The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-09-10
Another Prop Out
OF Propaganda
(By Isabel Field
of The Vigilantes)

udys. % many OF MS plans nave
slipped up and so many of him are
filling the concentration camps. I'm
Gle Sam is very quiet about it, but
he has a keen eye and long arm
Quite Unexpectedly, out of the blue
the poor spy feels heavy hand on
his collar, and his usual haunts
know him no more. In his confine.
ment behind the bars, or while he Is
hoeing the corn for better men to eat
he hasn't even the satisfaction Of
gloating ovr his misdeeds. Too
many of them have failed.
With that boosted German efficien.
cy of which we once heard so much
the propaganda tackled the Ameri-
can Negro. Here were a people
ready to his hand, simple, kindly, un-
suspicious, with so many grievances
against the Government that it
would be easy to incite them to riot
and disorder, thereby seriously ham
pering war work.
| They tried it. They tried it again.
They took another angle and tried it.
Colt in Himmel! These people were
loyal! They might complain among
themselves, or to the powers that be,
against their wrongs and expressions,
but America was their home, and the
stars and stripes their flag, and God
help the person who dared suggest
that they act as traitors to either!
Then the busy little German bee be-
gan another fight, and worked up
feeling amongt he ignorant whites
against the Negro. Here he was
more successful as the riots in st.
Louis proved. But they drew the at.
tention of thoughtful people and it
was asked, why, If the Negro were
at fault were there more colored
men killed than white?" If, as prop
pagandists were shouting the colored
people were problem and men.
ace to civilization" how came 1t that
the troubles were invariably started
by white men attacking blacks. The
German propagandists discovered to
their dismay that their tactics were
having the effect of drawing general
attention to the wrongs of the Negro
and arousing interest and sympathy
for him on all sides. The mute pro.
test of the colored women and chill
dren, all in black, marching down
Fifth Avenue, with no bands, no ore
tors, no disturbances, simply carry,
ing banners appealing for protection
and justice, created a deep and last.
ing impression.
Finally, in sort of desperation,
the Germans spread the lies far and
wide that Negro soldiers were being
sacrificed at he front; they were put
in the most dangerous places, and
when wounded were left to suffer and
die unattended on the battlefield.
Here again the boomerang turned
and hit the conspirators. II they
hadn't started the treacherous propa-
ganda the American public would not
have heard General Pershing's opin.
ion of the colored troops. After de-
nying the truth of "the stories, prob
ably invented by German agents." he
adds, 81 cannot commend too highly
the spirit shown amongt he colored
combat troops who exhibit fine ca
pacity for quick training and eager
: ness for the most dangerous work.
The head of the Red Cross came
forward to testify that the same care
and attention was given by the socie
ty to the colored men as to he white
Returning travellers and soldiers
add few details. They say the Ne
gro troops are tremendously popular
in all the French villages where they
are billeted, that their smart appear
ance-every puttee polished, ever!
button shining-their unfailing gooC
humor-their glorious bands and mel
low singing voices, and above all, thu
high spirits and eagerness for thu
fight that they are bringing to war
weary France is arousing enthusiasm
wherever they go.
Complaining that they are givel
dangerous jobs?" The officers com
handing colored troops report tina
the only complaints their men max,
are against being held back. The!
beg for the first line; they glory ii
the danger.
Thank you. Mr.. German Propagand
list, you haxe helped the people al
over this country, East and West
North and South, to realize that ou
Negro troops are men to be proud of
loyal Americans every one of them
---s
DIscoRD NOW is DlSLoYALTY
CBv Leroy Huron Kelsey