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About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (July 13, 1918)
[»] The Monitor A National Weekly Newspaper Devoted to the Interests of Colored Americans THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor $2.00 a Year. 5c a Copy _OMAHA, NEBRASKA, JULY 13, 1918 Vol. IV. No. 2 (Whole No. 158* 200.000 Colored s Soldiers in Army Recent Call for Forty Thousand Has increased Number to 'This Figure— Ratio Relatively Large—Men Aver age Well Physically and Mentally. RECEIVE SPECIAL TRAINING Four Thousand to He Sent to Schools and Colleges for Training in Elec trical, Radio and General Engineer ing and Other Branches. WASHINGTON.—The calling of 40,000 more Colored registrants into the army, and the organization of schools at the leading colleges of the race, where 4,000 selective serv ice Negroes will he trained in electri cal, radio and general engineering, automobile mechanics and the opera tion of motor vehicles, directs atten t on to the important a ;h war o/ that element which in 1910 numbered 9,827,763 out of a total population of '91,972,266. There are now about 157,000 Negro soldiers in the National Army, and , the 40,000 just called will bring thr: total to nearly 200,00b This does not include, of course, the four regiments of Colored troops in the regular army —two of infantry and two of cav alry. Of the 9,586,508 men between 21 and 31 who registered under the se lective service law on June 5, 1917, the Negroes numbered 737,626. Of these the boards summoned under the first call 208,953, or 28.33 per cent, as against 32.48 per eent of the white registrants. There were eerti fied for service 75,697, or a little over •‘.6 per rent, as against 24.75 per eent of the whites. Good Proportion Shown. “Thus it appears,” said Provost » Marshal General Crowder, in his ro / port, “that out of every 100 Colored f ' itizens called, 36 were certified fm service and 64 were rejected, ex empted or discharged; vvhereas, out of every 100 whites called 25 were certified for service and 75 wore re jected, exempted or discharged. The explanation of this difference cannot be yet definitely ascertained until a more thorough study of the records becomes possible. The difference is probably not due to either a differ ence in physical qualifications, nor til a difference in the applicability of the several legal grounds for exemption and discharge. So far as the several regions of the country are concerned,1 the lesser ratio for Colored to white certified apcars mainly, byt not ex-1 clusively, in the southern states.” As stated above, the successive calls to the service has brought the total Colored up to nearly 200,000. * The Provost Marshal General esti- j mated that before the Colored regis trants fit for service were exhausted they would furnish the army 191,539, or a grand total of 267,336. To these will be added, of course, their propor tion of the registrants of June 5, 1918, that is, of the men who came of age during the year ending on that day. Prior to the recent call, the Colored I soldiers in the national army consti tuted two divisions. There are about 1.000 line officers, captains, first and second lieutenants, and in the medical and dental reserve corps there are j about 250 more Colored officers. Most of the line officers are trained at of- j fleers’ training camps established by the government. There are also Col- j ored officers in the four Colored reg ular army regiments, the highest in , -—*■* rank being a lieutenant colonel, who j is the only Colored graduate of West ! Point in the army. The services of the Colored soldiers i in the Civil War scarcely need recital. There were 138 regiments of infantry, 6 of cavalry and 16 of artillery, and they participated in 449 battles and | skirmishes, a few of the regiments ! having the largest number of men killed in any one single engagement— j their first fighting was at St. Helena Island, Ga., November, 1862, and the last when Doubleday’s and Birney’s brigades made the last charge at Ap pomatox in April, 1865—the total losses being 285 officers and 33,380 enlisted men. Seventeen Colored sol diers were awarded the congressional medal of honor, which ranks with the Victoria Cross, the Cross of the French Legion of Honor and the Ger man Iron Cross. In the war with Spain, the record of the Ninth and Tenth Cavalry at El Caney and San Juan Hill—where they came gallantly to the aid of the “Rough Riders”—and of the Twenty fourth and Twenty-fifth infantry in ! the Philippines are highly creditable ! to these Colored organizations. In an article on the Negro soldier I in all periods of the world’s historj, which has been given a place in the Congressional record, John K. Bruce presents some interesting facts in re 1 lation to this phase of his people’* ! record. Passing over the exploits of I Negro soldiers under Hannibal, Sei- | pio Africanus, Pompey and Belisarius, ; Toussaint L’Overture, and Dessalines, and in later times under Menelik in Abyssinia, Cetewayo in South Africa! > and Maceo in Cuba, there are now I >00,000 Colored men fighting on the I side of the Allies, and that exclusive ; | of those enrolled in the American army. The French Negro troops from i : Algeria have fought in France almost j ! from the beginning, and have been as ! valiant at Chemin des Dames as at the ; Marne and V’erdun. No less than six ! privates of one Senegalese battalion j were named in the "citations a Por dre” for April 17, 1917, alone. That is equal to a decoration, and is in scribed on the regimental roll of lion or. The British Negro South Afri can forces fought with distinguished ! coinage through all the arduous cam- ! paigns which overthrew the German I ower in Fast and West Africa. American Negroes are now fighting cn the west front in France, making • record equally honorable. Army Officer Put Out of Service Georgian Who Disobeyed BrigadeCom -niander and Refilled to Participate in Troop Formation Because Col ored Soldiers Were in Alignment Is Dismissed From the Army. Little Rock Ark.—By virtue of a telegraphic communication from the war department received at headquar ters at Camp Pike, Captain Eugene t ■ Rowan, late of the 162d depot bri , cade, was dismissed from the service end Lieutenant Robert Hall was dis 1 missed and given a sentence of 25 at hunt labor .rt the military prison at Leavenworth, Kas. Lieutenant Hall was mess officer i of the M48th infantry and deserted hr organization late in February. Several day s after his desertion a j check up of the mess food revealed shortages amounting to about 87,000. He was arrested in San Francisco and brought hack to camp. A part of the fund, placed to his . credit in a Little Rock bank later was j i secured through civil court proceed-! 1 ings. Hall was stripped of his insignia j ; and placed in the camp stockade. He 1 is a graduate of the first training camp at Fort Logan H. Root. Captain Rowan’s case attracted | i considerable attention while it was I before general court martial several j months ago because it was the first time the color line has figured in a national army court. Captain Rowan was charged with having refused to obey an order is sued by the brigade commander call ing for a troop formation because it . was asserted both Negroes and white soldiers were included in the forma tion. The officer is a native of Georgia, hut has recently lived in Mississippi. ; Captain Rowan left Camp Pike this afternoon and said he hoped to go to Russia to assist in the reorganization 1 of the Russian army. He is a veter an of the Spanish-American war and ! a graduate of the first series of offi cers’ training camps. — ROBERTS WOUNDED AGAIN l\ FRANCE I __ New York. — Needham Roberts, whose heroic fight, with Henry John son, aguinst twenty-four Hun bar barians, won him the French war cross and stirred the heart of the Col ored race throughout the world, b again wounded following his return to the trenches and another heroic ac ; tion against the Germans. He was re 1 ported in the June 21 casualty list to be severely wounded. Roberts is a native of this city and lived here at 1B7 WeHt Fifty-third street. CUBA’S EXECUTIVE INSISTS ON FORCED MILITARY SERVICE Havana.—President Menocal sent a message to congress today urging the prompt passage of the obligatory mili tary service bill. It is said in well informed circles that if congress fails to pass the measure before adjourn ment the president will put it into ef I feet by decree. Colonel Young Finishes Long Trip on Horse Colonel Charles Young, of Wilber force, highest ranking Colored offi cer in the service of the United States, arrived home Wednesday from Wash ington, after making the trip to the capitol on horseback to convince the war department that he is physi cally fit to take an active part in this war. Colonel Young, who was retired, excepting for a position on active duty in the state of Ohio, last sum mer, after his attempt to organize a Colored regiment in Ohio failed, is op timistic following a personal confer ence with Secretary of War Newton D. Baker, and in his own words, h>> is “smiling a broad smile.” “[ simply wanted to convince the war department that I am still phy sically fit for active service and 1 ♦ s. LIEUTENANT-COLONEL CHARLES YOUNG Whom it is earnestly hoped will soon be recalled to active service in the army. He recently took a 100-nule horseback ride as a test of his physical fitness. His appointment to a command would be pleasing to 12,000,000 Colored Americans. have every reason to believe that my ease will be considered favorably,” said the colonel. Although he was not promised any thing definite by the secretary of war who was personally acquainted with his case before the colonel’s visit he has reason to believe that his trip will be fraught with satisfactory re sults and that his services will be called upon in the present crisis. At though it is understood that Colonel Young is in line for a brigadier gen eralship, the officer has no personal ambition prompting his activities to get back into service. According to Colonel Young himself, he is not prompted by any personal hope of promotion or gain and if the war was not going on at present, he would be well satisfied with his allotment. However, he is chafing under th > inactivity of retirement at a time when every one should be doing his best for his country, and when it ap pears that a man so well versed in military training and discipline would be indispensable to the government. Merely a desire to do his part in the present crisis as his patriotic duty, is explained by the local officer as his reason for taking so definite an action as calling on the war depart ment. Colonel Young has neVer been ill, and is in perfect health now. He was examined by army physicians a year ago last May and it was said that he had high blood pressure at that time, but if such is the case, it has never bothered the officer and would not prevent him from considerable more active duty than he is now assigned : to. Colonel Young was retired ex- j cept for “active service in Ohio,” last j summer following an attempt to or- I ganize a Colored regiment from this state, which he hoped to command. The horseback ride to Washington is an example of the army test for physical fitness and was the method employed by Theodore Roosevelt when he was president. A ride of 20 to 30 miles a day is considered a good army rate, yet the local officer kept up an average of 31 Ms miles a day for sixteen days. He walked 15 min utes out of every hour while on the road in order to be able to tell the secretary of war that he had walked a quarter of the way to Washington. Colonel Young left Wilberforce on June 6 and arrived at his destination last Saturday, June 22. He traveled only in the day time, stopping at night at different places along the route. His accomplishment of the feat is considered an excellent proof of his physical ability. The secretary of war was surprised to see him, said ( olo'ipl Young today. Colonel Young besides being the highest ranking Colored officer in the s'-rviee, is also the only Colored grad uate of West Point.—Xenia, Ohio, Morning Republican, June 28. CALIFORNIA WOMAN BECOMES DENTIST First Woman Dentist in Southern California Wins High Honors in Class of 85—Will Enter Practice With Her Husband in lats Angeles. Los Angeles, Cal.—When Dr. Vada Jetmore Somerville received her dip loma at the thirty-fifth annual com mencement of the University of Southern California in Shrine Audi torium Thursday afternoon, June d, the event marked an epoch in the his tory of our women in California; for Mrs. Somerville is the first woman of the Colored race to complete the course and receive the honor in this state. Dr. Somerville has been for a num ber of years one of the leaders among the younger social set and when she abandoned social activities to enter upon the study of dentistry, the young people of the city suffered u severe loss. She attended the Los Angeles high school for three years, thus preparing herself for the future. She won the Times scholarship to the University of Southern California and attended that institution for one year. While attending the university she was able to make a sufficient number of credits to meet matriculation re- ' quirements to enter the college of dentistry connected with that insti tution. It was in October, 1015, that I)r. Somerville entered the dental school and on the sixth of June was graduated in a class of 85 with as high standing as any of the other students. She was the only woman in the class and throughout her course was treated with every con sideration and with greatest courtesy by faculty and student body. —Citi zens Advocate, Los Angeles. BERT WIIAIXMS QUITS FOLLIES Colored Comedian Will Enter Vaude ville. New York.—Bert Williams, for years leading comedian of the Zieg lield Follies, has left that show and will enter vaudeville. It is said the reason given for his withdrawal is i lack of material with which to entei tain audiences. Williams is to appear in a one act version of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” in which he will play the parts of Uncle Tom and Simon Degree. Arrange ments for hooking the play are now teing made. Calls Conference on Negro Labor Confers With Representative Negroes at Raleigh and the Director of Ne gro Economics of the United States Department of Labor—All Highly Pleased at Results. Washington.—The Governor of North Carolina recently called to meet him at the state house for confer ence on Negro labor problems a num ber of most representative Negro citi zens from all parts of that state. He also invited Dr. George E. Haynes, Director of Negro Economics of the’ United States Department of Labor, to meet with them to discuss plans for bringing to the attention of th" rank and file of Negro workers the problems of industry and agriculture in connection with the war and the desire of the white citizens to add their co-operation in increasing the production to win the war. Governor Bickett himself presided throughout the conference and took an active part in its discussion. Dr. Haynes outlined thp general plans of the Department of Labor and for more than an hour the citizens pres ent discussed these plans, offering their advice ds to such modifications as are needed to adjust them to tin welfare of the Negroes frT North Carolina. At the close of the confer- • ence the governor appointed a tem porary committee which has drafted a constitution which authorizes a stair committee and the organization of local and county district committees. During the conference a number of the citizens present expressed them selves as highly pleased, both at the result of the conference and at the liberal attitude of the governor in calling such a conference. The governor expressed himself as highly pleased with the results and. accepted a place as honorary chair man of the permanent state commit tee. Those present and taking part in the conference were as follows: Dr. A. M. Moore, Berry O’Keily, Rev. P. R. Berry, Dr. S. G. Atkins, Bishop-elect H. B. Delany, Mrs. Annie W. Holland, Colonel J. H. Yong, Prof J. D. Wray, Prof. L. E. Hall, Mrs. F. C. Williams, Dr. J. B. Dudley, Bishop G. W. Clinton, Prof. C. L. M. Smith, C. C. Spaulding, J. E. Taylor, Captain L. E. Hamlin, Dr. Geo. J. Ramsey, Ralph lard, N. C. Newbold. A temporary committee was formed to direct the work until the perma nent committee is appointed by the Department of Labor. Of this com mittee Dr. S. G. Atkins, President of the State Normal School at Winston Salem, N. C., is chairman. PHILADELPHIA APPOINTS A POLICEWOMAN Philadelphia, Pa.—Mrs. Mary E. Smith of 1426 Lombard street, is the first woman to be appointed as a policewoman in this city. She as sumed her new duties last week. I RBAN LEAGUE IN WAR WORK New York.—The National League on Urban Conditions among Negroes, with headquarters at 200 Fifth ave nue, New York City, is now in a campaign to heln the government in the production of those goods that are essential to the prosecution of the war. Incidentally, it is the hope of the league that out of the effort larger industrial opnortunities for the Negro will follow. Adjustment of Negro labor in in dustrial centers so as to increase the output of factories, improve the effi ciency of Negro labor and reduce fric tion between the races—this is the contribution of the National League on Urban Conditions among Negroes in the war emergency. The league is aiding the sale of War Savings Stamps and encouraging Ne groes to join in thrift societies. Committee of One Hundred Expansion of List of Speakers to Pre sent the War Aims of the Govern ment to the Colored People of the United States From 60 to 100. MONITOR EDITOR IS NAMED Representatives of Every Notable Group of the Negro Race to Take Active Part in Approaching Cam paign of Education. WASHINGTON, D. C.—The war department and the committee on public information announce through the office of Emmett J. Scott, special assistant to the secretary of war, the expansion of the list of speakers to present the war aims of the government to the Colored peo ple of the United States from sixty (60) to one hundred (100.) Hereafter this group of speakers will be known as “The Committee of One Hundred,” and will be found active in the approaching campaign of education, planned to cover even community in the country, where Colored people abide in appreciable numbers. They represent every no table element of the race and will doubtless exert a potent influence in enlightening the Colored people as to their duty toward the government and pointing out to them in a definite and practical way how- they may be of the greatest service to the nation in the winning of the present struggle for liberty and democracy. The following well-known public men constitute the additions to the list already announced. Additions to List of Speakers. Bishop Benjamin F. Lee. senior bishop of the A. M. E. church, Wilber force, O. Bishop Charles Henry Phillips, bish op of the Colored M. E. church, Nash ville, Ten ii/ Bishop John Hurst, bishop of the A. M. E. church, Baltimore, Md. Dr. Henry L. Phillips, archdeacon of the Protestant Episcopal church. Philadelphia, Pa. Prof. W. S. Scarborough, president of Wilberforce university, Wilber force, O. William H. Steward, editor the American Baptist, Louisville, Ky. Rev. John Albert Williams, editor The Monitor, Omaha, Neb. Mr. John C. Dancy, secretary church extension board, A. M. E. Zion church, Washington, D. C. Dr. James S. Russell, president St. Paul Normal and Industrial Institute. Lawrenceville, Va. Mr. I. Garland Penn, correspond ing secretary Freedmen’s Aid Society . M. E. church, Cincinnati, O. Mr. Samuel W. Green, grand chan cellor, Knights of Pythias, New Or leans, I,a. Dr. M. W. Dogan, president Wiley university, Marshall, Tex. Prof. William Pickens, vice presi dent of Morgan college, Baltimore, Md. Mr. John H. Murphy, editor of the Afro-American, Baltimore, Md. Mi-, George L. Knox, publisher of The Freeman, Indianapolis, Ind. .Mr. A. E. Manning, editor The World, Indianapolis, Ind. Dr. Sumner A. Fumiss, member city council, Indianapolis, Ind. Mr. Armond W. Scott, grand ex alted ruler, Order of Elks, Washing ton, D. C. Mr. E. M. Hewlett, attorney at law Washington, D. C. Mr. Henry Lassiter, 1215 17th street, Washington, I). C. Mr. R, L. Smith, president Fann ers’ Improvement society, Waco, Tex. Mr. Walter J. Singleton, president Mu-So-Lit club, Washington, D. C. Mr. W. B. Kemp, editor The Lead er, Detroit, Mich. Mr. W. E. Mollison, attorney at law, Chicago, III. Mr. J. Gray Lucas, attorney at law, Chicago, 111. Mr. Charles H. Anderson, president Anderson & Co., bankers, Jackson ville, Fla. Mr. George A. Myers, Cleveland, O. Mr. William War ley, editor The Louisville News, Louisville, Ky. Mr. William T. Frat.cis, attorney at law, St. Paul, Minn. Mr. A. E. Meyzeek, principal Col ored Normal school, Louisville, Ky. Mr. Henry Lincoln Johnson, attor ney at law, Atlanta, Ga. Rev. J. Francis Robinson, field sec retary of National Baptist Conven tion (Incorporated), Chicago, 111. Mr. James J. Manuel, office of aud itor of state, Denver, Colo. (Continued on Third I'age.l