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
$1.50 a Year. 5c a Copy. Omaha, Nebraska, January 15, 1916 Volume I. Number 29
Abyssinia and the
European Conflict
This Little Nation With Her Fighting
Black Troops May Yet Decide
Issue of War.
STRATEGIC SUEZ CANAL PRIZE
Its Retention by England or Capture
by Germany Rests Entirely
With Abyssinia.
London, Eng., Jan. 14.—Abyssinia
may win the European war for the
Allies. This little nation with its
army of 200,000 well-trained and well
armed fighting men, can stop the Ger
man advance on the Suez canal and
turn the tide for the British Empire.
Belgium saved the entente powers in
the West, but Abyssinia may do more.
She is now being relied upon to stem
the tide of the Turco-Teutonic ad
vance and save the Suez canal. The
Caucasian, the black and the yellow
man will mix their blood in one of
the greatest battles the world has
ever known should this nation enter,
as is hourly expected, and the battle
would prove the titanic and probably
the decisive struggle for the suprem
acy of the great war. Germany now
wants Egypt and is now marching her
forces on to it. Her designs have
swelled to such a proportion that the
Allies are making prepartions to de
fend the Suez canal.
Follow Children of Israel.
From the East will move thousands
of Persians, as they have sworn their
allegiance with the Germans. Meet
ing the thousands of Germans, they
will seek to cross the Sini peninsula,
and should they succeed they will be
following the footsteps of the children
of Israel. Just as Persia’s aid must
be had by the Teutons. Abyssinia’s aid
is is absolutely essential for the Brit
ish and their allies to win. The fate
of Egypt, the supremacy of the en
tente or the central powers, hangs
in the balance. Persia or Abyssinia
will tip the scales that will make the
most exciting chapter in the war’s
history. The Suez canal is the new
cockpit of the fighting kings of
Europe.
Black, White and Yellow to Fight.
From the Orient has sailed the pow
erful Japanese fleet, which will co
operate with Abyssinia by transport
ing its troops to Egypt. Thousands of
Jap marines will be sent to this thea
ter of war. Already the Jap fleet has
arrived at the canal. It is also pos
sible for the French railroad to trans
port Abyssinian troops in four days
to the Suez or in five days to Bas
sora or Mesopotamia. The black
troops are well armed, arid Germany
is the country that has furnished them
with their arms. Since 1911 Abys
sinia has purchased from 800,000 to
1,000,000 modern rifles, most of which
have been manufactured in Germany.
She has 200,000 well-trained men
which she has pledged to Britain. The
(Continued on eighth page)
Think On These Things
“No one could look upon that life, or on that face, and not be
absolutely certain that here before him was one who had gained
firm and serious hold on spiritual things, one who could draw on
some deep wells of piety and thankfulness and peace.”
THE RT. REV. RICHARD SCANNELL
Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Omaha, Who Died Saturday
Morn ing.
Something To Make You Think
“Nature and Some Sociologists”
“The New Republic” recently published a letter by John Jay Lindley fa
voring racial segregation, applicable, of course, only to the colored American,
The letter contains this rather remarkable passable which we commend to our
readers as a choice specimen of illogical reasoning which, nevertheless, in
fluences the minds of the impressionable:
“In the eyes of God all men are equal, but students of sociology know
that there is a barrier which must forever exist between the whites and the
blacks, and which no time can remove. Certain laws in nature are as immuta
ble as the seeds of time, and they cannot be changed. Silver is not gold, and
while both metals can be made into beautiful creations, they must forever
remain dissimilar. So it is with the white and the black races.”
Please notice how James W. Johnson, the brilliant and versatile contrib
uting editor of The New York Age, answers John Jay Lindley in a recent issue
of that leading race weekly. This is the answer:
“Here is a man virtually stating that God thinks all men are equal, but
students of sociology know better. There is a class of sociological students
who pretend to know more about the human race than God does, but we
should like to know where any of them got the knowledge that “there is a
barrier which must forever exist between the whites and the blacks, and which
no time can remove?” Mr. Lindley goes on to say that certain laws in nature
are as immutable as the seeds of time, and they cannot be changed. What
(Continued on seventh page.)
National Association
Holds Annual Meeting
Organization Shows Decided Increase
in Membership and Work Accom
plished.
HAS TEN THOUSAND MEMBERS
A Large Amount of Legal Work.
Wins Oklahoma Case. Agents
Watch Hostile Legislation.
New York, Jan. 14.—The annual
meeting of the National Association
for the Advancement of Colored Peo
ple was held at the assembly room of
the Society of Ethical Culture, New
York City, on January 3. The report
showed that the work of the associa
tion was in excellent condition. The
association now numbers nearly ten
thousand members with sixty-three
branches and locals throughout the
United States.
The work of the association is car
ried on by the executive officers and
the Department of Publicity and
Research. There are employed alto
gether twelve persons in the main
offices. In the work of publicity there
have been 345 meetings during the
year in various parts of the United
States, from Boston to Los Angeles.
Especially large meetings were held
in Tremont Temple, Boston, Ethical
Culture Hall, New York, and Wash
ington, D. C. Special tours and series
of meetings were arranged by Dr.
Spingarn during the winter and the
secretary during the spring.
A large amount of legal work has
been done. First and foremost comes
the winning of the celebrated Okla
homa grandfather clause case. The
association filed a brief in this case
through Moorfield Storey, president.
Segregation cases have been brought
into court in Louisville and Baltimore.
The Louisville case has just reached
the Supreme Court and will be pushed
vigorously. The third Baltimore case
has reached the Court of Appeals. A
number of other court cases have been
pressed involving civil rights of vari
ous sorts. A paid attorney must be
hired during the coming year.
One work of the association is that
of keeping track of hostile legislation
;n Congress. The Washington branch,
headed hy A. H. Grimke, acts as a
vigilance committee, and two paid
agents watch proposed legislation in
Congress continually.
During the year the association has
received over $13,000 and ends the
year with a surplus of $2,000 in the
treasury. This does not include the
funds of The Crisis. The income of
The Crisis has been $24,000 during
the year. Beginning with the month
of January, 1016, The Crisis becomes
self-supporting, paying all its ex
penses, including the salary of the
Didector of Publications and Research.
Some changes will be made in the
personnel of the officers during the
coming year, but for the most part
(Continued on seventh ptiKe.)