Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1918-10-26
A COLORED OFFICERS
Continued from First Page.)

room on the second story OF my bill !
let comes not with repugnance what
:SoeNer the knowledge of the fact that
in the cellar below me the owner of :
the house has his horses and cows
stabbed.
Having mentioned horses and
chickens, l know your mind would
naturally drift toward farming. In
cidentally | should state that the
farluing methods here so far as cul-
. tivation is concerned are the most
intensive imaginable as every foot of
land is titled. You seldom see Il
farm house as the people live and
keep their stock in town, driving
backward and forward to their fields
each morning and evening without
the least bit Of confusion. No wild
running of cattle or yelping of dogs
or the popping Of whips. Every
movement is carried out orderly,
growing out Of the results Of Gus
toms which have not changed in
centuries.
Having arrived at the farm with
the stock Of animals, the animals are
turned loose to Craze while the old
men and girls, and oft times old
women, repair to their farms and
there all day long in any sort Of
weather, YOU can behold them work
ing, some blowing, some cutting
wheat and others grain; some work
ing at binding but none idle and all
cheerful.
Right here l want to write some
what at length Of the spirit OF France
which to mo is the finest thing in
the world. a spirit that cannot die,
or if it could die, l say Il spirit which
must not die. BY that l mean
spirit that must not be permitted TO
die.
have been told that Belgium has
been bled and Is bcrcft OF her young
mon: tell you / do not want to SEQ
Belgium. When | see France l sec
nil that my strong heart and spirit
can bear I fear. Hero we sec sisters
who will never again know broth
er'S love or who can cherish hope
Of obtaining II husband; mothers who
have given up their brave young sons
to whom few years ago they sang
lullabies as they rocked them to sleep
and thought themselves mothers OF
mon to be and cherished the uaywhcn
they should hold their sons children
in their arms; occasionally father
but gran6fathcrS galore, who have
seen their sons and grandsons Tor
tho last time in most cases and i'll
some 1t will be that they will be so
manned that they will hardly be
b recognizable; wivos--and this is the
: saddcst of all to me-who may
DO able to find consolation in the
thought that it is better to have
loved and lost than not to have loved
at all, for they, poor brave ilttic
wives and most Of them are mothers
too, have made the greatest sacrifice
that any race OF women have ever
been called upon to make.
Are they discouraged? Arc their
heads hung down in sorrow? DO
they weep and moan at tho church
and cemetery? Do they scream
when their church bell tolls announc-
ing the departure Of another soul?
NO: if they did they would decry tho
spirit Of France, but instead they are
hapDy to have had to give. They go
through the streets and about their
many duties cheerful and almost gay,
always with smile and they love
our boys. The kind of love that
evidences respect and makes our
soldiers feel that they too, are the
!, sons of France.
The association Of our boys with
the daughters Of France is too grand
and beautiful to describe and OF such
nature that the sweethearts Of our
.
endorse. Our officers are looked up
ION by these truo hearted people as
great leaders of men and arc held
alOft much to our embarrassment as
we have asked for nothing more than
to be treated as men.
I do not know whether | have
impressed You or not with my lie
scription OF this glorious country but
] want to tell you and those who have
stayed behind in this great crisis,
Notwithstanding the hardships we
have already gone through nor what
we have yet TO go through, this has
been tho greatest opportunity in tho
Alife Of us Americans to show to tho
world that we arc real advocators OF
The Brotherhood Of Man and the
Brotherhood Of God, though in our
homo country there is much in eVi
i lence which is contrary TO that motto
but our experience over here will
help us all to more fully realize our
duty to mankind.
We, the black sons Of America, are
proud OF the opportunity to help
these people and in helping them we
know we are helping to keep our
own shores sAfe from the hand and
the clutches Of the Hun. We know
we are fighting for our own homes
and firesidcs, though humble they be.
We know that our efforts will save
our loved ones and friends over there
from the narrowing experience
through which these dear people
have gone and through which they
are still going.
Yes, we are fighting to make the
world safe for democracy and
though fighting we are nevertheless
learning the greatest thing the world
can teach, that of BEING A MAN,
minus all frills. Being man with
the all night stands cut off; being
q man minus the ball room and sin
SCARED women; being a man free
from the deception Of society; being
a man with mans work cut out
before and performing the duties
sthereof; being a man when the days
. tasks are over you lie down to pleas