The New York herald., 1922-02-20
FIGHTING FIFTEENTH
OPPOSED TO BONUS
New YOrk's Famous Negro
Regiment Not Seeking a
Gratuity.
BIG MEETING is CALLED
Col. Arthur Little Will
Sound Call to Duty
Against Movement.
SPEEDY ACTION URGED
ColOred Troops and Friends to
Be Lined Up as Unit to Pro-


ton may be among the first il not
the very first, regimental veteran unit
to repudiate the State and Federal
bonus idea. whether masquerading
as adjusted compensation or under
any other cloak Of physiological
camoufiage.
A movement to enlist the regiment
and it's hosts OF friends In the Harlem
black belt squarely in opposition to a
bonus, not on grounds OF financial ex-
pediency but on those of patriotism,
principle and sentiment, is to crystallize
next Sunday afternoon in mass meet
ing in st. Marks Church, 231 West
Fifty-third street. Col Arthur Little,
who now is in command Of the regiment
and who fought with it in France as a
major, is to make the principal address.
He intends to make that address a
bugle call to duty
Col. Little said yesterday his purpose
was to urge his hearers as leaders Of
the negr) race and to persuade all his
old regimental comrades to take i'm
recording their own convictions but
starting an endless chain to cover the
whole country in the hope of enrolling
the six and a half million American
negroes against the iniquity Of soldier
bonus.
Famous Band ON Hand.
little Africa already is buzzing
with gossip over the issue. There are
rumors that efforts are to be made to
pack" the meeting in opposition to the
Coloners purpose. which purpose already
has the warm support of the larger and
better part of the regimental organiza-
tion. Its famous band. recruited and led
in war time by the lamented Jim"
Europe, who made it popular on two
continents. has rendered its services for
the mass meeting. It's present leader Is
"Bill' Bodrey. a musician to his finger
tips. who does much of the orchestra
tion for the Ziegfeld F'ollies and for the
Dillingham; Hippodrome shows.
So far from discouraging controversy
at the meeting, Col Little says he will
welcome any fair discussion. Though
he is prepared to lead the attack, he ex
poets to have strong reserves, including
the eloquent Job L. Hedges whose
fatheS Union officer, was killed in the
civil war. Mr.. Hedges is as vehemently
opposed to the bonus crusade as is Col.
Little.
IT am. taking this step under a COM
pelling sense of duty" said Col. Little.
'It is my purpose to remind my hearers
that five years ago our regiment, OF
which their people have been so Justly
proud. was in the van and landed in
France among the first OF the American
troops. That was an opportunity glori-
ously grasped. I hope TO point the way
for them to grasp a new leadership-a
leadership against danger greater even
than that which threatened the nation
through the policies of the Kaiser.
"In my opinion not many Of our law
makers actually believe in the wisdom
of such crime against the people as
the levying of these vast imposts for
soldier bonuses. I suppose they are
fearful of defeat at the polls IL they fail
to yield to this folly, to this noisy bar
rage of propaganda emanating from mis-
guided or misauiding leaders who deluge
them with their demands"
Fine Record in war.
Col. Little spoke OF the gallant record
of the ''B'ighting Fifteenth" After hav-
ing been wrecked three times Ell route
It arrived IN France on December %.
1917. and began fighting in the follow
ing April in the Champagne district. One
of it's claims to fame Is that Il was first
to the Rhine" on November 90, 1918.
It's reeimental casualties included 3S3
killed and 1.246 wounded. It had the
distinction of never having lost pris-
oner to the enemy nor an inch of ground.
It's personnel won 1S4 individual dccora-
tlons and the regiment as a unit received
in addition on December 1S, 1918, the
collective citation, when France pinned
the Croix do Guerrc TO its colors.
Speaking of the tremendous welcoming
ovation New York gave its colored rol-
diers on the regiments Homecoming in
February. 1919, Col. Little said:
''Not long thereafter / was guest at
n luncheon given by 1000 members OF
the Merchants Association. On that
occasion one OF New York's leading pub
lishers--a man ] had known since boy
hood--put his arm around my shoulders
and said Arthur, my boy, I'm proud
or you and Of the splendid company In
which you served Though ho is not an
emotional man there were tears in his
eyes and his voice trcmbled as he spoke.
~ asked that same man three wcoka
ago IL he would care TO publish my book
describing my two years under arms
with tho worlds most famous colorcd
regiment. My friend the publisher do
clincd with scorn. I'm through with
soldiers he said Indignantly; soldiers
grafters and buns Arthur. you know
OF tho gratefulness OF my heart toward
soldiers when you came home. |
thought then and 1 think row nothing
Is too good for the oripples and tho de-
pcndcnts OF tho war. That muster roll
IN itself will run into tens Of thousands.
hut when 100000 able bodied men de-
mand under threat OF political castiga-
ton a bonus for services for which they
dishonesty accepted the plaudlts due
heroes--t'm through! No soldier books
for me. Doubtless It's interesting but
I'm against soldiers now--on principle 7
mot long after that conversation
Col. Littio continued, John 10. Robin
son. editor Of the New York Amsterdam