Cayton's weekly. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1916-1921, 1917-12-01
DOING GOOD WORK
(The Christian Science Monitor)


ton composed Of both white people and
Negroes, is working for the betterment of
the Negro through education and through
affording him every opportunity open to
other men of American citizenship. The as
ISOLATION is also working, according to
James Weldon johnson, field secretary Of
the association, to secure for the Negro
manhood suffrage, the abolition Of all caste
distinctions based simply on race and col
or, and the recognition Of the principle of
human brotherhood as a practical present
creed.
The association has a membership Of
5000, divided into 80 branches and dis
tributed in all sections of the country, but
although the South has the greatest Negro
population of the country, the association
has only started organizing branches in
that field.
Local branches deal with local problems,
but if questions of national Importance
arise, they are dealt with from national
headquarters here in New York. A prob
lem that is being worked on now by the
national association is that of the East St.
Louis riots case, and Mr. johnson states
that although the fight is being waged by
the association, it is led by the St. Louis
branch. This latter branch has raised $2,-
GOO to give succor to refugees and collected
data and evidence for the congressional in
vestigation and legal prosecution now 60
ing on in connection with the riots. The
purpose of such work is to defend the Ne
yroes accused of taking part and melting
the riots. This, Of course, applies to only
those who are believed to be innocent Two
investigators have been sent to St. Louis
for this purpose. These representatives are
also to report on the findings of the con-
gressional investigation and watch the
progress of the legal prosecution.
The association is seeking a fair and i'm
partial trial for all concerned, Mr.. johnson
told this bureau. There have been few
white rioters already tried and two have
been sentenced to fourteen years and two
others to fifteen years Imprisonment. There
are 76 people connected with the riots un-
der Indictment awaiting trial. of these about
13 are Negroes. Mr. johnson says it is
the presumption of the association that Ne
groes were not responsible for the riots, al
though so far 10 Negroes have been SEN
fenced to fourteen years each. These men
the first tried and convicted, and Mr.
johnson believes that it looks as though
the responsibility for the riots was being
thrown on the Negroes. It would appear
from evidence submitted that the white
men who took leading part in the riots
wore white uniforms, and on the ground
Of this evidence Mr. johnson believes that
the whole matter was pre-arranged af-
fair
In support of their belief that the East
st. Louis riots were premeditated, the fol-
lowing extracts from letter written to
delegates to the Central Trades and Labor
mon by Edward F. Mason, secretary Of
the Central Trades and Labor Union, are
cited: 'Since this influx Of undesirable
Negroes has started no less than 10000
have come into this locality These men
are being used to the detriment Of our
white citizens by some of the capitalists
and a few of the real estate owners.
ION next Monday evening the entire
body Of delegates to the Central Trades and
Labor Union will call upon the mayor and
city council and demand that they take
some action to retard this growing menace
and also devise a way to get rid of GER
tain portion of those already here"
Work being done by the local branches
OF the association includes efforts for bet