The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-06-20
By WILLIAM F. DUNNE.

teleS OF adventure by Hood, blood ana
field ostensibly written by General
Billiard and syndicated to a number
Of capitalist papers, are the express
sions of opinion from members of the
Negro race aroused by Billiards. at
tack on the Negro soldiers.
General Billiard claims that the
Nlnety-second Negro division would
not fight--that they could not stand
bombardment, and had to be sent to
the rear.
THIS may or may not be true, but
1t is Of no moment and those who
rush to the defense of the Negroes
against the generals charge of cow
ardice are falling into trap set for
them by this militarist. Ability to
Estand shell fire Is not the possession
of any race or nationality. 1t is sole
ly a question OF training and every
soldier knows that raw troops-and
particularly raw peasant troops, un-
accustomed even to the clamor and
vibration of factories and city streets
sink into helplessness in the face
of prolonged bombardment by high
explosive shells. Most of the Negro
troops in the army of democracy"
came from the agricultural districts:
they had not even had industrial ex-
perience and it is entirely probable
that they did not stand she'll fire
any better than did the conscripts.
from the farming districts of France,
England, Italy and other countries.
Even General Billiard admits that
Negro troops Of the regular army
were good combat units-proving that
training and experience is the i'm
portant difference.
DUT all this is beside the point.
IL The important thing for Commun-
lists is what the Negroes themselves
think about Billiards. charges of cow
ardice.
Fortunately, the Billiard article pro-
duced number of letters to the capt.
talist press, praising or condemning
the generals statements, and many
of these were from Negroes.
They can be divided into two class
es:
First. the protest Of the Negro in
tellectual who resent the charge of
cowardice per Sc, but who resents
only the implied insult to his race
but not apparently, the whole scheme
of white domination fostered by Anne
rican capitalism, who accepted both
the war and the duty Of the Negroes
to take part in it.
The second, disregarding the charge
of cowardice as unimportant in the
face Of well-known facts and throw
ing the challenge Of the race con,
Isoious Negro into the teeth of Billiard
and his kind.
INTO the first classification falls the
following letter:
"CHICAGO, June 9.-It is inconceiv-
able that one who has attained Gen.
Billiards. position should stoop so
low as to make such a cowardly at
tack upon a division that Gen. Perish
ing, In reviewing 1t at lie Mans, be-
fore our return to the States, stated
| w dSy III lis OHlAAOn, oOOOhO W hOAN
in its efficiency
l, like many others, interrupted my
education at the University of Chi
/ cago to volunteer a few days after
war was declared by this country, and,
starting from the colored officers
training camp at Des Moines, Ia,
where every prejudiced external in
fuence and Col. G. G. Ballou. the COM
mandant, tried to discourage the eff
forts of Negroes to train themselves
for leadership of their own In war,
we who attained the rank Of officers
continually suffered under such Unjust
ices as this last one by the general.
oficial records Of the war depart
ment will be called upon to refute
every statement made by Gen. Bull
lard.
Levi &. Southe,
Second Lieut.. 356th Inf, 92nd Div"
THE writer Of this letter seems to
l. view the problem of the Negro
on an equal footing with white dupes,
the right to kill and be killed for
American capitalism and its fetishes.
His remedy for such SANDERS as
those of Billiard is to have the war
department "refute every statement
made by General Billiard"
Needless to say, the war depart
ment will be only too glad to tell
the Negroes that they made first-class
cannon fodder II only for the reason
that from all indications they will
be needed soon in another war.
The war department will soothe
the injured pride of this type Of Negro
and he will be greatly pleased, so
pleased that he will tell others OF
his race that the white masters ap-
preciate fully the willingness OF the
Negroes to fight and die for them.
II all Negroes took this attitude to-
wards their problems as race, their
situation would be worse than hope
less.