Oswald Garrison Villard
No. 20 Vesey Street
New York

September 14, 1914.

Dear Major Young:

            Dr. DuBois has shown me your letter of July first 

to him.  I hasten to tell you that to our sorrow absolutely no 

headway is being made with the colored regiment.  I wrote an ur-

gent letter to the Governor on June 11th asking that he take up 

the matter, telling him frankly that the Adjutant General was, in 

my opinion, trying to block the whole scheme by letting it die of 

inanition, and urging that he apply at once to the War Department for 

your services.  He wrote in reply stating that he would be glad 

to take it up.  Since then I have heard nothing from him, and as 

he is now engaged in a bitter political campaign in which I am rather 

opposing him, I fear that I cannot influence him further.  I am, 

however, writing to Robert Wood and Dr. DuBois calling their atten-

tion to the fact that this is the time to make the Governor line up, 

and that he should be told frankly that if he wants negro votes he 

must state definitely just what he proposes to do about this regi-

ment.  After the campaign, if he is re-elected, I shall take the 

matter up with him; if Mr. Whitman, who seems to be the leading Re-

publican candidate, be chosen, I should think the prospects good 

for achieving something as he is sincerely friendly to the colored 

people.

        I am glad to see from your letter that all is going 

well with you personally, and I trust that you have not had any 

anxiety about your children in Belgium during this horrible time.  


With kind regards,
Sincerely yours,
Oswald Garrison Villard

			

Charles Young Collection

Letter from Oswald Garrison Villard to Charles Young