The Dayton forum. [volume] (Dayton, Ohio) 1913-1949, 1919-02-21
An Open Letter

son siid Sae etstaN ~ MT l,aRef, ~
vas ny II igiiage Recently % 70 to
franz ana see add speak . many
af osr oyeSess Neero soldiers IL
he course of NY 1isits, | reached
he 2sent line trenches near Metz.
md casne to fhn sector lcld hy The
a22nd Division which. ny yeu know, !
5 m9de up Of NEGRO troops. Al q
'enfe enee with some Of the Negro
fficc 1 tf tllis division. was told
het The Germans hy throwing liter
ature into tile lines held hy Nearo
luhtla propaganda IN an effort TO
make them disluyal The following is
81 sample of tie literature ,iistlibuted:
ITO THE Colorea Soldiers Of the
United Slstes Army: Hello, boys,
what aie yen DOING over there
''ightne ll1a Gernans2 Why Have
hey ever done YOU any harm? Of
ourse oaNe white folks and the lying
English aHd american papers told son
| that tic Geamans ought To he wiped.
ont for the selr Of humanity and
democracy. What i democracy
Personal freedom, all citizens enjoy
ling the same rights before the law.
DO you enjoy the same rights rs ihe
ghite pcnole DO II A,ncricss; tie land
4 freeaom and demnctacs, af aeo yoa
iaet rather treated over ihe4e as sees
nl class eifizens
And how about the law? Are
ynching and the mast horrible crimes
Connected therwith lawful proceed
ling in democratic country Now,
| n this is entirely different ii Ger
many, where they do like colored
,eople; whore they treat them as
Gentlemen and not as seeond-class cit
izens. They enjoy exactly the same
privileges as white men and quite q
lauanher of eoaored people. have fsss
positions III business in Berlin and
,ther German cities. Why then, fight
he German? Only for the benefit Of
he Wall Street robbers and to pro-
eect the millions they have loaned the
English, French and Itaiiansg You
rave been made the tools Of the ego
tistic and rapacions rich in England
md America and there is nothing III
/ The whole game for yoa but broken
ZONES, horrible wounds spoiled health,
or death No satisfaction whatever
viii you get out Of this unjust war
i You have never seen Germany, SO you
nate Us. Come over and see for your
are fools If you allow yourselves to
i selves. Let those do the fighting who
make profit out OF this war Don't
ssllow them to use yom as cannon fod-
Ter. 10 carey pan III this service il
lot an honor but shame. Throw il
aWay and come over the German lines
You will find friends who will help
You along
i When | asked these Negro Officers
What effect the distribution Of this
literature had upon the coloied sol
iiers, one Of them laughed and said:
We gave double portion Of shrap-
mel and it semed to fire. our boys with
4 new determinations 10 lick the Hun.
| We were then about eighteen miles
from Metz, and II our Commanding
/ officer had not ordered Us to stop
| The boys had said that they were go
ing to eat supper in Metz that night.
/ That was the reply which our boys
made to this propaganda, which
| shows that the Germans were no
more successful in their ecorts to SOW
seeds of disloyalty among our soldiers
IN France than they were TO stir up
| discomfort among the Negroes in
America.
| Everywhere in France, | found the
Negro soldiers anxious to return
home, particularly those who came
cause these soldiers are returning tt
from the South. ] mention this be.
their home communities with spirit
Iof loyalty to the South and with The
1 intention of becoming useful law
abiding citizens. On the other hand
find that thor is considerable appre-
, hension among the Negroes that these
returning soldiers. in many instances
may not be received in spirit Cd
i cooperation and racial good will. Tho
anxiety has arisen mainly on account
: Iof the increase IN lynching and the
!. persistent runors that the Kn- Klus
Kian is being revived, Tin ORDER" se
the rumor runs, Ito keep the Negro
soldier in his place" Personally | dt
IInot believe thlt the majority of yht
| white people of the s;onih me iii Gavol
# terrorism II any form of mob vio
tllence. Editorials IL Southern paper.
/ land expressions from, individuals con
firm this belief Il appears 10 me