History of the American Negro in the Great World War

Chapter XI Hour of His Nation’s Peril

NEGRO’S PATRIOTIC ATTITUDE—SELECTIVE DRAFT IN EFFECT—FEATURES AND RESULTS—BOLD RELIANCE ON FAITH IN A PEOPLE—NO COLOR LINE DRAWN—DISTRIBUTION OF REGISTRANTS BY STATES—NEGRO AND WHITE REGISTRATIONS COMPARED—NEGRO PERCENTAGES HIGHER—CLAIMED FEWER EXEMPTIONS—INDUCTIONS BY STATES—BETTER PHYSICALLY THAN WHITES—TABLES, FACTS AND FIGURES.

As stated in a previous chapter, the Negro’s real opportunity to show his patriotic attitude did not come until the passage of the compulsory service law; selective draft, was the name attached to it later and by which it was generally known.

On May 18, 1917, the day the law was enacted by congress, no advocate of preparedness could with confidence have forecasted the success of it. There were many who feared the total failure of it. The history of the United States disclosed a popular adherence to the principle of voluntary enlistment, if not a repudiation of the principle of selection or compulsory military service.

It was to be expected that many people would look upon the law as highly experimental; as an act that, if it did not produce grave disorders in the country, would fall short of the results for which it was intended. It was fortunate for the country at this time, that the military establishment possessed in the person of General Crowder, one who had made a special study of selective drafts and other forms of compulsory service, not alone in this country, but throughout the nations of the world and back to the beginning of recorded history. He had become as familiar with all phases of it as though it had been a personal hobby and lifetime pursuit.

The law was extremely plain and permitted of no guessing or legal quibbling over its terms. It boldly recited the military obligations of citizenship. It vested the president with the most complete power of prescribing regulations calculated to strike a balance between the industrial, agricultural and economic needs of the nation on the one hand and the military need on the other.

Within 18 days between May 18, when the law was approved, and June 5, the day the president had fixed as registration day, a great, administrative machine was built. Practically the entire male citizenship of the United States within the age limits fixed by law, twenty-one to thirty years inclusive, presented itself at the 4,000 enrollment booths with a registered result of nearly 10,000,000 names. The project had been so systematized that within 48 hours almost complete registration returns had been assembled by telegraph in Washington.

The order in which the ten-million registrants were to be called was accomplished on July 20 by a great central lottery in Washington.

The boards proceeded promptly to call, to examine physically and to consider claims for exemption of over one and one half million men, a sufficient number to fill the first national quota of 687,000. Thus in less than three and one-half months the nation had accepted and vigorously executed a compulsory service law.

On June 5, 1918, 753,834 men were added to the rolls. On August 24, 1918, that number was increased by 159,161; finally on September 12, 1918, under the provision of the act of August 31,1918, 13,228,762 were added to the lists of those available for military service, which, including interim and other accessions, amounted to a grand total of 24,234,021 enrolled and subject to the terms of the Selective Service law. This tremendous exhibition of man power struck terror to the heart of the Hun and hastened him to, if possible, deliver a telling blow against the Allies before the wonderful strength and resources of the American nation could be brought to bear against him.

Commenting on the facility with which the selective draft was put into effect, the report of the Provost Marshall General stated in part:

“The expedition and smoothness with which the law was executed emphasized the remarkable flexibility, adaptability and efficiency of our system of government and the devotion of our people. Here was a gigantic project in which success was staked not on reliance in the efficiency of a man, or an hierarchy of men, or, primarily, on a system. Here was a bold reliance on faith in a people. Most exacting duties were laid with perfect confidence on the officials of every locality in the nation, from the governors of states to the registrars of elections, and upon private citizens of every condition, from men foremost in the industrial and political life of the nation to those who had never before been called upon to participate in the functions of government. By all administrative tokens, the accomplishment of their task was magic.”

No distinction regarding color or race was made in the selective draft law, except so far as non-citizen Indians were exempt from the draft. But the organization of the army placed Negro soldiers in separate units; and the several calls for mobilization, were, therefore, affected by this circumstance, in that no calls could be issued for Negro registrants until the organizations were ready for them. Figures of total registration given previously in this chapter include interim accessions and some that automatically went on the rolls after September 12, 1918. Inasmuch as the tables prepared by the Provost Marshall General’s department deal only with those placed on the rolls on regular registration days and do not include the accessions mentioned, comparisons which follow will be based on those tables. They show the total registration as 23,779,997, of which 21,489,470 were white and 2,290,527 were black. Following is a table showing the distribution of colored and white registrants by states:

	Colored
	Total registrants
	Colored June 5, 1917 Colored Total
	and white Colored registrants colored
	registrants. to Sept 11, Sept 12, registrants.
	1918. 1918.
United States	23,779,097 1,078,331 1,212,196 2,290,527
Alabama	444,692 81,963 81,410 163,373
Arizona	93,078 295 680 975
Arkansas	365,754 51,176 53,659 104,835
California	787,676 3,308 6,404 9,712
Colorado	215,178 1,103 1,867 2,970
Connecticut	373,676 3,524 4,659 8,183
Delaware	55,215 3,798 4,448 8,246
District of Columbia	89,808 11,045 15,433 26,478
Florida	208,931 39,013 43,019 82,032
Georgia	549,020 112,593 108,183 220,781
Idaho	103,740 254 255 509
Illinois	1,571,717 21,816 35,597 57,413
Indiana	639,431 11,289 16,549 27,838
Iowa	523,957 2,959 3,022 5,981
Kansas	381,315 5,575 7,448 13,023
Kentucky	486,599 25,850 30,182 56,032
Louisiana	391,654 76,223 82,256 158,479
Maine	159,350 163 179 342
Maryland	313,255 26,435 32,736 59,171
Massachusetts	884,030 6,044 8,056 14,100
Michigan	871,410 6,979 8,950 15,929
Minnesota	540,003 1,541 1,809 3,350
Mississippi	344,506 81,548 91,534 173,082
Missouri	764,428 22,796 31,524 54,320
Montana	196,999 320 494 814
Nebraska	286,147 1,614 2,417 4,031
Nevada	29,465 69 112 172
New Hampshire	95,035 77 98 175
New Jersey	761,238 14,056 19,340 33,396
New Mexico	80,158 235 350 595
New York	2,503,290 25,974 35,299 61,273
North Carolina	480,901 73,357 69,168 142,525
North Dakota	159,391 65 165 230
Ohio	1,387,830 28,831 35,156 63,987
Oklahoma	423,864 14,305 23,253 37,563
Oregon	176,010 144 534 678
Pennsylvania	2,067,023 39,363 51,111 90,474
Rhode Island	134,232 1,573 1,913 3,486
South Carolina	307,229 74,265 74,912 149,177
South Dakota	142,783 144 171 315
Tennessee	474,253 43,735 51,059 94,794
Texas	989,571 83,671 82,775 166,446
Utah	100,038 169 392 561
Vermont	71,464 63 89 152
Virginia	464,903 64,358 75,816 140,174
Washington	319,337 373 1,353 1,726
West Virginia	324,975 13,292 14,652 27,944
Wisconsin	584,639 718 1,117 1,835
Wyoming	58,700 280 570 850
	White
	registrants White Total
	Percent of June 5, 1917 registrants white	Percent
	total to Sept 11 Sept 12, registrants.	of total
	registrants. 1918. 1918.	registrants.
United States	9.83 9,562,515 11,926,955 21,480,470	90.37
Alabama	36.74 124,247 157,072 281,319	63.26
Arizona	1.05 39,884 52,219 92,103	98.95
Arkansas	28.66 117,111 143,808 260,919	71.34
California	1.23 312,994 464,970 777,964	98.77
Colorado	1.38 90,453 121,755 212,208	98.62
Connecticut.	2.19 171,296 194,197 365,493	97.81
Delaware	14.93 20,761 26,208 46,969	85.07
District of Columbia	29.45 25,625 37,795 63,420	70.56
Florida	39.26 55,572 71,327 126,899	60.74
Georgia	40.22 147,604 180,635 328,239	59.78
Idaho	0.49 45,224 58,007 103,231	99.51
Illinois	3.65 685,254 829,050 1,514,304	96.35
Indiana	4.35 272,442 339,151 611,593	95.65
Iowa	1.14 237,744 280,232 517,976	98.86
Kansas	3.41 161,691 206,602 368,293	96.59
Kentucky	11.52 190,060 240,507 430,567	88.43
Louisiana	40.46 103,718 129,467 233,185	59.54
Maine	0.22 67,941 91,067 159,008	99.73
Maryland	18.89 110,066 144,018 254,084	81.11
Massachusetts	1.60 391,654 478,276 869,930	93.40
Michigan	1.83 404,040 451,441 855,481	98.17
Minnesota	0.62 247,750 288,903 538,653	99.38
Mississippi	50.24 75,977 95,447 171,424	49.76
Missouri	7.11 372,106 398,002 710,108	92.89
Montana	0.41 96,753 101,432 198,185	99.59
Nebraska	1.42 130,493 151,623 282,116	98.58
Nevada	0.58 12,581 16,712 29,293	99.42
New Hampshire	0.18 41,617 53,243 94,860	99.82
New Jersey	4.39 18,615 409,225 727,840	95.61
New Mexico	0.74 36,776 42,787 79,563	99.26
New York	2.44 1,092,061 1,349,956 2,442,617	97.56
North Carolina	29.63 155,102 183,274 338,376	70.37
North Dakota	0.15 72,837 85,324 159,161	98.85
Ohio	4.61 588,170 735,673 1,323,843	95.39
Oklahoma	8.86 173,851 212,450 386,301	91.15
Oregon	0.38 69,376 105,956 175,332	99.62
Pennsylvania	4.38 353,106 1,113,443 1,976,549	95.62
Rhode Island	2.59 57,433 73,313 130,746	12
South Carolina	48.56 70,395 87,657 158,052	51.44
South Dakota	0.23 64,896 77,572 142,468	99.77
Tennessee	19.99 169,674 209,785 379,459	80.01
Texas	16.82 376,385 446,740 823,125	83.18
Utah	0.56 45,930 53,547 99,477	99.44
Vermont	0.21 30,819 40,493 71,312	99.79
Virginia	30.15 141,714 183,015 324,727	69.85
Washington	0.54 123,752 193,859 317,611	99.46
West Virginia	8.60 128,852 168,179 297,031	91.40
Wisconsin	0.31 265,501 317,303 582,804	99.69
Wyoming	1.45 24,612 33,238 57,850	98.56

Results of the classification of December 15, 1917 to September 11, 1918, in respect to colored and white registrants are shown in the following table:

Colored and white classification compared. Number.	Percent	Percent
	of total	of
	classified.	classified.
Total colored and white registered:
June 5, 1917, to Sept. 11, 1918 10,640,846	100.00	-----
Total colored registered 1,078,331	10.13	100.00
Class I 556,917	-----	51.65
Deferred classes 521,414	-----	-----
Total white registered 9,562,515	89.87	100.00
Class I 3,110,659	-----	32.53
Deferred classes 6,451,856	-----	-----
Percentage accepted for service on calls before Dec. 15,	1917 (report	for 1917).
Colored -----	-----	36.23
White -----	-----	24.75

It will be seen that a much higher percentage of Negroes were accepted for service than of white men. It is true that enlistments which were permitted white men but denied Negroes, depleted the whites eligible to Class 1 to some extent. Probably there were more Negro delinquents in proportion to their numbers in the south than white delinquents. The conditions under which they lived would account for that. Delinquents, under the regulations, were placed in Class 1. Then there is the undoubted fact that the Negro sought and was granted fewer exemptions on the ground of dependency. Many Negroes in the south, where the rate of pay was low, were put in Class 1 on the ground that their allotment and allowances while in the army, would furnish an equivalent support to their dependents. But whatever the reason, the great fact stands out that a much greater percentage of colored were accepted for service than white men. The following table gives the colored and white inductions by states:

	Total colored	Colored	Colored Per
	and white	registrants,	Percentage inducted Percent of
	registrants,	June 5,	of colored June 5, colored
	June 5, 1917,	1917, to	and white 1917, to registrants.
	to Sept. 11,	Sept. 11,	registrants. Nov. 11,
	1918.	1918.	1918.
United States	10,640,846	1,078,331	10.13 367,710 34.10
Alabama	206,210	81,963	39.75 25,874 31.57
Arizona	40,179	295	.73 77 26.10
Arkansas	168,287	51,176	30.4l 17,544 34.28
California	316,302	3,308	1.05 919 27.78
Colorado	91,556	1,103	1.20 317 28.74
Connecticut	174,820	3,524	2.02 941 26.70
Delaware	24,559	3,798	15.46 1,365 35.93
District of Columbia	36,670	11,045	30.12 4,000 36.22
Florida	94,585	39,013	41.25 12,904 33.08
Georgia	260,197	112,593	43.27 34,303 30.47
Idaho	45,478	254	.56 95 37.40
Illinois	707,070	21,816	3.09 8,754 40.13
Indiana	283,731	11,289	3.98 4,579 40.56
Iowa	240,703	2,959	1.23 929 31.40
Kansas	167,266	5,575	3.33 2,127 38.15
Kentucky	215,910	25,850	11.98 11,320 43.79
Louisiana	179,941	76,223	42.36 28,711 37.67
Maine	68,104	163	.24 50 30.67
Maryland	136,501	26,435	19.37 9,212 34.85
Massachusetts	397,698	6,044	1.52 1,200 19.85
Michigan	411,019	6,979	1.70 2,395 34.32
Minnesota	249,291	1,541	.62 511 53.16
Mississippi	157,525	81,548	51.77 24,066 29.51
Missouri	334,902	22,796	6.81 9,219 40.44
Montana	97,073	320	.33 198 61.87
Nebraska	132,107	1,614	1.22 642 39.78
Nevada	12,640	59	.47 26 44.07
New Hampshire	41,694	77	.18 27 35.07
New Jersey	332,671	14,056	4.23 4,863 34.60
New Mexico	37,011	235	.63 51 21.70
New York	1,118,035	25,974	2.32 6,193 23.84
North Carolina	228,459	73,357	32.11 20,082 27.38
North Dakota	72,902	65	.09 87 -----
Ohio	617,001	28,831	4.67 7,861 27.27
Oklahoma	188,156	14,305	7.60 5,694 39.80
Oregon	69,520	144	.21 68 47.22
Pennsylvania	902,469	39,363	4.36 15,392 39.10
Rhode Island	59,006	1,573	2.67 291 18.50
South Carolina	144,660	74,265	51.34 25,798 34.74
South Dakota	65,040	144	.22 62 43.06
Tennessee	213,409	43,735	20.59 17,774 40.64
Texas	460,056	83,671	18.19 31,506 37.65
Utah	46,099	169	.37 77 45.56
Vermont	30,882	63	.20 22 34.92
Virginia	206,072	64,358	31.23 23,541 36.57
Washington	124,125	373	.30 173 46.38
West Virginia	142,144	13,292	9.35 5,492 41.32
Wisconsin	266,219	718	.27 224 31.20
Wyoming	24,892	280	1.12 95 23.93
Alaska			5
Hawaii
Porto Rico
	White	Percent of	White
	registrants,	colored	inductions, Percent
	June 5,	and	June 5, of white
	1917, to	white	1917, to registrants.
	Sept. 11,	registrants.	Nov. 11,
	1918.		1918.
United States	9,562,515	89.87	2,299,157 24.04
Alabama	124,247	60.25	33,881 27.27
Arizona	39,884	99.27	8,036 20.15
Arkansas	117,111	69.59	31,768 27.13
California	312,994	98.95	60,148 21.13
Colorado	90,453	98.80	22,487 24.86
Connecticut	171,296	97.98	31,598 18.45
Delaware	20,761	84.54	3,628 17.48
District of Columbia	25,625	69.88	5,631 21.97
Florida	55,572	58.75	12,012 21.62
Georgia	147,604	56.73	32,538 32.04
Idaho	45,224	99.44	12,471 27.58
Illinois	685,254	96.91	68,729 24.62
Indiana	272,442	96.02	65,170 23.92
Iowa	237,744	98.77	65,935 27.73
Kansas	161,691	96.67	39,778 21.60
Kentucky	190,060	88.02	47,010 24.60
Louisiana	103,718	57.64	27,494 26.51
Maine	67,941	99.76	15,216 22.40
Maryland	110,066	80.63	24,655 22.40
Massachusetts	391,654	98.48	75,367 19.24
Michigan	404,040	98.30	94,085 23.29
Minnesota	247,750	99.38	73,169 29.53
Mississippi	75,977	48.23	19,296 25.40
Missouri	312,106	93.19	83,624 26.79
Montana	96,753	99.67	27,142 28.O5
Nebraska	130,493	98.78	29,165 22.35
Nevada	12,581	99.53	8,138 24.94
New Hampshire	41,617	99.82	8,377 20.13
New Jersey	318,615	95.77	66,527 20.88
New Mexico	36,776	99.37	8,811 23.96
New York	1,092,061	97.68	247,396 22.65
North Carolina	155,102	67.89	38,359 24.73
North Dakota	72,837	99.91	18,508 25.41
Ohio	568,170	95.83	130,287 22.15
Oklahoma	173,851	92.40	59,247 34.08
Oregon	69,376	99.79	16,090 23.19
Pennsylvania	863,106	95.64	185,819 21.53
Rhode Island	57,433	97.33	10,885 18.95
South Carolina	70,395	48.66	18,261 25.94
South Dakota	64,896	99.78	21,193 32.66
Tennessee	169,674	79.51	42,104 24.81
Texas	376,385	81.81	85,889 22.82
Utah	45,93O	99.63	10,711 23.32
Vermont	30,819	99.80	6,607 21.44
Virginia	141,714	68.77	34,796 24.55
Washington	123,752	99.70	28,513 23.04
West Virginia	128,852	90.65	39,863 30.94
Wisconsin	265,501	99.73	70,758 26.65
Wyoming	24,612	98.88	7,828 31.81
Alaska			1,957
Hawaii			5,406
Porto Rico			15,734

Further light on the question of more Negroes in proportion to their numbers being selected for service than white men, is found in a comparison of the Negroes and whites rejected for physical reasons. The following table gives the figures for the period between December 15, 1917 and September 11, 1918:

Colored and white physical rejections compared.	Number.	Percent of	Percent of
		examined	partial
			disqualifications.
Total, colored and white examined Dec. 15, 1917,
to Sept. 11, 1918	3,208,446	100.00	-----
Group A	2,259,027	70.41	-----
Disqualified partly or totally	949,419	-----	100.00
Group B	88,436	2.76	9.31
Group C	339,377	10.58	35.75
Group D	521,606	16.25	54.94
Total, colored examined	458,838	100.00	-----
Group A	342,277	74.60	-----
Disqualified partly or totally	116,561	-----	100.00
Group B	9,605	2.09	8.24
Group C	27,474	5.99	23.57
Group D	79,482	17.32	68.19
Total white examined	2,749,608	100.00	-----
Group A	1,916,750	69.71	-----
Disqualified partly or totally	832,858	-----	100.00
Group B	78,831	2.87	9.47
Group C	311,903	11.34	37.45
Group D	442,124	16.08	53.08

The percentage of Negroes unqualifiedly accepted for service, was 74.60% of the number examined; the white men accepted numbered 69.71% of the number examined. The Negroes it will be seen rated about 5% higher physically than the whites. No better refutation could be desired of the charge, having its inspiration in the vanquished, but unrepentant defenders of Negro slavery, mourning about its dead carcass, that the Negro is deteriorating physically, or that the so-called degenerative influences of civilization affect him in greater degree than they do the white man.