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About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 20, 1915)
The Monitor A Weekly Newspaper Devoted to the Interests of the Eight Thousand Colored People in Omaha and Vicinity, and to the Good of the Community The Rev. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor $1.00 a Year. 5c a Copy. Omaha, Nebraska, November 20, 1915 Volume I. Number 21 Booker T. Washington Called At Tuskegee Great Educator and Leader Passes Away at the School Which He Founded. GAINED NATIONAL REPUTATION Succumbs to Overwork—Dies From Hardening of Arteries—Place Will Be Hard to Fill. Tuskegee, Ala., Nov. 19.—Booker T. Washington, foremost teacher and leader of the Negro race, died early Sunday morning at his home here, near the Tuskegee institute, of which he was the founder and president. Hardening of the arteries following a nervous breakdown caused death four hours after Dr. Washington ar rived from New York. Although he had been, in failing health for several months, the Negro leader’s condition became serious only last week, while he was in the East. He then realized the end was near, but was determined to make the last long trip south. He had said often: “I was born in the South, have lived all my life in the South, and expect to die and be buried in the South.” Hurried South to Die. Accompanied by his wife, his sec retary and a physician, Dr. Wash ington left New York for Tuskegee at 4 o’clock Friday. He reached home at midnight Saturday and died at 4:40 o’clock Sunday morning. His last public appearance was at the Na tional Conference of the Congrega tional churches in New York, where he delivered a lecture October 25. A widow, three children and four grandchildren survive. John H. Wash ington, a brother, is superintendent of the industries at Tuskegee insti tute. Funeral Wednesday. The funeral was held at Tuskegee institute Wednesday morning and was attended by more than 8,000 peo ple. Only 2,500 were able to get into the school chapel, where the impres sive Episcopal burial service was said and hymns were sung by the school choir. Dr. Washington was bom in slav ery near Hales Ford, Va., in 1857 or 1858. After the emancipation of his race, he moved with his family to West Virginia. When he was able to scrape together sufficient money to pay his stage coach fare to Hampton, Va., he entered General Armstrong’s school for Negroes and worked his way through an academic course, graduating in 1875. Organizes Institute. Later he became a teacher in the Hampton institute, where he re mained until 1881, when he organ ized the Industrial school for Ne groes at Tuskegee, to which he de voted most of his attention during the remaining years of his life. (Continued on fourth page) “THE CEDAR HATH FALLEN” “Like a cedar of Lebanon he was in both his inner and his outer nature, a grand and majestic being; and his death, like the fall of a mighty monarch of the forest, is one of the saddest af flictions which has recently fallen upon our race.” From Alexander Crummell’s eulogy on Henry Highland Garnet. BOOKER T. WASHINGTON, M. A., LL. D. Founder of Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute. Who born in slavery rose to eminence. Born 1857, died November 14, 1915. An Open Letter to Mayor Dahlman and the City Commissioners Gentlemen: As you know, a photoplay, “the most gorgeously danger ous thing that could be conceived to stir up race prejudice,” as a lady of culture who witnessed it Sunday night describes it, is showing in our city. Its author has admitted that the purpose of the drama is to “CREATE A FEELING OF ABHORRENCE IN WHITE PEOPLE * * * AGAINST COLORED MEN.” Can you conceive of anything more diabolical than this in Christian America, a deliberate plot to create hatred against one-tenth of the popu lation of the country? Against a people whose loyalty cannot be doubtei | and who, should war threaten, could send ONE MILLION ABLE-BODIED MEN INTO THE FIELD? And yet this is confessedly one purpose of this marvelous production. Men of your intelligence will readily perceive that, this being the mo tive back of the play, it must, of necessity, contain many features that are particularly offensive to the colored people of this country. This is true generally of the scenes depicted in the second half of the film; but two or three are especially objectionable, and in almost every city in which the play has been tolerated the authorities have insisted upon the elimination of these scenes. The city commission of St. Paul, Minn., only last week revoked the license of this photoplay because the management repudiated its promise to eliminate the most objectionable scenes. In this city, as you are aware, a most honorable course has been pur sued by a committee composed of representatives of both races to have these same features eliminated, namely: 1. An interview was held with the local manager of the theatre and a representative of the photo drama with the hope of gaining this reasonable concession. It was met with a polite but positive refusal. (Continued on third pace) A German Wireless Station at Monrovia African Republic of Liberia Becomes a Center of Controversy Be tween Allies and Teutons. MAY INVOLVE UNITED STATES Naval Officers May Be Requested by Liberian Government to As sume Control of Station. Washington, D. C., Nov. 19.—The African republic of Liberia, founded as a refuge for American freedmen, has become a'center of a controversy between the allies and Germany which has involved the United States. The British government discovered that a Liberian company financed by German capita! had erected a power ful wireless station at Monrovia, the capital. A cable connects Monrovia with Pernambuco, Brazil. German representatives in various parts of the world have been sending messages to German agents in Pernambuco, who relayed them to Monrovia, from where they were transmitted by wire less to Germany. Great Britain protested against this unneutral course of the Monrovian government, but received little satis faction. A British man-of-war was sent to Monrovia. The president of the republic, Daniel Howard, at once sent an appeal to President Wilson to intervene. Secretary of State Lan sing requested the withdrawal of the British warship. Great Britain com plied, but pointed out that something had to be done in order to prevent Liberia from committing further vio lations of neutrality. In compliance with this suggestion, Secretary Dan iels has ordered the cruiser Chester to f roceed to Monrovia. Liberia Holds Position of Importance. In addition, the state department has deemed it expedient to send a new minister to Monrovia to replace George W. Buckner, who is ill. The man selected is James L. Curtis, a prominent colored democrat of New York, who will start at once for his new post. Liberia as a result of the develop ment of wireless, has assumed an im portance which the belligerents have not overlooked. In the development of this African state, the American government has alwavs manifested a peculiar interest. This government some years ago joined with Great Britain, France and Germany, in tak ing control of the finances, military organization, agriculture and boun dary nuestions of Liberia. An Amer ican was appointed in charge of fi nances and he was assisted by Eng lish, French and German deputies It is apparent,, therefore, that the Unit ed States has a moral responsbiility for the conduct of Liberia, which may prove embarrassing. Tf Liberia per sists in permitting German agents to use the wireless, Great Britain will (Continued on fifth page)