Americans All!: Foreign-born Soldiers in World War I

CHAPTER 5. “Mindful ofthe Traditionsof His Race”: Respecting the Culture of the Foreign-born Draftees

112 AMERICANS ALL! C H A P T E R 5 “Mindful of the Traditions of His Race” Respecting the Culture of the Foreign-born Draftees The War Department understood the vital link between maintaining a high level of troop morale and creating an effective fighting force. Although ethnic leaders willingly assisted the military, they also saw morale in terms of retaining important cultural traditions and ensuring fair and just treatment for immigrant soldiers. As advisers to and partners with the War Department , ethnic leaders were in a position to make cultural demands.They educated the military leaders about the religious traditions of the soldiers, explained key cultural needs, and reported specific cultural problems faced by foreign-born troops. Through the help of these men, the War Departmentbegantounderstandthevariousimmigrantgroupswithintheirranks , and many military policies demonstrated cultural respect. Soldier after soldier is turned out fit and eager to fight for liberty under the Stars and Stripes, mindful of the traditions of his race and the land of his nativity and conscious of the principles for which he [was] fighting. —Capt. Edward R. Padgett, October,  “Mindful of the Traditions of His Race” 113 Ethnic leaders also did their part to instill an esprit de corps among nonnative soldiers. They translated the same war propaganda materials that native-born soldiers received and gave inspirational speeches; immigrant soldiers who had been decorated for bravery made public-speaking appearances as well. In addition, ethnic leaders served as MID intelligence agents and assisted the War Department in reporting on the morale of foreignborn soldiers, countered enemy propaganda, and helped with patriotic and ethnic celebrations.The War Department not only depended on prominent community leaders but also developed a mutual respect with them. Officials warned camp commanders to avoid stereotyping and name-calling. Theyalsoworkedtoprovideculturalandsocialactivities,satisfyethnicspiritual life, and generally address the “human needs” of the foreign-born troops.1 Ultimately, ethnic leaders affected new military policies that did not simplymirrortheharshconformityof “percentAmericanism”encountered in the civilian society but instead included a more attenuated attempt at instilling patriotism with a demonstrated sensitivity and respect for the immigrants’ cultures. The War Department concluded that the “upbuilding of morale should begin with the first arrival of a new draftee. . . . Anything that can be done to make the new man feel reasonably at home and glad to be in the Army . . . will be of the first importance.” Morale officers served in thirty-eight different army training camps throughout the United States. The War Departmentcreatedthepositionattherankof majororcaptainwith“noduties other than those relating to the stimulation of military morale.” The morale officer staff included a sergeant to act as an office assistant and two noncommissioned officers within each company. The War Department instructed morale officers to keep the camp commanders informed on the “state of morale in each unit” and to organize and participate in various uplifting activities. The department also instructed these men to educate all camp officers on the importance and “value of morale work” and to report any circumstances that “tend to depress morale.” In addition to native -born men, foreign-speaking soldiers also served as morale officers and helped“improvethemoraleof theforeign-speakingsoldiersbyloyaltymeetings , and talks in their own languages on pertinent subjects.”2 The War Department’s Military Intelligence Division (MID) investigated America’s cities, neighborhoods, and army camps to counter pro-German propaganda, assess the loyalty of Americans, and report on the spirit of immigrant soldiers. Ethnic agents also made key suggestions on how to increase morale. The MID’s association with civilian ethnic agents went 114 AMERICANS ALL! through two distinct periods, one under civilian and the second under military leadership. D. Chauncy Brewer, the original civilian head of the MID, agents assisted with the very early stages of reorganization efforts and studied questions of morale. “Inside camp” agents investigated the loyalty of soldiers and interpreters, ascertained whether soldiers understood their purpose in fighting, and reported on the general condition of foreign born troops. Brewer asked agents, “what is the racial psychology [and] temperament . . . which would not readily occur to the military authorities, but which on the other hand [would] make the soldiers a fair mark for enemy intrigue.”3 Most of the immigrant agents’ early work, however, was concentrated in ethnic communities. The agents generally applauded the loyaltyof theseenclaves,butsomereportsthatraisedquestionswereforwarded to the MID. Even though Brewer thought counterintelligence work was important, he wanted to refocus the mission of division’s Foreign-speaking Soldier Subsection (FSS) toward increasing morale-related activities...