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About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (April 20, 1918)
i xsrrs, i The Monitor i l^, i - —r=J ^ 1 A National Weekly Newspaper Devoted to the Interests of Colored Americans % v THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS. Editor % ---- _ $1.50 a Year. 5c a Copy _OMAHA. NEBRASKA. APRIL 20. 1918 Vo* ill. No. 42 (Whole No. 144) - Colored Troops are Feature of Parade Three Thousand Stalwart Sable Sam mies, Headed by Six-Foot I)run>; Major Landers, Capture Baltimore and Receive Great Ovation All Along Line of March. PRESIDENT WILSON PLEASED Men Show Result of Splendid Train ing Received Under Colored Offi cers; Lieutenant Brannon of Fre mont, Neb., One of Them. BALTIMORE, Md. — The Liberty division of the national army marched right into the hearts of half a million people who lined the streets Saturday afternoon, April 6, to wit ness the greatest military spectacle which has been seen in Baltimore for many, many days. And the boys in olive drab brought the war a bit closer to home. It made the spectators think of the sacrifices which men are mak ing to whip an autocratic power which would crush and dominate the world and it moved them to a realization of their duty. The 368th the Talk of City All Baltimore is still talking about the great impression that the 368th Infantry made when 12,000 soldiers from Camp Meade marched in the big military parade. The day was a memorable one in that not only it marked the first anniversary of thi entrance of the United States into the world war and the launching of the third Liberty loan, but for the fact that President Wilson was here to re view the marching troopers and at night delivered an address that clear ly set forth the aims of the country in its efforts to crush the Germans. Receive an Ovation There were four divisions in th; parade, the 3,600 men of the 368th In fantry being the only Colored one. These men included draftees from Tennessee, southern Maryland, tin eastern shore of Maryland and Penn sylvania. From the time the parade started at Central avenue and Jeffer son street until it passed the review ing stand at Mount Royal avenue and St. Paul street, where President and Mrs. Wilson and a party of distin ,i|( guished white citizens sat, the Colored yj V troopers were given an ovation that j far exceeded that given the three di ^ vjL visions of white troopers. Show Results of Training All the soldiers, white and Colored \ J made a fine showing and demon / strated the fact that the peace-loving United States can raise and train an J army unsurpassed by any in the world. The Colored soldiers, however 1 \ attracted particular attention. The A men made a very striking appearance. r| The 368th regiment was in com mand of Colonel W. P. Jackson and v» Colored officers trained at Fort Des «y Moines, Iowa, and the hearing of the j (j men showed the results of the splen did training they are receiving from 1 s. their company commanders, Captains U Peeks, Seward, Sanders and others I -|* and Lieutenants Webb, Carpente' I- VWilliams and Love, all Baltimoreans T|;inJir,d Clyde G. Brannon of Fremont flW’4ebra8ka* jl I!,. President Pleased It should be recorded that the 368th j regiment of infantry made the biggest f tickJ< b'^” ar>y detachment passing the / city hall. The Colored men passed in Ala’ Per^ect alignment, and the showing made by the officers of the respective companies was a matter of the most complimentary comment from all wh I jf witnessed their soldierly bearing. I President Wilson was very much I* pleased at the appearance made by I the Colored soldiers and paid men and officers a high compliment. Six-Foot Sergeant Landers Sergeant Landers, U'ho is 6 feet E inches tall, drum major of the infan try band, which was classed as the best of several in the parade, was one of the sensations of the parade, not only because of his commanding height, but also for the skill and dex terity with which he swung his staff He is a Philadelphian and belonged to the regular army. President Wilson smiled as he recognized his salute. As the Colored soldiers came past the stand the band detached itself and took up a position directly in front of the president, playing “Over There" and other military and popular airs. Sneers Turn to Cheers Of course, as is always to be ex pected, there were many whites here and there all along the line who thought it smart and a mark of intel ligence to pass uncomplimentary re marks. “Here come the smokes!” and similar expressions were heard from some whites, but when the Colored boys, their band and drum major got closer, their sneers turned to cheers. It was also noticed and noted that despite the fact that thousands of Col ored soldiers were in line Baltimore is not yet sufficiently imbued with the ideals of democracy to give represen tatives of the Colored race a place on the reviewing stand. But even this will come in time, for Saturday’s Lib erty parade has made a great impres sion for good upon the city and coun try. PLACED ON DEFENSE COUNCII Charleston, W. Va.—At a recent meeting of the Executive State Coun cil of Defense thirty Colored men and women were appointed as an auxiliary Advisory Council of Defense. J. C. Gilmer, former State Librarian, was named secretary and directing head with an office in the state capitol here. Another appointment of more than usual interest was that of Hugh Bess a Colored man, as baggage master of the union station. Forty passenger trains arrive at and depart from this station. Another Test of Democracy Students of Shaw University Subject ed to Indignities at Public Patriotic Meeting, Withdraw; St. Augustine’s School Takes Similar .Action. INCIDENT IGNORED BY PRESS (Special to The Monitor.) Raleigh, n. c., April i6.—Ra ■ leigh’s democracy was given a practical test on April 9, when the city welcomed Mr. McAdoo and the mayor proclaimed a general holiday. A general patriotic mass meeting was held at the city auditorium to boost the third Liberty loan. Schools, col leges and citizens in every walk of life, irrespective of color, were urged to be present. The Colored attendance promised to be large and it was an nounced bythe committee and through the press that the east side of the auditorium, would be reserved for Col ored people. When the young ladies of Shaw uni versity arrived they were forced to wait several minutes before they were shown their places. At last the presi dent of Shaw university was told where they might be seated, and soon as they were seated they were ordered to move into what is com monly called the peanut gallery, and despite the fact that it was announced that these seats would be reserved for Colored people, they were told that those seats were never intended for Negroes. While some of the stu dents of the white state college hissed and jeered at the Shaw students, the president of Shaw university insisted that the young ladies should keep their seats; but finding that the rude ness grew he decorously led the young ladies not to the peanut gallery, but back to the institution. When St. Augustine’s Normal and Industrial, a widely known school of the city,learned of the action of Shaw, they took similar steps. The principle involved was not one of race or social equality, but one of civic rights, the rights which belong to every American citizen. Such things are particularly painful in a country which proclaims “liberty and justice for all and in a patriotic mass meet ing where banners bearing the inscrip tions, “Stick together,” “Make the world safe for democracy,” were fly ing. Up to the present date not a single white paper has mentioned the affair. BAKERY PRODUCTS MUST HAVE SUBSTITUTES AFTER APRIL 11 On and after April 14 all commer cial bakers will have to use substitutes in ajl products from the bakeries. Heretofore it has been optional, ex cept in baking bread and rolls. Gur don W. Wattles, federal food adminis trator for Nebraska, announces that not less than the following amount of substitutes must be used: Bread and rolls, 25 per cent; crack ers, 15 per cent; cookies and ice cream cones, 33 1-3 per cent; pies and cake3, 33 1-3 per cent; fried cakes, 33 1-3 per cent; pastries, 33 1-3 per cent; batter cakes, waffles and quick breads, 66 2-3 per cent. "Violations of these rules will re sult in immediate suspension of the license,” says Wattles. The Children of the Sun By George Wells Parker HOW old is man ? Did he begin his existence as man or as some su per-ape, some strange transition from the monkey tribe now lost forever? And where was his first home—in some mythic Eden that bloomed in Africa or Asia, or in some land for gotten and never to be known again ? These are some of the questions that students of the human race have tried to answer and the answ'ers are almost as many as the students. If I should answer the questions truthfully I should say that no one knows. Yet there have been many bits of evidence that have helped us to form some slight idea of what may be possible. The game of thinking is an endless game, and the very endlessness of it is the secret power that has lifted man upward from the brute to civili zation. These questions may never be answered, but in seeking answers we continually discover facts that help us understand ourselves and each other. Man is very, very old, perhaps a million years, perhaps more and per haps less. Whether he began his life as the human we know or as ah ape man is another question that has yet to be settled. Evolution seems to be an answer, but it is an answer that is not complete. And his first home? All that primitive man has left us are a few of his bones, some rude caves and huts, and innumerable bits of flint, bone and ivory, which he has made into needles, awls, daggers and fish hooks. If he had left these in one place we might say here was Eden; but we have found them everywhere. In Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia, America and on the islands of tlio seas these remains tell us that primi tive man was there. But how did he come there? Who knows? It is hard ly possible that primitive man could | so early have wandered away from a] primal home. He might have done bo ! had his first home been on one con 1 tinent, but how did he reach different j continents ? He was afraid of the | ocean and had he not been afraid he did not have ships to travel the wild j and wind-swept waves. So you may realize hovv difficult it is to answer these questions about mankind. We are only entirely safe when we an swer, “We do not know.” The next question is the question of race. Was there originally one race or many? Did God create of one blood all the nations of men and make them in His own image? If so, how came the division into many? How' came white and red and yellow and brown and black? This question, too, has been answered in many ways, but lately science is swinging around tc the conclusion that originally there was but one race and that the division into many races was caused by various climatic and living conditions which are grouped under the term environ ment. And of w hat race was this | primal race? Was it white or red or yellow' or brown or black ? Here we ! begin to be more sure of ourselves, be cause the evidence that has been gath ered in the last twenty years seems to prove that he first race of men ap pearing on the earth was the black race, the race I am writing to you about, the Children of the Sun. Let us now investigate the evidence in support of this theory. Until about twenty years ago the proof of the ra cial type of primitive man depended upon one thing, the shape of the skuil. Skulls were divided into several groups, the division depending upon length, breadth and thickness. There Were found many intermediate types, but these three main types were suf ficient to render a fairly good account of the three chief races, black and yel low and white. And among the many skulls recovered it was found that the type of skull belonging to the black race prevailed. It was in proof from this evidence that Alexander Winchell America’s foremost geologist, said: “Thus we get a conception of a vast Hamitic empire existing in prehistoric times, whose several nationalities were centered in Mesopotamia, Canaan Egypt, northwestern Africa, Iberia, Greece, Italy, Sicily, Sardiania and central Europe—an intelligent and powerful ethnic family, the first of the Adamites to emerge into historic light, but the records of its achieve ments buried in gloom almost as dense as that which covers the ruder popu lations that the Hamites everywhere displaced.” We now come to the evidence that lias clinched this argument in behalf of those who claim that the black ra \ v as the first to develop civilization. Within the last ten years many caves have been discovered in Europe upon the walls of which these primitive men have carved crude pictures ol men and animals, many of which they have colored. And the colors used were red and black—red for many of the animals and BLACK FOR NEAR LY ALL REPRESENTATIVES OF HUMAN BEINGS. White men would hardly represent themselves as black would they? This is precisely the position assumed by the greatest stu dents of primitive man today' and why the opinion that the black race was the first to nourish civilization is be coming unanimous. This belief is weB summed up in the words of Sir Arthui Evans, president of the British Asso ciation: "Once more, we must never lose sight of the fact that from the early Aurignaeian period onward e Negroid element in the broadest sense of the word shared in this artistic cul ture, as seen on both sides of the Pyranees. The Negroid contributions must not be under-estimated, for it is on this Neolithic foundation that our later civilization immediately stands.” Thus may we "rest assured in the fact that it is our race that first de veloped civilization, and in the future articles I shall write for y'ou I shall prove that it is our blood that carried civilization onward and upward to the highest point that it has ever been reached by man. Will not this be something to glory in? Will not this be something to make you prouder of your kith and kin, to deepen your race love and to increase your racial confi dence ? NEBRASKANS SAVE GREAT AMOUNT OF WHEAT FLOUR Nebraskans have responded to the appeal to save wheat, according to re ports coining to Gurdon W. Wattles, federal food administrator for Ner braska. A review of reports show that Ne braskans are consuming less than half as much as before the saving propa ganda started. Similar reports come from the United States food adminis tration frbtn Washington. “It is quite gratifying to know that v/c are meeting the requirements of our country,” said Mr. Wattles, “yet it could not be otherwise. We haven war to win and we must win at all hazards. Just now the thing to do is to maintain the enviable record we have started. I have no fear of the results in Nebraska. The state has been 100 per cent in all its responses and its conservation is no different.” WILL PRESENT ANTI LYNCHING BILL Washington.—A committee from the National Race Congress that was authorized by the Congres in its last session, October, 1017, to have a bill drawn and offered in the National Congress of the United States, mak ing lynching and mob violence a Fed eral crime, waited on Senator Frey linghuysen of New Jersey, in regards to the matter and he has agreed to offer such a bill in the United States Senate. AN APPEAL TO THE TWELVE MILLION NEGROES OF THE UNITED STATES Washington, D. C., April 15.—Our nation is engaged in a war for its very existence. To win this war we must save food, grow great crops of food stuffs and substitute other foods for those most easily shipped to our asso ciates in this war and our own soldiers in France, thousands of whom are men of your own race. The food ad ministration realizes that the Negro people of this nation can be of the utmost help in food conservation and food production. Every Negro man woman and child can render a definite service by responding to the appeal and instructions of the food adminis tration and its representatives. The Negroes have shown themselves loyal and responsive in every national crisis. Their greatest opportunity of the present day, to exercise this loyalty, is to help save and grow food. I am confident that they will respond to the suggestions of the food administration and thus prove again their patriotism for the winning of this war. (Signed) HERBERT HOOVER. LIBERIAN ARMED SHIP SUNK Attacked by German Submarine That Bombarded Monrovia. London, April 13.—The German sub marine, which on April 10, bombarded Monrovia, the capital of the African Republic of Liberia, in addition to destroying the wireless telegraphy station, sank the Liberian armed ves sel, President Grant, it was announced here today. A number of casualties were inflicted on shore by the shells from the U-boat. After a bombardment lasting an hour the activities of the submarine were interrupted by a coastal steam ship. PIONEER BUILDER DEAD Philadelphia, April 10.—Mr. Elias Chase, successful contractor and prominent church worker, died from general debility recently, aged 81 years. He had built a number of large structures in and around this city. He leaves a number of children, grand (hildren and great-grandchildren. N.A.A.C.P.to Have Campaign Drive Niw Effort to Enlist 50,000 Members Will Be Known as “Moorfield Storey Drive,” in Honor of Its President. Ninety branches of the National As sociation for the Advancement of Col ored People, scattered throughout the country in all the principal cities are to join April 17 to 27 in a nation-wide “Moorfield Storey Drive” for 50,00C members. This membership drive has been undertaken by these branches as a testimonial to Moorfield Storey of Boston, the association’s president, :n recognition of his service to the Col ored people of the nation in the Louis vile segregation case. In that case compulsory residential segregation of Colored people was declared uncon stitutional by unanimous decision of the supreme court of the United States, handed down last November. The Colored people and their friends declare the anti-segregation victory to be the greatest legal landmark affect ing the Negro since the fifteenth amendment was enacted. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was founded on Lincoln’s birthday, 1909. and has its headquarters in New York. From its New York office an appeai for public support in its membership campaign is made in tire following staement issued recently: “The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ap peals to all fair-minded citizens, white and Colored, to join with it in the ef fort to secure simple justice under the law for our Colored citizens. They represent over one-tenth of our Amer ican citizenship. The National Asso ciation for the Advancement of Col ored People is making a nation-wide appeal for membership not on any narrow grounds of race or class privi lege, but on the broad ground of jus tice, of equal protection of all citizens under the law without distinction of race or creed or class. The mainten ance of these just principles is of equal interest to all classes of citizens and an essential element of national strength. We therefore feel justified in asking all classes of citizens to join our association for this common prin ciple of justice and civil liberty. The association admits members upon pay ment of any amount from one dollar per year upwards. “The association feels that thj American people have a right to be proud of the 100,000 Colored soldiers now serving in the regular army and national army. As a result of an ac tive campaign on the part of this as sociation an officers’ training camp for Colored men was inaugurated at Des Moines, la., as a consequence of which nearly 700 Negro officers were commissioned. “The association, through an anti lynching fund contributed by believers in law and order,investigates as many cases as possible of lynching and mob violence, gives publicity to the facts regarding them and endeavors to arouse public opinion against the mob spirit. Annually, through the gift of the chairman of the board of directors of the association the Spingam medal is awarded for the highest or noblest achievement by a Negro American during the preceding year.” Counsels Command to Avoid Trouble Major General Ballou Issues Order lo Men Covering Question of Policy in Dealing With Civil Rights Matters. ONE REGRETABLE STATEMENT Apparently Conveying a Thinly-Veil ed Threat, Unwise, Unnecessary and Only Provocative of Criticism and Resentment. FUNSTON, Kan., April 8.—The fol lowing order was issued to the Ninety-second Division under date of March 28 at Camp Funston. It is here given without comment: “l. It should be well known to all Colored officers and men that no use ful purpose is served by such acts as will cause the ‘color question’ to be raised. It is not a question of legal rights, but a question of policy, and any policy that tends to bring about a conflict of races, with its resulting animosities, is prejudicial to the mili tary interest of the Ninety-second Di vision, and therefore prejudicial to an important interest of the Colored race. “2. To avoid such conflicts the di vision commander has repeatedly urged that all Colored members of his command, and especially the officers and non-commissioned officers, should refrain from going where their pres ence will be resented. In spite of this injunction one of the sergeants of the medical department has recently pre cipitated the precise trouble that should be avoided and then called on the division commander to take sides in a row that should never have oc curred had the sergeant placed the general good above his personal pleas ure and convenience. This sergeant entered a theater, as he undoubtedly had a legal right to do, and precipi tated trouble by making it possible to allege race discrimination in the seat he was given. He is strictly within lus legal rights in this matter, and the theater manager is legally wrong. Nevertheless the sergeant is guilty of the greater wrong in doing anything, no matter how legally correct, that will provoke race animosity. “3. The division commander repeats that the success of the division, with all that success implies, is dependent upon the goodwill of the public. That public is nine-tenths white. White men made the division, and they can break it just as easily if it becomes a trou ble maker. “4. All concerned are again enjoin ed to place the general interest of the division above personal pride and gratification. Avoid every situation that can give rise to racial ill-will. At tend quietly and faithfully to your duties and don’t go where your pres ence is not desired.” \\ H I T E T HEATER ADMITS RACE PATRONS (Special to The Monitor.) Denver, Colo.—For the first time in the history of the Plaza theater, a downtown white movie house in the business district on Curtis street, race members were admitted to any seat in the house on March 20 and 21. For merly they had been “jim crowed” to a small section in the gallery. After a three-hour debate the manager of the theater was induced to show the famous ‘‘Trooper of Troop K” of the Lincoln Film company and to open his doors to any seat in the house without restrictions to the race. The showing of “The Trooper” proved a grand success, bringing out the best race citizens of the city, and so pleased the management that they desire to book all Lincoln films avail able and to give the race people per manent equal accommodations in his theater. Mr. George W. Gross, president of the N. A. A. C. P. of Colorado, and Mr. Clarence Brooks, secretary of the Lincoln firm, deserve credit for the above concession. CONCERNING FRED C. WILLIAMS Many inquiries reach us concerning our traveling representative, Mr. Fred C. Williams, whose interesting letters are missed by our readers. Mr. Wil liams has been ill at La Grange, Tex., but we are glad to say he is much im proved and writes that he will soon be able to resume his duties. It is grati fying to him to know that his contri butions to our columns are so highly appreciated and he thanks the numer ous friends he has made for their kind words.