Richmond planet., 1918-01-19

cal. or racial groups, which III turn
have their own separate and distinct
war aims. which 50 far as have been
revealed have not been entirely out
Uf harmony with the governments:
under which they are fighting. Eng
land would restore Belgium to the
B"lgians. and ireland would help her
do it. but demands in return Homo
Rule for tho Irish. RuSsic wants ice
FREQ seaport and Finland would help
her get it. but expects Scotfrcc
Finland in return. Our own govern
mcnt would make tho world safe for
democracy, and the Negro Is with 1t
to tho mau.-hut we would first have
democracy safe in Alabama.
Some OF tho smaller groups in
this country have already eXactcd OF
the government their pound Of flesh.
Capital has done it by boosting pric-
cs and labor has done II by forcing up
wages. But the Negro Is far too pa
triotic to embarrass his government
in tho time Of the nations peril by
making any demands whatever. and
yet our lri!nw-citizens must expect
us. rs t,!c only di.niuc,.y proscribcI
group in tho body-politic, to look for
ward to certain long sought benefits
as result Of this great conflict In
which wo are freely comingling our
blood with that OF our countrymcn
and our cOuntry'S allies. We feel JUS
titled, therefore, in stating our war
aims and we have reason to hope
that they Will one day be realized
AIM number one. In the first place
we want chance to work. The Nc
gro hopes that when he returns from
Franco with missing log. blinded eye
and empty sleeve, he will not be de.
nlcd the opportunity to earn his
bread by the sweat Of his brow in
any occupation whatever, on account
Oh race, color, or previous condition
OF scrvltudc! And this aim does not
apply to mechanical trades only. In
this country which clamors for
world democracy. white man of
whatever nationality or allegiance
has open to him fully ono hundred
lines OF employment to the Negroes
one. And Yet both salute the same
flag and endcavor to dodge the same
tax collector. This unpatriotic prac-
tee has put more Germans and Aus
trians into positions Of trust and re
sponsiblity in this country than the
government can find and weed out
in the whole course OF the war.
y few days ago a prominent Negro
was engaged in raising a public sub
SCription to pay for Tcstamcnts TO DO
presented to the colorcd drafted men
OF his town and when he ap.
preached certain white business
man, whose name indicates his nat.
'ohality. he was met with tho re.
mark. professor. won't do n blam-
cd thing to beat Germany" Who
knows hut what our present failure
to nave our army in France and our
training camps at home properly sup.
pllcd with artillery, ammunition. guns
clotheS. etc, !s not due to the pres.
cn"o OF men somewhere who "won't
do 4 blamed thing to beat GERMANY. ="
Ana yet Negroes are not wanted in
the navy. | have heard it said that
some OF the best Gunncrs in our navy
today are mon OF foreign birth or
rarcntagc. and that because OF this
Tact there IS some msgivinc as to
tho direction i'm which the grns
would be aimed in case OF q naval en-
Eagemcnt with Germany But II the
same guns were manned by American
Negroes. there would bo absolutely
no question as to the direction in
which they would be pointed
we nope that after the war there
VII be not only Negro cooks and
walters aboard our fighting ships.
but Negro mates and gunncrs. too
surrey race which is so willing to
ilght for its country should be given
every opportunity to work for its
country.
Aim number two. In the second
place the Negro hopes that the black
war orphans OF Alabama will hayo
better educate 'onal facilities than
their fathers had. | am told that
fully forty per cent OF the black draft
cd men at Camp Dodge can neither
read nor write. This is certainly no
wonder when wo examine the very
inadequate public school system which
mas afforded their only chance for
learning. AS I watched hundreds of
theso unlettcrcd plowmen trudgo
ioftn to camp. could not help think
Ing how uttorly impossible it "a for
this country 10 reach ita hipfacf nns