The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1940-11-02


N.A.A.C.P., the protest of your Asso-
We greet Brig-Gen. Davis-and thank
God for the political exigency which
has brought this deserved promotion
and belated justice to our fellow coun-
tryman. The spirit of Col. Charles
Young, martyr to a military caste
system and an ungrateful country
twenty years ago, is surely marching
on. The protest must still 60 Onto
make sure that End Lieut.. Benjamin
Davis will not have to serve forty
years before he receives his promotion
and honors which a military career
deserves.
Under the Voluntary Enlistment
clause of the Consumption Bill no col
ored were accepted though many APP
piled. The conditions in the regular
army units created after the war for
the Union as early as 1869 the 9th, and
10th, cavalry divisions and the oath,
and 25th infantry regiments is most
appalling. Hundreds of men, veterans
of the World War, are used as boot
blacks, buffers and choremen for the
white commissioned officers. They
have been assigned to a thousand men
ial tasks throughout the United
States, at Fl Myer, Virginia, Leaven-
worth and even at West Point.
If we are compelled to risk our lives
for the country we should be given
fair chance to share the military hon
ors of war The Constitution of the
United States. Article VIII gives Con-
gress the right 'to declare war ITO
raise and support armies" The col
ored people are completely shut out
from the military and naval forces of
the United States just as if the Consti-
tuition provided that "no citizen of
color shall serve in the armed forces
of the United States" For the army
certain segregated units are marked
for colored"-with white staff and
field officers. In the palatial quarters
of the captains and admirals of the
Navy, in the mess room you will find
colored enlisted men, if you are look
ing for them. have read signs posted
in the Federal Buildings and upon
conspicuous street corners reading
Join the Marines and see the World"
That does not mean you. | know two
cOlored men who were light in color
enough to join the Marines and did
| think that we may have few "stow-
always" in service still. The military
caste has way of getting rid of col
ored officers in the National Guard
Captain Pryor of Company L, 9Th
regiment, a veter of the Spanish War
went overseas with this company, was
invalided and sent home. Col. Denni-
son of the 8th, Illinois regiment shared
similar fate.
am glad that the N.A.A.C.P. has
brought here some of our friends of
other days. One Remonstrant is miss
ing. For thirty years the voice, potent
against every wrong and everv slight
was that of William Monroe Trotter
He was always in deadly earnest; he
accepted no compromise of human
rights. His words fell like the blows
of a sledge hammer upon the rocks of
prejudice until they gave way. When
Mr.. Roosevelt, the first of that name,
dismissed one hundred and seventy
men of the 25th, regiment for shooting
up Brownsville, Trotter took up the
cause of the dismissed soldiers and
fought for their reinstatement
through many years and carried the
cause to Congress, until Congress
gave way and enacted law provid-
ing for their reinstatement. He should
be living at this hour to lead this fight.
Over the Guardians Editorial Page
his sister still carries his watchword-
segregation of Colored Is The Real
Permanent banning Degradation In
U. S. Alright IT.. Change u. S. A.
to U. S. Army and nothing stronger
could be said for this protest. We
must protest! There is no law of the
United States which gives Congress
or anybody else the right to conscript
men for bootblacks and walters. The
military establishments of the United
States may discriminate against US,
segregate and degrade us, but they
can not make us like it or be satisfied
and contented. Not only is there dis
elimination as to admission of colored
citizens in the Army and Navy and
segregation for those admitted but
colored persons are not accepted for
/ "Flying Cadets" or appointments for
enlistment in the "Air Corp. There
must be a problem of social equality"
or Social preference" fighting in the
air of which we have never dreamed
When the voluntary Enlistment
Section" of the Transcription Act"
came up before the Senate, Senator
Connolly of Texas opposing an amend
ment that would nto exclude colored
citizens said "There is nothing in the
Constitution that requires me to
choose members of the colored race as
my social companions. That is some
thing for US to be thankful for.
There is nothing in the Constitution
that gives the President of the United
States, as "Commander-in-C Chief of
the Arm yand Navy" of the United
States the right to organize the Army
and Navy upon social and racial lines.
We are raising men and money to
fight for the preservation of civiliza-