The forum. [volume] (Springfield, Ill.) 1904-192?, 1916-11-04
JAN CURRY'S WORK
IN GERMAN ARMY
Native African Rendered Fine
Military Service.
PROMOTED TO HIGH OFFICE

Timely Comment on Achievements Of
Colored Men In Various Lines of EN-
ployment as Far Back as the Eight
zenith century-Soeiety For Histori-
cal Research Secures Rare Book.
BY JOHN E. BRUCE GRIT"
Although DIR. Bernard Dernburg, one
time secretary for the colonies for Ger
man Southwest Africa, declared some
years ago In a speech In London. I'VE
want no educated proletariat in Afrl-
ca" 1t is fact that thirty years ago,
IN q work published In Berlin, mention
Is made Of Jan Curry, an unadulter-
ated African, who was raised to the
dignity OF commandant of the Bran
denburg Fort de Crosse, Frederick
berg, situated In the Cape of Tres For
cas-, on the western coast of Africa, by
the German government He must
have been "a man of some education to
have held. as he did, such an impor-
tant post.
As the officers of the German army
who passed through the department of
military history of the general staff
were promoted, the achievements Of
this Negro as a military genius formed
a part of their curriculum. He was
cited as one whose military career was
worthy OF emulation. One of these
German generals has paid high COM
pliment to Jan Curry as a military
strategist- am indebted to DR.. Kunst
Of Guatemala, great German scholar
and friend of the race, for these facts.
Of Negro History for October a most
interesting article on another subject
relating to the Negro.
The late Governor Russwurm of Ii
IBERIA, some time editor of one of the
early Negro newspapers In New York
city. while governor applied for and
obtained leave of absence to visit the
United States to make report to the
Colonization society. of which he was
the duly accredited representative in
Liberia. The members of the board,
sitting I'm the city of Baltimore, took
advantage of his presence in the city
QS40 to make his personal acquaint-
ance. They gave him dinner at the
principal hotel in the city. at which
there were no absentees. and there
was not one present. says ]. III. b. La
trobe, who was not impressed by the
grave. courteous and dignified bearing
Of the agent whose wise and prudent
conduct of the society's affairs in Az
RIGA had given such satisfaction.
zone with difficulty" says the editor
of Maryland In Liberia" 1855, page
~, recalls nowadays the sensation
that the idea of this dinner to col
ored man in 1S47 produced In Balti-
more. 1t was ludicrous to see the as
constituent OF the Irish walters who
surrounded the table at Pages hotel
when they were called upon to render
the same service to colored man that
they were In the habit of rendering to
many socially prominent citizens"
So we have three instances of record
where Negros have dined with distin-
guished white men-Julius Melbourne
as the guest of Thomas Jefferson at
Monticello in the eighteenth century,
with many notable men of the period
among them Chief Justice Marshall
DR.. Dexter, etc.; Governor Russwurm
at Baltimore and Booker T. Washing.
ton at the White House in Washing.
ton.
How many of the present genera
ton know that in 1910 there existed
In the city of Philadelphia an insur-
ance company composed of colored
men, with a capital of $1,000 and with
an Office located at 1859 (now 800 Lom-
bard street? Its president was Joseph
Randolph, Cyrus Porter treasurer and
William Coleman secretary. and its
capital was in cash. 1t 1ourished from
1911 to 1918, as stated in the city d.
rectories of that period. In the latter
year 1t was located at 1853 Lombard
street, in the residence of its secre-
tary, who was a schoolteacher Some
OF the policies are yet preserved in the
families of the insured.
There is great demand by col
lectors of old books for books by Ne
gro authors. recently picked up at
random a catalogue of a New York
city dealer and noted the following:
Dubois philadelphia Negro;" Africa
and America" Alex Cromwell; run
ming a Thousand Miles For Freedom"
William Craft, and Personal Expert
ence OF Uncle Tom" by Jones. The
wonderful thing about these books is
that they are more sought after by
white people, for some reason, than
their own. This is not bad. Still 1t
would not hurt If we Negroes were a
little bit more interested.
The Negro Society For Historical Re
search has recently acquired a very
rare book. IAN Account of the Trial
Of the British Soldiers Who Killed At
tucks." on whose death the trial was
based, and Gray and Maverick, his col
leagues, who attacked the main guard
Of the British soldiers in Boston March
8, 1775; also the true story written by
Negro of the Denmark Vesey insur-
rection in South Carolina, with all the
inside facts.