UNSELFISH WORKERS IN THE VINEYARD
MITIGATED THE HORRORS OF WAR--AT THE FRONT, BEHIND THE LINES, AT
HOME--CIRCLE FOR NEGRO WAR RELIEF--ADDRESSED AND PRAISED BY ROOSEVELT--A
NOTABLE GATHERING--COLORED Y.M.C.A. WORK--UNSULLIED RECORD OF
ACHIEVEMENT--HOW THE "Y" CONDUCTED BUSINESS--SECRETARIES ALL
SPECIALISTS--NEGRO WOMEN IN "Y" WORK--VALOR OF A NON-COMBATANT.
Negroes in America are justly proud of their contributions to war relief
agencies and to the financial and moral side of the war. The millions of
dollars worth of Liberty Bonds and War Savings stamps which they
purchased were not only a great aid to the government in prosecuting the
war, but have been of distinct benefit to the race in the establishing
of savings funds among many who never were thrifty before. Thousands
have been started on the road to prosperity by the business ideas
inculcated in that manner. Their donations to the Red Cross, the
Y.M.C.A. and kindred groups were exceptionally generous.
An organization which did an immense amount of good and which was
conducted almost entirely by Negro patriots, although they had a number
of white people as officers and advisers, was the "Circle for Negro War
Relief," which had its headquarters in New York City.
At a great meeting at Carnegie Hall, November 2, 1918, the Circle was
addressed by the late Theodore Roosevelt. On the platform also as
speakers were Emmett J. Scott, Irvin Cobb, Marcel Knecht, French High
Commissioner to the United States; Dr. George E. Haynes, Director of
Negro Economics, Department of Labor; Mrs. Adah B. Thorns,
Superintendent of Nurses at Lincoln hospital, and Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois,
who presided.
Mr. Roosevelt reminded his hearers that when he divided the Nobel Peace
Prize money among the war charities he had awarded to the Circle for
Negro War Relief a sum equal to those assigned to the Y.M.C.A., the
Knights of Columbus, and like organizations.
"I wish to congratulate you," Mr. Roosevelt said, "upon the dignity
and self-restraint with which the Circle has stated its case in its
circulars. It is put better than I could express it when your
officers say: 'They, (the Negroes) like the boys at the front and
in the camps to know that there is a distinctly colored
organization working for them. They also like the people at home to
know that such an organization, although started and maintained
with a friendly cooperation from white friends, is intended to
prove to the world that colored people themselves can manage war
relief in an efficient, honest and dignified way, and so bring
honor to their race.
"The greatest work the colored man can do to help his race upward,"
continued Mr. Roosevelt, "is through his or her own person to show
the true dignity of service. I see in the list of your
vice-presidents and also of your directors the name of Colonel
Charles Young, and that reminds me that if I had been permitted to
raise a brigade of troops and go to the other side, I should have
raised for that brigade two colored regiments, one of which would
have had all colored officers. And the colonel of that regiment was
to have been Colonel Charles Young.
"One of the officers of the other regiment was to have been 'Ham'
Fish. He is now an officer of the 15th, the regiment of Negroes
which Mr. Cobb so justly has praised, and when 'Ham' Fish was
offered a chance for promotion with a transfer to another command,
I am glad to say he declined with thanks, remarking that he
'guessed he's stay with the sunburned Yankees.'"
A guest of honor at the meeting was Needham Roberts, who won his Croix
de Guerre in conjunction with Henry Johnson. The cheering of the
audience stopped proceedings for a long time when Mr. Roosevelt arrived
and shook hands with Roberts.
"Many nice things were said at the meeting," commented the New York
Age, "but the nicest of all was the statement that after the war
the Negro over here will get more than a sip from the cup of
democracy."
One of the splendid activities of the Circle was in the providing of an
emergency relief fund for men who were discharged or sent back, as in
the case of Needham Roberts, on account of sickness or injuries. Many a
soldier who was destitute on account of his back pay having been held up
was temporarily relieved, provided with work or sent to his home through
the agency of the Circle.
While the war was in progress the Circle attended to a variety of legal
questions for the soldiers, distributed literature, candy and smokes to
the men going to the war and those at the front; visited and ministered
to those in hospitals, looked after their correspondence and did the
myriad helpful things which other agencies were doing for white
soldiers, including relief in the way of garments, food, medicine and
money for the families and dependents of soldiers.
The organization had over three score units in different parts of the
country. They engaged in the same activities which white women were
following in aid to their race. Here is a sample clipped from one of the
bulletins of the Circle:
"On the semi-tropical island of St. Helena, S.C., the native
islanders have, in times past, been content to busy themselves in
their beautiful cotton fields or in their own little
palmetto-shaded houses, but the war has brought to them as to the
rest of the world broader vision, and now, despite their very
limited resources, 71 of them have formed Unit No. 29 of the
Circle. They not only do war work, but they give whatever service
is needed in the community. The members knit for the soldiers and
write letters to St. Helena boys for their relatives. During the
influenza epidemic the unit formed itself into a health committee
in cooperation with the Red Cross and did most effective work in
preventing the spread of the disease."
Similar and enlarged activities were characteristic of the units all
over the nation. They made manifest to the world the Negro's generosity
and his willingness in so far as lies in his power, to bear his part of
the burden of helping his own race.
After the war the units of the Circle did not grow weary. Their
inspiration to concentrate was for the relief of physical suffering and
need; to assist existing organizations in all sorts of welfare work. As
they had helped soldiers and soldiers' families, they proposed to extend
a helping hand to working girls, children, invalids and all Negroes
deserving aid.
To the lasting glory of the race and the efficient self-sacrificing
spirit of the men engaged, was the wonderful work of the Negro Young
Men's Christian Association among the soldiers of this country and
overseas. Some day a book will be written dealing adequately with this
phase of war activity.
The best writers of the race will find in it a theme well worthy of
their finest talents. The subject can be touched upon only briefly here.
To the untiring efforts and great ability of Dr. J.E. Moorland, senior
secretary of the Negro Men's Department of the International Committee,
with his corps of capable assistants at Washington, belongs the great
credit of having organized and directed the work throughout the war.
Not a serious complaint has come from any quarter about the work of the
Y.M.C.A. workers; not a penny of money was wrongfully diverted and
literally not a thing has occurred to mar the record of the
organization. Nothing but praise has come to it for the noble spirit of
duty, good will and aid which at all times characterized its operations.
The workers sacrificed their pursuits and pleasures, their personal
affairs and frequently their remuneration; times innumerable they risked
their lives to minister to the comfort and well being of the soldiers.
Some deeds of heroism stand forth that rank along with those of the
combatants.
The splendid record achieved is all the more remarkable and gratifying
when the extensive and varied personnel of the service is taken into
consideration. No less than fifty-five Y.M.C.A. centers were conducted
in cantonments in America, presided over by 300 Negro secretaries.
Fourteen additional secretaries served with Student Army Training Corps
units in our colleges. Sixty secretaries served overseas, making a grand
total of 374 Y.M.C.A. secretaries doing war work.
Excellent buildings were erected in the cantonments here and the camps
overseas, which served as centers for uplifting influences, meeting the
deepest needs of the soldier's life. In the battle zones were the
temporary huts where the workers resided, placed as near the front lines
as the military authorities could permit. Many times the workers went
into the most advanced trenches with the soldiers, serving them tobacco,
coffee, chocolate, etc., and doing their utmost to keep up spirits and
fighting morale. Much of the uniform good discipline and behavior
attributed to the Negro troops undoubtedly was due to the beneficial
influence of the "Y" men and women.
As an example of the way the work was conducted it is well to describe a
staff organization in one of the buildings.
It was composed of a building secretary, who was the executive; a
religious work secretary, who had charge of the religious activities,
including personal work among the soldiers, Bible class and religious
meetings; an educational secretary, who promoted lectures, educational
classes and used whatever means he had at hand to encourage intellectual
development, and a physical secretary, who had charge of athletics and
various activities for the physical welfare of the soldiers. He worked
in closest relationship with the military officers and often was made
responsible for all the sports and physical activities of the camp. Then
there was a social secretary, who promoted all the social diversions,
including entertainments, stunts and motion pictures, and a business
secretary, who looked after the sales of stamps, post cards and such
supplies as were handled, and who was made responsible for the proper
accounting of finances.
The secretaries were either specialists in their lines or were trained
until they became such. Some idea of their tasks and problems, and of
the tact and ability they had to use in meeting them, may be gained by a
contemplation of the classes with which they had to deal. The selective
draft assembled the most remarkable army the world has ever seen. Men of
all grades from the most illiterate to the highly trained university
graduate messed together and drilled side by side daily. There were men
who had grown up under the best of influences and others whose
environment had been 370TH or vicious, all thrown together in a common
cause, wearing the same uniform and obeying the same orders.
The social diversions brought out some splendid talent. A great feature
was the singing. It was essential that the secretary should be a leader
in this and possessed of a good voice. These were not difficult to find,
as the race is naturally musical and most of them sing well. Noted
singers were sent to sing for the boys, but it is said that frequently
the plan of the entertainment was reversed, as they requested the
privilege of listening to the boys sing.
A wonderful work was done by "Y" secretaries among the illiterates. Its
fruits are already apparent and will continue to multiply. They found
men who hardly knew their right hand from their left. Others who could
not write their names are said to have wept with joy when taught to
master the simple accomplishment. Many a poor illiterate was given the
rudiments of an education and started on the way to higher attainments.
Headquarters of the overseas work was at Paris, France, and was in
charge of E.C. Carter, formerly Senior Student secretary in America, and
when war was declared, held the position of National Secretary of India.
Much of the credit for the splendid performance of the "Y" workers
abroad belonged to him and to his able aid, Dr. John Hope, president of
Morehouse college, Atlanta, Ga. The latter went over in August, 1918, as
a special overseer of the Negro Y.M.C.A.
Three distinguished Negro women were sent over as "Y" hostesses, with a
secretarial rating, during the war. Their work was so successful that
twenty additional women to serve in the same capacities were sent over
after the close of hostilities. They were to serve as hostesses, social
secretaries and general welfare workers among the thousands of Negro
soldiers who had been retained there with the Army of Occupation and the
Service of Supply.
The first Negro woman to go abroad in the Y.M.C.A. service was Mrs.
Helen Curtis of 208 134th Street, New York, in May, 1918. For a number
of years she had been a member of the committee of management of the
Colored Women's Branch of the Y.M.C.A., and had assisted at the Camp
Upton hostess house. Her late husband, James L. Curtis, was minister
resident and consul general for the United States to Liberia. Mrs.
Curtis lived in Monrovia, Liberia, until her husband's death there. She
had also lived in France, where she studied domestic art for two years.
Being a fluent speaker of the French language, her appointment was
highly appropriate.
So successful was the appointment of Mrs. Curtis that another Negro
secretary in the person of Mrs. Addie Hunton of 575 Greene Avenue,
Brooklyn, N.Y., followed the next month. Her husband was for many years
senior secretary of the International Committee of the Y.M.C.A. Negro
Men's Department, and her own work had always been with the
organization.
A short time later Miss Catherine Johnson of Greenville, Ohio, followed
in the wake of Mrs. Curtis and Mrs. Hunton. She is a sister of Dr.
Johnson of Columbus, Ohio, appointed early in 1919 minister to Liberia.
No less successful at home than abroad was the work of the Y.M.C.A.
among the Negroes in cantonments and training camps. It is known that
the services rendered by the Association to the officers' training camp
at Fort Des Moines had much to do with making that institution such a
remarkable success. From that time on comment was frequent that the best
work being done by the Association in many of the camps was done by
Negro secretaries.
The heroic exploit of Professor Cook, the "Y" secretary, which secured
him a recommendation for the Distinguished Service Cross, is mentioned
elsewhere. It was only equalled by the valiant performance of A.T.
Banks of Dayton, Ohio, a Negro "Y" secretary who went over the top with
the 368th Infantry. Secretary Banks, during the action, tarried to give
aid to a wounded soldier. The two were forced to remain all night in a
shell hole. During the hours before darkness and early the following
morning they were targets for a German sniper. The secretary succeeded
in getting the wounded man back to the lines, where he then proceeded to
organize a party to go after the sniper. They not only silenced him, but
rendered him unfit for any further action on earth. Mr. Banks returned
to America with the sniper's rifle as a souvenir. His work was
additionally courageous when it is considered that he was a
non-combatant and not supposed to engage in hostilities. Had he been
taken by the Germans he would not have been accorded the treatment of a
prisoner of war, but undoubtedly would have been put to death.
Were the records sufficiently complete at the present time to divulge
them, scores of examples of valorous conduct on the part of the "Y"
workers, Red Cross and other non-combatants who ministered to Negro
soldiers could be recounted. The work of all was of a noble character.
It was accompanied by a heroic spirit and in many cases by great
personal bravery and sacrifice.