Following in the footsteps of Captain Roots; apparently obsessed by the same vision and spirit, Mr. Willis O. Tyler, eminent Los Angeles race representative, attorney and Harvard graduate, also makes a plea for justice for Negro troops in the regular army, also for Negro officers, and proposes reforms and legislation for utilizing the present force of Negro officers, and creating enlarged opportunities for others. Says Mr. Tyler: "Officers in the regular army for the most part, are graduates of West Point. They are commissioned second lieutenants at graduation. No Negro has graduated from West Point in the past twenty-nine years, and none has entered there in 32 years. Col. Charles Young graduated in 1889, twenty-nine years ago,--he entered in 1884. Henry W. Holloway entered in 1886, but attended only that year. In all, only twelve Negroes have ever attended West Point and only three have graduated. Of the three graduates, the first, Henry O. Flipper (1877) was afterwards discharged. "The second, John H. Alexander (1887) died in 1894. The third and last graduate, Charles Young (1889) has but recently been returned to active duty. We understand he has attained the rank of Colonel. The Negroes of the United States, to the number of twelve millions, have only one West Point graduate in the regular army. There are however four regiments of Colored troops, two of infantry, and two of cavalry, and these have been maintained for 52 years, (since 1866), and more than two hundred officers find places in the four Colored regiments. These two hundred officers, with about three exceptions are white officers. In all, only twelve Negroes have held commissions in the regular army. Of this number seven were Chaplains and two were paymasters. "In 1917 there were two first lieutenants; and (then) Major Charles Young in the regular army. Hence only two officers of the line and only one of the staff (other than Chaplains), out of more than two hundred who found places with the four colored regiments. "We need not stop for the reasons why Negroes have not been attending West Point, nor even admitted there for the past 32 years. Certain it is they have not been attending the nation's great military school, and certain it is that in law, good conscience and right, one cadet at West Point in every twelve should be a Negro. "The future lies before us. The four regiments of Colored Troops have vindicated their right to be maintained as such by having made for the army some of its finest traditions. Why not have the four colored regiments officered by colored men from the Colonel down to the second lieutenants?