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About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (May 26, 1917)
The Monitor A National Weekly Nfi^x*** Devoted to the Interests of the Colored of Nebraska and the West V ^ REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor $1.50 a Year. 5c a Copy Omaha, Nebraska, May 26, 1917 Vol. II. No. 47 (Whole No. 99) Approves Negro Officers’ Camp Decision the Result of the Strenuous Efforts on Part of Leading Men of the Race. OFFERS BIG OPPORTUNITY Regarded as Biggest Chance for the Colored Man Since His Emanci pation From Slavery. Washington, May 16.—On Saturday, May 12, the Secretary of War au thorized the establishment of an Of ficers’ Reserve Corps Training Camp for Colored Officers for the new Fed eral army. The decision, which came as the result of a united and persist ent effort of students of Howard Uni versity and many distinguished men and women of both races, is regard ed by qualified opinion as the greatest opportunity for Colored men since the Civil War. The establishment of this camy marks a radical change in the policy of the American government. For years and years the Negroes with few exceptions, have been excluded from holding official positions in the army and navy. West Point and Annapolis have been practically closed to them. One Colored man after another has sought to secure training offered to other classes of American citizens, but no amount of" democratic argument or political influence could convince the administration of the justice of such an appeal. The war, however, has brought a new situation; a new crisis faces the country, and when con scription passed, the question imme diately arose, how can the Colored men best serve their country? Shall they stand on the abstract theory of equal rights, or shall they with com mon sense meet a practical situation for the advancement of the race and the welfare of the nation? Already fourteen camps have been established for the training of white officers. The War Department has officially declared that it would be im practical to admit Colored men to any of these camps which would mean that the thousands of intelligent Ne groes in the United States would be forced under the conscription bill to serve as privates with little possibility of opportunity to rise above non-com missioned officers. Loyal to the cause of the Negro, be lieving in the principle of equality but at the same time realizing that ob stinacy is not firmness, when the gov ernment refused to open the camps to all of its citizens alike, a separate camp was sought as the next best thing for securing officers. Dr. Joel E. Spingaim, who has de voted his time, his money and influ ence to the welfare of the Negro, in itiated the project, and as Dr. Spin gairn himself was recently called to camp the movement was taken up by the students of Howard University. Located at the seat of the War De partment, these students supported by the President, deans and faculty, UIIIIIIIIIIHIIHIimilMIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIillllinililHIUlllillllllllllHlllllllllllllllllimillllllllllllHHinilllHIIIIIIHIIIIMIlMHIimillllillinillimiltllHHNI'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHimMHIimillllllllHIHIHIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUlHIIIIIIIMIll. 1 I Memorial Day ly/TORE precious than the wealth of all the hills and seas are the gifts of memory. Today this mistress of mysteries touches the secret chambers of the mind and brings back to a soil of misty life the treasure of faded years. Famil iar faces float softly before tear dimmed eyes; deeds that glorified a day send echoes ringing again down the vasty years; old words once preg nant with will and hope resound and whisper of the worth of human dreams. And it is good. The family that can find no inspiration in the face of some departed loved one, the nation that has no tender memories to cherish for those whose blood and breath welded it into being, the reader who finds no fire in the forgotten speeches that stirred people and country on the conquest of wrong, are poor indeed. God has given them no heritage; life has forgotten to bless them. And to those who hold such prizes, this day is dedicated. With kindly feet we tread the pathway to mausoleums, tombs and graves, and drop a flower—the symbol that the memory of those who have gone before is yet fresh and green. The nation has many holidays, but sweetest and tenderest and holiest of all is this Day of Memory. ; '••HIIIIIIIMimiHlillMIIHIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIHIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIitllllHIllinlilllMMIHMIlmilHmtIttlimHIIIIHinHIIIIMIIIMilllllllllllMHIMIIIIIIIIIillllllllllllllllllllltItlllllHMIlHIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIimMir. I ■ ' quickly organized committees, enlist ed every Negro college in the country through the dispatching of telegrams and delegates and within ten days over 1500 men of college grade sig nified their willingness to enter the camp. In addition the aid of Senator Chamberlain, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Military Affairs, Rep resentative Madden, of Illinois and scores of other members of Congress were secured; the Colored Y. M. C. A. all over the country, the Young Women’s Red Cross Unit of Howard University, and the Committee of 100 Citizens of the District of Columbia, beaded by Dr. J. Milton Waldron. Headed by the central committee of Negro college men, organized by How ard University students, all these in fluences were brought to bear on the War Department and the establish ment of a camp for the training of Colored officers was authorized last Saturday. Men attending the camp will be made second lieutenants with a sal ary of $1,700 per year. RE-ELECTED SECRETARY OF THE DIOCESE. Rev. John Albert Williams, priest of the Church of St. Philip the Dea con and editor of The Monitor, was re-elected secretary of the Diocese of Nebraska at the annual church coun cil held this week. Rev. Mr. Williams’ name was the only one submitted and the election was unanimous. Thus the Episcopal church of this state preserves the tradition of equality among its people and the Nebraska Diocese is the only one in the coun try having a Colored priest serve it as secretary. The position is a re sponsible one. ’ HENRY T. BURLEIGH. Winner of Spingam Medal For Service to Race Is a Famous Musician. >4-* HENRY THACKER BURLEIGH Of New York, winner of the Splngarn medal for high achievement as a compo ser. The medal was awarded at the an nual meeting of the National Association For the Advancement of Colored People held In the First Congregational church at Washington on Wednesday evening, May 16, 1917. The presentation was made by United States Senator Wesley L. Jones of Washington. Democracy In Africa and In Fair France The Ealtimore American Editorially Comments on Contrast Between Two Countries. VIVANI VISITS SUPREME COURT An Interested Listener to Arguments on Louisville Segregation Ordinance. The French Minister of State, Vi viani, who is now in this country in the interest of urging America to take active participation in the war, by sending men to the- trenches, repre sents the only country among the al lies that knows how to treat its Col ored citizens. The blessings of “Liber ty, equality and fraternity” which the French citizenry won in the memor able revolution of 1789 have been ac tually enjoyed by every Frenchman whether he is European or African. Every man in France is a Frenchman first and then afterwards white or black. The black statesmen in the National French House of Deputies are in every way socially, economical ly and politically the equals of their brethren, and the black soldiers oi France—were it not for these dark skinned heroes, Sengeles, Algerians and the rest, French resistance before Verdun would have been much weak er, and perhaps there would be an other tale altogether to tell of that struggle in eastern France—have served their country in loyalty as black men know how. It is easy to imagine the feelings of Minister Vivani as he sat in the Supreme Court of the United States last week. He came as the guest of Mr. Justice White and the case under discussion was the Louisville Segre gation Ordinance. Minister Vivani came to America because he understood the govern ment of President Wilson was anxious to establish the freedom of all peo ples of the world, and here he found that America had not yet settled the question as to whether one-tenth of its population was deserving of this same kind of freedom. His surprise and consternation are easily imaginable, and yet he could offer no word of criticism or of pro test without endangering the cause that now means so much to France. And so he sat through it all with a smile of admiration at the splendid arguments of .Mr Moorefield Storey, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peo ple. Sometimes the mouth curved, seemingly in contempt of the whole procedure, in scorn at this mock dem ocracy that is distinctly and exclu sively American. It is difficult to say what Ministei Vivani’s thoughts were as he left the court room. Most likely he had hopes that while the United States is teaching Germany international mor ality, France will utilize the preroga tive of an ally in teaching the United States what real democracy means.— Baltimore Afro-American.