New-York tribune., 1909-10-30
Literary Nese,s and Criticism

Lord Carzon has recently stated in she
dsbst@s upon the Eastern situation that
all Asia. from the obsc1rity cf It's central
p.atcaus TO the cxtre-nit'es of India. is
stirgiig Sish vague unrest Cdue in large
measure 10 the result CT the IL pfnese-
Russian Mari. and that the lowest OF us
tribal groups has somehow learned that
somewhere far 10 the northward there has
been great conflict, in which a dark race
has been victorious over q white race. Ia
the iife o' Aerica's untutared recesses some
have found similar agitation; and YET "
Such resdessness exists, ] should be dis
posed TO find for II q somewhat broader
basis. II the news OF the victory OF Japan
has been a factor in these situations, there
have been other factors also Under the
proading Of our divisions and rsdivisions
of the spheres OF influence OF punitive
expeditions and menitory explorations. tne
eelf-consciougness of a continent, even tn
lis lowest depths, cannot forever sleep. nor
can the relations Of our internSuonal i1le
be external merely We cannot be nusiSa
with Africa as a geographical puzzle VIII
out desiring * as comnlereiSI asset; ana
from commercial to military relations We
advance even more directly, Tor the fessol
that II L. not easy 10 trade where II is not
possible 70 live. And inasmuch as otheIs
will enter or Will wish TO enter the naIAst
we attend. they; teo VIII WISH rsYs 70 ps'1ee1 r,.
tional interest becomes phase OF inter,
national policy. 4 question OF interlauonitl
policy becomes however. under any repre-
sentative government, a question OF poll
fies. for lie party in mower must seek
popular support. Soon the issues oFousHt
into the foreground by me Na!nr ssrre r',1
premacy among the English Gust as fhe
issues presented by the American negro
have frequently put men zen nIa MITES Sse sfetesS sHa
so that what began as the intrusion OF
England into the affairs OF Afrlea u!tl-
Tnately enlerges as the intrusion OF africa
into the affairs Of England. Thus also is
Morocco defining the party history OF
France. and thus the negro Congo IS lound
70 be alive and assertive within the career
OF Brussels and her King. movenent
which began, therefore, upon every hand
as . mere physical invasion has become
and viii become increasingly. NIioie
cnnGeries OF social ana political relations,
This theme is developed with skill, and
the author shows how the negro in
America must be affected by the world
movement IN his own continent More
over, tho race is feeling an increasing
sense Of solidarity. The educated negroes
are keeping more closely than eyer 20
themselves. The race is holding its own.
and the best interests OF botH are iZI7-
proved by such tendency. No quss-
ton OF intermingling can be considered,
and SO generally is this accepted that II
is no longer discussed. Other phases Of
the problem receive a handling which IS
as astute as 1t is novel and sagaeious.
Its difficulties will yield to no imne-
Giate formula. Few OF the great prob
lens Of human development have ever
been finally solved" The student can
emily point the way. discern tendencies,
indicate pitfalls and utter words OF en-
ooura cement and advice. Those lands,
says the author, which are conscious II
great difficulty are not poor. It was
through the negro in one experience that
the South once lost her mastery, her
mastery not over him alone. but over
those opportunities for d national lead
ership and for an uninterrupted emf
nence Of service 10 which her capacities
entitled her. 1t may DO that through
this same strange. waiting, battling fac
tor IN her life her ascendancy in higher
forms may again return-in forms not
threatening tho estate and dignity OF
labor, the pride of freedom. the In
stinct and custom Of our age, but be-
slowed by labor which she has freed
and by an age and a democracy which in
her service to their profoundest task she
has supremely justified.
1t is striking contrast to turn from
such thoughts so loftily expressed and so
forcibly expounded to Mr.. Pickett's ad-
vocacy Of wholesale removal of the
American negroes TO AfricaaE One hun
dred million dollars year should be
expended by the general government, and
states and individuals might be expect
ed to contribute to the cause. The ten
million negroes themselves will seize the
opportunity TO start life anew in the con-
tinent from which they sprang. The
author has gathered much valuable ma
terial 10 illustrate his argument and his
statistics are We'll arranged. The. famil-
lar difficulties of the problem, the hard
/ ships of the negro and the various solu-
/ tions are set forth at length. AS work
Of reference on the subject at the present
day the volume has great value.