Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-10
BY MARY CHURCH TERRELL.

tg1e story OF the tnteTOtetD 0etoD.
BY MARY CHURCH TERRELL.
The passing of ex-President Taft re-
calls vividly to my mind a service he
rendered me in particular and the col
ored people of the United States in
general when he was Secretary of War.
For me it was a very thrilling expert
ence, indeed. had waited all day TO
see him. About 10 o'clock on a GER
tain Saturday morning reached the
State, War and Navy Department and
went straight to Mr.. Taft'S office. l
told his secretary, Mr.. Carpenter, that
I wanted very much to see the Secre-
tary of War But Mr.. Carpenter told
me it was utterly impossible to ar
range for me to do so.
Important Caller Turned Away.
Mr.. Taft, he explained, had just re-
turned from an inspection OF the Army
posts in the west, and would leave the
next day for the East. In spite OF TINS
the Office. At intervals of about an
hour / would go to Mr. Carpenter and
urge him to allow me to say lew
words to Mr.. Taft, but each time MI
Carnenter assured me very politely. nuC
6rrnlv that he could not do 1t. When
I went to him about 2 o'clock TO renew
this request, Mr.. Carpenter SAID, YOU
see that man going out OF the o0orr
Well, he is leaving Washington Ior rev
York right away to take q steamer tCt
spain tonight He wanted very mucn
10 see the Secretary Of War, but Mr..
TAFT is too busy to see him." ABOUT .
O'CLOCK I went to Mr.. Carpenter again
and asked to be allowed to see Mr.
raft. Naturally by that time Mr.
Carpenter had grown bit mpauen.:
what do you want to see Mr.. Tart
about?" he said. ..
He had asked me the same question
several times before, but had not ex-
planned my mission because I felt my
chances Of seeing the Secretary OF War
would be much simmer than they
were II / did. Finally / realized how
hopeless my case was II continued 70
withhold the reason why I wished TO
see Mr.. Taft.
Explained Mission.
at want to say a few words to him
about the colored soldiers who nave
inst been dismissed without honor be-
cause they were accused of shooting up
Rrownsyiile, Tex" finally mustered
up sufncient courage to say: A look
which plainly showed how he teit spread
over Mr.. Carpenters face. Nevertne-
less he went into the Secretary o. wal
private ONCE and remained closeteo
with him quite awhile. He then re-
turned to the room without giving me
any announcement at all. Finally,
about a quarter OF four, Mr. Carpenter
told me that Mr.. Taft would see me
Just q few minutes.
what do you want to say to me-, VI.
quired Mr.. Taft, as soon as I entered
Il have come to see you about the
colored soldiers who have been as
missed without honor at BROWNSVILLE
Tex" I said
what do you want me to do about
it?" be asked. President Roosevelt
has already dismissed them and he has
gone to Panama There is nothing !
can do about Il" =.
"Ail want you to do, Mr.. Secretary"
said, "is to suspend the order dis.
missing the soldiers without honor until
an investigation can be made.
Good -Natured Sarcasm.
"Is that all you want me 70 dc" in
quired Mr. Taft with good-natured sar-
casHn, as he emphasized the word all,
and then smiled as he always did. IAN
you want me to do he continued,
laughing, sis to suspend an order issued
by the President Of the United States
during his absence from the country"
But Mr.. Secretary" pleaded; as
colored people we take great pride In
our soldiers They have always had
an unblemished record and they have
fought bravely in every war which this
country has waged It seems more
than we can bear TO have three COM
panies of our soldiers summary dis
missed without honor, at least until q
thorough investigation has been made"
The smile left Mr.. Taft's face. He
became serious and remained silent for
several seconds. Then he said with
an intensity and sympathy can never
forget: II do not wonder that you are
proud of the record of your soldiers.
They have served their country we'll"
Without telling me exactly what steps
he would take, Secretary Taft en-
couraged me to believe that he was
going to do something In the colored
soldiers behalf. In less than half an
hour after I had left his Office he had
cabled President Roosevelt, who was on
his way TO Panama, that he would
withhold the execution of the order to
dismiss without honor the three COM
panies Of the 25th Infantry until he
heard from him-or words to that eff
feet.
Only Case on Record.
In spite of my keen disappointment
that the order to discharge the colored
soldiers oiShonorably was not reSclnded,
I was very grateful to Mr.. Taft Tor the
effort he made in their behalf. When
he withheld the execution of the Presi-
dents order SO hours in response to a
colored wonan's plea for the dis
charged soldiers, he did what no other
cabinet officer has ever done since the
Declaration Of independence was
signed So far as have been able to
ascertain, no other cabinet officer has
withheld the execution of presidential
order SO seconds.
The suspension of that order for
only few days enabled Gichrist
Stewart of New York to go to Browns
vile, Tex, before the soldiers had dis
banded. Therefore, they could tell their
story of the affair in their own words.
If all of them had been scattered be-
fore they had a chance to relate the
events which preceded and Immediately
followed the violent outbreak, many
facts very favorable, which greatly
helped their case, would in all prob
ability never have been brought to light.
President Roosevelt made the whole
sale discharge of three companies OF
colored men, privates and non-conn-
n1lSsioned officers, some Of whom had
served the United States for more than
quarter of Q century and were nearly
eligible for retirement, absolutely with
out consulting Mr.. Taft, then Secretary
OF War. who was charged with personal
supervision of the Army. The order
was issued during Mr.. Taft's absence IN
kaa-