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,
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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.
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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.
