The Seattle Republican. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1???-1915, 1900-11-16
SOUTHERN BLACKS
To Teach Savage Negroes May
Solve Race PrObIem-WOrk of
TUskegee Industrial school.
(New York World, Oct. 21.)

Booker T. Washington, called the
''Black Moses" is here to fit out an
expedition Of Negro students fol-
South Africa. These Negroes will
be sent in compliance with the re-
quest of the German government,
which hopes, by the importation of
American cOlored men, to civilize
the subjects of Emperor William on
the west coast Of Africa and aid
them in industrial development.
1t is the most novel race expert
ment of the decade, and may cul-
inmate in a general exodus of the
Southern Negroes to the emperors
tropical territory, for the German
government has offered homes to all
intelligent Negroes.
The movement is the direct result
of the exhibit Of the Tuskegee Nor
NAL Institute at the Paris exposition
This is a college in Alabama, over
which Booker T. Washington pre-
sides. 1t has accomplished more
towards training Negroes in indus
trial lines than any other agency at
work in the Southern states. In the
daytime students are taught to oper-
ate machinery They are made to
cultivate cotton and corn on scien-
tifc principles At night they study
and attend lectures. They are
trained in English and the classics.
There is no manufactured article
which the black students Of Tuske-
gee cannot make. They sell their
products all over the South. They
make carpets and chairs and turn the
cotton which they cultivate into
cloth. These articles were exhibited
at Paris during the exposition.
Representatives of Emperor VIII
liam were passing through the
United States building. They were
struck with the display from Tus-
kegee school. They were amazed
when informed that this had been
done by American Negroes, just a
few years ago slaves. They commu-
nicated with Emperor William. It
was suggested that these Negroes be
imported and sent to the possessions
of Germany on the South African
coast. This met the approval Of the
emperor.
''Send for them at once," he is
reported as saying. ''They can teach
my subjects to do things well and to
become civilized"
Booker T. Washington received a
letter informing him that the Ger
man government would bear the ex-
oenses of any expedition fitted out.
Young Negroes who knew how to
conduct farms were wanted. It was
stipulated that these Negroes should
be intelligent enough to go among
the natives and teach them how to
work. Especially was it desired that
these natives should be taught how
to raise cotton.
AS a result Of the correspondence
t was decided to send ten young Ne
groes to Germany. There was a wild
scramble among the students to 90.
The ten who had the highest stand
ing were selected. They will reach
New York the latter part of the
week.
Booker T. Washington spent yes
terday purchasing supplies for the
expedition. 1t will be elaborately
fitted out with American agricul
tural implements.
W. IL. Baldwin. Jr., president Of
the Long Island railway, is a direc
tor in the Alabama Institute. He i
a great student Of the race question
and a philanthropist in the ''Blacl
Belt" of Alabama. Most of tn,
Northern funds for the Tuskege,
college are collected by him. TT,
will assist in fitting out the expe
ditiOn. Mr.. Baldwin said last night
"This movement to South Afric
may be general. It may be tha
thousands of the colored people viii
move to Germany's possessions. 7
has often been suggested that tn
solution of the race question was fo
the colored man to return to hi
native land"