The Denver star. [volume], June 15, 1918, Image 1

About The Denver star. [volume] (Denver, Colo.) 1913-1963

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The Denver Star
r The papers formerly known as The Statesman and The Independent, have been merged into The Denver Star
Twenty-Ninth yk.ap 41
Doing His Stuff Over There
Negro Troops Halt The En
emy; Then Charge Thru
Their Lines
i
The following was clipped from the morning paper Wed
nesdav: —
Negro troops, supported by entente allied tanks, which
did great excursion, delivered a brilliant counter-attack in
this vicinity and recaptured the forest running southwest of
Marqueglise. between PerteTarm and Loges farm.
“Over There”
The United States has drafted thousands of Negroes in
the Army, thousands more will be dratted and today there
are thousands more willing to go to the front and shoot
down Germans for the cause of Democracy, Justice and Lib
erty. In Cantigy and Marqueglise where our troops, fighting
and bringing glory to the United States, the American sol
dier of color is giving his life and his life blood, that his pat
riotism which includes the sactificc of home comforts, of for
tunes for the welfare and safety of others, always is support,
ed by the higher, truer and better thought of altruism. Such
men as those imbued with such a spirit cannot have in their
souls, fear hatred, jealousy, envy, greed and lust as their guid
ing principles and life’s beat. Their only thought is alleg
iance, to the absolute principle which makes it possible for
them to face calmly, courageously and strenously the pangs
of suffering, disease, bruises and death Yet even "over
there 'he knows that while he is "over there' fighting, his
women, children and brothers are ruthless lynched over here
The Negro in thb War
Just what percentage of the American army over there i s
composed of Negro troops is conjectural. Probably the pro
poition is modest as yet, but already has it been established
that 'the Colored troops tight nobly." In addition to gener
aUnention made at times by General Pershing, he hatf sin
gled out for particular commendation the heroic exploit of
two Neoro soldiers who, though wounded, gallantly with
stood a raiding party of twenty Germans, saving their com
radcs from capture.
This The Louisville Courier. Journal declares has no ele
ment of surprise fqr any one who knows the American Ne
as a fighter, adding' “There is no color line in the war
against the black flag of the Prussian skull-and-bones. By
the way, it was noticed that no participants in Louisville's
great Red Cross parade received from spectatorV more ap
plause than the Negroes. *’
Along this same line of thought this Southron of South
ern journals, speaking of the query as to why not supplement
the shortage of war nurses from among Negro women, has
this to say: "Most of the nursing of white people in the
South before the war was done by faithful Negro slaves.
Much of the nursing of both the ill and the infants in the
South has been done since the war by Negro women, a few of
'practical' nurses. That Negro women have a peculiar natur
al aptitude for nursing is undoubted. That they get remark
ably good results without much training shows that with train
ing they would be valuable anywhere.”
Another tribute to the Negro in this war is paid by The
Memphis Commercial Appeal, also ultra Southern, which
says: Not long ago one of the most spectacular scenes ever
enacted in Memphis was when a delegation of our black
brothers left for camp. There was no tightening of the
purse strings among their friends and relatives. The day
was one of celebration. A dollar spent in making the depart
ure eventful was a dollar well worth while. The boys of dark
skins, left home happy and proud. They had been escorted
to the trains by thousands. A band of their race played the
songs of inspiration and the ragtime that is part of their har
monious existence. They may be black, but they can fight
and they are Americans and they are loyal, and the men and
women of their race did not seek assistance from the white
man. They arranged the "details of a big day and it was an
epoch-making day in the history of Memphis.•'
It is a bit significant that the major part of compliment
ary comment on the chivalry of the Negro in the war has
been made by the Southern press. It evidences uot alone a
spirit of fairness in just appreciation, but also a pridefulness
in the prowess and the patriotism of the brother in black'
Quite in place with these expressions is that of a correspon
dent with the American army over there, who gives us this
pleasing picture of the Negro in khaki “somewhere in
France":
“They are over here, their typical Negro selves. The
ard of intelligence in the unit is extremely high, and no illit-
PFMVF.R. COLORADO. SATURDAY. June 15, 1918
eracy is noticeable. Many of
the men have become fluent
French talkers and I have
heard animated conversations
between our Colored men and
the Sengelase who chanced to
be passing. The American
Negro lads get along famous
lv with both white and black
Frenchmen. In their deal
ings with the feminine popula
tion thep are pun-tiliously po
lite and not a single complaint
has been lodged against them
in this respect. Naturally
they are delighted at the com
plete lack of racial prejudices
they have found in France
and some of them hare declar
ed to me their intentention of
remaining here after the war.
Their pride in their unit
speaks well for a continuanse
of the high morals they have
manifested so far.”
There is no discount to be
placed on the American sol
dier by reason of racial ante
cedents, religions predilection
or previous conditions of ser
vitude. One and all they are
I soldiers true who will soon be
tried to the uttermost will not
be found wonting.
—Cincinnati Commercial-Tri
buue.
"Over Here''
I know and you know that
if the Negro will now prepare
today for tomorrow when un
told opportunities for better
ment in will be giv
en, many of our ills which we
now suffer and bleed from
will be destroyed or corrected
If the sober, serious opinion
were to be given by the sin
cere and honest white men,
he would undoubtedly answer
in truthful fashion that the
Negro has been ill treated in
America for well nigh three
centuries, suffering every hor
-for of infamous, inhuman hate
reproached, maltreated and
condemned almost completely
to a menial contemptuous ex
istence. Yet in spite of it all,
he musters a spirit to carry
the American flag, steps to
the beat of the drum, risks
the peiils of the submarine
lined oceans and bears his
breast to the consuming fire
of the German race on the
field of battle. This proves
almost conclusively that the
Negro of all men is the Super
man. They wore with honor
the American uniform at Bos
ton Commons, Petersburg,
Fort Pillow, at El Caney, up
on San Juan Hill and Haunted
their suits at Carrizal and this
year found them upon French
territory planting the first
American Hag on French soil,
capturing cantigny and Mar
queglise.
They upheld tradition
Again, and splendidly, too,
Colored soldiers have sustain
ed their traditional reputa
tion for being courageous and
heroic fighters. The deed ol
those two Colored soldiers of
the New York Colored regi
ment. who put to rout twent\
five fierce Huns, although sore
ly wounded themselves, is suf
ficient in itself to win applause
\
from the country, as it did,
and to impel! a reluctant War
Department to give “equal*'
recognition to Colored sold
iers
IfS all the annals of Ameri
can lighters there have been
few instances of bravery, her
oism and fortitude compar
able with the fighting, against
tremendous odds, of those two
Colored soldiers. Privates
Johnson and Needham.
Not only did they win the
Croix de Guerre, which
France so gladly conferred up
on them, but they won the
rig}t to be enrolled high a
mong American heroes; the
rig()t to have their names and
their tame go down triumph
antly the corridors of time;
thcright to have their race —
thejr comrades in arms and
their kinsmen back here at
home, to enjoy, without re
st nttions, the full and com
plefe rights and privileges of
American citizens.
Johnson and Needham fought
like Spartans “to make the
wofld safe for democracy,*'
and because they did, these
United States, from lakes to
gulf, and from ocean to ocean,
ought to be, and MUST BE
safe for them and their-broth
ers.
i "When can their glory die?
—Cleveland Advocate
Louis H. Latimer,
Edison's Assistant
Several weeks ago the birth
day of Thomas Edison was
! celebrated in this city in one
of the leading hotels.
Men ot prominence in all
‘'walks of life", joined in pay
ing honor to one of America's
greatest geniuses and most
usetul citizens.
The guest of honor was too
busy in nis laboratory, testing
war devices to shock ‘‘Fritz",
to attend in person; but his re
I presentatives were there to
hail him —though absent —
with all their voices—as the
greatest wizard of modern
times.
Among them was Louis H.
Latimer, Thomas Edison s
colored assistant, whose con
tribution to the festivities was
a poem, enlegistic of.his great
chief, and which was publish
ed in full in the New York Sun
the following day.
Any man. white or black,
who is publicly recognized as
an inventor and discoveror,
must certainly weigh a little
something mentally himself.
Well, Louis ‘Latimer possess
es some aviordupois. as an in
ventor and electrician, which
Mr. Edison discovering years
ago, made him his assistant
and gave him opportunities to
follow hts bent and taste for
doing electrical work and for
devising electrical appliances,
had he been a white man. he
would, today be a millionaire.
But he is only a colored
man, who has been permitted
to have privileges which few
of his race enjoy and he has
made the most of them b>
Negro Wins
Second Place
Lee Umber, Paced by Bob
Davis, Brings Home
“The Bacon ”
By systematizing and con
centrating his whole soul,
mind and body upon the Sec
ond place, the encouraging
yells of the fans all along the
way did not deter him from
trying "to get and cinch” sec
ond place so that the real test
between Umber and Ted John
son will be shown later on in
Philadelphia. There was no
reason why he should let him
self “out” and beat Johnson
Saturday when everything
was ahead of him. The white
demonstrating to his employ
er that genius is not confined
to any particular race, and
that merit is the true measure
of a MAN.
Wherever the Negro com
petes on equal terms with the
Caucasian, he excels.
In a note to the writer un
der date March 3, 1018, Mr.
Latimer writes: “I hope when
my story is told, it will inspire
our youth to '.enow, that a col
ored man.made the drawings
for Bell's first telephone pat
ents;and made an invention
that made Sir Hirman Max
im's incandescent lamp a sue
cess; and made drawing for,
and testified in, a number of
the original Edison suits on
basic patents."
Mr' Latimer omitted, or
was too modest, to say, that
he represented the Edison Co
pany some years ago as super
intendent of some Electrical
work it was doing in England
also that he is inventor of an
Arc lamp now in use in this
city. I suppose his biographer
would nt let him tell any more
His has been a wonderful
career, and his life story,
when told, will be a revelation
to many who have not known
him as intimately as I have, —
when 1 wore knee breeches
and long hair Louis H. Lati
more was as young as he now
is.
Although Mr. Latimer does
not claim to be a poet, he has
written'some very commend
able poems and prose.
All honor to Mr. Louis H.
I Latimer, the race s foremost
and leading elcctrican and in
ventor, may his days be long
on earth —and his shadow
never grow less. —New Negro
Chicago, 111., Juneq —How
ard P. Drew, the great color
ed star athlete of Drake Uni
versicy joint holder of the
World's record for 100 yards
at :oq 3-5 will be seen the
eighteenth annual outdoor
track and field meet of the
Western Intercollegiate con
ference.
Canada- — wing to the dra
stic shortage of firemen on
the railroads in St. Thomas
the P. M. railroad is to bring
a large number of southern
Negroes to fill the vacancies.
Fir* Ckkts a Cor*.
enthusiasts were strong for
him 19 beat Ted Johnson but
Bob Dans, Umble's pacer
steadied him to “cinch’ sec
ond place and keep Johnnson
ahead of him always.
He ts Lee Umble of Boulder
and has only been in Colora
three months. He has been
training for the marathon for
two weeks, running the dis
tance every day. To say he
was a sensation in the great
fixture is putting it mild for
he was booked as a dark horse
He showed by making the
teo and two-fifths miles in
one hour, seven minutes and
eight seconds and finishing
strong that he can travel with
any fast company. With a
little more seasoning and ex
experience he can't be headed
Umble was born in Wash
ington, Ind. and is 23 years
old. He is an all round ath.
lete, earning letters in track,
baseball, football, swimming
and many other sports. He
was a pupil of the Washing,
ton High school from 1911 till
!Qi4andin 1015 went to the
Ohio State University as a
freshman.
Two of his brothers died of
tuberculosis and Lee thought
he had a touch of it himself,
so he left for Boulder to re
cuperate. The run he made
shows he has no cause tor
worry on that score because it
takes a set of airtight bellows
to breeze along that distance
and finish as strong as he did.
He is taking a course in the
Internaiional Correspondence
school and supports his moth
er by working from 7 at night
until 7 in the morning in a ho
tel at Boulaer. But with all
this on his hands he found
time to train for the marathon
which he did in the mornings.
He says he only had two
meals a day during his two
weeks of training, running ten
miles every day. He weigh.
147 pounds when he started
his workouts and entered the
race weighing 13t pounds
Umble gives Ted Johnson
due credit for running away
from him and says he is a
sprinter, playing a game that
he knows like a book . He in
tends to enter again next year
and declares with the added
training and experience he
will get in the meantime that
it will take a jack rabb't to
pace him on his next start.
The prize he won was a
round trip to Philadelphia
with Ted Johnson, where they
will both compete in the Na
tional A. A. U. meet, which
are the classics of long dis
tance marathon races and his
Colorado training will stand
him well in the sea level alti -
tude.
His running costume was
made from an American Hag
that he brought from his homj
in the Hoosier state and as he
dashed by the crowds along
the course he received many
a cheer and carried the Stars
1 and Stripes right up in trout
I where it belongs
) Job anfl Comm-rcial Work.