Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1908-10-09
LONDON INVADED sy NEGROES.
Absence of Race Prejudice Makes Life
Pleasant There.

England is being invaded by Ameri-
can negroes, who suddenly have
realized that they suffer in that eoun-
try from none of the disabilities at
taching to their race and color in the
United States Thousands of them
have gone there in the last year or
two and thousands more are going,
The invasion began in force about a
year ago. The first negroes to go were
variety artists and athletes, who found
that they were we'll treated there.
1t is hard to obtain any estimate Of
the actual numbers of American ne
groes now in England. An official OF
the American embassy declares that
last winter the embassy had hundreds
of applications from negro citizens of
the United States, who were stranded
in England, to be sent home. The en-
bassy, of course, has no funds for this
purpose, but the officials nd what
they could to help and many wise went
over to capture the variety stage In
England worked their way homo In
the stokeholds of tramp steansess sail
ing to Baltimore or New Orleans.
This year, the same official declares,
there are at least 5000 Amesscan ne
groes in England, and 4,00e ef them
arrived this year. A trip to some Of
the leading watering places On the
English coast will lead one to think
that the estimate is much smaller
than the actual number. The ebpsker"
Is an institution at Margate, Rams
gate, Southend and other watering
places where the Londoners az the
middle and working classes ran down
for the weekend or for few days
holiday. The "busker" usually is
broken-down actor or music haH man
who makes his living singing and
dancing on the sands, depending on
the generosity of the holiday makers
for his reward. The native -b,,sker'
has been almost driven off the SANDS
by the American negro.
The black face comedian act long
has been a favorite with the ~busk-
ers," but the comedians" were white
men made black by liberal applica-
tions of burnt cork. This year the
black men are the real thing and the
entertainment" which they offeF has
changed. Instead of the sentimental
ditties of the London music halls the
'buskers' are rendering the coon
songs" of New York and Chicago,
and the "nigger melodies" of the plan
tation days. The sentimental semi
military songs, so popular in America
about the time of the Spanish Amer
lean war, are also great favorites at
present on the Margate sands.
There is no prejudice among tho
lower class home-staying Engiishmen
and women against the negro. The
colonial Englishman regards him much
as the American does, but to the cock
ney or his prototype of the provincial
cities every man whose skin Is not
white is a native" He draws no
distinction between the negro and the
high class Hindoo, and receives them
both on terms of perfect equality. He
will eat with the negro, drink with
him, and the women will go even fur
ther, they will marry him.
A negro quarter, although net very
well defined, is already springiag up
in London. 1t lies in Soho among the
tangle of narrow streets inhabited by
men of every nationality under the
sun, except English, and there are
one or two restaurants where nried
chicken, sweet corn and othez deAca-
cies dear TO the negro's hears can be
obtained Another center - IN the
maze of courts and alleys Sekfnd
Fleet street.