i =j The Monitor, i = i
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. OCTOBER 19, 1918 Vol. IV: No. 16 (Whole No. 172)
Emmett Scott Opens
Liberty Campaign
“The Natural Rights of Mankind Are
Menaced for All Time by the Un
holy Aggressions of the Imperial
German Government,” Declares
Speaker.
PLEADS FOR FIGHTING LOAN
Confident Race Will Respond With
Same Unstinted Liberality Shown
in Contributing to Former Loans—
Some Notably Large Subscriptions
by Colored Americans.
■ ■ .- n
WASHINGTON, D. C.—Emmett J.
Scott in recently opening up
the campaign for the Fourth Liberty
Loan before a large audience of Col
ored Americans in Howard theater,
made a ringing appeal to the 12,000,
000 of his race to respond generously
to the government’s request. So im
pressed were those who heard his
forceful address that many subscrip
tions were immediately handed in.
Mr. Scott's address was in part as
follows:
As the president says: “This is the
people’s war. It is not a white man’s
war. It is not a black man’s war.
It is a war of all the people under
the Stars and Stripes for the preser
vation of human liberty throughout
the world. Civilization is in peril and
the natural rights of mankind are
menaced for all time by the unholy
aggressions of the Imperial German
government. The triumph of autoc
racy means the destruction of the
temple of freedom which our fore
fathers helped in 1776 to erect, and
which their sons have sacrificed blood
and treasure ever since to perpetuate.
The failure of democracy in this
mighty conflict will entail disaster
upon humanity |}gough generations
beyond number.
“The American Negro is beginning
> to realize that if the American white
man is enslaved by reason of this
republic’s inability to rout the Hun
in the presi j^. struggle, the ultimate
result will be his own re-enslavement
and the loss of all that he has gained
during the more than half-century
since the Emancipation Proclamation.
His fate is indissolubly bound up
with the fate of the republic and he
must join with it, loyally, whole
heartedly and to the finish, in every
movement that will add strength to
the American arms in the death-grap
ple with Germany. This common
purpose must be contended for by a
common brotherhood.
“Already the Negro has responded
promptly and cheerfully to the call
for his manpower, and three times
since the declaration of war against
the Imperial German Government the
Negro has answered generously, read
ily and without stint to the call for
his money-power.
"Now comes a fourth call for finan
cial aid and it is not doubted that the
12,000,000 free Colored Americans,
who wish to remain free, will again
respond with the same or greater
measure of liberality and enthusiasm
that has characterized them when
the previous demands were made.
Approximately, indeed, in view of the
onward march of General Pershing’s
invincible crusaders on France’s west
ern front, the Fourth Liberty Loan is
styled "The Fighting Loan.” Itlack
men are among these invincible cru
saders with General Pershing. We
who must remain at home are in duty
bound to lend the limit of our aid to
those who have gone abroad to hare
their breasts to shot and shell in de
fense of our flag and the sacred ideals
for which it stands. We cannot do
this in a more effective way than to
offer our dollars to sustain the gov
ernment—the only government we
know—and its fighting men while
they are braving death to insure free
dom and justice for all mankind. Even
as they are making their bayonets
fight in protection of the “jewel of
liberty," we can make our dollars
fight to gird up their loins for strong
er efforts in trench and on field.
“The American Negro points with
pride to a glorious record in the im
mediate past. A few typical instances
will show the trend of the racial mind
as to its duty to the nation that is the
Negro's only fatherland. In response
to the three liberty loan appeals of
the secretary of the treasury, the
North Carolina Mutual and Provident
Association of Durham, N. C., a Col
ored corporation owned and officered
entirely by Colored men, subscribed
for bonds to the amount of $125,000.
The Mosaic Templars of America,
with headquarters at Little Rock,
Ark., subscribed to the amount of
$100,000, and bought $1,000 worth of
War Savings Stamps. The Improved
Order of Elks, as an organization has
taken $40,000 worth of bonds and a
census of individuals shows that Col
ored Elks have bought up to $150,000
worth of these securities. The At
lanta, Ga., Mutual Insurance com
pany has purchased $80,000 worth
of Liberty Bonds.”
Two Carneys - Black,
White; Both Heroes
Fred C. Williams, Monitor Represen
tative, Grows Reminiscent As He
Mingles in Crowd Pushing Fourth
Liberty Loan.
Friday evening, about 8 o’clock, I
stopped at the corner of Sixteenth and
Douglas streets—stopped because I
could go no farther, the crowd was so
dense. I asked a question and was
told that “the fourth Liberty loan
drive” was on, under the leadership of
T. C. Byrne,accompanied byDesdunes’
jazz band of six pieces, which render
ed some pleasing selections in the in
tervals between bond selling in blocks
of ten; speeches by' prominent Oma
hans; description of the action on the
front in France by' a returned soldier;
a recitation by' a small but patriotic
boy; songs by Rooney and Russell,
Orpheum circuit stars, who pleased
the crowd with their well rendered se
lections of “Liberty Bell,” “Over
There” and “Your Boy and Mine.” All
these, however, were forced to divide
honors with a little Colored bootblack,
who in a “jazzy” manner told the
crowd that it took a long, tall, brown
skinned soldier of the U. S. A. to
make the kaiser lay his weapons
down. To the applause that echoed
up and down Douglas street he an
swered with that familiar Southern
melody, “Emmaline, My Gal,” so sat
isfactorily that later on he was re
called to render in a deep, melodious
baritone which he possessed thatbeau
tiful ballad, “Baby's Pray'er at Twi
light,” the pathos of which touched
the crowd so deeply that Mr. Byrne
was able to sell two blocks of bonds
instead of one.
As the crowd dispersed to the tunes
of that most “jazzy” band the com
mon comment that greeted my ears
was, “Isn’t that band just great?”
And these were the very same words
that greeted my ears Saturday when
I dropped off the car at Fifteenth and
Farnam streets and joined the crowd
that was following Desdunes’ band,
which for the second time in the his
tory of Omaha was leading a pageant
in which white bands were also em
ployed. But it proves that the people
of Omaha are living up to their repu
tation, being the first in line in the
practice of "simple justice”; in other
words, practicing democracy, which is,
“All men up to the highest of their
ability,” rewarding merit wherever
shown, recognizing efficiency by giv
ing opportunity.
I was so elated over the realization
of this fact that I found myself dan
cing merrily along in the wake of the
band, until, with some two thousand
others, I was packed closely around
the speakers’ stand on the courthouse
lawn, and listened attentively to our
mayor deliver one of his usually good
speeches. The famous soprano, Miss
Grace La Rue, rendered several beau
tiful selections, and Sergeant-Major
Carney told in a most interesting and
graphic manner how the 20,000 Aus
tralians, of whom he was one of the
500 survivors, failed to hold after cap
turing the peninsula of Galipoli; of
the horrors of the/r retreat; of the
sufferings because of the lack of prep
arations in both the medical and hos
pital corps; of the stolid heroism of
those undaunted Britishers, after be
ing reinforced, landed in France, rush
ed on to the battle of Armentiers,
where the sergeant was wounded and
V
THE UNION STOCK YARDS, SOUTH OMAHA. A large number of Colored men are employed
here and in the packing houses and other industries to which these are tributary.
THE WOODMEN OF THE WORLD BUILDING, home of the Chamber of Commerce, the wide
awake organization of brainy progressive, broad-minded business men, whose energy is making
and keeping Omaha in the forefront of Ameri can cities. It is in the handsome dining room of
the Chamber of Commerce in which Omaha d raftees, irrespective of race or color, are banquet
ted before starting on the way to Berlin. Th e Chamber of Commerce gives employment to a
large number of Colored employes, the importa nt and responsible position of steward being filled
by Ellsworth W. Pryor, who has a national re putation in his line. The Chamber of Commerce
occupies the two top floors of this magnificent building.
incapacitated, and so came to America
to tell us how to prepare that our
brave boys may not suffer as did his
unfortunate comrades.
As I listened to the speaker as he
told of the scaling of those blood
stained and bullet-scarred cliffs of the
heights of Galipoli, in the face of that
murderous fire from the heathen yet
well trained enemy, his name, “Car
ney,” kept recurring to my mind again
and again. And away back in the re
cesses of memory I recalled another
“Carney,” who was also a hero, but a
black man. And as I let my mind roll
back to the events of the civil war I
could picture the assault by the Fifty
fourth Massachusetts upon Fort Wag
ner, which was ' held by men whom
tradition had taught to deal with the
black man as an animal. And as that
band of black soldiers wavered before
that withering storm of lead, they
were ever inspired to push onward
and upward, over the top of those
ramparts of that strongly defended
fort—inspired, I say, by the sight of
Old Glory always in the van, pushing
forward, leading on, upheld by this
other brave “Carney.” Though wound
ed many times, when the final rush
was over and victory won, they found
him just inside the parapets, back
against the wall, the staff of right—
the Stars and Stripes—floating in the
breeze; and on recognizing his com
mander he saluted and proudly said
“Colonel, the old flag never touched
the ground."
COMPLETE SHIP IN FIVE DAYS
Belfast, IrdWind, Workmen Break the
World’s Record in Preparing Ship
For Service After Launching.
Belfast, Ireland, has set a new rec
ord in shipbuilding that in ordinary
times would be sure of standing per
haps for years. The workmen com
pleted a ship in five working days
after it was launched.
The ship took the ways on August
22 and the installation of the ma
chinery began the same day. On
August 26 the vessel got up steam for
the first time and twodays later trials
were completed. On August 29 the
ship was ready for cargo service.
Recently the Department of Labor
was informed of a launching in Maine;
where installation of machinery began
within two hours after the vessel took
the water.
APPOINTED CITY PHYSICIAN
Dr. James G. Fowler, a prominent
Colored physician of Pittsburg, I’a.,
has been appointed city physician by
Mayor E. B. Babcock. The doctor
has the indorsement of prominent
white and Colored citizens.
CALL TROOPS TO QUELL RIOT
Petersburg, Va., Oct. 14.—In an
wer to a riot call soldiers from
Camp Lee were rushed to Hopewell
last Friday to quell a riot between
Colored laborers and foreigners em
ployed at the Dupont munition factory
there.
SWISS WORKERS GAIN REFORMS
Federal Council Grants Workmen’s
Requests for Better Food Control
Methods and Loans for New Hous
ing; Will Prosecute Profiteers.
Swiss labor has succeeded in obtain
ing fair representation on a special
commission for food control, and in
securing revision of the rationing and
distribution of food, according to an
announcement by the Swiss Federal
Council. The council has also prom
ised to prosecute profiteers and to
make provision against a coal short
age. Arrangements have also been
made for loans for the construction of
improved dwellings for workmen.
DALLAS SETS MINIMUM, $50,000
Said to Have One of Best Organized
Liberty Loan Drive Machines.
Dallas, Tex.—Working under the
slogan, “One Thousand Negro Fami
lies, One Thousand Bonds,” the Ne
groes of Dallas will endeavor to have
their people here purchase from $50,
000 to $75,000 worth of bonds of the
fourth Liberty loan.
GASSED THREE TIMES IN
BATTLE WITH GERMANS
Philadelphia, Pa.—Corporal H. Dav
is, who has been twice wounded and
gassed three times, and who has been
invalided home, lectured last week on
the brave deeds done by our men in
‘ ue -anture of Belleau woods from
the Germans. He is in great demand.
Department Has
Patriotic Singing
Methods Employed by Secretary Lane
to Promote and Stiumulate Patriotic
Fervor.
FAYETTE HERSHAW SPEAKS
BY WALTER J. SINGLETON.
Special to The Monitor.
WASHINGTON, D. C., Oct. 7.—In
the department of the interior,
Secretary Franklin K. Lane has, since
the Intrance of the United States into
the war, given the employees every
opportunity to manifest and stimulate
their patriotic interest in the gigan
tic struggle, and to testify to their
devotion to the great principle at is
sue in it. One of the ways in which
this is done is to have all the em
ployees of the department, twelve or
fifteen hundred, assemble every
Thursday morning for fifteen minutes
or more, and sing patriotic songs un
der the direction of a competent song
leader, accompanied by the interior
department band. Thursday morning,
October 2, Secretary Lane himself
came to the “sing,” and presided, and
announced that the program would be
varied by having short liberty loan
addresses of four minutes each by
some of the men and women who do
the work of the department.
There was a representative of the
Indian office, a representative of the
women and Lafayette M. Hershaw
was introduced by Secretary Lane as
the representative of the land office.
At the conclusion of Mr. Hershaw’s
remarks, he was warmly congratul
ated by Mr. Lane and a large number
of the higher officials and fellow
workers. Secretary Lane is to be
thanked for this exhibition of genuine
and concrete democracy.
Mr. Hershaw spoke substantially
as follows:
Mr. Secretary, ladies and gentlemen:
In the time allotted to me, I want
to speak as representing the atti
tude of the Colored people towards
this world-embracing struggle. We
have always cherished the aspirations,
ambitions and ideals of the rest of the
population living in the United States,
and we have with uniform and cheer
ful devotion assumed the responsibili
ties and made the sacrifices which
such feelings impose. In the strug
gles which have been undertaken to
achieve common aims, we have not
been merely friends in the remote and
detached sense in which that word is
sometimes used, not allies, certainly
not aliens. We have been and are an
integral part of the membership of
the nation, indeed American citizens.
In the commencement of the en
deavor for nationality, we gave the
first martyr, Crispus Attucks, who
fell on Boston common, March 5, 1770.
live thousand Colored men followed
Washington through the war of the
revolution. We were with Perry on
Lake Erie and with Jackson at New
Orleans; in our civil conflict of the
sixties we enjoyed the unique distinc
tion of being loyal to two flags; we
tore an honorable part in the libera
tion of Cuba and the Philippine isl
ands, and in the present conflict we
are contributing of our man-power
without stint or limit. In the pur
chase of Liberty Bonds it will be
found that when measured by the
standard of accumulated possessions,
that we have exceeded even our abil
ity. If to achieve the aims declared
by our great president, it shall be
necessary to cross the Rhine and fight
our way to Berlin, when our forces
enter that city and file through the
Brandenburg gate, the Colored soldier
will be there singing not only the song
of Moses and the Lamb, but swelling
the chorus of the “Star Spangled
Banner” and “The Battle Hymn of the
Republic."
COLORED Y. M. C. A.
WORKERS LOSE LIFE IN
BRITISH EAST AFRICA
Washington, D. C., Oct. 14.—A
cablegram just received from the
British East African Expeditionary
Force announces the death of Fred
D. Ballou and Robert Pritchett, Na
tional War Work Secretaries for the
Soldiers of Africa. The men came to
their death by drowning, but the de
tails are not given. Ballou was a
graduate of Knoxville college. Prit
chet received his degree at Lincoln
university. Both men went to Africa
early in 1917. They were part of
that fine group of young Colored col
lege men who volunteered early in the
great war to do Y. M. C. A. work
among the natives of Africa. Both
men were devoted American student
Association workers before the call
to foreign service.