The Washington herald., 1907-06-04
DIR. HALE CRITICISED
DR.. Devries, of st. Marks
Episcopal, Takes Issue.
NO. DARKEST WASHINGTON
Wants TO Know What Venerable Di-
vine Calls n "GentIeman''-Com-
Home Influences, in Southeast.
More Negroes In Northwest.

In response to the recent statement Of
Dr. Edward Everett Hale TO the effect
/ that the negro population Of Washington
/ Is confined to the southeast section, leav-
/ ing the northwest TO the gentlemen, Rev.
! W L. Devries, rector of ST. Marks Epis-
copal Church. corner of Third and A
! streets southeast, produces a number Of
! facts tending TO show that Or. Hale has
/ been misinformed concerning the geo
/ graphical lines of the city and the vari-
/ Gus residents therein
/ DIR. Devries has been FOR number Of
years a resident of southeast Washing
/ ton. In a letter to The Herald he has
the following to say regarding conditions
I In that locality:
Noting for the first time Rev Dr. Ed
ward Everett Hale's animadyersions on
our city through Rev Dr. c. Ernest
Smiths protest in this mornings Wash
ington Herald I wish to re-enforce and
extend Dr. Smiths rebuttaL
Government Clerks Predominate.
As resident and pastor in southeast
| Washington since 1896, I have had full
opportunity to learn conditions here. Dr.
Hale is reported as saying that the south
east is a negro quarter. I know familiarly
every block in this section. Il is pre-
dominanuy quarter inhabited by white
government employees except Anacostia
There u.s. 1 believe a smaller ratio OF negro
householders than in any other section
of the city. There are no large aggrega-
/ tioRs Of negroes living together, as in
certain neighbOrhoods of the southwest
northwest, and Georgetown. again ex-
cepting AnacOstia. which is a community
/ apart. like a separate town in many re-
spects.
Meaning of Word "GentIemen."
"Dr Hale is also reported as saying that
the gentlemen all live in the northwest
I don't know just what he means by
. gentlemen, it is a word Of numerous
meanings. But while, as we all know
fashionable society has drifted since the
civil war almost entirely 20 the vicinity
Of the White House and Dupont Circle,
yet the eastern section Of Washington.
north and south. with a population Of
upward Of SR@0. is a region Of comfort
able homes inhabited by well-bred, we'll
educated. refined people whose family life
In a neighborhood almost entirely resi-
Dental, with few saloons and other de-
grading Influences. is wholesome 20 a
degree never surpassed and rarely equaled
In any city Of our country.
Not a City of Four Corners.
Furthermore, the whole Of Washington
Is TO an unusual degree a city Of such
aomes as these. as a pastor with an
ever-moving flock (the characteristic Of
Washington church life), and thereby
bound 20 visit all over the city. soon
learns 70 know. So that the National
Capital is not a city Of four corners as
Dr. Hale is reported as saying
He is also alleged 70 say that he
knows Of but one church in America that
addresses Itself % the business OF caring
for the southeast. so that it shall have
equal chances with the northwest. From
personal knowledge, 7 can testify that the
Roman Catholics, Methodists. Presbv-
terians. Episcopalians all have strong
congregations Gn several eases two or
three, an actively at work in this section
for its religious and social Improvement.
DIR. HnIe's Darkest Washington"
At the same time it is true that there
is little money in the southeast, and that
all through the extreme southeastern sec
ton Of the city. both east and west. and
along the two rivers. there is a large in
digent poor class. both white and colored:
and II We are to do really effective social.
moral, and religious work for their re-
generation and their having good chances
In life. We need large help we do not now
receive. with a few exceptions, from the
wealthy congregations and the wealthy
individuals Of northwest Washington.
For DR.. Hale one can have nothing but
profound admiration, both for his high
Ideals and noble achievements; but in this
case lie has s0rely been misled. and his
great name and authority may cause seri-
Gus misconceptions Of the Capital. and
especially of the southeast-which. per-
haps, he has mistaken for the southwest.
10 which however, his animadversions
DO not III entirely, nor. indeed by
gradual margin, but more so than to any
other section.
May this protest from a denizen Of
what DR.. Hale evidently regards as dark
est Washington aid toward producing
right impressions Of its real character"
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