l=j the Monitor j_==j
A NATIONAL WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF COIA)RED AMERICANS. J//o,
THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor
$2.00 a Year. 5c a Copy OMAHA, NEBRASKA, MAY 10. 1919 Vol. IV. No. 45 (Whole No. 200)
X. MAJOR MOTON TELLS
OF VISIT TO FRANCE
Sa.vs Our Boys Win l asting Fame De
spite Defamation and Accusations
of Whispering Gallery.
makes close examination
I movers Apparent Plan of White Of
ficers to Besmirch the Record of
Our Soldiers and Degrade Our Offi
cers.
By Robert R. Moton, Principal Tuske
gee Institute.
DURING the late summer and early
fall of 1918, there were a great
many rumors in and out of official cir
cles in this country to the effect that
morally the Negro soldier in France
had failed, and that the statement
sometimes made that “the Negro is
controlled by brutal instincts,” was ;
justified.
The report was current in France
■' that the committing of the “unmen
tionable crime" was very common,
and according to the rumors, Negro |
officers, as well as privates, in all ,
branches and grades of the service,
were guilty of this crime.
How the Rumor Spread.
A letter that I saw written by a
lady overseas to another lady in the
United States, stated that the writer
had been told by the colonel of a cer
tain unit, whose guest she was, that
he would not feel it safe for her to
walk, even with him through this
camp of Negro soldiers.
Another letter from a high official
in a very important position with the
overseas Negro troops, written unof
ficially to a very prominent official on
this side, stated, that, in the 92d
division alone, there had recently
been at least thirty cases of the “un
mentionable crime."
Another rumor, equally as malig
nant and damaging, was to the effect
that the fighting units which were
commanded by Negro officers had
been a failure. In other words, “the
whispering gallery," which was most
active in France on most phases of
life overseas, said that the 92d div
ision, in which Negroes in America
took special pride, with good rea
son. had failed utterly; that, when
ever they had been engaged, the Ne
gro officers had gone to pieces; that
in some cases the men had to pull
themselves together after their offi
cers had shown “the white feather,”
etc.
At the request of the president and
secretary of war, I went to France
with authority to go anywhere and
get any information from any source,
so far r.a the American Expeditionary
s. Force was concerned.
Meets I)r. DuBois.
It so happened that I went on the
steamer assigned to the newspaper
correspondents—a steamer which was
one of the convoy ships for the presi
dent’s party—on which Dr. W. E. B.
DeBois, editor of the “Crisis,” was a
passenger. Mr. Lester A. Walton, of
the New York Age; fylr. Nathan Hunt
of Tuskegee together with Dr. DeBois
and myself, in the same very comfort
able stateroom. We had many frank
but pleasant talks, both on the ship
and in Paris, where we had opposite
rooms in the same hotel. The subject
that we discussed most often was, of
course, some phase of the Negro
question, always with a view, so far
as our judgment went, to help the
situation.
I purposely planned to have with
me on the trip out from Paris two
Colored and two white men—one
white newspaper man, Clyde It. Mil
ler, of the Cleveland Plaindealer, and
Lester A. Walton, of the New York
Age. I also asked to go with me, Dr.
Thomas Jesse Jones of the United
States Bureau of Education and
Phelps-Stokes Foundation, and Mr.
Nathan Hunt, of Tuskegee Institute.
I realized that the mission was a
delicate one, and that questions which
I might ask, and things which I would
say might be misunderstood or mis
interpreted. My purpose, however,
was to get at the facts and to allay'
untruthful rumofs. In order to ascer
tain the facts, I made extended in
quiries of those with whom I came in
contact, from the highest official
down. I asked many questions with
reference to the conduct and char
acter of the Colored soldiers as com
pared with the white soldiers.
When I reached the gene rad head
quarters of the American forces, I
found that two days before my arrival
a young white soldier had been sen
tenced to be hanged for the “unmen
tionable crime," but, because of his
good record in every other way, the
sentence was finally commuted to life
Tnprisonment. The opinion at General
headquarters was that the crime’ to
which I have referred was no more
prevalent among Negro soldiers than
among white soldiers, or any soldiers.
From Chaumont we went immedi
ately to Morbache, the headquarters
of the 92d division. I asked the com
manding general of the 92d division
about the prevalence of the crime
in question. He said it was very prev
alent, and that there had been a great
many cases over which he was very
much disturbed. This statement was
substantiated by conversation with
two of his staff officers, who were
present. I courteously asked if he
would mind having one of the aides
get the record. I said that I thought
general statements were often very
damaging, and. that, inasmuch as the
reputation of a race was at stake, I
as very anxious to get facts in order
to make an accurate report, and if pos
sible stop the rumors which were be
coming more and more prevalent in
France, especially in American cir
e’es, including army officers, Young
Men’s Christian Association, Knights
of Columbus, Red Cross and other
organizations. When the records were
brought in and examined, only seven
cases ’barged could he found. Of
those charged, only two had been
found guilty and convicted, and one
of the two convictions had been
“turned down” by general headquar
ters. Afterwards I saw the judge
advocate of the 92d dvision, who told
me that there had been eleven cases
charged. Two of them were men who
did not belong to the 92d division, but
to other organizations. Out of the
eleven only three had been finally ap
proved as guilty by general headquar
ters, and one sentence out of three
had been reduced from life imprison
•ment to taking half the man’s pay
for twelve months.
(■Continued on Second Pape.)
EPISCOPAL MINISTER
USES CUSS WORD
Some Recent Practices of Democracy
in Detroit Cause the Rev. Robert
W. Bagnall to Use Rather Strong
Language, Which Is Quite Excus
able Under the Circumstances.
(By Associated Negro Press.)
□ETROIT, MICH., May 8.—Accord
ing to Rev. It. W. Bagnall, an
Episcopal minister, that "true democ
>tcv” has not arrived, that has been
so much preached about in recent
years.
This happened recently in Detroit,
"ccording to Rev. Fr. Bagnall:
“Get out of here and go in the gal
lery where you belong. "This is the
greeting which a Negro lieutenant,
wearing decorations for bravery and
two wound stripes, received when he
started to go down stairs in one of
our Detroit theaters. ‘It’s a damned
noor sort of gratitude we are getting
fnv fighting for democracy,’ he said
with bitterness.
A Negro corporal with a croix do
guerre on his bieast, and a limp which
he got when he took a machine gun
unaided in the Argonne, arrived in De
troit hungry. He went into a res
taurant and a foreigner who was in
charge came up to him w’ith a sneer
and said “We don’t serve niggers in
here.”
“Dailv things of this sort occur in
Detroit.”
It seems, however, that Michigan
has a better element among the whites
who are determined that better things
shall come to pass, for the legisla
ture has just passed the civil rights
bill which will make this kind of treat
ment very expensive in Henry Ford’s
state.
AMERICAN AND KOrTII
AFRICAN SOLDIERS CLASH
London, May 8.—In a clash at the
Winchester repatriation camp between
Americans and South African black
soldiers, more than a score of Ameri
cans were injured, according to a lo
cal dispatch. The camp is used by
Americans who served in the Brit
ish army, ami ill feeling between the
Americans and the British blacks
have existed for some* time. The
American whites have sought to use
some of their strong arm methods of
“keeping the blacks in their place,”
and their conduct became intolerable
to the loyal Britishers. The British
ers pounced upon the Americans with
sticks, and things were quite lively
for awjiile, until the troops and police
took a hand. It is believed, however,
that the uppish Americans have
learned their lesson, and they will
hereafter leave the native sons se
verely alone.
National Conference
Opposes Lynching
Delegates From Various Sections of
Country Unanimous in Demanding
Drastic Action For Removal of
America’s Disgrace.
DEMAND CONGR ESS IO N AL
INVESTIGATION OF EVIL
Launch Educational and Publicity
Campaign to Arouse Conscience of
American People; Stirring Speeches
By Prominent Speakers Disclose In
tense Earnestness.
NEW YORK, May 7.—The first na
tional conference on lynching, in
1 response to a call signed by more than
120 of the country’s most representa- ,
! tive citizens, opened with a great mass
meeting in Carnegie hall Monday
night. Moorfield Storey, the eminent ,
Hoston jurist, national president of the !
National Association i"or the Advance
ment of Colored People and chairman
of the conference, presided. Delegates
from various sections were in attend- j
ance. Telegrams and messages were j
received from several who were unable
to attend, endorsing the movement and
pledging moral and financial support.
Among these was a ringing message
from Omaha, whirh aroused enthu
siasm.
Stirring addresses were made by the i
Hon. Charles Evans Hughes, former
justice of the United States supreme I
court; the Hon. Emmett O’Neal, for
mer governor of Alabama; General
John H. Sherburne, who commanded
the 167th field artillery, Ninety-second
divison, in France; Dr. Anna Howard
Shaw, honorary president of the Na
tional Woman’s Suffrage association,
and James Weldon Johnson, field sec
retary of the N. A. A. C. P. The Moni
tor hopes to publish full reports of
these ringing addresses in subsequent
issues. Much interest attached to the
speech of the Hoi.. Emmett O'Neal,
former governor of Alabama, who
spoke as the representative of the new,
j better and awakening “South, which
fully endorses this movement to sup
i press the evils of lynch law.” He said
j in part;
Former Governor of Alabama.
“The United States today stands
solitary and alone among the civilized
nations of the world that tolerates the
cruelty, savagery and infamy of mob
violence.
“It is no longer confined to any
state or section. It is not peculiar to
the South alone. The record of race
j riots and mob violence in the North
| during the last decade shows that
neither section can point at the other
the finger of scorn. It is folly to make
comparisons between sections, for we
all admit that the curse of lynching
has grown until it has become a na
tional evil, a blot on our national life
and a shameful reproach to our civili
zation. It is a horrible wrong, for
which the whole country must bear its
just share of responsibility.
“The mob is but a wild beast, and
when it puts to death an individual
it at the same time lynches the law
and brings shame and dishonor upon
the state. The country which now,
under the full blaze of the civilization
of thp twentieth century, encourages
or permits lynching, either openly or
tacitly, and refuses to visit the death
penaltv on the lyncher when his guilt
's established by that full measure of
proof the law requires, is but inviting
a spirit of lawlessness which makes
life and property insecure, checks all
investment and immigration and
threatens the very existence of orderly
government.
“Lynch law is hut a relic of savagery
and barbarism most unworthy of a
self-governing people, and America
can only prove her loyalty to the true
spirit of democracy by creating a pub
lic sentiment so strong and over
whelming as to end forever this
hideous reproach to our civilization.
We boast that we have made democ
racy safe in the world, but all our la
bors would be largely in vain if we
were unable to make life and property
safe against mob violence in the coun
try which proudly claims to be the
very citadel of democracy and free
government.
Best Sentiment Endorses Movement.
“I bring you this message tonight:
The thoughtful, intelligent and domi
nating sentiment of the South fully
endorses this movement to suppress
the evils of lynch law.
“We of the new South are deter
mined to purge our section of the taint
of lawlessness and to make it what it
was in the past—a section where the
law is supreme; where life and liberty
and property are safe and secure un
der the protection of wise and just
laws impartially administered; a sec- |
tion where two separate and distinct
races, dwelling side by side in peace
and concord, from whose hearts have
been purged all hate and prejudice, j
will go forward in amity, in sympathy
and mutual co-operation to work out
their mutual destinies and to solve
justly the mighty problems of the fu- :
ture.”
Johnson Presents Startling Statistics
James Weldon Johnson clearly re
futed the widely-quoted accusation
that the lynching of Negroes in the
South and the crime of rape go togeth
er in his carefully prepared address,
in which he gave statistics which made
the startling revelation that in the
single county of New York, which is
only a part of New' York City, there
were more indictments for rape in the
first degree for one year than there
were lynchings of Negroes in the
w hole country on the charge of rape in
five years. Mr. Johnson said:
raise Impression Prevalent.
“The impression has been fostered
in this country that the lynching of
Negroes in the South and the crime of
rape go together. When Negroes have
protested against lynching Southern
newspapers have called upon them to
condemn the crime which leads to
lynching. Such editorial sentiments
are intended to foster in the mind of
the public at large the idea that rape
and the lynching of Negroes in the
South bear the relation of cause and
effect.
New York versus Whole Country.
“In the single county of New York,
which is only a part of New York City,
there were more indictments for rape
in the first degree in one year than
there were lynchings of Negroes in
tii. whole country on the charge of
rape in the last five years.
“In the five-year period, 1914 to
1918, 325 Negroes were lynched in the
United States and only twenty-eight
of these were charged with rape. In
1917, in New York county, the grand
jury indicted thirty-seven persons for
rape in the first degree. This is nine
more than the total number of Ne
groes lynched on the charge of rape in
the entire United States during the
five-year period, which includes 1917,
and within thirteen of the total num
ber of charges of alleged attacks of
every character upon women, includ
ing rape.
Cannot Lead Moral Forces.
“I ask not only black Americans,
but white Americans, are you not
ashamed of lynching? Do you not
bang your head in humiliation to think
that this is the only civilized country
in the world—no, more than that, the
only spot on earth where a human be
ing may be tortured with hot irons
and then burned alive? The nation is
today striving to lead the moral forces
of the world in the support of the
weak against the strong. Well, I’ll
tell you it can’t do it until it conquers
and crushes out this monster in its
own midst.
“A great deal has been said about
the atrocities committed during this
terrible war by Huns and Turks; but
there are millions of intelligent Amer
icans who do not know, who are not
concerned with the fact that every
year atrocities are committed in this
enlightened land that would cause
envy in the heart of the most benight
ed Turk.”
Want Congressional Action.
Tuesday morning the conference
formally organized for business and
discussed constructive measures to
prevent lynching, which was continued
in the afternoon sessions. The meas
ures proposed and adopted include a
proposal to make lynching a federal
offense, congressional investigation of
the lynching evil in the United States,
and as an educational campaign for
arousing public sentiment against the
evil, investigation of every lynching
by a trained staff and the widest pub
licity in press and periodicals, in pul
pit, on rostrum and by pamphlets. Im
portant representative committees
were appointed to press the work of
the conference.
Another inspiring mass meeting was
held Tuesday night in the Ethical Cul
ture hall, at which Desha Brecken
ridge, editor of the Lexington (Ky.)
Herald, presided, and addresses were
made by former Congressman Martin
W. Littleton, Rabbi Stephen S. Wise,
Dean William Pickens of Morgan col
lege, Moorfield Storey and others.
FORGOT HE WAS NOT
IN DEMOCRATIC FRANCE
Returned American Soldier Beaten
Into Insensibility With Baseball Bat
Because He Wanted to Purchase
Soda Water.
(By Associated Negro Press.)
Atlanta, Ga., May 8.—That there is
going to be a show-down for ‘‘equal
rights” and a consequent clash of
races in the event of them not being
granted is more and more apparent
from day to day.
Benjamin Herne, a returned soldier
from France, went into a drug store
to make some purchases. On his way
out, possibly thinking of the delight
ful surroundings of France and for
getting that he was in the hate-clime
of Georgia, he stopped at a soda foun
tain and asked for a refreshing drink.
Forgetting all Biblical admonitions
with reference to “if thine brother ask
you for a drink,” one Powell, a white
clerk, seized a ball bat from beneath
the rourt''i' and proceeded to pound it
against the soldier’s head. Heme was
picked up insensible, taken to Grady
hospital and later to his quarters at
Camp Gordon. Powell was arrested
for “disorderly conduct.”
One daily newspaper of Macon, tell
ing of the story, says:
“While this is the first police court
case growing directly out of an at
tempt on the part of returned Negro
soldiers to force ‘race equality,’ so far
as is known, it has not been passed
unnoticed for several weeks by pa
trons of street cars, people in railway
stations and other public places in At
lanta, that here is a marked differ
ence in the deportment, the attitude
and the general bearing toward the
white race on the part of the Negro
soldier as he was prior to ‘going
across’ and the Negro soldier who has
come back from abroad.”
WOUND WHITE ROWDIES
WHO TERRORIZE RESIDENTS
(By Associated Negro Press.)
Philadelphia, May 8.—Serious fight
ing near Twenty-fifth and Pine streets
between Negro tenants newly moved
into the district and a gang that has
long terroried residents resulted this
morning in the serious wounding of
nine w'hite men by the residents.
Seventy-five whites and about forty
of our people participated in the fight,
which began when a mob broke open
the doors at 2435 Pine street, of a
Race of Citiens who has always lived
uprightly in the community, and tried
to eject his family. The citizen,
George Graham, moved there about a
week ago. A number of the men were
arrested.
JUDGE OFFERS $5,000
REWARD FOR PRISONER
(By Associated Negro Press.)
Easton, Md., May 8.—Judge Adkins
of this county has offered a reward
of $5,000 to any man or group of men
who would bring Isaiah Fountain
charged with assault, into court un
injured. He instructed the sheriff to
swear in every man in the county as a
deputy to “Protest this prisoner even
to the point of death, so the honor
of this county may be vindicated.”
MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS
ENLIST FEW VOTES
(By Associated Negro Press.)
Raleigh, N. C.. May 8.—The effort
of the race people to get in on the
municipal elections in this city was
defeated by themselves, aided and
ahbeted bv Col. J. H. Young, an old
time, shrewd white politician who is
regarded as an adept in handling our
people.
There were 582 of our registered
voters, and the highest number of
votes received did not amount to 200,
which plainly indicates that the others
remained away from the polls. The
daily newspapers frankly state that
if the entire number had voted to
gether, there would have been “some
thing doing.”
WANT ENTIRE DIVISION
AND COLORED OFFICERS
(By Associated Negro Press.)
Boston, Mass., May 8.—A meeting
was held in Tremont Temple, under
the auspices of the National Asso
ciation of Colored People, to advocate
the creation of a division of Colored
troops with all Colored officers, as
part of the American army. Dr. W.
E. B. DuBois, Major J. E. Spingam,
and Chas. Edward Russell, who was on
the Russian commission, were the
speakers. Dr. S. M. Crothers, pre
sided.
COLORED MUSICIANS
CAPTURE WINDY CITY
Three Great Organizations Play Sim
ultaneously For Immense Audiences
Which Give Players an Ovation;
Marvelous Musical Awakening.
FUTURE BRIGHT
FOR MUSICIANS
Music Having Important Part In Rais
ing Status of Race, Opinion of Many
Leading Artists; Directors Cook,
Europe, Jones and Soloist Sissle
Distinguish Themselves.
(By Associated Negro Press.)
□HICAGO, May 8.—Chicago has
had a marvelous awakening dur
ing the last week, and the awakening
is having a most favorable effect. On
Monday night there was an occurrence
which a year ago even would have
been regarded as a “pipe dream.”
Three great musical aggregations of
our people, two of whom had been
across the seas and thrilled the people
of England and France, were playing
tKeir soul-stirring music within gun
shot of each other, so to speak, right
down in Chicago’s great “loop” dis
trict. The first, the New York Synco
pated orchestra, under the direction of
Will Marion Cook, was playing its
third engagement of the season in the
famous Orchestra hall before an au
dience of 3,000, more than 1,000 peo
ple being unable to purchase seats.
The second, the wonderful band of
Lieutenant James Reese Europe at the
creat Auditorium, which seats 5,000
people, and the third the band of the
365th infantry, under Sergeant Albert
Jones, playing off Michigan boulevard
at the magnificent and spectacular
Victory arch, illuminated at night with
3,000,000 candle-power lights.
Chicago has literally gone “music
mad” over the offerings of these rare
and pioneering musical aggregations.
Even when the 365th band marches
through the downtown streets thou
sands of people follow it all the way.
The audiences listening to the con
certs are mixed, and the very elite of
Chicago white society are ever pres
ent in boxes and other parts of the
audience, where there is no discrimi
nation in securing seats.
“This effort, though very expensive,
's having the most wonderful effect in
helping our race,” said Will Marion
Cook, to the Associated Negro Press.
“We are showing the white people
that we have arrived and are capable
of doing equally as well as any, if
given an opportunity." Every daily
newspaper critic in Chicago has said,
without any strings, that the Colored
musical organizations have it “all over
the whites” when it comes to present
ing music. They have said that the
race has not only the technique, but
the soul and inborn love for music
which are not equalled by any others.
Lieutenant Europe said to the Asso
ciated Negro Press: “Our efforts will
be more and more appreciated as time
goes on. People who never before had
any serious opinions concerning us
have awakened to a realization that
we are human, as all others.
“There is a great future in the mu
sical world, greater than ever before.
The war has brought out the fact for
cibly that music has its great place in
the life of the nation. To the young
people I send out the wo id, Prepare!
Put prepare efficiently and with seri
ous intentions.”
Lieutenant Noble Sissle, the soloist
of the Europe band, distinguished
himself in the marvelous selections,
composed by Mr. Europe and himself,
“Patrol of No Man’s Land.” Lieu
tenant Sissle is about to issue a book
let entitled, “Thirteen Command
ments,” a poetical review of the sec
ond battle of the Marne, “all of which
he saw and part of which he was.”
SPECIAL TRAIN FOR
T USK EG EE COM M E NCE M F,NT
(llv Associated Negro Press.)
Chicago, May 8.—Special arrange
ments are complete for taking a spe
-eial train to Tuskegee institute during
t'-e commencement. This will be one
of the most interesting trips ever un
dertaken, and the party will make a
;de ston at Nashville on the return.
Pee’'rations from Cleveland, Detroit,
Indianapolis, St. Louis and Kansas
Cit" will join the party, which is be
ing made up from Chicago. Those
interested in making the trip are in
vited to write Phil A. Jones, business
manager, The Chicago Defender, 3129
State street, or Claude A. Barnett,
director The Associated Negro Press,
312 South Clark street, Chicago.