The Wisconsin weekly blade. [volume] (Madison, Wis.) 1916-1925, 1918-11-07

emption from military service
than did the whites.
DR.. Scott further declared that
the war, "grim-visaged and ruth
less as it is, has serped or afforded
the Negroes an opportunity once
more to prove their unbounded,
unfaltering loyalty-their 100 per
cent Americanism and to demon
strate their immunity from insidi-
Gus German propaganda. The war
has nAlde for the advancement of
the material welfare of the race.
Prior to the present conflict the
Negro had less than a dozen com
missioned officers; now he has
more than 1,200, all highly-quali-
fled and forward-looking men.
From an army Of but four regi-
ments, with only infantry and cav
airy, the race has now its 100000
men represented in every conceiv-
able branch of the service, and the
reports from officers, from Gen
eral Pershing down, indicate that
these men are giving an excellent
account of themselves. DR.. Scott
read several letters from French
and American officers testifying to
the gallantry and valor of the col
ored men under the severest she'll
fire and how they had held the line
intact IN many instances under the
most trying circumstances.
Urges Self Government for Colo
nies Under International
Commission.
After noting numerous eases
where black men had been award
ed the French Croix de Guerre and
paying a tribute to the priceless
labors of the black soldiers of
America and elsewhere to make
the world safe for democracy, "
DR.. Scott made a somewhat start
ling plea for solemn guarantee
of international protection and
larger liberties for the darker
races of the world. registering a
fervent protest against any policy
that might restore to Germany her
pillaged African colonies and urg-
ing form of self-government for
these oppressed peoples, under an
appointed International Commis-
sion, upon which shall be a colored
American ito voice the inarticu-
late yearnings of that host of ex-
plotted and pillaged people. "
Protests Against Restoring Afri-
can Colonies to Germany.
Celebrating this point with ref
erence to the future Of the colo
nies wrested from German domi-
nation and tyranny, DR.. Scott de-
scribed the revolving cruelties per-
petuated upon the natives in the
African dependencies, noting an
official report of Edmund II. L.
Gorges, Secretary of the Interior
for the South African Union,
which tells Of the enslaving Of men
and the outraging of women, of
hangings and fioggings and whole
sale massacres, with many tribes
threatened with extinction. In
Togoland, where the oppression
was especially rife, it is stated that
the population fell off a million
souls in less than two decades Of
murder and rapine.
"May we not, in this solemn
hour, register our fervent protest
against any contemplation of re-
storing to Germany these African
colonies she has so long oppressed
and betrayed?" asked DIR. Scott.
1T is too much to say that to re-
store these helpless black men to
their former oppressors would be
a terrible betrayal? Has not the
hour come in which men, even of
Darkest Africa, may cry out for
The right to elect or ordain their
own destiny under an acceptable
tutelage and guidance of enlight-
ened men rather than under op-
pressive and cruel masters?"
Black men Of America and At
RIGA have helped to rout and hum
bic the Hun, continued DR.. Scott.
When civilization all but tOtter
ed to its doom, Senegalesse, Alge-
rian and Soudanese troops stayed
TIE Hun and saved civilization to
the world. Soon around the Peace
Table representatives Of the na-
49,: 2 IL, Eth ara +O era+bar.