Richmond Planet

COLORED DRAFTS TO REPORT AT CANTONMENTS.

Washington, Oct. 8.--(Spl.) Negroes included in the draft in northern states will be trained at Des Moines, Yaphank, Wrightstown, Annapolis Junction, Chillicothe, Rockford and Fort Riley, the War Department announced today.

A regiment of Negroes at each cantonment will be commanded by white officers of rank above captain.

Six hundred and twenty six captains first and second lieutenants and Negro reserves, who complete their training at Fort Des Moines this week will be assigned to the seven cantonments.

No decision has yet been reached with regard to Negroes drafted in southern states.

Neither has the department definitely outlined from what states each of the seven regiments will be selected.

But indications point to orders soon being issued to Negro conscripts to report to the cantonments nearest their homes.

The Negro graduates at Fort Des Moines have been ordered to report at the cantonments Nov. 1—indicating that all northern Negroes will be called at that time.

Lieut Col. W. T. Johnston, chief of the division of training camps of the war department, left Sunday for Fort Des Moines to present the Commissions to the graduates.

This is the first time that the department has deviated from the plan of issuing all commissions direct from Washington.

TO GIVE OATH.

Colonel Johnston, attached to the adjutant general's office, is empowered to commission the Fort Des Moines graduates, administer oath of allegiance, extend to the men a furlough of two weeks and designate the cantonment to which they are to report.

The commissions bear the date of Oct. 15.

The 626 students are all of the infantry arm of the service. The medical training school at Fort Des Moines will continue for another month at least.

Maj George K. Logan, Iowa quartermaster corps, relieved from his present duties, and is assigned as assistant quartermaster of the Thirty sixth Division Staff, at Camp Bowie, Fort Worth, Tex.

Maj. Van Buren Knott, and Capt. R. V. Smith, Iowa medical corps, is assigned to the ambulance companies of the Thirty fourth Division at Camp Cody.

Capt. Floyd A. Rikard, ordnance department, National Army, has been assigned as ordinance officer at Camp Dodge.

Private Wilbur T. Mitchell, Company D. Thirty fourth Infantry, Camp Dodge, is transferred to the permanent school detachment, school for bakers and cooks.