Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-12-15
TO COLOMBO NEGROES
In THE PHILIPPINES
Alabama Senator Plans
To Send the Negroes
To Oriental Col
ouy of America.

WASHINGTON, D. c.. Dec 1S.-Sena-
tor John T. Morgan. of Alabama. has sue
ceeded after two years Of endeavor in tnA
teresting the war department and incl
dentally President Roosevelt in a plan 10
use the Philippine Islands in colonizing
the negroes of the United States.
The war department has made arrange
ments to test the practical possibilities
of the plan and the president has sent a
special envoy, T. Thomas Fortune, ne
gro leader. to the Philippine Islands TO
make investigation and report on the con-
ditions there
In his efforts to have the plan put into
execution, Senator Morgan has held fre-
quent consultations with Secretary or
War Root; has consulted Governor Gem
eral Taft. and in other ways urged MS
scheme on the officials
Legislation is Planned.
It is the Alabama senator's purpose in
the-future to start legislation in congress
for the movement to cOl0nize the negroes
in the Philippines. He has not, pushed
this part Of his work because he believes
the time is not ripe yet for legislation;
the farmers of the south. he says, think
they need the negro now and until condi-
lions are more favorable, he viii with
hold the proposed legislation. lie be-
lieves, however. that the move now under
way will result eventually in millions of
the negroes emigrating to the Philippine
Islands and working their own salvation
there.
This, he says. is the solution of the grave
negro question which now confronts the
American people.
Senator Morgan's plan is to incorporate
for the negroes, steamship transportation
companies; to give them homesteads or
about twenty acres each in the island and
to give them the best possible commercial
"a bn r,1o xuosr1d moi Hnr1riun
them OF their protection under the nag
Of the United States; it would not de-
prive them Of citizenship. OF which they
are proud, and II would enable them to
boone a selflsustaining and prosperous
rae OF people. because the land in the
Philippine Island Is, extremely rich and
fertile The climate Is exactly suited to
the negroes physical and Industrial char
acter. he says. Under this plan Senator
Morgan believes great numbers Of the ne
grOes, but not all Of them OF course,
would so to the islands.
What Senator Morgan Says.
In an interview on the subject today he
said for The Journal:
The principal reason for my attitude In
the senate toward the Philippine ISLANDS
was my belief that they would afford
home for the negroes.
when I first came to congress intro
duced a resolution to recognize the Congo
Free State as an independent nation,
merely 70 AFFORD the negroes Of this coun-
try q place to which they might enigrafe
when their numbers increased to an ex-
tent that would make the emigration OF
large numbers Of their race necessary.
The resolution passed the senate and
house. and a colonization OF the negro in
Congo was well under way when the
United States acquired the Philippines.
The acquisition of that territory opened
up new and vastly superior country for
them. The land is rich and the climate
better suited to them, and there they
would still be under the flag a condition
which the negro likes exceedingly well.
Root and Taft Impressed.
Il took the matter up with srcretary
Root and wrote to Governor General Taft
for Information and ideas on the plan Of
coioniziag CUR negroes there. Bo.n we're
favorably impressed with the idea. and /
an giad TO know that 1t has at last eesn
started.
when the movement makes a start IL
win be like the Cfawfsh hcls 81 the Mis-
sissippi levees-ssoail at the bsaiasaag
bur large enough for the river 10 I'm
through next morning.
The negroes were the first people
found in the Philippine Islands. Thss ars
the original inhabitants Thea carle the
Malay pirates. whn drove then. tack iato
the hills. where Philippine reSroes now
live The Spaniarls conquered the Nalnys.
This history is merely 10 show that the
islands are suited to the negro race.
II have tried to put the plan In opera
ton without endangering the labor u
southern farmers. and I believe ufder
the present scheme IL viii work out rhis
way. It will take time. OF course, but tho
plan. when accomplished, viii prove eat
isfactory TO everybody"