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Released for publication morning, December 2, 1917:
SPECIAL TO THE
Washington, D. C. - Some eighty three thousand, six hundred (83,600) Negroes
have been drafted for service in the National Army to be sent overseas.
Secretary of War Newton D. Baker, in working out his plans for the training
of these men, has met with many difficulties. First of all, he has had to con-
tend with those friends of the Negro who have felt that it was Secretary Baker's
special duty at this time to attempt to solve or settle the so-called Race Ques-
tion in America. Second, Negro leaders from a.11 parts of the country have im-
portuned the War Department in various and sundry directions, while the peculiar
southern situation, where the masses of the Negroes live, has had to be taken
into account.
Because of these difficulties, the Secretary of War called to his aid, on
October lst, 1917, as Special Assistant in the War Department, a representative
of the Negro Race, Eimmett J. Scott, who, for eighteen years, was Secretary to
the late Booker T. Washingion, and also Secretary of the Tuskegee Normal and
Industrial Institute, in Alabana, Ma'. Scott has a wide acquaintance among mem-
bers of his own race, and with leading members of the white race in the South,
as well as with leaders of thought and public opinion in the North. He has
sought to relieve the Secretary of War, as much as possible, of the burdensome
details growing out of controversies, involving racial relationships, caused
or occasioned by the presence of white and colored draftees together in many of
the cantonments.
Lately, there has been a certain amount of misgiving and unrest among the
colored people of the country who have been led to feel, by reason of reports
of alleged mistreatment of colored men in cantonments, that there is a disposi-
tion on the part of the War Department to deal unfairly with colored draftees
in National Army cantonments and in National Guard camps. For the purpose of
allaying these suspicions and correcting certain false impressions which have
been made and circulated, the Secretary of War has addressed an open letter to
his colored Aide, stating his attitude and the policy of the War Department
with reference to these colored soldiers. The letter, dated November 30th,
1917, follows:
WAR DEPARTME.NT
Washington.
November 30, 1917.
MEMORANDUM - For Mr. Emmett J. Scott.
Special Assistant,
War Department.
Referring to various telegrams and letters of protest re-
ceived at the Department, to which you have called my attention,
concerning certain alleged discriminations against colored
draftees, I wish to say that a full investigation of the matters
complained of has been ordered.
As you know, it has been my policy to discourage dsicrimination
against any persons by reason of their race. This policy has
been adopted not merely as an act of justice to all races that
go to make up the American people, but also to safeguard the
very institutions which we are now at the greatest sacrifice,
engaged in defending, and which any racial disorders must endanger.
At the same time, there is no intention on the part of the War
Department to undertake at this time to settle the so-called Race
Question. In this hour of national emergency and need. white and col-
ored men alike are being called to defend Our Country's honor. In
the very nature of the, case, some must fight in the trenches, while
others must serve in other capacities behind the firing line.
I very much regret what seems to be a certain amount of overvorked
hysteria on the part of some of the complainants who seem to think that
only colored draftees are being assigned to duty in Service Battalions,
whereas thousands of white draftees already have been, and more of them
necessarily will be, assigned to duty in such Service Battalions.
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"ocrText": "Sample\nwed\n5\nConnected\nReleased for publication morning, December 2, 1917:\nSPECIAL TO THE\nWashington, D. C. - Some eighty three thousand, six hundred (83,600) Negroes\nhave been drafted for service in the National Army to be sent overseas.\nSecretary of War Newton D. Baker, in working out his plans for the training\nof these men, has met with many difficulties. First of all, he has had to con-\ntend with those friends of the Negro who have felt that it was Secretary Baker's\nspecial duty at this time to attempt to solve or settle the so-called Race Ques-\ntion in America. Second, Negro leaders from a.11 parts of the country have im-\nportuned the War Department in various and sundry directions, while the peculiar\nsouthern situation, where the masses of the Negroes live, has had to be taken\ninto account.\nBecause of these difficulties, the Secretary of War called to his aid, on\nOctober lst, 1917, as Special Assistant in the War Department, a representative\nof the Negro Race, Eimmett J. Scott, who, for eighteen years, was Secretary to\nthe late Booker T. Washingion, and also Secretary of the Tuskegee Normal and\nIndustrial Institute, in Alabana, Ma'. Scott has a wide acquaintance among mem-\nbers of his own race, and with leading members of the white race in the South,\nas well as with leaders of thought and public opinion in the North. He has\nsought to relieve the Secretary of War, as much as possible, of the burdensome\ndetails growing out of controversies, involving racial relationships, caused\nor occasioned by the presence of white and colored draftees together in many of\nthe cantonments.\nLately, there has been a certain amount of misgiving and unrest among the\ncolored people of the country who have been led to feel, by reason of reports\nof alleged mistreatment of colored men in cantonments, that there is a disposi-\ntion on the part of the War Department to deal unfairly with colored draftees\nin National Army cantonments and in National Guard camps. For the purpose of\nallaying these suspicions and correcting certain false impressions which have\nbeen made and circulated, the Secretary of War has addressed an open letter to\nhis colored Aide, stating his attitude and the policy of the War Department\nwith reference to these colored soldiers. The letter, dated November 30th,\n1917, follows:\nWAR DEPARTME.NT\nWashington.\nNovember 30, 1917.\nMEMORANDUM - For Mr. Emmett J. Scott.\nSpecial Assistant,\nWar Department.\nReferring to various telegrams and letters of protest re-\nceived at the Department, to which you have called my attention,\nconcerning certain alleged discriminations against colored\ndraftees, I wish to say that a full investigation of the matters\ncomplained of has been ordered.\nAs you know, it has been my policy to discourage dsicrimination\nagainst any persons by reason of their race. This policy has\nbeen adopted not merely as an act of justice to all races that\ngo to make up the American people, but also to safeguard the\nvery institutions which we are now at the greatest sacrifice,\nengaged in defending, and which any racial disorders must endanger.\nAt the same time, there is no intention on the part of the War\nDepartment to undertake at this time to settle the so-called Race\nQuestion. In this hour of national emergency and need. white and col-\nored men alike are being called to defend Our Country's honor. In\nthe very nature of the, case, some must fight in the trenches, while\nothers must serve in other capacities behind the firing line.\nI very much regret what seems to be a certain amount of overvorked\nhysteria on the part of some of the complainants who seem to think that\nonly colored draftees are being assigned to duty in Service Battalions,\nwhereas thousands of white draftees already have been, and more of them\nnecessarily will be, assigned to duty in such Service Battalions."
}