The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-05-17
ALABAMA EDITORS
 AT GADSDEN TODAY
Entertainment Plans Prom ise Good Time for State
 Press Association

1 Gadsden, May 16-(S Special )-All is in readiness for the annual convention I of the Alabama Press association. which convenes here tomorrow morn I | ing. Mayor W. P. Johnson, an old newspaper man, will give the welcome address, and response will be made by T. J. Cannon of the State Sentinel of Birmingham.
 The annual address of the president will be given by Harry M. Ayers of ] the Anniston Star Much time will be devoted to discussion of plans for meeting the high cost of newspaper production.
 In the afternoon a sightseeing trip over the city and to the Gulf States Steel plant vii be made and at night the editors will be guests of the qads den Rotary club at a banquet at the Printup hotel Friday morning will be devoted to business and election of of ficers, and in the afternoon a trip to Oxford lake is planned. they are entering a ptfall which is bound to prove a disappointment to them and disastrous to their future well being.
 The negro is a native of the south, reared here, fully. acclimated and per fectly familiar with his environment. so- cial, political and industrial. He knows the white man of the south; what to ex pect at his hands and how best to con form to the rules of racial distinction. Of the northern white man, he is as to- tally ignorant as is the northerner of the negros peculiarities and requirements. NOT A WELCOME ADJUNCT
 ITO the average northern community, 1 the southern negro is not a welcome adjunct, as is verified by protest recently entered by white citizens and property holders of Cincinnati, Chicago and other cities, who are now appealing to the state and federal authorities to stop the flood of negro immigration. Surgeon Gen. era Blue of the United States public l health service has had his attention called to the menace to health caused by | this crowding in of unacclimated colored people, and he has been asked that the l problem be treated as an interstate one and proper remedies applied.
 Not only white people of the northern cities. bur the colored leaders of those states appreciate the grave situation and are calling loudly for a cessation of the | influx. They, say negro boarding and rooming houses are packed. Many cases of pneumonia have developed with fatal results The hospitals have been loaded with the ca ses.
 Now, what is the real object of this movement on part of these deceivers? l
 ''Of course, we understand the labor | agents who get premium on the head | of each colored man, just as he would in dealing in dumb animals; but let us look into the real purpose and animus of the men at the other end of the line
 USES FOR COMMON LABOR
 The war call is demanding the serv- ices of common, as well as skilled labor, and the drafting of hordes of northern | white men is sought to be overcome by | the bringing in of southern negroes Most of these negroes are unskilled labor 1 CTS who know nothing of mechanical work in the munitions plants and are not accustomed to nor fitted for western and northern farm work. They are from the southern cotton fields and coal mines. l Therefore, when the conscription officers appear, seeking army recruits from the northern7and middle western states, they will quickly assigne to the fighting ranks these southern negro immigrants, and to the front they will go instead of the white natives up there. This conscripuon is to be prorated to each state. according l to population, and the quota of the mid l dle states and northern states will be immense. Those whites up there figure | that the negro shall go in their stead. l Let it be remembered that there are thou sands of German farmers in the grain l fields of the middle west and that they | are naturally reluctant to take up arms against their fatherland.
 "l'hen again take the negro coal miner of the south who may be induced to go to the coal fields of West Virginia, Penn l sylvania. Kentucky and other states un- der great promises of high wages. Reach | ine- there he finds strikes, lockouts and consequent disorder and white race hatred | of interlopers. He also finds few days of labor and that he Is not regarded as permanent inhabitant of those states, not being regularly employed. and so the conscription officer hies him off to the war in place of the regular white employ of the mines.
 BLACKS CHIEF SUFFERERS
 "These facts and statements are gath | cred net only from press reports" con tinued Captain Reid, but by personal ob servation and study of conditions. While | the white landlord, mine owner and gen. | eral labor employer of the south will Ne inconvenienced by this exodus, the greater sufferers will be the blacks them selves, who are charmed by the offer of free ride promises of high wages and social equality with. whites. They will ! find racial prejudices in the north so deep seated as to cause most wrathfua indignation, disorder and perhaps blood shed The red flag is already raised among the denizens of the big cities. 1 Cries of property depreciation caused by tho influx of negroes are being heard *s the districts congested by this influx are proving breeding places of disease and death. the duty of every humanitarian to warn !, +, aofrrN nf