The Crisis: The Perception of Race in WWI

After a close reading of this [http://dl.lib.brown.edu/jpegs/1292948033108625.jpg ''Editorial''], it seems that the Secretary of War is commending the African-American soldiers of the American Expeditionary Force and trying to convince those reading the editorial that they are being treated fairly. He points out how impressed he was with the American Expeditionary Force and how the camps were “noticeably excellent” when it came to sanitation. One word that stood out above all the others was the word “pride.” The secretary of War stated that he had “come back with an increased pride in these units.” Using this line to close his address, the Secretary of War showed that he was satisfied with what the African-American soldiers were doing, he believed in them, and he saw that they were being treated as they should be. However, many might argue, that the fact he had to try and prove this point, is in fact, contradictory to the belief that there was no discrimination between soldiers.