Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-22
British Ask Artillerymen
From u. S., but Protest
Colored Troops Being
Assigned to Them.
PLAN is UNCHANGED
DESPITE ATTITUDE
Tonnage Continues to Be
Problem, but Morrow
Committee Keeps Hot
on Trail of Shipping.
CHAPTER XIII.

CHAPTER XIII.
| ~ N the heels of all the clamor fol
IA nothing but infantry and ma.
chine gunnerS I received q re.
~ quest from Marshal Haig, Brit.
ish commander, asking 10, 00(
artillerymen. This fully bore out pre-
diction 1 had cabled Washington thai
the allies would be asking artillerymer
before long.
1t will be readily understood, how
ever, that once the allies had made 9
| demand for infantry and machine gun
ners, they all joined in concerted effort
to bring it about. regardless of what
their real needs might be.
In reply I reminded Marshal Hais
that the abbeville agreement giving pri.
ority to infantry and machine gun ship
mentS would prevent the arrival of ouI
artillerymen for some time.
In fulfilling our part in military CO.
operation we had already gone far be-
| yond the mere recognition of the prin-
ciple Of unity of command and had be-
| gun to bring over hundreds of thou
sands of men, almost regardless Of the
organizations to which they belonged
| that they might be available in the
| event of extreme necessity.
In selecting units available for tenn
porary service and training with the
British the Secretary of War desired
TO include colored division, but the
military attache at Washington, acting
under instructions from his government,
protested.
Surprised at Attitude.
was surprised they should take this
attitude, inasmuch as the French were
anxious to have these troops by divi-
sions or by regiments and, as has been
mentioned, four regiments had been lent
them temporarily Attempting to clear
up the matter, wrote Marshal Haig,
sending an Identical letter to Lord Mil
ner, British minister of war:
My Dear Sir Douglas:
Some time ago I received cable
| from my Government that 1t was nee
| essary to list one of our colored divi-
sions for early shipment to France AS
you know, all Of our infantry and ma
chine gun units to be embarked in the
| near future are destined for service, for
| the time being. with your forces.
II accordingly replied to the cable
to the effect that the 92d
(coloreO Division could be included in
the troops to be assigned TO the forces
under your command. 1t now appears,
1
tache in washington has made a pro-
test against including any colored bat
talions among the troops destined fol-
service with your forces and that he
| has stated that this protest was made
in behalf Of your war ONCE.
you will. Of course, appreciate my
! position in this matter, which, in brief
! is that these negroes are American
citizens. My Government, for reason.
/ which concern itself alone, has decided
| to organize colored combat divisions
and now desires the early dispatch OF
one Of these divisions to France
Naturally I can not and will not dis
criminate against these soldiers.
IT am informed that the 92d Division
: Is in q good state of training, and ]
have no reason to believe that its en-
ployment under your command would
be accompanied by any unusual diff.
culties.
IT am informing my Government OF
the inclusion of the 92d Division among
the American troops to be placed under
your command is acceptable to you and
that you will be able to overcome the
objections raised by your war Office.
Miner TO Pershing
A few days later I received the fol-
1
My Dear General:
Your letter about the employment
| Of colored divisions with our British
forces in France. am rather hopinl
this dificult question may not after all
be going to trouble US, for I see, from
a telegram received from Genera
Wagstaff. that the divisions so far ar.
rived for training with the British d.
not include the 92d.
II hope this Is so, for, a. a matter o.
fact. a good deal Of administrator,
trouble would, think, necessarily aris'
II the British Army had TO undertak,
the training Of a colored division"
My cable TO the War Department wa
to the effect that II the Secretary still
desired to send this division over
should adhere TO my former recon
mendation that 1t be included amoni
those to go to the British for training
However, the War Department evidentl,
did not wish to insist upon 1t. as tn
division came over shortly afterwart
and was not included among thoS
sent to the British.
To give q resume OF our situation q
to manpower at this time, 1t may b
said that the number of men in tn
Army at home and in Europe amountel
to 900 900, of whom 488'224 were Il
France and England. OF these, Their
were eight complete divisions Il
France and flve incomplete, which
with regiments and smaller units @
, auxiliary troops, made total OF 290, rs
combat troops OF the complete unit.
the LIST, I'd, 26th and 42d Divisions wer
occupying positions in quiet sector:
and the 32d was ready for sucn serv
ice With the troops then in line W
were holding an aggregate Of IS mile
of front, or more than double that the
held by the Belgians.
Distribution Of Troops.
To recapitulate: In service: /
.. American sectors of the line 1880
Service Of Supply troops. lao, 049; com
Blatant troops used In Service of Sur
, ply, 16,685; serving with British, IL
4l0; serving with French, 1924: tots
: In service, 283,667. In training: I
American training areas, includin
. aviation, 1884 with British force
34,334: with French troops, 8,19s
total, 176067. En- route from ports |
. join A. E. F. and b. e. F., 21,612; sic
!. and detached. 6678, making a gran
! total of 488,224.
s My diary notes the following:
!. "Chaumont, Tuesday, May IA, 1911
j. Spent three days last week inspectin
!, units OF the I'd Division (Bundy) an
= saw them in billets. in training and o
: the march. Being just out of tt
!, trenches, the salvage dumps of tn
unit Of about Is 900 men amounted
i. Harold Talburt. Truman H. Talley. O.
{. Tarry. Col John Thomas TayloF.