New-York tribune., 1919-08-06
Rotten Politics.
Caused Race Riots,
investigator Says
Seligmann Declares South
Fosters Propaganda on
Blacks i'm Order to Keep
Cheap Labor From North

Slanderous propaganda, believed by
the negroes to come from the South,
and intended to make the blacks appear
as criminals, was one of the causes
of the race riots at Chicago and Wash
ington, according to Herbert ]. Selig
mann, of the National Association for
the Advancement of Coored People.
Mr.. Seligmann was in Washington and
Chicago during the riots as an lnvestl-
gator for the association. He has Just
returned to New York.
"The fundamental causes of the dis
orders are economics" he said yester-
day, "but the conditions were greatly
aggravated by the disturbing articles
which appeared in newspapers.
The Wash ngton race riots were due
largely to a propaganda. conducted
especially in The Washington Post and
The Washington Times which empha-
sized alleged negro criminality in bold
headlines. The attention of Washing
ton editors was called to the danger
Gus state of the public mind, but the
warnings were unhecded.
"Southerners have been trying to
make a Southern city of Washington.
During every session Of Congress bills
are introduced providing for Jim Crow
cars in the national capital, and one
such bill was introduced during the
riots. Needless to say, the negros al
legged criminality was made a preteXt
for far more extended brutality on the
part of white mobs.
'ln Chicago negro crlminality was
not even alleged as an excuse for the
assaults by white hoodlums upon un-
offending colored men.
Zone Of our investigators, just re-
turned from the South, reports the dis
orders in the North are being used to
intmidate negroes and present the
South's cheap labor supply from coming
north. This investigator reports ne
grocs, especially in Georgia, are in
despair at the brutality to which they
are subjected, and that they have
armed themselves as last resort.
Armed clashes may occur at any mo-
nent in d number of Southern com
munitIes'
Mr.. Seligmann explained that the
lack OF housing in Chicago for the ne
groes who have been brought north to
work in the stockyards and railroads
was an important cause of conflict.
cone of our Investigators reports a
property owners meeting at which it
was urged that the negroes must be
kept out at all COSTS" he said, "If you
can't get them out in any other way
use bombs" it was said. Before the
recent riots violence against negroes
who tried to get decent homes for
themselves was frequent.
"Another cause Of tho race antago-
nism is industrial rivalry. Only about
so per cent OF the negro stockyard
workers arc members OF the union. In
their present condition they are too
ignorant to be fully organized.
"Rottcn politics and bad police work
also increased the disorder. The black
belt elected the present city admin
istration, and as q reward the politi-
clans have permitted the dives of that
district to stay wide open"
Mr.. Seligmann said that he is salts
fed that the only way to deal with race
riots is 20 use troops.
Call out five or six thousand militia,
place them on street corners, put bull
lets in the magazines and bayonets on
their guns and they will do much to
prevent trouble"