Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-10-12
MANY CRITICISE
COLLEGE ACTION
DR.. Morgan Explains His Rea-
sons, Which Resulted in
Ousting Youth


caused vast gossip among the stu
dents in Carlisle to-day, and a Tele-
graph reporter found that the bulk
of sentiment favored the Jefferson
boys, the argument being that they
were fine fellows and that anyhow,
at this time unity is what the coun-
try must have to beat the world $
enemy. i've known William for
three years" said one senior and
have always found him o. X. There
have been colored boys here before.
and nobody made any kick"
Among Carlisle citizens the action
of DR.. Morgan was the sole topic
discussed to-day and the opinion
seemed to be that all diversions"
should be concentrated against Ger
many and not directed at any race or
sect, and that the Jefferson boys had
been the subject OF unpleasant pub
lcity at most unfortunate time.
DR.. Morgan made the following
formal statement:
Frank l. jefferson. of Steelton,
Pa, employed by one OF the depart
ments in Harrisburg, has for three
years had one son in the college and
for one year has had two sons in the
college. The older son has made a
line scholastic record, and entered
three years ago after full conference
with his father and mother in which
the whole race problem was talked
over, and he was told that colored
men had been here before and had
conducted themselves in such way
as to be entirely without trouble in
their college associations. This has
been justified by the three years in
which the family has had repre-
sentativeS in the college. With the
opening OF the present college year
and the inauguration of the Stu
dents Army Training Corps in the
college, new problems arose, and the
father and 1 talked the matter over,
and after conference with the Com
mittee on Education having the 5.
y I. c. in charge and being told to
follow out our usual custom, we told
the boys to stay. This was before
the induction was accomplished.
Later it developed that the men
must live together in the intimacy
of common barracks, lavatories, mess
hall, etc, and in view OF this new
development which before had not
been before us, or at least promi-
nent in my thought, l raised the
question with officers in charge, who
said that the induction OF the boys
was entirely with me, but the policy
of the government in the camps was
of course to segregate the races, and
that l should do as l pleased. In
the presence of one OF the officers l
called the elder boy and told him
that his conduct in the college had
been such as to win the respect of
the student body. but that at least
two out OF three of tho Students
Army Corps were strangers to him,
having entered this year. and that it
was highly probable that many other
new men would come who would not
know him, that it was also possible
that the government might send in d
considerably larger number who
be his associates and who would not
come to know him as his old asso-
Ciates in the college had done. Under
these circumstances l told him tnat
it seemed to me that without the
possibility OF the college or the army
officers to protect him mis- stay here
might be made uncomfortable and
that my advice to him would be to
so to a school for men OF his race.
/ asked him what he thought of it,
ana he said: If you order 1t, of
course I will go. My reply TO him
was, l do not order It; I suggest. |
however, that you go home and talk |
the matter over with your father and |
report to me. His reply was that he |
was due for drill in the evening. But |
the officer in whose presence 1 had !
made the statement said to him: You
may be excused from drill to advise |
with your father. 1 said to the lad |
specifically that it was advice, and /,
that he should counsel with his .
father and report to me. He with
drew purposing to go home.
The next day. and the next. / !
conferred with the commanding Of |
ficer and he with me. inquiring as to !
the boys purpose. AS he did not ap-
pear nor write me, l concluded Lily |
that he had decided TO withdraw |
without further conference. l earn
ed incidentally some days after the |
original interview that he had writ |
tento the dean. His letter. however, |
l have not seen. So far as l knew !
and believe the only communication |
subsequent to the advice L gave Mr..
jefferson was a phone conversation
as to the boys credits for work done |
in the college.
My words to him were words OF |
advice, were not considered final. as
the commanding officer and myself
conferred about it afterward. each in
quiring of the other whether he knew
the purpose of the boy in the prem
ises"
Another Statement
The foregoing statement. written
and signed by DIR. Morgan. appeared
in the night extra edition OF the
Harrisburg Telegraph yesterday. ar
irving in Harrisburg too late for the
home edition and is reprinted to-day
in fairness to the college authorities.
This AFTERNOON DR.. Morgan phoned
the following statement to this news
paper:
your article yesterday on the coll
ored line of Dickinson College is un-
true and contrary to the facts given
your reporter, 1t raises the question
as to whether you wish to embarrase
the War Department authorities in
their S. A. Il. C. movement \ re-
porter of the Telegraph saw me at
eleven yesterday morning and / then
put into his hands the facts concern
ing the Jefferson boys, He knew
when he left that they had not been
dismissed from Dickinson College and
but for the fact that the reporter
seemed to know that there had been
no dismissal l should have told him
that there was no color line in Dick
inson College.
There is yet one colored student
in the college and the Jefferson boys
might be in the college without ques-
ton. 1 doubted the wisdom of their
connection with the s. A. II. c., now
ever, which would entail their asso-
citation day and night in all the in
timacies of barrack iife-In bunk,
lavatory and mess hall, 1 yet doubt
the wisdom of their connection with
4 IT q hIf Ghnn1d nnf noun |