AGENCIES IN THE ARMY
In addition to the work of the welfare organizations in the camps, the Army also contributed something to the pleasure of the soldiers by providing for athletics and socials. Holidays were usually given on Wednesdays, Saturday afternoons, and Sundays, though in the non-combatant units these were not always observed. In the combatant units where athletic officers were selected, there was competition in baseball, basket ball, or football, and occasionally a track meet was held. For the most part, however, organized effort in athletics was hardly ever successfully carried out among Negro soldiers, largely because of the failure of the officers to realize the need. There were, however, exceptions. An enviable record was made by the stevedore team at Camp Alexander, Newport News, which defeated all the teams, white or colored, in the various camps on the lower peninsula of Virginia. One of the best examples of athletic competition in non-combatant units was seen in the depot brigades at Camp Gordon, Atlanta, Ga. Three fields were provided for the men and the teams were well equipped by their organizations with suits and materials. During the baseball season two scheduled games were played each week. The two battalions represented, which formed and marched to the field, always furnished an enthusiastic crowd. Games were also played with the colleges and the Federal Prison team in Atlanta, and there was a big field and track meet. They also had representation in the Camp Gordon meet. In another camp a regimental cross-country run of two miles was held. One hundred and thirty-five men entered and one hundred and twenty-six finished. Boxing was also a source of recreation, and in some camps men were selected for a special class. These later became instructors. Boxing contests and exhibitions were held each week, and in some of the stevedore regiments “battles royal” were conducted. Wrestling was also introduced, but it was not as popular as boxing and did not receive much encouragement.
In Western and Southern camps only a small number of Negro soldiers frequented the Liberty theatres and Y. M. C. A. auditoriums. In the South they were not always permitted to attend. In some places they built their own amusement houses and furnished their own entertainment, as at Camp Travis, Texas. Here there was a minstrel troupe composed of exceptional talent, most of the men having been stars in the profession before being drafted into the army. They gave weekly shows in the camp, and during the warm weather they played in an open air theatre on the hillside, with thousands of white and Negro soldiers attending. They also played in the city theatre in San Antonio, as well as elsewhere in Texas; and they were accompanied by a forty-piece band which was considered the finest in the camp. One tangible result of the work of these entertainers was the erection of a beautiful recreation house at a cost of $6000 with funds raised entirely by their work.
Two other notable examples where provision was made for the recreation and entertainment of Negro soldiers were found in the 92nd Division. One was at Camp Funston and the other at Camp Upton. The theatre at Camp Funston was first planned for the soldiers of the 89th Division, who already had three theatres and a moving-picture show. General Ballou accordingly used his influence to have the new one erected for the use of the headquarters section of the 92nd Division, and the money for the material was furnished by the Government. The soldiers furnished the labor, with the exception of a foreman, an expert carpenter, and some interior finishers. The building was wired by a master electrician, who was drafted from St. Louis; it seated more than 2500; and it was the most beautiful and conveniently arranged theatre seen in the camps. The “Buffalo” auditorium at Camp Upton was built by the soldiers of the 367th Regiment, with the assistance of friends. It was designed for both instruction and recreation. The total cost was $40,000. Of this amount the officers and men subscribed more than $14,000, and they conducted a campaign to raise the balance in New York City. Within the building there was everything from religious services and lectures to preliminary instruction in the use of the bayonet, moving pictures and vaudeville. This auditorium was a great factor in building up the fine esprit de corps of the “Buffalo” regiment; and the three outstanding examples which we have recorded are representative of what was done with the co-operation of officers in the different camps for the recreation and entertainment of the Negro soldiers.