The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-05-11
cOLORfO PEOPLE
FEAR GERMAN RULE
hsco Aged Mcn Arr Getting Ready &c
Fight, Believing In Would
Enslaye Them

4 Arvonia. Va. MAY 1o.~-This soc.
/ ton OF the state is rapidly awaken
I ing TO the seriousness OF the war stu
alton, and tie topic - uppermost II
ali gatherings and public plat IS
( Many young men are enhsting ans
entering the training camps Others
! viii offer their services to the nation
at an early cate.
The negroes in this section have
recently been much pcrtCrbed by a
Z persistent report that the Germans
[ had sworn to take this country and
( Immediately Place all the Colored poo-
pie back in slavery. This, the re. ort
says, is result oflthe German hatred
OF the negro on account of the EN-
pioynlent by France and England Of
lcrse bodies Of colored troops In Eu-
rope.
Colored preachers are whoopinS
their congregations up To high pitch
and showing the fearful consequences
to them OF a German invasion. News
paper reports that GerI ms in this
country are trying to stir mp rebel
lion among the negroes meets with no
response except one of great contempt
among the negroes here They state
that II is but u trap Of the Germans
TO get all OF them again under the
yoke, Old men. even cripples, fear
ing German domination, are prepar-
ing to fight They state that there
is no limit to the sacrifice they will
make in case of a German invasion Of
this country
a few nights ago the report was
circulated that a German airship had
been seen TO pass through the heavens
between New Canton and .tryonis.
Those who claimed 10 have seen Il
express great confidence that II was a
heavily ~armored air machine and
chat there was much firing Of machine
guns. 1t is generally thought here
that the object seen was a meteor
about such as was seen here in De
cember OF three years ago However.
the colored element is quite confident
' mat II was the oeM inning Of German
Following up n request sent out 10
ministers by Governor Stuart. Rev. r.
w. Ragwell preached powerful SER
mon at the Baptist CHURCH on last
Sunday night upon the subject OF the
war and its imminent dangers It
served to awaken the people to their
responsibilities
Farmers are feverishly preparing
Tor the largest crop cultivation in tho
history OF farming In this section Of
Virginia. Winter wheat has greatly
improved. owing 10 wet. cool weather.
and good yield is practically as
Sufed. Pastures are fine. While corn
seeding has been retarded. much &C.
tvity in this line is expected within
the next ten days, Much corn has
already been planted An average to-
haeco crop will be planted A NUM-
Der OF new tomato canneries will open
IN this section. and many farmers
VIII raise that vegetable upon a com
fUercial scale
Some of the young men who have
oHefed to serve the government as Of
fc"rs and privates are: Messrs. Joh1
ana Lindsay Pitts. of Scottsville. who
Will shortly leave for Fort Myer. They,
are graduates of the V. NJ. l.. and
VIII proba bly, get commissions as can
tains' and will seek duty in France
Hunter DnNal. an old V p. / man
charlie Basweil. of Fork Union; Ben
ME Bersch. grandson of a prominent
German of the county: Norman
Hnghes, student of Fork Union MI
lsary academy, Beckwith Jones son
OF David l. Jones: Rev William Nil
Ter. who has resigned charge of the