THE NEGRO MUTINY

The hanging of thirteen negro soldiers attached to the 24th United States Infantry is the first case of such a wholesale execution since the Mexican War of 1845. It is the one of the few blots on the remarkably fine record of our Army.

The murders for which these men were hanged occurred last August in Houston, Texas. About one hundred and fifty troopers raided the town and held complete sway for several hours. During this period they shot a captain and many civilians, and were finally driven out by a posse. Such a riot has not occurred for years, and cannot easily by explained. The negro troops' last misbehavior occurred at Brownsville and resulted in the dismissal of an entire battalion from the service. All of which would seem to lead to the conclusion that our negro soldiers are a disgrace to the service. Nothing is farther from the truth. The work of the colored troops in the last, Mexican affair was nothing short of marvelous; they bore the brunt of the fighting and acquitted themselves gloriously. The negro cavalry is equal to the best we have in the Army, and the War College cavalrymen stationed at Plattsburg during the summer of 1916 were a source of admiration to every student. A captain in this same 24th Infantry told a CRIMSON representative that he would rather lead negro troops than any others.

We must not, therefore, hasten to condemn negro troops. They have shown their mettle in many a skirmish, and the Houston affair is merely an incident which discredit individuals, not a race. The individuals have suffered, the race should not.