game for you but broken bones,
horrible wounds, spoiled health, or
death. No satisfaction whatever will
you get out of this unjust war. You
have never seen Germany. so you are
fools If you allow yourselves to hate
us. Come over and see for yourselves
Let those do the fighting who make
profit out of this war. Don't allow
them to use you as cannon fodder. To
carry a gun in this service is not an
honor but shame. Throw it away
and come over the German lines. You
will find friends who will help you
along"
When I asked these Negro officers
what effect the distribution of this
literature had upon the colored SOL
diers, one of them laughed and said:
1--WE gave them a double portion of
shrapnel, and it seemed to fire our
boys with a new determination to lick
the Hun. We were then about eight
cen miles from Metz. and if our COM
manding officer had not ordered us
to stop. the boys had said that they
were going to eat supper in Metz that
night"
That was the reply which our boys
made to this propaganda, which shows
C.
cessful in their efforts to sow seeds
of disloyalty among our soldiers in
France than they were to- stir up dis
content among the Negroes in Amer
lea.
The Negro is no Bolshevik. He is
no anarchist. He is just plain. hard
working. earnest, yearning. struggling
American citizen. He loves his coun-
try. and in every emergency has
proven his Willingness to die for it.
The Negro Under Fire.
One of the first surprises which
came to me after reaching France was
to find that the 369th Regiment of
black troops had rendered such excel
lent service with the French as to be
given the position of honor in the
army of German occupation. Thus 1t
came about that Negro soldiers of the
United States army were the first AL
lied soldiers to reach the Rhine river
The records of the 370th, the S71st and
the 372nd. as well many other regi-
ments Of Negro soldiers. measured up
to their opportunities. One hundred
sixty-nine men of the 369th. or Old
New York Fifteenth" and siXty-six
of the 370th. or the old Illinois Eighth,
were awarded medals. Croix de
Guerre's with palms. etc, for eXcep-
tionaI gallantry under fire. The rec
ord of the 370th is especially signifi-
cant because with two exceptions 1t
is officered entirely by Negroes. This
regiment fought from the Chateau
Thierry sector south to SCISSORS. IL
drove the Germans from old and we'll
fortified positions and following close
behind them. into Belgium, advanced
on until the armistice.
You know the story of Needham
Roberts and Henry Johnson. who
though wounded, fought off party
of thirty German raiders. You have
also learned that six members of Com
pany l. of the old Sixth Massachusetts
received medals for distinguished serv-
ice during the ten days drive in the
Champagne. 1t is to such men as these
that America pays tribute and that
BOSTON is honoring on this occasion.
wish that all of you could have
been with me during two delightful
hours which I spent with General Gou-
bet of the French command. at his
headquarters near the Vosges noun
tains. He commanded Negro soldiers
and told me that these regiments
which made up a part of his army had
to have their equipment taken from
them and to be given the equipment