The Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1931-1952, 1931-08-27
War Department
Denies Program
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and Medical Department, Colored
Detachment at Camp Harry J. Jones
and at Fort Huaehuea; the Medical
Department of the Colored Detaeh-
ment at Camp Stephen D. Little and
at West Point.
The units named comprise practic-
ally all, if not all, of the branches
of the Army in which Negroes are.
The order further proceeds to give
explicit directions on the matter of
requirements and Refreshments and
the giving of grades, ratings and
qualifications. Commanding Gen
erals were instructed to report to
the War Department at Washington
when in the opinion of the corps
area commanders promotions and
new appointments in the units should
be resumed.
Wrote TO Hoover
Upon receipt of the copies of the
confidential order, the National As
sociation for the Advancement of
Colored People, through its secre-
tary, Walker White. wrote to Pres
ident Hoover as Commander-in-C Chief
of the Army, asking the following
questions:
|. Is the order quoted in the
foregoing paragraphs an official
document of the War Department :?
2. If the order is incorrect in
any detail, will you instruct the
War Department officially to adj
wise us of thtse inaccuracies?
8. Is it the intention of the War
Department to abolish the so
called Negro regiments?
d. If such is the intention of the
War Department, what disposition
is to be made of Negro officers
and soldiers who may care to serve
in the United States Army in the
future?
Acting Secretary of War Payne,
answered these queries. at the in
struction of the President, admitting
the order to be correct except for
minor typographical errors" and
denying that the War Department
intended to abolish any of the pres.
ent Negro regiments, namely, the
Twenty-fourth and Twenty-fifth In
fantry and the Ninth and Tenth
Cavalry. He proceeded, however. to
parts of the Tenth Cavalry and two
companies of the Twenyt-fifth In
fantry in connection with the troop
movements now in progress, made
necessary in the efforts to re-dis-
tribute more effectively the troops
of the reduced Regular Army and
to effect economies in the Housing
Program"
Reduction Necessary
Acting Secretary of War Payne
admits. however, that it is necessary
to reduce the number of colored en-
listed men in the army, although no
colored units have been made In
active to date for the ncrements of
the Air Corps" which burden, Mr.
Payne asserts, has been borne here
tofore entirely by white unit except
for a few minor reductions in the
strength of colored units. He goes
on to point out that 6 battalions and
2 companies of Infantry; regiment
0ess j battalion; / band, and var
ious units of the Field Artillery.
Ooi pos 1dNdllN anu
Ordinance companies, have been
abolished among white troops.
1.-THE reductions now contemplate
ed in colored units" declares the
Acting Secretary of War, "are nee
essary to assist in providing the 5th
and last Air Corps increment You
will note that this reduction in col
ored enlisted men has been delayed
until the last of these increments.
Such action has only been ordered
after the most careful investigate
and through consideration of the in
terests of the National Defense.
These reductions are regretted but
have been found to be absolutely un-
avoidable under the conditions that
now confront the War Department
As result of these limited reduc-
tons, no colored man now in the
Army will be discharged or reduced
in rank or pay. Original enlistm ents
of colored men will be suspended
for time but will be gradually re
summed, starting with limited mum.
Der of units, within six to nine
months. Resumption of promotions
will be authorized approximately No.
vember /, 1881, for all colored Cav.
airy units. This will be extended to
include Infantry colored units in ap.
proximately one year. Resumption
of promotions in one colored detach,
ment has already been authorized.
The National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People il
making public the original order ano
Acting Secretary of War Payne's re
ply, announced that it will continue
closely to follow action of the Wal
Department on the matter of col
ored army units.