The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-10-17

END discrimination" l was a sol-
dier in the 325th Field Signal Bat
talon in France. 1t was a jim
crow outfit. The jim-crow policies
of the Democratic and Republican
politicians were. carried out through
out the army. just as they are. to-
day against the Negro people. This
question confronts every Negro
voter in this election campaign.
will relate true story. 1t is as
| follows.
1t was during maneuvers. We
were stationed at one of the few
places in France where, in 1918, the
fourth year of the great war which
was 70 make the world safe for
democracy" it was still possible to
find a few trees and other under
brush suitable for military maneu-
yers. We belonged to the 325th
Field Signal Battalion, an all Negro
outfit, commanded by white Off
GERS, and we were stationed at AK
Les Bains.
William Johnson, Negro soldier
known to the men as Georgia Bill"
was crouching under a tree at his
radio instrument, preparing for an
imaginary attack. Nearby stood the
captain of our outfit. lily-white.
who was discussing the maneuvers
with q visiting French officer.
Snatches of the conversation came
to the ears Of Georgia Bill" whose
presence was forgotten by the cap
tain, and presently he heard the
captain say:
you know, these 'niggers' Just
can't do this work properly. They
just simply haven't got the brains;
they are stupid Only white men
are fitted for such work as radio
telegraphy It is well known fact
and my observations bear it out,
that the Negro race is decidedly
inferior" etc.
Georgia Bill" burning with an
ger, his race consciousness to the
fore, just crouched in the bushes,
holding to his radio instrument.
But, when maneuvers were over, he
told some of the other men in the
outfit Of the conversation he over
| heard. The men discussed it with
great indignation and decided upon
a plan. They would get the cap
| tain into the barracks and charge
| him with this insult and SANDER.
Georgia Bill" was asked if with
the support of the men he would
| charge the captain We decided to
have the captain face the men and
the accusation.
Accordingly, one of the men
asked the sergeant to tell the cap
tain that the men would like to
speak to him in the company bar
racks after supper This the SER
| geant did
Now. strictly speaking, the cap
tain did not have to come. He is
not supposed to answer to the men
for any charge and surely not OF
such nature and in such a man
ner. That is, according to military
discipline and organization. 1t was
very unusual for request of this
kind to be made, especially during
a period of war 1t was a court
martial procedure, of the men
against a superior officer. The cap
tain did not know what we wanted;
he probably thought we wanted to
make some petty request which he
would be able to grant and thereby
increase his popularity among the
men. So he came into the barracks
and said What can do for you,
| men?"
One of the privates, according to
previous arrangements, spoke up and
told the captain that the men had
heard that he had made certain
| statements, which were then ,e-
peated to him.
The captain grew pale and de-
MED the charges vehen1ently. At
the sight of the captains fear, and
angered by the denial, Georgia
Bill was infused with spirit.
Captain" he said, as he rose
dramatically and walked toward
the center of the still room, !"Cap-
tain, you did say those things and
you know you Gid, because I heard
you say them"
When the captain saw the SOL
der, whom he realized had been
stationed near him when he made
the statement, he looked like a
whipped pup. Turning on his heels,
he silently stole from the room.
This action was so unusual and
was discussed so much that instead
of the battalion headquarters TAX
ing action against the men, the
captain was removed and trans
ferred and the matter hushed up.
And, you can imagine, we began
to think about our results in the
325th, in France, in 1918 during the
great war that was to end, among
other things, "all discrimination.
For most of us, it was the first in
dication that Negroes, even in the
army, by organized action, could
defend themselves against white
ruling class attacks and insults.
SO III this election campaign,
Negro ex-servicemen must vote
against these same iim-crow poll
cies and the bourgeois parties which
are responsible for them; fight for
the payment of the bonus and
restoration of the disability allow
snces, and for unconditional equal
ity for the Negro people every
| where. Vote Communist