The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-06-04
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM A TON
BUREAU
THE CoLoRED PATRIOT.
Washington, D. c.

THE COLORED PATR1OT.
Washington. d. c.. June 1.-The
sense of uncertainty which war brings
| to US all was we'll expressed by a
colored citizen tbs other day, who said
that he felt as if he had one foot in
the grave and the other on a banana
peel.
This cheerful epigram is charac-
teristic of the happy-go-lucky~ and
courageous spirit in which many
American negroes are facing the war.
1t is a well known fact that they have
furnished their share of the fighting
force, both officers and men. The way
in which negro civilians, and especial
ly negro women, are supporting the
| war policies at home is not SO well
known. The womanS committee of
the Council of National Defense here
in Washington is enthusiastic over the
cooperation it is receiving from color
ed women. In the south, especially,
their part is important. OF seventy
thousand women who registered for
| war service in New Orleans 22,127
| were colored.
I The response of the negroes to the
nations war need is the more credit
able because they have been the object
of a special propaganda by enemy
aliens. Spies, travelling in the guise of
book agents and insurance solicitors,
have sought to mislead the colored
population by a series of the most alb
surd falsehoods. Colored people have
been warned not to deposit their
money in the banks because it would
be confiscated by the government.
They have been told that food con-
servation is stinginess, and therefore
contemplate. They have also been in
formed that if the Germans captured
the United States the colored popu-
lation would be much better treated
than now. 1t would have country
of its own, probably the state of Texas,
with a sort of German protectorate
over it. These agents have also sought
to make them believe, like the Indian
quoted by President Wilson, that a
war for democracy means SIMPLY
war, for the benefit of the Democratic
party.
This particular brand of the German
propaganda seems to have been based
| upon a serious underestimate of the
negro's intelligence and of his loyalty
| as a citizen. or the colored popula-
ton everywhere has given ample proof
of it's patriotism.
Patriotic work among colored peo-
pie is being carried on thru a variety
of agencies. In Maryland the govern
| ment has appointed a colored council
of national defense, which is doing
excellent work. In Baltimore a colored
patriotic mass meeting was recently
held, at which 1000 negroes were
present. In many states negro societies
are using their organizations for pa
triotic work, while in other states sub
salaries of the Woman's Committee
| of the Council of National Defense
| have been organized.
| Negro women have shown a special
aptitude for the conservation and pro-
| duction of food. There are thou
sands OF war gardens cultivated by
negroes, who are especially fond of
gardening any way. Here in Wash
ington it is noticeable that there are
few negro backwards which do not
bricks and paving stone have been
laboriously dug up in order that the
soil may be planted.
Food conservation begins at home
I and colored housekeepers are doing
their share of it. The younger genera
ton especially are competent and
thrifty housewives, because they have
been taught household economics and
cooking in the colored high schools
A most significant and important
part Of the food conservation program
is the signing of food administration
conservation cards by negro cooks.
Everywhere south of aMason's and Dix
on's line the meals of Americans in
homes, hotels and restaurants are pre-
pared by colored men and women.
The food of half the nation is really
in their hands. For the mistress of
the house to sign a food conservation
pleQR6 is interesting as an evidence OI
| patriotism, but when the cook goes In
for food conservation something is
really going to be saved for the allies
That these colored women are real
| ly in earnest about the conservation
| of food is shown by the fact that
many of their clubs and societies are
taking up the study of the subject.
Especially distinguished work has
| been done by the Rosebud Study club
of Portland, Ore, which has not only
taken up the subject of food con-
servatioe but has prepared and pub
lished an original war cook book 20
| be sold for patriotic purposes.
In Florida splendid work has been
| done by a colored woman named
Bertha White, who opened canning
kitchen to teach colored women how
| to preserve perishab1e foods. This
canning kitchen has now attained a
wide influence and has become sort
of clearing house for all lines Of
patriotic endeavor among the co1ored
women of Florida
i Mrs. Pattie Semp1e of Louisville,
KY, is a white woman who Is devot-
ing most of her time to encouraging
war work among her colored neigh
bors. She has taught the Importance
of wartime economy not only in food
but also in dress. Negro women have
quickly grasped the idea that display
must be sacrificed to economy and
comfort in wartime garments.
Colored women are also working
for the comfort of their men in the
training camps no less enthusiastically
than white women. They are making
knitted garments, bandages and hos
pital supplies. Colored Iaundresses
have made their special abilities of
service to the government by 1aunder-
ing the Red Cross hospital shirts.
An especially fine patriotic record
has been made by the colored women
of Chester. Pa. They raised $500 for
the Red Cross, packed 210 boxes Of
food and comforts for the colored
soldiers from their town, and present.
ed the men with a victrola, forty rec
ords. and large supply of chewing
gum.
Colored soldiers who have no rela-
tives to look out for their comfort
have been adopted and cared for nv