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About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (July 27, 1918)
i | THD MON IT OR . | j _% . 1 A National Weekly Newspaper Devoted to the Interests of Colored Americans THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS. Editor % ---______-%, - $2.00 a Year. 5c a Copy_OMAHA. NEBRASKA. JULY 27, 1918 Vol. IV. No. 4 Whole No. 160) Drawing Towards \ Half-Hundred Mark .Moorfield Storey Drive Increases Membership of the National Asso ciation for the Advancement of Colored People From Less Than 10,000 to 36,000. MANY BRANCHES MAKE GAINS Driv > Manifests Growing Apprecia tion of the Value and Necessity of Organized Efforts — Membership Widely Distributed. 1VTEW YORK, July 25.—The Na -L v tional Association for the Ad vancement of Colored Peopie, through its national office in New York, makes public the results of its Moorfield Storey drive to increase the member ship of the association as a tribute to its national president for his services to the Colored people in winning tjye famous segregation decision in the supreme court of the United States. At the close of the drive on June 15 the association’s total membership had increased from !),869 before the drive to approximately 36,000, and is still going up. This total number of 36,000 members does not include any branches which are regarded by the association as inactive, hut includes only active branches and paid-up memberships. The eighty-five active branches of the association which were in exist ence when the drive began report a total membership of 32,300. Thirty two new branches have been organ „ ized during the drive with a total membership of 2,600. These totals, together with something over 1,000 members at large not affiliated with any particular branch, makes the 36, ||000 given as the total for the drive. The association now has 117 active branches. /•* Some of the branches, the associa tion reports, did remarkable work in increasing their membership. The branch at Washington, D. C., for ex ample, has gone from a membership of less than 700 to nearly 7,000; the branch at Boston has gone from a membership of about 750 to more than 2,500. Seventeen of the associa tion’s branches have memberships of more than 500 members each; 20 branches have more- than 300 mem bers each. “The Colored people of the nation,” says Mr. Shillady, in announcing the results of the drive, “and their white friends appreciate as they never did before the value and necessity of or ganized effort. The association’s branches are widely distributed, which is a second cause for gratifica tion,” said Mr. Shillady. "In only thirteen states is the association not represented. In the New England states there are six branches with a_ total of about 4,400 members; the North Atlantic states have 16 branches with more than 4,000 mem bers; tie east north-central states, composed of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Michigan, have 26 branches with nearly 7,000 members; the west north-central statis, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska and Kansas, have 11 branches with 3,150 members; the Southern states, exclusive of the Dis trict of Columbia, have 43 branches with 7,500 members; in the mountain and Pacific states the association has twelve branches with over 2,000 mem bers. Two states, Ohio and Illinois, have as many as 10 branches; Vir ginia, the Old Dominion state, the state of the aristocracy ot the South, has 8 branches. “Another striking feature of the drive,” said Mr. Shillady, “is the spon taneous growth of new branches. The thirty-two branches organized were organized without direct assistance of the association’s officers or field sec retary. In some cases nearby branches assisted in the organization, hut as a whole these branches were the out growth of the spontaneous desire of the people themselves to affiliate with a national organization which they re gard as one that stands for their rights and for their advancement. One of these new branches, San An tonio, Tex., has more than 500 mem bers and another at Greene county, Ohio, begins with 450 members. “Mr. James W. Johnson, field secre tary of the national association, who has been on three extended tours, one of them through the South, reports that Colored people everywhere are alive to the responsibilities of the times; that they are supporting the government loyally in Liberty loan and war savings drives; that they are watching with interest the valorous deeds of Colored soldiers abroad, and that they are looking forward to greater participation in civil and po litical rights at home.” Colored Nurses to Be Used In Army Camps Orders Issued by War Department Makes Opening for Hundreds at Six Base Hospitals in This Country— Many May Go Overseas. Special to The Monitor: Washington, D. C., July' 22.—The war department authorizes the fol lowing statement from Emmett J. Scott, special assistant to the secre tary of war: Orders were issued today by the war department to the office of the surgeon general, which will enable Colored nurses who have been regis tered by the American Red Cross society, to render service for their own race in the army. Colored nurses will be assigned to the base hospitals now established at Camp Funston, Fort Riley, Kansas; Camp Grant, Rockford, Illinois; Camp Dodge, Des Moines, Iowa; Camp Taylor, Louis ville, Ky.; Camp Sherman, Chillicothe, Ohio, and Camp Dix, Wrightstown, N. J. At these camps a total of 36, 000 Colored troops are stationed. Gen eral Pershing has been asked by cable whether the services of Colored nurses can be utilized to advantage among the American Expeditionary forces. TO OUR ADVERTISERS . We appreciate your patronage and are pleased to know that The Monitor is bringing you good results. It could hardly In otherwise, since our circulation reaches the best class of buyers in the world. WANTS TO ORGANIZE A BAT TALION New Orleans, La.—-George Doyle, former president of the Colored Pas tor’s Union and connected with the Red Cross, has gone to Washington to obtain authority to organize a bat talion of French speaking race men above the draft age for service at the front. Doyle first took up this project last September and received a letter from the French ambassador at Washing ton stating France would be glad to have the services of such a battalion. Government authorities then suggest ed Doyle help in the organization of a regiment of stevedores and he did. Now that this regiment is in service at the front, Doyle is anxious to take up his original project of organizing a battalion of active service men. WOMEN’S CONVENTION OUTSPOKEN IN DEMANDS Requests the War Department to Ap point Colored Nurses-—Demands the Abolishment of Jim Crow Cars. Denver, Colo.—The National As sociation of Colored Women which met here in annual session was a great success, and women were in attend ance from all states in the union. They have made an impression that will be lasting in Denver. Among the noteworthy things that were done, the convention adopted a resolution asking the war department to assign 2,000 Colored nurses for hospital duty in the war zone to care for wounded Negro soldiers. Another strong resolution was drawn, adopted and forwarded to Secretary McAdoo demanding that the “Jim Crow” car be abolished, and denounced it as “filthy, unsani tary and undemocratic.” CURRY INSTITUTE RECEIVES A GIFT Urbana, O.—Miss Ella Dunn (white), of West Virginia, bequeathed $7,500 to the Curry Institute, and friends have contributed a like amount, making a total of $15,000. SALESWOMEN IN ST. LOUIS STORES St. Louis, Mo.—Department and other stores of this city are employ ing Colored women and girls as sales women and are meeting with success. Colored Troops In Allied Offensive American Soldiers of Color Are Dem onstrating Their Heroism, Intrep idity and Bravery in Picardy and in the Vicinity of the Marne—Have Made Wonderful Impression Upon French Population—Beg to Go Into the Thickest of the Fray—Render ing Conspicuous Service. With the American Army on the Marne, July 18.—American Colored troops helped to hold the allied line against the fifth German offensive. They requested the favor of being permitted to take over a part of the line of attack, though they have been j holding part of a French sector for the last three months without relief. They are now rendering conspicuous service in'the allied offensive launched against the Teutonic forces and their valorous conduct has evoked high praise from the commanding officers. The American soldiers of color, par ticularly, have made a wonderful im pression upon the French population, both civil 'and military, and they have received the unstinted praise and com mendation from high French officers. Their remarkable courage, cool-head edness and bravery under fire, as well as their desire to engage in the fiercest engagements—all these things and many more have demonstrated conclusively that the colored Amer ican soldiers are fighters unsurpassed and unprecedented and they are ac quitting themselves creditably and nobly whenever called upon or given an opportunity to defend the Stars and Stripes on the western front. The ancient Huns had little or no respect for the Colored Americans’ fighting ability until they encount ered these American blacks in several fights and now they have the utmost respect for the fighting qualities of Uncle Sam’s black warriors, who are playing no small part over here to bring victory to the allied side. ATLANTIC CITY PREPARES FOR THE BUSINESS LEAGUE Atlantic City.—Elaborate prepara tions are being marie by the various committees of the Local Negro Busi ness League of this city to welcome the National Negro Business League which will meet here August 21, 22, 23. His Excellency, Governor Walter E. Edge, has consented to deliver one of the addresses of welcome, and His Honor, Mayor H. Bacharach, has also-consented to speak on the open ing day. Other features of the day will be yachting trips and a recep tion at the city hall to the delegates by the mayor and his staff. Mr. J. C. Napier, Nashville, Tenn., president of the National League; Dr. R. R. Moton, Tuskegee Institute, Ala bama, chairman of the executive com mittee, and Mr. Emmett J. Scott, Tuskegee institute, secretary, togeth er with the other officials, are work ing out the details of the program and the first session promises to be one of vital interest to the race. PORTO RICO TO DRAFT 15,000 MORE MEN San Juan, Porto Rico.—Orders re ceived from Provost Marshal General Crowder direct the local draft board in Porto Rico to proceed with the se lection and preparation for mobiliza tion of 15,000 men, in addition to tl ( 13,000 now reported at Las Casus. The first men of the new draft are to report in September and a fixed num ber monthly thereafter. The final figures on the registra tion of men who have reached the age of 21 years since July, 1017, will show 11,000 registrants, according to Adjutant General Wilson. WEST AFRICAN CHIEF OF FRENCH COMMISSION Receives Complimentary Address From the Residents of Gambia Ex pressive of Their Pleasure at M. Blaize Diagne’s Appointment. M. Blaize Diagne, a full-blooded Negro who represents the Senegal in the French chamber, has visited West Africa as chief of French com mission. His suite consisted of sev eral white officials of the French gov ernment and a black French military officer. On his departure from Gam bia an address was delivered to him in part as follows: Sir: We representing the natives and residents of the colony of the Gambia of Negro blood, take this op portunity of your visit to our shores of publicly tending to yrou our heart felt congratulations on the high honor conferred on you by the French re public, as deputy of the colony of Senegal and chief of a commissino to French West Africa, an honor which, we fully believe, you have very well earned. One of the blessings which we bel lieve will come to the world through this great war will be a just esti mate and due recognition of the worth and merit of all, irrespective of race or color. That you, a Negro of the Wolol tribe, should lead the van in this re spect, is to us a matter of great thankfulness to God, and affords us much impetus in our efforts to do our best in whatever sphere we may be, fully believing that as the day has come for such recognition from the French republic, it will also come from the British empire, to which we are glad and proud to belong.—The Crisis. THE HEALTH AND MORALS OF COLORED TROOPS Captain A. B. Spingarn says in the August Crisis: Few matters are of greater concern to the war department than the prop er safeguarding of the health and morals of its soldiers. It is signifi cant that it has detailed to the con sideration of the problem of safe guarding Colored troops and colored civilians an officer, who, as a direc tor of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the chairman of its legal com mittee, has definitely put himself on record as opposed to discrimination against the Negro in any form for any cause. The war department can control conditions in the cantonments, but the formulators of this program real ize that no permanent improvement ran be ex; "cted if all the effort is to be from without; no lasting help is possible for twelve million people unless the major effort comes from within. The health ond morals of Colored people for generations to come will depend largely on how much help and co-operation the Colored leaders of today give to this program. WHITE SOLDIER HANGED: ASSAULTED COLORED GIRL Government lakes Righteous Stanu That There Shall Be No Discrimi nation in Punishment for Heinous Crime Against Wmen. Waco, Tex.—Nat Hoffman, a white soldier, was hanged July 11 at Camp McArthur. He was convicted of at tacking a Colored school girl last April. The government has one treat ment for all who commit crime. Just a few days ago at Dos Moines, la., Colored soldiers were given the same treatment for the same crime against a white girl. CUBA PASSES BILL FOR COMPULSORY SERVICE Havana, July. 19.—The bill to es tablish compulsory military service in Cuba, following four days of bit terest debate, was approved by the house by a vote of 45 to 26. By pre vious agreement a committee consist ing of three conservatives and an equal number of liberals was then appointed to revise the provisions of the bill and is expected to report Monday, when the debate will be taken up on the amendments. ESTABLISH COMMUNITY CENTER HOUSE Youngstown, O.—The citizens of Youngstown, with the assistance of white friends, have purchased a home for girls, the property is said to be worth $10,000. . “Chesterfield” Of The Southland Baton Rouge Given This Title by Monitor Representative, Who Is De lighted With Southern Hospitality —Visits Sociological Congress at Gulfport, Miss.—Turns Northward. ALEXANDRIA AND SHREVEPORT Former Omaha .Minister Now the Pas tor of a Large and Flourishing Con gregation in Louisiana Town. BY FRED C. WILLIAMS Baton Rouge, La., July 14, 1918.— Monday of this week found me still plugging the old city of New Orleans. There are so many inter esting things about this old town that one cannot visit them all in a day. Summer in New Orleans is excep tionally attractive. The city' is clothed in ail the verdant grandeur of the tropic; palms, palmetto and drooping cypress line its streets and avenues, and its numerous front yards and neutral grounds of its many miles of double lined boulevards are one mass of bright and beautifully col ored flowers, including the sweet scented magnolia, cape jasemine. tube rose and Japanese wisteria, which fill the atmosphere with the perfume that reminds one of the “Nectar of the Gods.” Sociological Congress. Wednesday I ran to Gulfport, Miss., where the Mississippi State Socio logical congress was in session. The features were the address by Bishop Theodore D. Bratton of the Episcopal church and president of the congress, on “The Mission of the Southern So ciological Congress,” in which he sa d: “Our mission is plain. We have but one duty to perform; service to our fellow man, through which all men rise to one level, that of equality.” The other was the address of Mr. Geo. E. Haynes of the National Labor Council, who spoke on “Improvement of Living Conditions of Labor as a Necessity for Efficiency'.” He scored many points, demonstrating the neces sity of the acquisition “of more faith in one another and in each other’s projects by both of the races.” And also that the black man wished to be the brother of the white man, only as brother in industry, brother in agriculture, brother in democracy brother in war, without being his brother-in-law. Home of Billy Kersands. Left Gulfport and picked up my itinerary north. My first stop be ing Donaldsonville, La., the former home of the one time famous min strel, Billy Kersands. I was now in the heart of “sugar land,” the cane fields lining the tracks on either side, and extending back along the bayous for many miles. Plaquemines the place of my next visit is situated at the head of a number of connecting bayous w'hich give an outlet to the overflow of the waters of the Mississippi river to the Gulf of Mexico. Baton Rouge Prosperous. Baton Rouge, the capital of this fa mous state from which point I am writing, bears an air of refinement and culture. Strange to say its pop ulation of thirty thousand is com posed of BO per cent Negroes, who in a large number are wealthy, resid ing in every part of the city, in beau tiful, well appointed homes. The courtesy extended to The Monitor and its representative was so cordial and hospitable, that Baton Rouge will al ways be cherished as one of the most chivalrous of the Chesterfields of the southland. Leaving Baton Rouge behind 1 took a fast train on the L. R. N.. By the way', this road is causing the federal authorities to do some serious think ing. Mr. Eatonboum, the sole owner and operator of this line is “in dutch” with the federal authorities, being charged with making seditious re marks. As to whether they will dis continue the operation of the road or confiscate it is the question. I was soon in Alexandria, a thriv ing little city in the rich cotton and lumber section of Louisiana. Here is located Camp Beauregard, which at present has only 200 of the race draftees, but the call of August S is to bring 2,000 of our boys to this camp. The many business and pro fessional men, as well as prominent citizens of the race, are making big preparations for the reception for these boys. Alexandria is proud of her new high school, a new brick building with all conveniences, erected at a cost of $90,000. My next stop was Mansfield, in the western part of the state, in the rich oil fields. Here we find our race controlling the mercantile business, and also engaged in the oil and real estate business. At Holly I spent half a day inves tigating a community farming prop osition of which I will tell in a spe cial article. Friday afternoon found me at Shreveport, the second city of Louis iana. and here in the hurry and bustle of this busy railroad and commercial center I plugged up and down Texas avenue meeting old friends and mak ing new ones, and always pushing The Monitor, which always makes a good impression whenever given a fair hearing. I spent Sunday here visit ing the churches among them the Antioch Baptist church, pastored by the Rev. Dr. James Bingaman, for merly of Omaha, who warmly wel comed me and after a brief eulogy presented me to his large congrega tion to whom I in turn presented The Monitor which was warmly re ceived. Nurses Convention to Meet In Louisville This Strong and Efficient Organiza tion Expects to Hold Epoch-Mark ing Meeting—Will Discuss Profes sional Matters and Take Action De manding Employment in Army. ASHINGTON, D. C„ July 25.— Colored nurses in Washington are preparing to go to Louisville in numbers to attend the convention of the National Association of Colored Nurses August 21-24. While they are going there to dis cuss matters relating to the ordinary everyday work of their profession, they are also going to see what com bined action may accomplish in break ing down what they believe is a color line in keeping 2,000 professional nurses from rendering service to the army. The association’s membership is strong in New York and Washington. Miss Jane A. Delano, who is organiz ing the members of the association into a Red Cross section, is the Wash ington representative of the associa tion. Miss Lena Machale, superin tendent of nurses at the Freedmen’s hospital, and her assistant, Miss Em ma May Emin are prominent work ers for the recognition of the asso ciation by the government. “Miss Machale and I were among the nurses who called, on Surgeon General Gorgas on May 27 and asked him for his real reason for denying our nurses’ service,” Miss Erwin says. “He stated it was lack of housing facilities. From this I gathered that some one had expressed objections to our being housed with white nurses. Neither he nor any one else can make the claim successfully that we are not as competent as any other nurses, no matter what their color. The gen eral told us he was personally desir ous of utilizing our services. We shall not he ignored much longer. Anyway, Miss Delano is registering nurses for army service, and at the convention we shall not only voice our senti ments, but we shall do our best to bring pressure to bear that will make further excuses out of place.” MUSKOGEE PREACHER TO BE MADE CHAPLAIN Muskogee, Okla.—The Kev. E. C. W. Cox, pastor of Spencer Chapel church (Negro Methodist), has been recommended by Bishop W. M. Mc Dowell of Chicago, as chaplain in the army. He is the first local Colored minister to be suggested for a posi tion as chaplain of the army,* ERECTING APARTMENT HOUSE Washington.—A company headed by John W. Lewis, president of the Industrial Savings bank, is erecting a $100,000 apartment house here. TO OUR READERS We are glad The Monitor pleases you. It will also please your friends and neighbors. Show them your copy and get them to subscribe. Help us double our circulation this year | by getting one of your friends or neighbors to subscribe.