The Monitor
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A National Weekly ^er Devoted to the Interests of the Colored
A ^ .us of Nebraska and the West
.iE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor
$1.50 a Year. 5c a Copy Omaha, Nebraska, Jan. 13, 1917 Vol. II. No. 29 (Whole No. 81)
Conserving Interests
of Colored Americans
Race Leader* Urged To Study And
Apply Social Programs To Special
Civic Needs of People.
THE NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE
Plan* To Extend II* Work To Many
Cities. Eugene Kinkie Jones
Timely Advice In The Survey
During 1917 Negro leaders should
study social programs and learn to
apply those most appropriate to re
duce the number of social maladjust
ments among their people. Special
efforts should be made in those di
rections in which the Negro record
compares unfavorably with the same
among the whites—for example: (1)
The death rate, with special reference
to infant morality and death due to
pulmonary causes; (3) Delinquency
among adults, with special reference
to the need of such preventive meas
ures as may be thrown around the ad
olescent youth—wholesome amuse
ments, employment opportunities, vo
cational guidance.
League To Extend Work
In this connection the National
league on Urban Conditions among
Negroes is planning to extend its work
to an increased number of cities. The
almost unprecedented northward mi
gration of Negroes to the large in
dustrial centres has made this exten
sion increasingly necessary. Already
twenty cities feel the influence of the
league’s activities. Additional colored
social workers will be trained, so that
the work proposed can be prosecuted
not only by sympathetic persons that
know intimately the aspirations of
the race, but can be handled with in
telligence and confidence.
Social Problems And Race Lines
Social problems know no race lines,
but racial prejudices may accentuate
these problems. In the case of the
relationship of Negroes with the white
people in American cities, this is par
ticularly true. In New York city,
where the league’s work in the var
ious colored districts is the model for
the activities in other cities, it is
hoped that during the year 1916-17,
the Brooklyn committee will become
independent and assume entire re
sponsibility for the work in Brooklyn;
that a definite movement to reduce
the high infant mortality among Ne
gro babies in New York will be in
augurated; a home for colored women
discharged or paroled from the Night
i Court, Work House or other penal in
stitutions will be established; in co
operation with the Babies’ Welfare
Association, the Association of Day
Nurseries and other organizations, a
day nursery will be established in the
Columbus Hill section; in cooperation
with the Association for the Preven
tion and Relief of Heart Disease and
the Burke Foundation, a cardiac class
or clinic may be established in the
Harlem section, where 60,000 Negroes
live; a school for domestic employees
will be established; those organiza
tions wishing to conduct boys’ or girls’
club work may combine and jointly
employ a worker with boys and a
worker with girls to conduct their re
spective clubs; and some form of vo
cational guidance will be instituted
for the colored school children of New
York, thereby directing the children to
opportunities for occupational train
ing and enlarging the field of employ
ment now open to colored children.
—The Survey.
Colored Man Appointed
On Board of Education
New York, Jan. 10.—For the first
time since 1893, a Negro became
a member of the Board of Education.
Monday, when Mayor Mitchell an
nounced appointments to fill the
eleven vacancies which now exist.
The Mayor apointed D. E. P. Roberts,
a Negro physician, of 242 West Fifty
third street, to fill one of the va
cancies.
The report that the Mayor intended
to appoint a Negro to the board was
current around the offices of the
Board of Education for the last week
and caused considerable discussion.
Dr. Roberts is the first Negro mem
ber of the board since the retirement
of Samuel R. Scotron, who served on
the Brooklyn Board of Education
frgm 1894 until 1898.
DUMAS PROUD OF HIS
AFRICAN BLOOD
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A few weeks ago a new novel of
the great French author, Alexander
Dumas, was discovered and has re
ceived considerable mention through
out the literary world. A French
writer in La Revue gathers together
some reminiscences of the great nov
elist and among them is the follow
ing: “It is said of Dumas that he
was so vain that he would often get
up behind his own carriage in order
to demonstrate to his friends that he
had a Negro footman. He always
seemed very proud of the fact that
he had African blood in his veins.”
COLORED FARMER HEADS
KANSAS INSTITUTE
Lawrence, Kan., Jan. 4.—Edward
Harvey, acknowledged to be one of
the most capable scientific farmers in
Douglas county, was recently elected
president of the Douglas county farm
ers’ IneSfltute. Mr. Harvey is a grad
uate of the Kansas University in the
class of 1894, and was a member of
the football team.
COLORED MEN SUB
MARINE VICTIMS
Washington, D. C.—The British
stock transport, Russian, which was
sunk by a German U boat December
14, and left Newport News, Novem
ber 16, for Alexandria, Egypt, with a
load of 400 mules, had 22 Colored men
on board. Nothing has been heard of
them or of the rest of the crew and it
is believed that they were lost.
I
SECRETARY LANE WANTS
COBB’S RESIGNATION
Washington, D. C.—The Secretary
of the Interior has requested Pro
fessor James A. Cobb to show reason
why he should not resign his profes
sorship at Howard University. Prof.
Cob served as asisstant director of
the Colored Advisory Committee of
the National Republican Committee,
and for that reason Secretary Lane
desires his resignation. If Prof.
Cobb could have swallowed the treat
ment accorded the race by the pres
ent administration and worked for it,
his position would have been safe. It
is expected that Howard University
will stand by Cobb and demand that
he remain.
NOBLE N. JOHNSON
Noble M. Johnson, the world’s
greatest Colored Screen Star, as
“Little Bear” playing opposite Ruth
Stonehouse and Jack Mulhall in the
5-reel Red Feather Universal feature,
“Fighting For Love,” yesterday, Jan.
2, at the Parlor Theatre, on Douglas
St., Omaha, Neb.
PORTRAITS OF BLACK RULERS
DISCOVERED IN EGYPT
In the November number of “Art
and Archaeology,” James Henry
Breasted, the world famous archeol
ogist and scientist, announces the dis
covery of the studio of an Egyptian
portrait sculptor belonging to 1400
B. C. It was called the house of
“chief sculptor, Thutmose.” All of
the portraits are remarkable for the
fact that they are unmistakably of
Africans, especially that of Queen
mother Tiy. The ones of Ranofer
and the Queen of King Ikhnaton are
also impressive with pronounced Ne
gro characteristics.
Editor Takes a Trip;
Omaha to Denver
Holds Conversation With Congenial
And Interesting Fellow-Passen
gers Enroute Westward.
INCIDENTS AND SIDELIGHTS
Finds Colorado Metropolis Wide
Awake. Renews Acquaintances
And Meets Former Omahans.
Through the generous kindness of
a friend, a prominent Union Pacific
railroad official, the editor had the
pleasure of a coveted and delightful
trip to Denver. The trip was coveted
for I was very anxious to attend the
consecration of my fellow ordinand, of
twenty-five years ago and warm
personal friend, the Rev. Irving Peake
Johnson, D. D., as bishop coadjutor of
the Diocese of Colorado. Because of
our friendship, I was anxious to be
present, if it were possible, when he
was inducted into the highest office
in the Church. But neither as par
son nor editor, would my pocket book
permit me to take the trip.
(Will parishoners who are in ar
rears for the parson’s salary and sub
scribers who ove the editor, kindly
take the hint? Oh, thank you, so
much. The church treasurer will
promptly send you a receipt and the
business manager of the Monitor will
do likewise.)
I enjoy walking, and as a matter of
fact do a great deal of it; but, really,
as much as I enjoy a hike, 565 miles—
the distance between Omaha and Den
ver—was just a little too much for
me to undertake to walk at the limited
time at my disposal and especially at
this season of the year. Therefore, I
am exceedingly grateful to my rail
read friend for making it possible for
me to take this coveted trip.
Incidents and Sidelights
Some of the incidents and side
lights of this delightful trip may
prove of interest to Monitor readers.
Am I over bold in thinking this? If
so, it must be charged to the warm
welcome our readers gave my articles
on my trip to Memphis. Those, of
course, dealt with scenes and customs
less familiar than those of the West,
but I am inclined to think that oui
very familiarity with things near at
home makes us overlook much that is
most interesting, instructive and in
spirational. I don’t know how it is
with you, but an ordinary trip down
town on an Omaha street car, com
monplace and prosaic as it may seem
to many, is always full of interest to
me. A five hundred mile trip on the
railroad furnishes me with enough
matter to write sufficient “copy" to
fill a good sized newspaper. The
next time you go down town on the
street car, just use your eyes and
notice how many interesting people
and things you will see, and when
you take a railroad trip do the same
thing. It will repay you and make
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