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About The monitor. (Omaha, Neb.) 1915-1928 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 26, 1918)
,=”' i 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 26, 1918 Vol. IV. No. 17 (Whole No. 173) Baptists Beat Spanish “Flu” v Hold the Greatest Missionary and Educational Convention in History of Organization; Inspiring Two Days’ Sessions in Open Air. Bl'SINESS RAPIDLY DISPATCHED Convention Raises Over Ten Thousand Dollars at Sessions; Elects Officers; I’rof. Terrell, Prominent Educator, and Others Speak; Women Have Enthusiastic Meeting ; Palestine Gets Nexi Convention. (Special to The Monitor.) (CORSICANA, Tex., Oct. 25.—The -d forty-eighth annual session of the Baptist Missionary and Education convention, which has turned out to be the greatest session ever held in the history of the organization, was held on the streets of Corsicana last week. It was truly a moving eonven • tion and great from manv viewpoints. On account of the Spanish influenza many of the churches of America have * been closed, and when word reached Dr. Moore that the mayor of Corsi cana had said the meeting could not be held in the city, the officers were called together for spec’al prayer, and then in company with the pastor of the white Baptist church, President A. L. Boone, Secretary M. M. Rodgers and others went to the mayor and told him about the amount of work that had been planned for this session, and it was a year’s, work. It was decided that they could hold sessions for two days. With thanks the plan was ac-1 cepted, but when they met in the J Texas Ministers’ Union two officers J appeared and said that after a pro test from the citizens, including some Colored, the mayor and the city phy sician had decided they could not meet in the church. This was another black eye, so to speak. President Boone reached the city in the evening and at t once proceeded to arrange for an open '/ air meeting by placing the seats in front of the church on the street. Wednesday morning, at the hour appointed, thn convention was called to order. Revs. J. H. Branham of I Ennis and J. P. Barbour of Hemp stead were booked to conduct the | opening, their theme being “The Power of Prayer.” This had been demonstrated in the present meeting. It was fitting that the young men should be on hand to discuss the theme. After thg opening, the convention elected the following officers: A. L. Boone, Fort Worth, president; R. H. Littleton, Bryan, and C. N. Hampton, Paris, vice presidents; M. M. Rodgers, Dallas, secretary; A. L. Stewart, Tyler, assistant secretary; L. B. Cash, Pittsburg, auditot; A. S. Terrell, An elerson, treasurer; J. E. Knox, Dallas, superintendent of missions; J. K. Wil * son, Waco, state evangelist; J. C. Simms, Pittsburg, field missionary; E. M. Griggs of Palestine, Felix Jones of Texarkana, A. L. Boone of Fort Worth and W. H. Whiten of Dallas executive board members; A. A. Gor don of Houston, W. T, Bartlett of Sul phur Springs, F. L. Lights of Hous ton and P. W. Wesley of Texarkana, trustees. The convention then turned its at tention to business. Committees to collect the finance were announced. Only two days’ sessions were held and at the close the convention had col lected $10,270.78. Prof. M. M. Rodgers was appointed superintendent of the West Star, the official organ of the convention. It was announced that Prof. I. M. Ter rell, one of the oldest educators in the state, had been elected president of Houston college, and would take hold at once. Prof. Terrell addressed the convention,assuring the members that he was there to work. He is one of the most noted school men in the South. The Ministers’ Union elected Rev. D. A. Scott, Austin, president; J. W. Hawkins, Mexia, and A. A. Gordon, Houston, vice presidents; U. S. Keal ing, Waco, secretarj ; J. H. Branham, Ennis, assistant secretary; E. M. Griggs, Palestine, treasurer. It was decided to launch a drive for $20,000 for the next session, to he held in Palestine, part of which is to go for the erection of a building at Houston Edna Strickland of Pittsburg r presided over the session of the wo men, and it Was, indeed, an enthusias tic meeting. The women got right down to business. They were ad dressed by Rev. L. K. Williams, D. D., of Chicago, whose interest in the work is manifested by his annual • visits and his contributions to the edu cational work. The collec ion for the convention amounted to $6,204.89, and over $6,000 turned over to the convention thus enabled the convention to pay off all indebtedness and start the ye«.' free of debt. The following officers were elected: Mrs. Edna Strickland, Pitts burg, president; Mrs. H. Weekley, Giddings, and Mrs. S. J. Alsobrooks, Sulphur Springs, vice presidents; Mrs. A. E. Wilkins, Houston, recording sec retary; Mrs. L. J. McNorton, Fort Worth, corresponding secretary; Mrs. E. Duckerfield, Wichita Falls, treas urer; Mrs. C. Cash, Pittsburg, statis tician; Mrs. A. E. McPherson, Belton, secretary of literature; Mrs. M. Shar kie, missionary; Mrs. M. S. Jones and Mrs. S. L. Band, organizers; Miss Jessie D. Holman, Longview, Y. W. A. leader; Mrs. T. E. Y. Pollard, Wolf City, president of conference; Mrs. .J. G. Simms, industrial department; Mrs. N. P. Pullum of Houston, Mrs. A. Carlisle of Kauffman, Mrs. J. N. Mors of Dallas, Mrs. M. A. Powell of Washington, Mrs. Ida Boone of Fort W’orth and Miss Alice Stanley of Lin den, boaid members. The convention was addressed by Rev. B. F .Riley of Birmingham and Rev. J. B. Green, field secretary of the National Baptist convention. Dr. E. Arlington Wilson of Mace donia Baptist church, Dallas, an nounced that the church had sent $150 this yeas-, but greater things would come from there in the future. A large amount of business was transacted during the session. West Union Baptist church, Pales tine, Rev. W. Bolivar Davis, pastor, will entertain the convention next October. HOME FOR WOMEN WAR WORKERS Pennsylvania State Federation of Col ored Women’s Clubs Purchase Fine Building at Industrial Center. Chester, Pa., Oct. 24.—The Colored women of this city, acting under the auspices of the Pennsylvania State Federation of Negro Women’s Clubs, of which Mrs. Ruth L. Bennett is president and Mrs. Rebecca Aldridge of Pittsburgh, Pa., honorary presi dent, have purchased a building to be used as a home for women of the race who are doing war work in the many corporations in and near the city of Chester. This property will also be used as a center for governmental ac tivities, viz., American Red Cross, Colored Women’s Unit of the Nation al Council of Defense, etc. This is the first effort on the part of the women in this city to do some thing definite along this particular line, although they have been working faithfully ever since they were called upon to help. This splendid achieve ment should be an inspiring example to Colored women in every city where any appreciable group of them reside. A formal opening of the building in question will be held October 30 and November 1. Hon. Emmett J. Scott, special assistant to the secretary of war; Miss Nannie H. Burroughs, prin cipal of the National Training School for Women and Girls, Washington, D. C., and other prominent persons have been invited to deliver special addresses upon said occasion. The officers of the Pennsylvania State Federation of Negro Women’s Clubs are as follows: Mrs. Ruth L. Bennett, president; Mis. I,aura A. Brown, vice president; Mrs. R. Evelyn Payne, recording secretary; Mrs. Ida S. Wright, corresponding secretary; Mrs. F’annie FI. Morton, treasurer; Mrs. Daisy E. Lampkin, organizer. Chester is one of the leading manu facturing centers of Pennsylvania and a splendid opportunity for usefulness is open to the patriotic and aggres sive Colored women of the vicinity. PROTECTIVE WORK FOR GIRLS Washington, D. C., Oct. 24.—Mrs. Itippin of the War Community Serv ice, in charge of the protective work for girls, is planning to place Colored protective workers in Chillicothe, O., and Rockford, III., just as soon as the salaries are available for these posi tions. Camps Sherman and Grant, re spectively, are located near these cities. STATE ORGANIZER WAR SAVING St. Louis, Oct. 24.—Mrs. Victoria Clay-Haley of this city is state or ganizer for the Coloied Women’s War Savings commission of Missouri. Captain Wm. Peebles Writes From France Omaha Soldier Who Is “Over There” Eulogizes Monitor and Tells With What Eagerness It Is Awaited and Read; Even Ads Not Neglected. FRANCE AN ARTISTIC LAND People Resemble a Large, Happy. Laughing Family, Hospitable and Warm-Hearted; Void of Color Prej udice; Some Customs Described; Officers of Artillery Fine Men. UNDER date of October 2 Captain Perb'es writes the following letter o the editor of The Monitor: 349th Field Artillery, American Expeditionary Forces, October 2, 1918. My Dear Friend; You may well consider The Monitor as having become a paper of interna tional consideration, and I am very certain it will receive a place of just esteem in the hearts of all your for CAPT. WILLIAM W. PEEBLES, 34<)lh Field Artillery eign readers. At such a vital mo ment as this it is very necessary that a journal of such scholarly manage ment should first receive the undivid ed support of its home folks, and I am sure could the good people of Omaha see the greed and great joy these men have who read The Monitor they would rise up and call you blessed for having made it possible that they have such a good, newsy champion. My! I have read and reread; even the advertisements have not been lightly passed over. Your pleasing editorials, always fearless and to the point, breathing the spirit of eternal vigilance and always uncompromising on questions racial. Surely the black soldier here realizes that in you and your paper we have a grand, true friend. George Parker in his serious, thoughtful, masterful articles and his extreme wit, seems to combine two unusual gifts in perfect harmony; and Fred Williams, who deserves so much because of his struggles. Am I to be «rv j lieve that his eyesight has been re stored? I sincerely' hope so. I have enjoyed The Monitor so much, and have passed them on to the enlisted men who so readily demanded them. When I was at Camp Dix and I saw the picture of Bill with the little John son girl, I said I must write again toute de suite to father and tell him for his readers some of the good things we are now experiencing here in the greatest of all democracies. The longer I am here the more I am lead to the thought that France is a great, big, laughing, happy family. As my time has been spent almost wholly in the smaller towns I cannot write from knowledge of the larger cities, but from those coming from the large cities I believe there is lit tle or no difference. One speaks to another here as a natural thing. No formal introductions are necessary. Indeed, some of the finest people I have met were casually accosted as we listened together at a band con cert, or met them visiting our camp, or otherwise. They know no preju dice. Indeed, I feel sure from many incidents that the Colored soldier here has lasting and I may add partial friends. This extreme friendliness on their part for Colored soldiers does not leave them at their doors, but you are welcome at a!! times a- their ta bles, where they serve you in that typically hospitable fashion tea and wine. The only complaint the men have is that a custom of Fiance is for the whole family to accompany you perchance you promenade with madamoiselle (I mean the daughter). It is a usual sight to see a Colored soldier promenading with a laughing French family And with all of this unusual, kindly consideration, the con duct of our men has been so good as to have received many pleasing com ments. Treat men well and they act well. We are still at this training center and expect to leave this week for the front. We are all anxious for the final test. You will hear a brave re cital of the actions of this Colored artillery brigade when once they are huvaction. Our regiments have made a record here which I am told has surpassed that made by all classes who have finished ahead of them. We are all proud of them. We have a fine corps of officers. Our General Sher bourne of Boston is a virile, courtly gentleman of very strong sentiments, and our men have a very wholesome respect for him. Like most Boston men he will be found with his soldiers at all moments of danger. I have heard him speak and you can rest serenely confident that he is a man without prejudices of any sort. To the colonel of my regiment, Moore, for mer aide to ex-President Roosevelt, is due very much credit for the showing made by the brigade. Indeed, it was Colonel Moore who in the darkest mo ments of the history of the brigade consistently worked on the theory that Colored men would make good in the artillery as well as other branches, CTfl* Important Notice Owing to the increased cost of publication, a new schedule i of prices having gone into effect October 10th, The Monitor ] j is compelled to increase its advertising rates. The new rates j will become effective November 1st. Our circulation has rapidly increased since our former rates were established and therefore we should have raised our rates correspond- j ! ingly before this time. There is a great demand for adver- !! j tising space in our columns and for this, of course, there is a reason. Increased cost of publication compels us, and in- j creased circulation justifies us, in advancing our advertising i] | rates. Remember, please, that the new rates for advertise i ments go into effect November 1st. j Another important matter: The war industries board |j | has ordered newspapers and magazines to cut off all com- 1 ; plimentary copies, etc., to send papers only to bona fide j Paid Subscribers, all subscriptions being payable in advance, ! | and to allow no returned unsold copies from newsboys and I agents. This means, of course, that if you wish to receive j j the paper regularly through the mail, which is the wisest j : and safest way, YOU MUST PAY YOUR SUBSCRIPTION j j IN ADVANCE. It means that agents must pay for what- j i ever number of copies they order. j The Monitor has been quite lenient with delinquent sub- jj scribers, believing them and still believing them to be hoq- | j ■i est and therefore willing to pay their subscriptions. The j j ruling of the war industries board compels us to secure pay- || . | ment from all subscribers or else stop sending them the pa- ! j pei\ We don’t want to stop your paper. We don’t believe jjl I you want us to stop it. We want to continue sending it to J < you every week, but w’e want you to help us double our sub- ' | scription list by sending us a new subscriber. Don’t compel j ! us to stop your paper. Please send in your subscription promptly by check, draft or post office money order. Sub j scription price $2.00 a year. and to him is due an uncompromising demand and insistence that a just chance be given them. I have had many long, pleasing talks with my colonel and he with General Sher boume is right on the question. He is a very hard soldier, but a very just one. Taken all in all, I find a great bond of sympathy and mutual under standing existing between our officers and the men. I have had time to visit several lit tle French towns, and an endless in terest and enthusiasm permeates me on each succeeding trip. We have fine roads here; indeed, I think they are unsurpassed. The homes are all of stone, evpn many outbuildings. France is very stoney. You find hills or mountains everywhere. While the houses lack many of the conveniences of our homes in America, one readily adapts himself to the changed condi tions and takes it as simply' one of the discomforts of soldier life. The dhurches, as one would expect, are wonderful edifices, many, if not all, of very ancient origin. In them you find many rare old paintings and wonder ful pieces of sculpture. Indeed, the whole country' presents so many amazingly beautiful aspects that one can readily' understand how Dumas, Balzac, Maupassant, etc., secured their interesting characters. Even the lit tle farms are arranged seemingly with artistic design. We are now in a beautiful place near the mountains. Many nights as I look down into the nearby village or over to the western blue hills, my mind goes out to the dear friends in Omaha. I seem to see you in your peaceful, quiet city and wonder how it goes with you. We hope this terrible war will soon be finished, and there comes to me a great source of joy in : thinking that I shall have played an active part in the greatest event in ; the history of the modern age. With my wife in the Red Cross, you see the Peebles family will be 100 per cent active. And still those of us who are | not actively engaged in the war can j do many useful things in many dif ferent ways to show their loyalty, and that I know my good friends of Omaha are doing. Will write you often. We leave here this week. You may publish this if you desire. Best wishes to all my friends in all Omaha. Sincerely your friend, WILLIAM W. PEEBLES, Captain D. C. WILSON SAVES UPTON SOLDIER FROM DEATH New York. — Announcement was made in Washington that President Wilson had disapproved the sentence of death imposed by a court-martial upon Private Layton James, who con. fessed to having shot and killed Mrs. Rose Harrity of Brooklyn and Private Michael Maloney at Camp Upton last May. The president’s disapproval of the sentence was based upon his agreement with reports that showed the murderer was insane at the time the crime was committed. PROMINENT PHYSICIAN ANSWERS FINAL SUMMONS (Special to The Monitor.) Shreveport, La., Oct. 11.—Dr. John Thomas Henderson answered the call, “Come ye, blessed of My Father, and inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world,” September 20. Until e few jiours be fore he died he was apparently well. Dr. Henderson was born in Mans field, La., attended Bishop college. Marshall, Tex., and later Straight uni versity, New Orleans, from which school he finished with honor's. Ho then entered Northwestern university, Chicago, and finished the medical school in 1909. He practiced in Dan ville, 111., a few years and in 1911 came to Shreveport, La., where he opened an office. Dr. Henderson enjoyed a host of friends and a large practice. He was an ardent Christian and a dutiful member of the C. M. E. temple. In the thirty-seven short years he lived he built an undying monument of love, cheerfulness and honesty in the hearts of those who knew him. In 1912 he was married to Miss Lizzie B. Graves, a city teacher. Her ability to meet the public, and agreeable dispo sition, helped to make the five years and nine months of their married life a most happy one. The doctor left to mourn his loss a mother and father, Mr. and Mrs. J. T. | Henderson; two sisters, Mrs. R. Le Blanche and Mrs. M. Ford; his widow, Mrs. J. T. Henderson. Omahan Mayor Of New Taken Towns Lieut. Johnson, Colored Lawyer, Hon ored Because of Knowledge of French. Lieutenant Turner Writes of Experi ences in Great Battles. IEUT. WILLIAM JOHNSON, Co. G, 366th infantry, Omahan, has served as mayor of several French towns retaken by the allies. Lieu tenant Johnson, who was an attorney in Omaha and ran for public defender before going into the war, writes his cousin, William Lewis, head waiter of , the Chamber of Commerce and man ager of the Colored band, from France, September 22, in part: “Because of my knowledge of French I have been used as ‘town major,’ similar to mayor, of several towns we occupied; one was of about 10,000 inhabitants, with some splendid LIEUT. WILL N. JOHNSON, 3<iHth Infantry people in it. These French people h ive no color line, and the highest and most artistocratic people are our associates and extend us the greatest courtesies. The women are of the most gentle and amiable type. This cause and this country are worth fighting for. Greatest Battle. “As I write a bombardment is being put on by the French which is shaking the world. Many persons are coming back and ‘rearing’ to get up into the first line trenches, which won’t be very many hours away for them. “We are now in what I think will be the greatest battle in history. It started three days ago." Lieutenant Edward Turner, Co. H, same regiment, who was lieutenant in the Omaha Colored fire department, writes William Lewis, date September 19, from France, in part: “I am feeling first rate. Have been in several red hot scraps and came out without losing a man. But, say Bill, this trench life is a scream. I did not know that night could be so dark; when making an inspection of the trenches I would have to take hold of my sergeant’s hand to keep from getting lost. The mud was knee deep and my dugout leaked continual ly. We could not get on top to fix it; it wras under fire; a heavy bombard ment four hours; a barrage the enemy laid down. I know what gas smells like, because I received a little myself, but not enough to put me out of commission. I was sick the great er part of one day. Believe me, that gas proposition is a pain. Clouds for Cover. “Imagine, rf you can, sleeping out side with nothing but the clouds for a cover and rain washing your face; great life if you don’t weaken. “By the time you get this letter you will have read of the big drive; I am a part of it. Our men keep in good health and spirits, and that is what we want. “I am hearing our big guns prepar ing a way for our infantry to advance and it is some noise, but I have been used to it now, and it seems lonely when we are without it. “Give my regards to ‘Dan’ (Des dunes) and all the bunch, and I ask all of you to pray for me, because without God we are helpless." LABOR BATTALION AT CAMP KEARNEY Washington, D. C., Oct. 24.—The war department commission on train ing camp activities has made pro vision for the entertainment of a labor battalion of about 1,000 Colored troops, which has been sent to Camp Kearney, Linda Vista, Cal., for sani tation work around the camp. This battalion is made up of Colored men unfit for overseas duty by reason of minor physical disabilities.