Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-10-02
THERE'S
NO COLOR
ABROAD.
N G.
Social Discoveries by an Amcc an
Negro.

| M - NieSoAe u whether THIS td1ng
was local and acquired or uniwsal
ana instructive. An observation b.
erinS over $1,000 miles in various nds
IN the old world forces upon meihe
conclusions | hsre record
| In the first place, l find that iost
men abroad are colored In ia. a
very careful sociological student bur
country asserts that three fourts of
| mankind are colored. When onesen-
sluers the vast number of peopleuho
are not white the reasonablene a of
this statement becomes the NOR an
parent. OF course | do not man ia
say that all colored people are neroes
returning from abroad there 81 at
my table man from India que as
dark as /. but with no admixtse of
African blood. The color of Inf face
simply indicated the proximity r. the
haoitat of his ancestors TO the eqator
as, indeed, did mine also. But!8was
surprised to find American neg,es in
almost every land l Travelled. t4saw
them in Italy, Egypt. France. oales-
tine, Germany, Switzerland. Eleium
and England The negro seem 10 be
as widespread as the Jew. opres-
sion in their native land tends ,scat-
ter a people.
But although l found coloredpeople
everywhere, many of whom WEI plain
American negroes, | failed to fid any
where any such feeling agains people
OF color as exists on the part some
white Americans. With the recession
of the water line of New Yok there
faded with il the American cor line.
Across the water there is no br what
ever to any man because of Is color.
me people abroad seem to b wholly
unconscious of any such distinction.
ana would regard such an anitary d.
VISION as mark of the urIieveloped
peoples. In Cairo. yeritahe midway
OF all nations, saw black men oe-
cupNlng positions of all ranks from
those OF street-car conductor and
policeman to those of business man
and governmental official. In Paris
colored girls are clerks in stores. and
an American negro artist has had the
MEASURE of seeing one of his paintings
fRg in the Luxembourg In London
| Ftended a concert given in queens
ha-hy two well-known colored sis
eerssnd their clintele consisted of the
el'c London; and negro occupies
'eaN e position in one of the musi-
Cd, yes of the metropolis.
Apros there are many barriers
piaeeo Ignorance, poverty and vice,
ou' iion' color. in fact, a colorcd
pei sun oraaracter and ability is apt
~ ieeeiNcRre than his due need of
praise, in " of tho novelty of his
eoi0i. W Andon host was a black
piiSsieiah' e patients, of course.
Meie Niii'e' 81 ne found no bar To So
eia' inter eo"' In all my travels
ieNi'ere eiie'aAred the least objee-
ton on account NJ. color I, come
places / was thesiact of eo,eiderabl,,
curiosity, but it a,nays resnactfuI
land exactly the XII It, 49,, ,,,aot
IN olack portlohs esSrica.
As | return homeS or q soia,r,, i,
foreign lands | am IA 80 .ha con
elusion that the feelin ,,anifestod Inv
some whites against mkt 10 Iocai
land acquired, not univ a,d IN
Istinctive as some uninft aa ,aon,e
Iafrect to believe. In "a have
been trying to recall a sins cu,,iyat-
ed person of my acquaintarft ybo on
ltertained race prejudice, AM have
been unable to do so. Cult ard
prejudice, Notwithstanding IN yae.
aries of Charles Lamb. are m,aliv
exclusive. Upon this there is kcad
another conclusion, and that is sat
! the color line is not only pn
ii American custom but, like all ev
\ unnecessary and mischief breeding.
al The American treatment OF the I
4 gro at home is becoming serious n
o. drance to the work of our missile
( aries abroad. More and more
Il bright minded fellows abroad
G lscrutinizing the motives of our IN
e sionaries. The one great response
9 their challenge is that of univer
Il brotherhood But when our life
home eontradicts the law of broth
u hood the force of this response
weakened Indeed some of the ca
u ern religions. particularly Mohamm
tanism, takes higher ground on the r
= question than does Christian
= Though Islam comprises peoples
:. various races and colors there is
: color line in the ranks of the follc
IN ers of Mohomet. was invited
n. speak during my tour to the stude
m OF college in the East, and one of
n professors was particularly solicit
= that | should not make too full
IS. revelation of the treatment of my /
es | pie in America. He feared that s
a disclosure would weaken their
1t, on their students. | felt much as
N. did about it; and, indeed, l We
ng have been ashamed to tell the
lot truth about my country's treatmen
do my people.
eh But the truth cannot be long S
- pressed; it is bound to get a hear
CT, In fact the story of our outbreak
gradually reaching the ears of
heather. and we are held up to
al rision. In the interest of our b.
missionaries who are nobly figh
10 our battles for the kingdom on
ID frontiers of civilization / pre-
oil against the manifestation of the
ps brotherly spirit at home This is
lel critical hour for missions abroad,
'e' tieularly where the conflict Is
3, Mohammedanism.
the In Turkey young men are asking
me the first time in history, WI hat sn;
| ,l,s,1, M Il ia