The Denver star., 1914-11-28
Mn. TRorTER,s STATEMENT.
Spokesman For League Says He Treat
cd President Respectfully.

Spokesman For League Says He Treat
cd President Respectfully.
Boston.-In Justice to William Mon
roe Trotter. editor of the Boston Guar
dian. and for the benefit Of the general
public we print the following personal
statement of Mr.. Trotter, whose re-
marks on segregation in the govern
ment departments at Washington
stirred President Wilson at hearing
in the White House on Nov. II. Mr..
Trotter emphatically denies that he
dent in his speech nor included any
thing offensive in his manner while
addressing President Wilson.
Editor Trotter says:
LAS we left the president said MIR.
Trotter, Il told him l was very sorry
If he still considered that l had Of
Tended him. The president smiled and
said. oh, We'll call it all right
when we came out our delegation
caucused in Secretary Tumulty's room
as to what we should say for the news
papers. 1 told the newspaper men
briefly about the conference. merely
describing it as a warm affair.
II had gone outside the White House
when Mr.. Tumulty called me back and
said. Mr.. Trotter, you have violated
every courtesy of the White House in
quoting the president to the press
~ told Mr.. Tumulty that 1 had done
so in ignorance of the rules and apollo
gized. He accepted my apology. Then
| asked the newspaper men not to pub
lish what told them. and they con-
sented Mr.. Tumulty said he was sat
isfied and left
The report of the conference was
then given out from the White House.
1t seems very peculiar to me, after the
president had told me everything was
all right. that White House state
ment should say that had offended
the president of the United States"
Mr.. Trotter and other members of
the Negro delegation were representa-
tives Of the National Independent
Equal Rights league. He declared let
tiers were awaiting him in his Office
from Negroes In all parts of the coun-
try approving everything he said at
the White House. He also said that
other members of the delegation.
whose attitude was satisfactory to the
president, have fully indorsed his part
in the proceedings.
81 want to say" he continued, that
neither in manner, language. tone nor
in any other way was i discourteous,
impertinent or insolent to President
Wilson
nd that 0f
deaypring, on the spur of the moment.
to answer a piece Of masterful sophis-
try and to refute it successfully, and.
feeling a great responsibility to do SO.
| spoke with positiveness. deliberate
ness and directness. looking the presi-
dent full in the eye.
Il did not quiz or catechize the pres
ident. and l did not attempt to debate
with him. The difficulty did not come
until the president had been permitted
to declare for segregation of my race
and TO say that should regard it as a
benevolence and so represent 1t to my
race.
Although it was trying ordeal to
listen to such a statement at length oy
the chief executive Of the nation. had
at no time any temper. much less iost
my temper The league considers that
the president has indicated. II not
brought about. IL crisis in this republic
Ii wishes all Americans to note the
fact that for the first time in the coun-
trv's history president. speaking
within the White House. has announc'
ed class distinction among citizens.
ndmlnlStra
ton policy"
Mr.. Trotter says that segregation
was drasticaily introduced in the treas
ury and postoffice departments soon
after the administration came in and
was therefore not due to race friction.
but must be due to the racial pre1u-
dices Of John Skelton Williams. Sec
retary McAdoo and Postmaster Cener-
al Burleson; that the president declar-
ed if the league were ever to have an
other audience with him there must
be another spokesman.
Il asked the president how l had Of
Tended him." said Mr.. Trotter. He
ans wered. BY ycur tone. -r
Il asked in what way. and he SAID,
BY its background of passion.
Mr.. Trotter declared he was thun-
derstruck and appealed to the presi-
dent. saying 1t was doing him an in-
justice. The president frequently in
terrupted him later. Mr.. Trotter said.
saying once. Leave personalities out
of it" and again. Il am the one to do
the interrupting."