Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1918-01-19

cal, or racial groups, which in turn
have their own separate and distinct
war aims. which so far as have been
revealed have not been entirely out
Of harmony with the governments
under which they are fighting. Eng
land would restore Belgium to the
Belgians, and Ireland would help her
do 1t, but demands in return Home
Eule for tho Irish. Russic wants ice
FREQ seaport and Finland would help
her get 1t, hut expects n Scot-frce
Finland In return. Our own govern
ment would make the world safe for
democracy, and tho Negro Is with 1T
to the man,-but we would first have
democracy safe in Alabama.
Some Of the smaller groups in
this country have already exacted Of ,
the government their pound Of flesh. |
Capital has done 1t by boosting pric- !
es and labor has done 1t by forcing up
wages. But tho Negro Is far too Pc
triotic to embarrass his government
In tho time Of the nations peril by
making any demands whatever, and
yet our fellow-citizens must expect
us, MS the only; distinctly prescribed
group In the body-politic, to look for
ward to certain long sought benefits
as result Of this great conflict in
which we arc freely comingling our
blood with that Of our countrymen
and our country's allies. We feel JUS
titled, therefore, in stating our war
aims and we have reason to hope
that they Will ono day DO realized
Aim number one. In the first place
we want chance to work. The Ne
gro hopes that when he returns from
France with missing leg, blinded eye
and empty sleeve he will not DO de-
MED tho opportunity to earn his
bread by the sweat Of his brow in
any occupation whatever, on account
Of race, color, or previous condition
Of soryitudo! 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 endeavor to dodge the same
tax collector. This unpatriotic prac-
tice has put more Germans and Aus
TRANS into positions Of trust and re
sponsib.lity in this country than the
government can find and weed out
In the whole course Of the war.
few days ago prominent Negro
was engaged In raising a public sub
scription to pay for Testaments to be
presented to tho colored drafted men
OF his town and when he ap-
preached a certain white business,
man, whose namo indicates his nat
lohality, he was met with tho re-
marx, professor, I won't do blam-
cd thing to beat Germany" Who
knows but what our present failure
TO nave our army In France and our
training camps at homo properly sup
pl1ed with artillery, ammunition, guns
clothes, ETC.. Is not due to tho pres
ence Of mon somewhere who won't
DO blamed thing to beat Germany"
anu yet Negroes are not wanted In
the navy. l have heard it said that
some or the best gunners in our navy
TO-DAY arc men OF foreign birth or
parentage. and that because of this
TACT there IS some misgiving as to
tho direction in which tho guns
would be aimed in case Of naval On
gagement with Germany. But If the
Same guns were manned by American
negroes, there would be absolutely
no question as to the direction in
which they would be pointed
'opo Iuat dllcE TIC war tnGro
VIII DO not only Negro cooks and
walters aboard our fighting ships.
but Negro mates and gunners, tool
Surely a race which Is so willing to
light for Its country should be given
every opportunity to work for its
country.
Aim number two. In the second
place the Negro hopes that tho black
war orphans Of Alabama will have
better educational facilities than
their fathers had. I am told that
fully forty per cent Of the black draft
ed mon at Camp Dodge can neither
read nor writo. This is certainly no
wonder when We examine the very
INADEQUATE public school system which
has afforded their only chance for
learning. AS I watched hundreds of
these unlettered plowmen trudge
forth to camp, could not help think
Ing how utterly impossible n ia For