nn The Monitor ,
A National Weekly Newspaper Devoted to the Interests of Colored Americans
THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor
$1.50 a Year. 5c a Copy__OMAHA, NEBRASKA. SEPTEMBER 15, 1917 Vol. III. No. 11 (Whole No. 115)
SAFEGUARDING
NATION’S FOOD
Business Men Hear Patriotic
Address by Freeman.
CAMPAIGN AGAINST WASTE
Pioneer League Worker Make* Strong
Appeal For Full Co-operation of
Whole Race In Conaerving Food Sup.
ply—Telia How We May Help Win
the War Against Germany.
Washington.—According to authentic
reports growing out of the eighteenth
annual meeting of the National Negro
Business Men's league, recently held at
Chattanooga, Teun., the "stand out"
feature of tbe occasion was the Im
pressive presentation of the subject of
food conservation, brought to the
attention of the league and its thou- j
sands of followers by Daniel Freeman. !
a well kuowu business man of this j
city, for many years president of the
local branch of the National Negro
Business Men's league.
Mr. Freeman has returned from the
Chattanooga conference bubbling over
with enthusiasm for the cause which
carried him there and reports that the ,
meeting ranked with the very best the
Business league has held in any sec- j
tion of the country since Its formation 1
at Boston in 1900. He is a pioneer in j
the work of the league and from the
outset had been regarded by tbe found |
er. Dr. Booker T. Washington, as the j
natural leader of and official spokes- I
man for the colored commercial Inter
ests of the nation’s capital.
Holds Key to Victory Over Germany.
Bringing patriotism down to stub- j
horn facts, Mr. Freeman, without re
course to oratorical flourish, but in
simple, straightforward and convincing
language, pointed out that the conser
vatlon of food holds the key to victory
over Germany and illustrated in his 1
own original way the countless chan
nels In which the colored people of the
country, from the wealthiest to the
humblest, could la* of vital assistance
to America amt tbe allies lu this titan
ic struggle for world democracy. The .
general government recognized the 1
value of the Negro help In this work |
by sending Mr. Freeman to tbe Chat- j
tanooga conference of the business j
chieftains of the nation as the special i
representative of the food administra- !
tlon, under the direction of the Hon 1
Herbert C. Hoover and Dr Ituy L
Wilbur, to lay the mutter properly be |
fore the colored people of the laud.
The wisdom of the selection of Mr
Freeman was amply demonstrated by
the utile address delivered at the Fri
day afternoon session of tho business
league auil tho rapt attentlou with
which It was received by the audl
eneo which crowded the Lyric theater
to the doors.
Our Responsibility In War Crisis.
Mr. Freeman, after analyzing the ne
cessity for the full use of every re
source for the winning of this battle
for liberty. Impressed upon bis bearers
that the real object of the food admin
istration was to try to organize all tho
people of tbe United States in the con
servation of foodstuff. He stressed
and particularized the fact that food
conservation clubs should be arranged
for among tho colored people lu schools,
churches, /.uslness fraternities, com
moreisl kiftu women’s clubs, and stated
plainly that there was something that
the humblest person could do.
"With the shortage of foist abroad,
with the purtlul failure of transporta
tion, the shortage of lubor and the pres
ent abnormal world conditions fuclng
us on every hand,’ said Mr. Freeman,
"each one of us lias u new responsibili
ty. As a tenth part of the American
hoiiy [h>Htic tho colored people must do
our share In the work of conserving
the food supply fur the good of our
country and In aid of our allies. We
can do this If we save utid do not
waste. It will require our careful
thought three times a day. Not only
must we eat carefully the products of
the day, but we must preserve the per
Ishahles and fruits thut ere now so
abundant. Soldiers cannot fight uu
less they are fed."
To Wags Campaign Againat Inaacts.
lie urged a systematic campaign
against gophers, rats, mice anil insects
and declared thut the Inescapable ques
tions were: "Will each one do his duty?
Will each of us do our bit?" The call
was an Impressive one. and Mr. Free
man’s graphic analysis of the plun and
its method of application provoked a
discussion In which all of the speakers
and questioners evinced an unxlety to
know Just how to proceed and the
agencies through which they could
work to the best advantage. Resolu
tions were adopted unanimously pledg
ing tho moral support of the members
of tho league and pleading with the Ne
groes of the country—men, women and
children—to obey the behest of the gov
ernment in this matter. Food couserva- i
tlon Is patriotism and it is self protec.
tlon. '
Mr. Freeman's constructive activities
In the cause do not end with his special
detail to Chattanooga. He will con
tinue to work with a general commit
tee, formed by (he Hoover commission,
to organize and conduct (he food con
servation campaign among the 10,000,
000 colored citizens of the republic
Mr. Freeman has made an auspicious
opening for the cause, and he is to be
congratulated upon the Intelligent, ag
gressive and productive service render
ed the nation and the race at Chatta
nooga.
WAR DEPARTMENT MOVES
IN RIGHT DIRECTION
Secretary IJaker Gives Final Order on
Part to be Played by Colored Sol
diers of Roth National Guard and
Draft Army.
STATIONED AT ALL CAMPS
Washington, D. C., Sept. 5.—How
color lines have been ignored in the
assignment of Negro troops in the
National Army is revealed in general
orders issued recently, showing the
War Department’s intention to appor
tion the Negro t oops evenly where
possible in ail cantonments. The or
der provides that in every canton
ment there shall be one Negro in
fantry regiment where sufficient per
sonnel is available.
Protests have been made against
quartering Negro troops in certain
parts of the south, but no modifica
tion has been made.
The order is taken as an indication
of what the War Department wiil do
in disposing of similar regiments in
National Guard camps.
As far as practical, Colored regi
ments from the draft army will be of
ficered by men who commissions at
Des Moines this month. It is the in
tention of the War Department to
send one Colored regiment over the
seas with each division or 16 regi
ments.
WOULD CURB GREAT
INFLUX OF NEGRO
Columbus, O.—Steps have been
taken by both the federal and the
state governments to curb the influx
of Negro laborers from the south into
Ohio—at least unless definite empoly
ment is awaiting them and suitable j
housing provided.
—
PYTHIAN'S RECEIVE WEL
COME AT POUGHKEEPSIE
Poughkeepsie, N. Y.—Representa
tives of the grand lodges and courts
throughout the United'States of the
Knights of Pythias, Eastern and West
ern Hemisphere, attended the fifteenth
biennial session of the Supreme Ixidge
at Poughkeepsie last week. Over
three hundred representatives were
in attendance Monday, August 27,
when Mayor Wilber delivered a pat
riotic address of welcome in the coun
cil chamber of Columbus Institute,
where the session was held.
PHILLIP A. PAYTON.
NOTED REALTOR, DEAD
New York.—Phillip A. Payton, the
pioneer Colored real estate agent of
the Harlem district, died at his sum
mer home at Allenhurst, N. J., on
Wednesday of last week. He was only
ill for a few days.
The deceased was bom in West
field, Mass., 41 years ago. He was
graduated from the Westfield High
School and completed his education in
Virginia. He came to this city about
twenty years ago and had been in the
real estate business for over fifteen
years. He was the first agent to
place Colored people in the flats in
Harlem. That section now has more
than 60,000 Colored people.
It was only a few weeks ago that
a deal involving the turning over of
fine apartment property worth over
a million and a half dollars in 141st
and 142nd streets, was engineered by
him.
WOMEN EMPLOYED AS
“SECTION HANDS”
Pittsburg, Pa.—Henry Snyder, track
foreman of the Pennsylvania station
yards, has employed three Negro wo
men “section hands.” These women
have been assigned to the task of
keeping the tracks around the big sta
tion trainshed clear of little, such as
newspapers, banana peelings, etc. The
men who have been doing this work
have been assigned to other duties.
The women are equipped with Bticks
with spikes in the end of them, and
so far have done their work efficiently.
Give Us a Colored Commander for
Colored Troops
PRESIDENT WILSON, COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE
ARMY, TWELVE MILLION COLORED AMERICANS RE
SPECTFULLY PETITION YOU, SIR, TO GIVE OUR RACE A
GENERAL IN THE PERSON OF CHARLES YOUNG, DAVIS,
GREEN OR ANY OTHER COMPETENT MAN NOW SERVING
IN THE ARMY, AND TO GIVE HIM COMMAND OF COLORED
TROOPS; AND WE PLEDGE YOU OUR HONOR THAT OUR
COUNTRY WILL THRILL WITH PRIDE AT THE VALOR OF
THE TROOPS UNDER HIS COMMAND.
GIVE US A COLORED COMMANDER FOR COLORED
TROOPS. OUR LOYALTY AND SERVICE MERIT THIS REC
OGNITION.
A Defense of the Colored Soldier
An Infantry Captain Who Has Served With Colored Troops
Writes Suggestive Letter to the Army and Navy
Journal on Texans’ Antagonistic Attitude.
The following letter has just been
published in The Army and Navy
Journal:
Why is it that every time the Col
ored soldiers are involved in a riot
it occurs almost without exception in
Texas? There must be some under
lying reason for each occurrence. The
writer was stationed in Texas when
the ‘‘Brownsville Affair” took place,
both before and after. Before the
25th Infantry arrived for duty at Fort
Brown, one of the “Old Time Texans,”
a man who had served as a deputy
marshall for nearly thirty years on
the border, told me that there would
be trouble if the Colored troops were
ordered to any place in Texas. He
further stated: “I do not object to
them myself but there are several hun
dred or thousands who do not want
them and who will get them out of the
state if possible." This was the state
ment from a man who knew Texas
and the border as very few white men
knew it. He was also the best judge
of human nature that I have ever
seen.
Why do not such affairs happen in
other states ? Ask the people of Os
wego, Syracuse and Watertown, New
York, Spokane, Washington, Fort
Itiley, Fort Leavenworth, West Point,
etc., etc., why they want the Colored
troops to return again.
Are the white people so vastly dif
ferent in the different parts of the
Unites! States that actions of the Col
ored troops are so vastly changed
when they move ? There must be
some reason explaining why it always
happens in Texas.
The Colored soldier is as fine a sol
dier as the United States Army can
furnish und the records of the Col
ored regiments are worthy of as much
praise as any military organization in
any part in the world. Look at their
records in Cuba, the Philippines, Mex
ico, and even as far back as the Civil
War. What regiments can boast of
more gallantry, loyalty, faithfulness
and real patriotism ? Ask any officer
who has served with the Colored
troops what his opinion of them is
and if he wants to get back to them
again. I can without hesitation state
that they will all give you the same
answer and that is “The best ever”
and “You bet your life.” The writer
has served with the 24th Infantry on
several different occasions and can un
hesitatingly state that there never
were more loyal, obedient, hardwork
ing and willing soldiers any’where in
the Army.
One day on the train, the writer
overheard several men discussing a
“raid and riot” (?) by the 24th In
fantry at El Paso, Texas, some months
before. He heard such remarks as
"They are a worthless bunch;” “They
should be cleared out of our Army;”
"If I had my way I would have Con
gress abolish all ‘nigger’ regiments,”
and more on the same line. The writer
stood it as long as he could and then
joined in with something like this:
“Pardon me for interrupting your
talk, but you must admit the Colored
soldiers were at least men when they
enlisted and are therefore entitled to
some consideration. You have made
the statement that the Colored sol-1
diers are po good. Have any of you
ever served with or seen them on
duty? Do you know that the records
of the Colored soldiers are as fine as
the white soldiers from the beginning
of the Civil War to the present date?
These men were patriotic enough to
offer their services to their country
with all possibility of being killed in
action. Did any of you apply for en
listment when your country called for
men?” The writer also informed them
that he was an Army officer and had
served with the Colored troops and
based his statements on actual experi
ence. All but one fellow admitted that
they had not understood the Colored
troops as they really were. The only
way to really know the Colored sol
dier in his true light is to serve with
him.
The writer has nothing against the
State of Texas and has many friends
there, but feels that there must be
something wrong with that section of
the country when soldiers wearing the
uniform of the Army are handed the
line of treatment they get there mere
ly because they happen to be black.
Aside from the man, the uniform he
wears is entitled to respect. Every
Colored man that holds up his right
hand and takes the oath to seive his
country deserves just treatment as
much as a white man. If the civilian
v ants to see a real soldier he is in
vited to inspect any of the old-time
sergeants of the Colored regiments.
He has the same feelings as any white
man, the same sense of honor, and
the same pride in his country.
You will never find trouble with
the Colored soldiers except where
some superior white person tries to
show his contempt for anything black.
The writer is a white man, an Army
officer, and one who has served and
travelled many times in the South and
knows existing local conditions. The
class of Colored men that join the
Army is vastly different from the
class that cause all the racial disturb
ances throughout the South. The Col
ored soldiers are men of higher intel
lect and aspirations. They have to be,
to be allowed to enlist. They consti
tute, in the opinion of the writer, the
pick of the Colored young men of this
country who have been from financial
reasons unable to attend any of the
Colored colleges; and many are grad
uates from the leading schools and col
leges in their home states. It cannot
be denied that there are some black
sheep in every flock, but it is absolute
ly sure that the Colored soldiers are
not all black sheep. There are thou
sands of instances that could be men
tioned showing the absolute loyalty of
the Colored troops in peace and war.
Colored soldiers have given their lives
for their officers and other white men.
The instance in the fight of the 10th
U. S. Cavalry in Mexico during the
last Pershing Expedition. Three en
listed men refused to leave Captain
Morey after he had been wounded and
when they did go it was because he
had ordered them to do so. That is
merely one instance out of a great
many.
This is not intended to “puff” the
Colored soldiers at this time. They
do not need it. Their record stands
as an example of efficiency and is a
model that should receive the praise
and not censure of every white citizen
of the United States.
I can state with pride that I am a
white officer who has served with the
Colored soldiers.
Infantry Captain.
NO COLORED SOLDIERS
IN SECOND DRAFT
Lincoln, Neb-.—Governor Neville,
Sept. 10th, received a telegram from
Marshal Crowder directing him to in
struct all local exemption boards not
to send any Colored soldiers in the
next 46 per cent of troops selected
for the draft army. The supposition
is that a training camp for Colored
soldiers will be established later. The
second group is to leave September
10, according to present schedule.
Square Deal Is
Aim for Negro
North Carolina Meeting Takes Up
Race Problem—Southern Educators
Take Stand to Make Better Condi
tions.
Louisville, Ky.—V. O. Gilbert, State
superintendent of instruction, who has
retired from Blue Ridge, N. €., where
he attended the Conference on Law
and Order, called to consider the race
problem in the South, was impressed
with the manner in which those who
attended the conference came out flat
footed for a square deal for the Ne
gro. The economic factor, he says,
was recognized as fundamental in the
problem and while noting the success
of the many of the more able mem
bers of the race, the conference held
to the principle of the stronger races
helping instead of exploiting the back
ward to the end that the race can con
tribute more to the enrichment of their
own lives and to the lives of all.
The conference was made up en
tirely of leading southern educators
and was called to make “America safe
for democracy, that it may make the
world safe. The wholesale emigra
tion of Negroes from the South and
the race riots and lynching in the
North and West, which speedily fol
lowed the advent of the new and un
accustomed element in the several
communities, impelling the confer
ence, the members of which agreed
that the race problem is a seriously
growing one in this country.
In a series of resolutions the con
ference deprecated lack of certain and
speedy justice in the courts; proposed
the public commendation of officers
who resist mob violence and the cul
tivation of a public opinion that will
make it impossible for a public officer
who fails to do his duty to retain his
office; recognized home-ownership as
the basis of stable, secure citizenship
for Negroes, as well as for whites;
recommended the establishment of law
and order leagues to correct conditions
that lead to insanitation, poverty, dis
order and crime, recommended the es
tablishment of a speakers bureau for
the dissemination of proper knowledge
on these subjects and the raising of
a fund to defray expenses of the bu
reau; favored placing literature on the
race question in all public libraries
and the introduction of text books into
the Negro public schools on elemental
morality, on lives of eminent Negroes
and for the progress of the race.
WOM AN ARRESTED FOR RACE
RIOTS IN EAST ST. LOUIS
Belleville, 111.—The first woman to
be arrested in connection with the
race riots in East St. Louis was taken
into custody Sept. 11th. She was Mrs.
Alice Taylor, 18 years old, who was
locked up on an indictment charging
conspiracy and rioting.
REGIMENT IS ORDERED
TO THE PHILIPPINES
San Antonio, Tex.—The Twenty
fourth Negro Infantry, members of
which engaged in the race riot in
Houston, Texas, will be sent to the
Philippines, it was stated here Sept.
5th.
The 160 members of the battalion
of the Twenty-fourth who defied their
officers and quit Camp Logan to
march on Houston, causing a battle
in which eighteen died and thirty were
wounded, will be kept in this country
for court martial. The military trial
will be held soon at Fort Bliss.
DEATH OF PROMINENT
RACE LEADER
Baltimore, Mr.—Hon Harry S. Cum
mings, for years a national leader of
the race, departed this life at his res
idence, 1318 Druid Hill avenue, Sep
tember 7. He was a graduate of Lin
coln University and the law depart
ment of the University of Maryland.
For many years he was Attorney Gen
eral of the Supreme Council of the
G. U. O. of O. F., and w'as serving
in the First Branch of City Council
of the City of Baltimore, representing
the 17l!i Ward. He has held the lat
ter position for nearly 30, years, and
is the oldest member of Council in
point of service. He has been not
only prominent in local politics, but
being a gifted and polished orator has
been honored nationally, being select
ed to make a seconding speech for
Colonel Roosevelt when he was nom
inated for President at Chicago in
1904.
Mr. Cummings was but 51 years of
age, and the race loses one of her
ablest leaders in his demise.
I PEDESTRI AN LEMME STARTS ON
WALKING TRIP TO NEW YORK
I Sold Monitor and World-Herald on
Streets Saturday; Did Not Get
Started Until Tuesday; Writes of
Trip From Loveland, Iowa.
Rutherford J. Lemme, the only Col
ored man who has ever undertaken a
walking trip of 4,500 miles, has start
ed on his way. He sold 170 copies of
The Monitor and 100 copies of the
World-Herald on the Omaha streets
Saturday. He expects to support him
self and earn considerable money by
selling papers on his trip from Omaha
to Sai Francisco by the way of New
York.
He presents quite a striking figure
with his white suit, decorated with
the colors of the Allies and the Amer
ican flag.
A large number were on hand to
see him set out Monday at 10 o’clock,
but were disappointed by his non-ap
pearance. The following letter, writ
ten enroute, will explain the situa
tion:
“Loveland, la., Sept. 12, 1917.
“Editor The Monitor:
“I arrived in Council Bluffs, la., at
11:20 a. m. yesterday, after leaving
Omaha just twenty-four hours late
through no fault of my own. Ten min
utes before I was to leave there was a
piece of blackmail drawn up on me, a
true case of extortion, the result of
which was that I was arrested and ^ad
to prove my innocence, which I pro
ceeded at once to do, and, thank God,
was able to do. Well, enough said on
that matter.
“Well, after arriving in Council
Bluffs I had quite a time in locating
the mayor, and was unable to do so
until 3 o’clock. I handed him my cre
dentials and he was well pleased with
them and signed his name underneath
Mayor Dahlman’s and sealed it with
the city’s seal and took a copy of The
Monitor.
“I left Council Bluffs at 4 p. m.
and slept last night at Honey Creek in
a scale house, with a little bag for my
bed. I got up at 6 a. m. and walked
over to Loveland, six miles distant, be
fore breakfast. Two miles east of here
I found a grading camp with thirty
five of our people from Vicksburg,
Miss., working. I lectured to them to
day at noon in their car at dinner. I
spoke of loyalty to themselves and
their employers and how necesasry it
is for them to show efficiency, and to
report any dissatisfaction before
thinking of desertion, like the coward
ly soldier does w'hen he gets tired of
obeying the commands of Uncle Sam.
II told them to go first to their em
ployer and state their grievance, and
that he would probably give them the
consideration wanted. I had dinner
with the foreman and his family, and
also Chef Robinson and his wife from
Vicksburg, Miss.
“I continued on to Missouri Valley
and hunted up the mayor and got his
signature. He insisted that I must go
out to the fair grounds and visit the
fair, which I did and had a good time.
Now I am on my wray to Woodbine.
Before I stop tonight I hope to have
sixty miles distance between me and
Omaha. (To do so, he’ll have to go
some.—Ed.)
“Lots of people ask me to ride, but
I thank them and try to sell them a
paper and go on.
"Don’t forget to send papers for me
to Des Moines.
"Sincerely yours,
“R. J. LEMME.”
POSTPONES GRADUATION OF
NEGRO ARMY OFFICERS
Wahsington, D. C.—Because it has
deferred mobilization of Negroes in
the national army, the War Depart
ment recently postponed the gradua
tions at the Negro officers training
camp at For Des Moines, la., one
month, until October 15. Instruction
will continue until then.
i ;
DR. MOTON HAS TALK
WITH PRESIDENT WILSON
Washington, D. C.—Dr. R. R. Mo
ton, principal of Tuskegee Institute,
had a twenty minutes’ conference with
President Wilson on Friday of last
week, in which the Negro question was
discussed. Dr. Moton is said to have
told the President that Colored Ameri
cans were greatly discouraged over the
unfriendly attitude of the present ad
ministration. The President is said to
have expressed a desire that more
cordial relations be established be
tween the races. It is not known
what assurances Mr. Wilson gave that
he would soon speak out against lynch
ing and other injustices to which the
j Negro iB subjected.