CHAPTER XXIX

NEGRO LOYALTY AND MORALE

Eager Response of Colored Draftees-Notable Tributes to the Patriotism of the Negro Race by the White Press-Also by President Wilson, Secretary Baker, Secretary Daniels, and Others-Negro Loyalty Never Doubted-Patriotic Negro Demonstrations and Other Instances of Loyalty.

When the United States declared war against Germany and the Teutonic allies, there were internal conditions existing in America that were by no means ideal so far as the Negro was concerned, nor were they altogether conducive to loyalty and a healthy morale among this particular group of American citizens. Beset by a vicious and persistent propaganda on the one side, and by continued instances of lynching and mob violence of which he was the chief victim on the other, the Negro in America faced a real crisis at the beginning of the war. Temptation after temptation was presented to him to render lukewarm and half-hearted support to the Government in the prosecution of the war, without making himself criminally liable, but Negro leaders in all parts of the country recognized at once that the national crisis demanded, and the plain duty and best interests of the Negro racial group required that, without bargaining, there must be a pledge on the part of the Negro of his undiluted and unfaltering loyalty.

History records no parallel where, under similar conditions, any racial group has been more loyal to the Government or has maintained a higher morale than was true of colored Americans during the trying period of the recent war. The Negro pledged his loyalty and was depended upon in all sections of our country. He entered fully and bravely into the work of defending the "Stars and Stripes." All propaganda efforts to weaken his morale absolutely failed. A black skin during the war was a badge of patriotism. The Negro was not unmindful of certain wrongs, injustices, and discriminations which were heaped upon his race in many sections of the country, but in the face of it all he remained ada

mant against all attempts to lower his morale, and realized that his first duty was loyalty to his country. America is indeed the Negro's country, for he has been here three hundred years, which is about two hundred years longer than many of the white racial groups; he realized that he was formally declared a citizen of this country by the Constitution of the United States, and that although many of the rights and privileges of citizenship were still denied him, yet the plain course before him was to perform all of the duties of citizenship and at the same time continue to press his demands for all of the rights and privileges which the Constitution has vouchsafed to him. He realized that he would not be in a position to demand his rights unless he fully performed his duties as an American citizen, and in thus lending his loyal allegiance he exemplified his belief in the doctrine expounded by Colonel Theodore Roosevelt to the effect that "rights and privileges" are contingent upon the faithful discharge of the "duties and responsibilities" of citizenship in any country. And so it was that although the lynching evil and other wrongs against the Negro proceeded with unabated fury, unrestrained even by the President's proclamation, the Negro remained steadfast in his loyalty to the Government. His last ounce of devotion was pledged without question to the principles of freedom and democracy for which America stood, and the thought uppermost in the minds of twelve million colored Americans was that the Teutonic allies should be brought to their knees, and that the war would result in the downfall of all kinds of tyranny and oppression.

Eager Response to the Draft

If there was ever any question as to the Negro's loyalty, it was soon dispelled by the readiness with which he answered the draft call, by his eagerness to volunteer, even though in many instances denied this privilege; by the splendid spirit in which thousands of Negroes, educated and uneducated, accepted tasks assigned to them in non-combatant and Service of Supply regiments; and by the whole-hearted way in which Negro civilians, men, women, and children, representing every section of the country and every walk of life, responded to every call of the Nation. The valiant, varied, and effective services rendered by

four hundred thousand Negro soldiers who were called to the colors, both in camps and cantonments at home as well as upon the battlefields of Europe, canceled every possible doubt and furnished proof positive of the Negro's unfaltering loyalty.

Many agencies sought to lower the morale of the Negro. Not only did German propagandists labor diligently in certain sections of the country, particularly among the unlettered element of the Negro population, in the effort to impress upon their minds 'he two fallacies that (1) America had no right or cause to engage n a foreign war, and (2) that the Negro was foolish in fighting for a country which did not fully protect him in his rights as a citizen. Propagandists sought to advertise every instance of lynching, mob violence, or other wrong visited upon a member of the Negro race, with a view of turning him against his own country, and found additional fuel for their seditious flames in the anti-Negro attitude manifested by a number of white newspapers, governors of states, mayors of cities, legislators, race-prejudicebreeding moving picture shows, etc., that were allowed to propagate a dangerous hate doctrine and to exert a disquieting influence even in the critical period of war.

Propagandists emphasized racial discriminations of one kind or another and unfortunately were able to refer to the facts that the black American, supposedly a citizen, was in many states denied the ballot; that he was "Jim Crowed" on many of the railroads and public carriers, although charged first-class fare for transportation; that he was denied admission to most public places of amusement, hotels and the like. Using such arguments as a basis, the question was raised as to why the Negro was willing to jeopardize his life, his liberty, and his pursuit of happiness in coming to the rescue of America in her extremity and thus helping to defeat Germany-a country where, it was said, such racial discriminations did not exist.

None of these questions, however, disturbed the thoughtful leaders of the Negro people. They knew the designing motive back of such propaganda. They recognized, without question, that the moment the American Negro failed to perform all of the duties of citizenship, he immediately abdicated the right of claiming the full privileges of citizenship. The Negro leaders knew that the

central thought in the German mind and the traditional policy of the Central Powers was "might," and that "compelling force" was intended to be used, as a part of a world-wide conquest, to reduce to German domination the weaker and other peace-loving peoples of the earth. They remembered something of the history of Germany's African colonies. They recognized that the great masses of the Negro race in America belong to a submerged group -seeking education, industrial opportunity, wealth-and, more than all, liberty, freedom, and the pursuit of happiness, and as a means of obtaining possession and permanent enjoyment of those priceless privileges (along with white Americans who were fighting for the same cause), they declared in the public press, in pulpits, upon the public rostrum, in lodge-rooms, in schools and everywhere --that no discouraging or untoward conditions existing among the Negro people must interfere with their whole-hearted support of their country's war program.

Promoting the Negro Morale

As a part of the Government's program of promoting a healthy morale among colored soldiers and colored Americans generally, the author was delegated by the Secretary of War to visit various camps and cantonments where colored soldiers were stationed, also leading centers of Negro population; first, for the purpose of learning as to conditions existing likely to affect their patriotism; and, second, for the purpose of delivering addresses such as would be calculated to promote the continued loyalty and a healthy morale among the members of this racial group.

Preliminary to his tour of the Middle-West he made a careful investigation of conditions existing in Camps Meade, Dix, Lee, Upton, and others, and had sought to ameliorate conditions existing among colored soldiers stationed at those camps. This middle-western itinerary served to give the colored people full opportunity of hearing directly from a representative of the War Department with respect to its policy concerning Negro troops.

The 92nd Division (colored) was trained at seven different cantonments. Early in May, 1918, it became evident that orders would shortly be issued for the entire division to go overseas, and it was therefore arranged that the author should "swing around the

circle," visiting all camps not already visited, where any units of the 92nd Division were stationed, and speaking at such strategic centers en route through the West Where his itinerary would permit. As a part of this program he spoke at various times in all parts of the country, including Boston, Massachusetts; Chicago, Illinois; Kansas City, Missouri; New York City; St. Louis, Missouri; Indianapolis, Indiana; Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Columbus, Ohio; Atlanta, Georgia; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Baltimore, Maryland.

His return to Washington about the middle of May brought the itinerary to a close. Though the gait at which he traveled was a strenuous one, he was immeasurably strengthened for his work by this intimate contact with the people of the country of both races, soldiers and civilians. Wise counsel and friendly encouragement were met with at every turn and he was convinced that the extended tour had not been made in vain. He had spoken thirty-two times, to thousands of his fellow-citizens, all of whom were impelled by a common impulse of patriotism.

A high note of patriotism was sounded by thoughtful leaders of the Negro people in all walks of life. Negro editors, with but few exceptions, rallied to the Nation's call and wrote in a martial spirit; the Negro clergy put on the whole armor of patriotism and awakened the Negro laity to a sense of its duty, opportunity, and responsibility; Negro educators in all sections taught loyalty as a cardinal virtue and representative Negro public speakers sought diligently to maintain a healthy morale among the rank and file of colored Americans.

It was also recognized on the part of the white people of the South and elsewhere that the Negro's loyalty was not to be questioned, and representative white Americans, both North and South, testified in the public press that they regarded the Negro's undivided loyalty as a valuable asset to the Nation. White newspapers all over the country devoted column after column of space to the whole-souled loyalty of colored Americans.

Notable Newspaper Tribute

"The Negro population of the United States," said the St. Louis Globe Democrat, "is loyal to the core, and of all the fantasies