n=ri Thc Monitor j ~
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A National Weekly Newspaper Devoted to the Interests of Colored Americans s\ ' %
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THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS. Editor %
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SI.50 a Year. 5c a Copy OMAHA. NEBRASKA. JUNE 15. 1918 Vol. III. No. J (Whole No. 154)
Red Cross Says
No Discrimination
Serving White and Colored Men Ex
actly Alike in War Zone and in Can
tonment* in This Country—Several
Thousand Sweaters to Negro
Draftees in Ten Days During Cold
Spell,
WASHINGTON, D. C.—Many in
quiries are coming from the i
Colored people of every section of the '
country as to what the American Red
Cross society is doing to relieve the I
needs of the Negro soldiers in the j
camps and cantonments of this coun
try' and what species of aid and com
fort is being given to the Colored
warriors who are battling on the
fields of France.
The subjoined letter from Mr. Jos
eph R. Hamlen, of the national head
quarters of the American Red Cross
society, in answer to an inquiry sent
cut from the office of Emmett J.
Scott, special assistant to the Secre
• tary of War, describes somewhat in
detail the character of the work the
organization is doing, and declares,
among other things of vital import
ance, that the services of the Red
Cross are being “rendered to white
and Colored officers and enlisted men
alike, am^ without distinction.” The
letter of Mr. Hamlen follows:
AMERICAN RED CROSS
National Headquarters.
Washington, D. C., June 5, 1918.
Mr. Emmett J. Scott,
Special Assistant, War Department,
Washington, D. C.
Dear Mr. Scott: I beg to acknowl
edge receipt of your letter of May
29th, in which you ask for informa
tion as to what the Red Cross has al
ready done in the war zone or at the
cantonments of this country for the
Negro soldiers.
^ I am glad to be given this Oppor
tunity to tell you of our work in this
iespect. The Red Cross is rendering
the same service to Colored men that
it is to white troops. No distinction
whatever ts being made because of the
color of enlisted men. Sweaters and
other knitted goods and comforts have
been distributed to white and Colored
alike. We are rendering the same ser
vice to the families of white and Col
< red alike. Emergency supplies are
furnished at the request of Colored
officers, and in the hospitals, our
men who do communication work,
rite letteis at the request of enlisted
men, without distinction because of
color.
Nearly 10,000 Sweaters to Colored
Draftees in Ten Days.
I remember a specific instance of
service rendered to a large number of
Colored drafted men last fall. They
arrived at one of the large army
camps during a period of intensely
cold weather. The general in com
mand of the division appealed to us
and we were able to furnish him
with 2,500 sweaters within a few
hours and a total of 10,000 within ten
days. Practically all of the first
2,500 of these sweaters went to Col
ored troops, and a great majority of
the ten thousand went to them.
I hope you will state with as much
emphasis as possible that our con
stant efforts in behalf of the soldiers
and sailors on duty in the armed ser
vice of the United States, both in
this country and in Europe, are ren
dered to white and Colored officers
and enlisted men alike, without dis
tinction.
Very cordially yours,
(Signed) JOSEPH R. HAMLEN,
Assistant to the Vice Chairman.
The above comunication will doubt
less be read with the deepest interest
by the Colored men and women of this
country, who have been and are in
perfect accord with the aims of the
Red Cross society, but who had not
been informed through any reliable
source as to what the organization has
astualiy been doing to supply the
wants of the 150,000 Colored soldiers
in the army establishment. Thou
sands of these gallant men are under
fire on the battle fields of France, and
many more of our brave and patriotic
Colored Americans are in camp in our.
own land, preparing to join their
hrethern in the deadly conflict “over
there.”
As to the Use of Colored Red Cross
Nurses.
The situation with regard to the
use of Colored Red Cross, nurses is
a matter w'hieh also is now receiving
the attention of the War Department.
The Secretary of War, Mr. Scott ad
vises, will soon announce through the
office of the surgeon-general, the de
< ision with reference to the utiliza
tion of the many competent women of
the lace who have so cheerfully regis
tered their willingness to aid in the
winning of the war by serving as
nurses in the military hospitals at
home and abroad.
METHODISTS TO RAISE
A MILLION DOLLARS
Columbus, O.—A broader program
of social service for the Methodist
Episcopal churches of the country will
be discussed here at a meeting of bish
ops and district superintendents of the
denomination on June 18, 19 and 20.
The meeting will be in furtherance
of the plan oi the connection to raise
$80,000,000,000 for its missionary and
social uplift work. The project calls
for work on the broadest lines and
will seek to have established in every
small and large city, as well as in
rural communities, a church where va
rious uplift activities will center.
Colored churches are included in
the big program and they are ex
pected to raise at least $1,000,000 of
the sum needed.
Rev. Dr. W. A. C. Hughes, of Wash
ington, one of the field secretaries of
the Board of Home Missions and
Church Extension, has spoken in va
rious sections of the country for the
project and succeeded in arousing
widespread interest. He says that
the succes of the campaign means a
great future for Colored churches in
every community.
CONTRIBUTE OVER $r.00
TO THE RED CROSS
Montgomery Co., Va.—In the recent
Red Cross drive the work among Col
ored people was organized under the
direction of E. A. Long, principal of
the Christiansburg Industrial Insti
tute and the sum of $539 was con
tributed by the Colored people of the
county.
Famous Artist
Completes Work
William Edouard Scott, Famous
Painter, to Paint Black Troops
In Action In France.
Ft. Wayne, Iml.—William Edouard
Scott, the famous Colored artist, who
has just completed some, very artistic
painting in our court house here, has
been selected to go to France and
make some oil paintings of Colored
troops in action. Scott is a graduate
of the Manual Training High school
of Indianapolis and of the Art In
stitute of Chicago.
He took the four years’ course at
high school in three years, and in the
Art Institute won the school scholar
ship for two years and about $5,000
in cash prizes. In 1909 he went to
Europe and studied with the great
John Paul Laureni. He also studied
in the Beaux arts, Julian academy
and at Celirossi academy, and made a
number of .sketching trips to England.
Belgium and Spain. He has exhib
ited in the Salon of Paris, Royal
Academy, London, and in the Salon
at La Toquet and in the United States.
Scott’s Salon picture of 1912, “La
Poirvre Vosn,” was bought from the
Salon by the government of Argentine
7'epublic for $600, and his Royal Acad
emy picture was bought by Dr. Victor
Kune, of Indianapolis, for $900. The
city of Indianapolis also bought one
of his French pictures for the per
manent collection of the Haron Art
Institute.
For the past four years Scott has
taken up mural painting and portrait
ing, and has the distinction of being
the only Colored mural painter in the
world, and second only to II. O. Tan
ner as a painter of story-telling pic
tures. He has mural paintings in
three wards of the city hospital, In
dianapolis, where he took for his sub
ject, “The Life of Christ.” He has
murals also in three of the schools in
Chicago, Evanston and Highland
Park, 111.
About the last of July Scott will
sail for France, where, in the interest
of one of the big eastern magazines,
he will try to paint the “black troops”
in action at the front trenches. Much
has been said about the American
troops in Europe, but little has been
said about the Colored troops of
America so Scott will do his best to
portray and give to the public a bit
of the truth about his people in action.
Scott is thirty-four years old and he
feels that God has given him the duty
and the means to bring before the
American people in dramatic color,
that which is so lightly touched upon
in our press, namely, the loyalty, pa
triotism and ability of the “Black
American.”
ROSCOE SIMMONS
GIVEN OVATION
Talented Speaker Delivers Great Ad
dress in Municipal Auditorium to
the Largest Audience of Colored
People Ever Assembled in City.
MAKES A VERY
FAVORABLE IMPRESSION
Representative Citizens Occupy Plat
form—Father Williams Presides—
Rabbi Cohn Offers Invocation—Hon.
John L. Kennedy Introduces Speak
er—Community Chorus and Des
dunes Band Furnish Music.
Roscoe Conkling Simmons visited
Omaha for the first time Monday and
in the well known words of Caesar he
might say "Veni, vidi, vici”—I came,
I saw, I conquered, for he certainly
won the hearts of those who met and
heard him, not only by his gifted elo
quence, but by his gracious, unaf
fected and winning personality.
Mr. Simmons arrived from Chicago
over the Northwestern at 8 a. m. and
was met by a deputation of our citi
zens, including representatives of the
Knights of Pythias, of which he is
a grand officer, and a deputation from
the Crispus Attucks chapter of the
Red Cross. Among those who were
present were the Rev. G. G. Logan,
Dr. L. E. Britt, D. G. Russell, J. N.
Thomas, W. H. Ransom, Rev. John
Albert Williams, the Misses I,ogan
and Mesdames Bailey, Johnson, Jew
ell and Dillard, representing the Red
Cross auxiliary. The distinguished
visitor was driven to the beautiful
home of Allen Jones, Twenty-fifth and
Ohio streets, whose guest he was
during his brief stay in the city. He
left for St. Louis Monday night after
the address.
In the evening Mr. Simmons spoke
at the Auditorium under the auspice:,
of the Grove Methodist Episcopal
Church, before an audience of nearly
1,600 people, chiefly Colored, with :.
few white people present—all too few
for their own good—for he has a mes
sage for the American people, and
those who were not present as a prom
inent white gentleman said, lost a rare
privilege. It was undoubtedly the
largest audience of Colored people
which was ever assembled in the city.
The First Regimental Band Uni
form Rank, K. of P., Dan Desdunes,
leader, gave one of their delightful
concerts from 7:30 until 8:30 p. m.
The splendid community chorus of
seventy-five voices under the direction
of Mrs. Florentine F. Pinkston, with
Mrs. Jessie Moss at the piano, sang
patriotic airs, ‘A Hymn of Peace,” and
the Negro spiritual, “Steal Away to
Jesus.' It was the community chorus’
first appearance and not only did they
sing well, but they presented a fine
appearance. In the audience seats
were reserved for some of the fratern
al orders, who were present in uni
form, and the Crispus Attucks Aux
iliary of the Red Cross was present
in uniform.
On the platform were several rep
resentative citizens of both races,
among whom may be named the Hon.
John L. Kennedy, Rabbi Frederick
Cohn, Victor Rosewater, James C.
Dahlman, Frank Howell, Robert
Smith, T. P. Reynolds, Miss Mabel
Gudmunsen, Dr. J. H. Hutten, Dr. L.
E. Britt, Sergeant Isaac Bailey, 1.
Noah Thomas, W. H. Ransom, M. F.
Singleton, Amos P. Scruggs, W. H.
Robinson, the Rev. W. F. Botts, the
Rev. W. H. Wilkinson, the Rev. J. A.
Broadnax and George Wells Parker.
The Rev. John Albert Williams was
chairman of the meeting. The invo
lution was offered by Rabi Frederick
Cohn of Temple Israel, who prayed
for the outpouring of the spirit o>
brotherhood throughout the world and
the speedy incoming of a just and
righteous peace.
The community chorus then sang
“A Hymn of Peace.” The chairman
then briefly stated the object of the
meeting saying that the people oi
Omaha were indebted to the Rev. Dj
Logan for bringing Colonel Simmons
to Omaha, the greatest city in the
country. He said that Mayor Smith
was expected to be present to give
a brief word of welcome, but that he
had not come, and had probably been
again called to Chicago. His word
of welcome would not, however, be
missed inasmuch as the vast audience
spoke a welcome more eloquent than
words.
Mr. George Wells Parker had been
selected to introduce the Hon. John
L. Kennedy, who in turn introduced
the speaker of the evening. Mr.
Parker’s introductory words were
brief, well chosen and most gracious
The Hon. John L. Kennedy called
attention to the fact that this war
is no one man’s war, but the people’s
v>ar and made the prediction that it
would be won and that Colored citi
zens and Colored soldiers would help
win it and that Colored troops would
he among those who would carry the
Stars and Stripes into Berlin. He
said “I have not had the privilege of
hearing Roscoe Conkling Simmons
.'.peak, but I have heard that he has
a silver tongue and I am sure that
in addressing us tonight he will sus
tain his reputation. It is my pleasure
and privilege to introduce to you Ros
coe Conkling Simmons.”
Mr. Kennedy was frequently ap
plauded and when Mr. Simmons was
introduced the audience gave him an
ovation.
Mr. Simmons said in part:
‘I am exceedingly sorry that the
mayor is not here to hear this speech.
I have heard that Mr. James C. Dahl
raan, your former mayor, was always
on hand and I am pleased to see that
he is still here. (Great applause.) I
am also informed that Mr. Roosevelt
was here a few days ago. Is that
true? I desire to thank Mr. Kennedy
for his laudatory words. I do not know
that I deserve them; but I do know
that I desire them. I want to thank
the band for its presence and beautiful
music; this splendid chorus for its
songs; and to thank all who are pres
ent. I am exceedingly glad that I
have come to your city. I am pleased
that there are representative white
citizens present here tonight. For
we are all in trouble together now
and we need to help each other. They
ere welcome. They are always wel
come. As you pass some of these
beautiful churches you will notice a
most attractive sign, fresh looking
with golden* letters saying “Eveiy
body Welcome”—but we know per
fectly well that you don’t mean us
and so we pass right by. But when
you read a sign over one of our
churches: “Everybody Welcome,” we
mean exactly what we say. So come
in.
“Do you know the Negro people are
the only people that can sing “The
Star Spangled Banner” right? There
is a high note there that only we
can reach. God has given us the gift
of song. Way back in eternity when
motion stood still and God would give
music to the world, the morning stars
sang together and the Negro caught
the rythm of that first glorious song
and has been singing through the
ages.
"I am proud of the fact that I am
an American Negro. God had his pur
pose in placing us here and we have
only to be true to Him and meas
ure up to the full standard of man
hood to have all the wrongs and
limitations against which we justly
complain removed.
“The world is fighting to relieve
humanity from chains; and America
canot free the world without freeing
me. They must remove the chains
from off my hands and the rope from
around my neck.
“Be proud of the fact that you
belong to a race whose future is still
before it.
“I am told by the whites at times
that I ought to go back to Africa.
Why ? We were both brought to these
shores about the same time. They
landed on the shores of New Eng
land and I on the shores of Virginia.
True, they came as first class passen
gers and I came in the steerage, but
thank God, it was the same ocean
that brought us here. And here we
are both to stay and work out our
God-given destiny side by side. I have
done my part and will continue to do
my part. I have no treason to atone
for; but a record to defend. All I
ask is that you unloose me and I will
show the American white man what
the American Negro is and can and
will do. God put us here side by
side. It was His doing. He knows
full well His purpose. ‘What God hath
joined together let no man put asund
er.’
“The white American may have his
now, but what’s his is mine; only I’ve
not got all mine yet. I’ll get it some
day. Your message my people is
patience. Patience, persistence, per
severance will bring us into our own.
“We were asked when America en
tered the war, ‘What will the Negro
do.?’ Gentlemen of America, he will
do just what you will let him do. All
you will let him do; no more, no less.
He is eager for the noblest, best and
highest service and will render that
service to the full measure that you
will permit. He can only do what you
will let him do. Will you let him do
his best?
“He has shown you what he will
do. You have heard about the boys
of Colonel Hayward’s regiment, the
old 15th New York, across the ocean.
You know the story how two of them
on guard duty attacked by 25 Huns,
even after they fell wounded and
bleeding, routed the 25. Well, now, if
two wounded Negro American soldiers
cou defeat 25 Huns, don’t you see
that it would take only 200,000
Negroes to capture the whole Ger
man Empire. (Laughter and Ap
plause.)
“This is our country and it is our
duty to serve to the limit. I am a
native bom American. We are not
a race of hyphenates. Our country
is in trouble now. Serious trouble
and she needs us. Before this war
is over she will need the service of
every American Negro; and she can
not and will not prove ungrateful to
us who stand by her in her hour of
need. This is God’s war and this
country had to go into it.
“We are sometimes called by the
white Americans imitators. Granted.
Why, of course, we are. We have
passed every other people on the lad
der, but you, and we will not be sat
isfied until we at least stand on the
same rung of the ladder. Who else
are we going to imitate, but you, the
fellow who is ahead of us?
“I love America, because it has been
to me, despite limitations a land of
opportunity. I read the promise of
the future by the light of the past.
“Fifty years ago today I was noth
ing; had nothing; but what am I to
day? I have acquired billions in
property; I stand erect as a man. I
can read and write. Yes I can take
the pen and write upon the scroll of
fame beside the name of Washing
ton and Lincoln, the names of Fred
erick Douglass, Paul Lawrence Dun
bar and Booker T. Washington, il
lustrious American eiliione- 1, know
cnly one flag and that is the Stars
and Stripes. I belong to a people
that has no spies, no anarchists, no
j I. W. W.’s. When Woodrow Wilson
I goes to sleep tonight Negroes stand
guard; when he awakes in the mom
| ing Negroes are still on guard.
} Wherever he may go about his house
hold he is guarded and protected by
Negroes. He knows full well that the
| American Negro can be trusted and
I that he will be as true to him to
night as he was last night.
“Here is the flag of our country;
I the only flag we know. The flag we
can and must and will defend; and it
I in turn must and will protect and de
fend us. Let us not forget that it
was this flag that put a marriage
certificate in my home that my chil
dren might know their father's name.
It is a flag worth fighting for. I am
a Christian and believe that American
white men must and wil eventually
give me every God-given right to
which as a man I am equally with
him entitled. With patience we shall
wait and with filedity we shall serve,
until the Stars and Stripes, Old Glory,
shall float above Berlin and peace and
justice shall prevail, for
“It takes a long tall brown skin
[ man with khaki on
“To make the kaiser lay his weap
I ons down.”
Look After Welfare
of Migrators
Committee of Milwaukee Citizens Re
turns After a Trip South Study
ing Conditions.
Milwaukee, Wis.—The Rev. J. S.
Wods, warden of the Booker T. Wash
ington Social and Industrial center of
Milwaukee, and Secretary J. W. Min
or, accompanied by the Rev. L. W.
Owens, Aurora, 111., have just returned
from an extensive trip through the
east and south, studying the labor
conditions among the Colored people,
who are migrating from the south.
The gradual stream of migration from
the central southern states will find
its way into Indiana, Michigan, Illi
nois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and even
farther west. Hundreds of these peo
ple will be scattered throughout the
northern states.
The Booker T. Washington center
has undertaken to meet the new con
dition by establishing a bureau of in
vestigation and general information, a
free employment bureau, for both
men and women, and a home for work
ing women.
New President For
Howard University
Trustees Unanimously Elect Dr. J.
Stanley Durkee, Ph. D., a New Eng
land Educator of the First Rank—
Sound on the Race Question—New
Era of Prosperity Promised Under
His (instructive Administration.
War Service Technical School a Bril
liant Success—Regular Term of
Howard Opens October 2—Bronze
Bust of Gen. Howard Loaned Great
Institution Founded by Him Half
Century Ago. •
(Special to The Monitor.)
WASHINGTON, D. C.—Rev. J.
Stanley Durkee, Ph. D., for many
years pastor of the famous South
Congregational church, of Campello,
Brockton, Mass., one of New Eng
land’s most influential religious or
ganizations, was unanimously chosen
as president of Howard University at
a meeting of the board of trustees
held on Tuesday of last week. The
selection was made by a rising vote,
and only the one name was offered
for consideration. The merits and su
perior availability of Dr. Durkee were
most eloquently presented by Dr. J.
E. Moorland, International Secretary
of the Y. M. C. A., and secretary of
the special committee delegated by the
board to suggest a suitable man for
the headship of the University.
Gracious Tribute to the Retiring Pres
ident, Dr. Newman.
Dr. Stephen Morrell Newman, after
a faithful service of six years, retires
voluntarily from the presidency to en
gage in literary work. He indicated
by the tender of his resignation
nearly two years ago his desire to
take up a less onerous task because of
his advancing age. Dr. Newman was
tendered a unanimous vote of thanks
by the trustees by his efficient and
consecrated labors in behalf of the in
stitution and fitting resolutions were
likewise adopted. Recently, as a tes
timonial of their appreciation and
good iR, the faculty rjid officers pre
sented to Dr. Newman a beautiful sil
ver loving cup.
The New President Sound on Race
Questions.
The new president, Dr. Durkee, is
an educator of ripe experience, a firm
and able administrator and a man of
impressive personality. He is an
honor graduate of historic Bates Col
lege, Lewiston, Maine, and the degree
of Doctor of Philosophy was confer
red upon him by the University of
Boston. He is about 50 years of age,
and is in the prime of a vigorous
manhood,, enthusiastic in tempera
ment, and blessed with an optimistic
outlook on life. More than all else,
perhaps, from the viewpoint of the
people he is called to serve at thir
time, he is absolutely sound upon all
phases of the “race problem,” as it is
found in America. He is a native of
Nova Scotia, and is a product of that
sturdy stock of broad-visioned lovers
of liberty and fair play, who preached
and practiced the doctrine that every
member c.f the human family is en
titled to the highest possible develop
ment in education and to the enjoy
ment of every form of civic oppor
tunity.
Howard Faces a Future Bright With
Pro inline.
Through his preachments and writ
ings, in addition to many concrete
demonstrations of genuine helpful
ness, Dr. Durkee has given evidence
of the deepest sympathy with the am
bitions, aspirations and struggles of
the Colored people. Coming from
modest beginning himself, he is pre
pared to grapple with the problems
of poverty and to point with accuracy
to the pathway that makes for prog
ress. His term begins July 1, and he
enters upon his new work with a zeal
and enthusiasm that promises an era
of unexampled prosperity for the
race’s fofemost institution for the
higher education of Colored Ameri
can youth.
Technical Training School a Phenome
nal Success.
The success of the school for the
technical training of young Colored
men for war service is succeeding be
youd the most sanguine expectations
of those who inaugurated the system.
Three hundred men of draft age,
some volunteers and some conscripted,
are being given instruction in radio
(or wireless telegraphy), bench wood
working and electricity. The military
supervision is in the hands of Capt.
Jerome Lavigne, commanding officer
of the technical training detachment,
who is assisted by five line officers
(Continued on Fifth Page.)