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In the Christmas Edition of Crisis, published December 1917, I cam across a brief piece titled “The Negro and the War Department” by Emmett Jay Scott (page 76). After today’s discussion of African American soldiers, and how the few soldiers that did get placed in a combat position generally fought under French leadership, I expected this article to be a message of dissatisfaction with the War Department’s treatment of blacks. In actuality, this piece is non-confrontational and supporting of the actions of Secretary of War, Newton Baker. Its author, Emmett Jay Scott, opens the piece by telling his fellows that Baker recognizes African Americans as  “an asset of appreciable value in the prosecution of the present war.” Scott also claims that his boss desires “that we, as American citizens, have the full and free opportunity to participate as officers, as soldiers, and as loyal self-sacrificing citizens,” and that “now and hereafter, we shall receive the rewards which justly follow upon services well rendered.” From this description, the War Department sounds quite encouraging of racial equality. The last part of the quote even implies that the rewards of serving in the War will be greater civil rights for African Americans. Of course, we know now that these were empty words.

Knowing the way many African Americans felt about the government’s refusal to grant them full participation in the War, I find it difficult to believe that an African American man actually wrote this. It’s true that Scott couldn’t exactly speak out against his employer and still hope to keep his job. However, he even goes so far as to ask his fellow African Americans to support the War Department, saying “it is highly essential and earnestly desired that I have behind me the loyal support of the thoughtful men and women of our race, and I shall value and appreciate at all times their counsel and suggestions.” Scott appears to fully back the War Department and hopes that the rest of his race will as well. Perhaps he believed that the government would follow through on their promise of rewards when the War ended if the African Americans cooperated throughout the war. Maybe he didn’t mind that African Americans were not getting to fully participate in the military, so long as they got to participate partially. Regardless, Emmett Scott presents a picture of the relations between US War Department and African Americans that are quite different from what we’ve seen in the journals so far.