Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1919-06-07

us usal that 1t could never be-" etc.
But what did the Japanese do?
They came forward with Il direct and
uncompromising attack upon Il great
intangible something which Mr.. vii
son and his kind of Americans value
, more than any o her thing. material
or imma crial-rac.al superiority.
When the Japanese risllcd fight on
this issue Of the intangible they risk
cd only where thCy could not lose
for racial equality belongs to who
, over can take it. The mcrcst simple
, tom knows that If race equality"
got written into The peace pact ii
would do itself no harm and il il
! we're refused adm Ssiun it would do
no harm to any people who are able
20 maintain their own equality. The
Japanese knew dis.
But men from Texas and Virginia
give up anything i'll the world, inCiud
ing OF course the whole Chinese cm--
pirc rather than sign their names to
It document which Says that skins OF
other colorS are jus, as good as theirs.
Thc Japanese also knew this. And
this is the acc" they held. SO they
just went to that Peace Conference
determined - have race equality" on
bust And i'll order to p%ciiy them the
American peace delegates handed over
Kiao-Chau on Il golden platter. with
compliments and apologies. Anything
on earth 10 get the Japs off that race
business and save u sentiment! The
"bluc blood" OF Texas (Which by tic
way. is no hlurr Under the microscope
than the blood of a chinese Coolic)
~, Ia, ~ u
This Japanese diplomacy reminds
ne Of 4 similar case IN Washing on,
y. G.. where a bright school Supcrin-
tcuGcnt played the same game against
Il narrow minded school board. He
had pleaded Tor years to build an ado
quatc high school for Negro children.
1t would take from $250000 to $500.
600. The superintendent OF schools be
INK broad minded white American,
had applied to successive school
boards in vain. all OF them refusing
to ;uthariHc / indurSc the expenditure
OF SO much money on tho Negro chi
drrn =. n0 constitute" onc.third OF their
school population.
FINALLY the superintendent decided
to use "diplomacy." II" came to Il
scEonl.hoHrd meeting with an air OF
lc'irt and remarked indiit"rcntly:
"Gcn,lrmcn, | have been doing lit
Tie investigating and thinking and
to my surprise / find that those are
right who say tina il will he Il sheer
waste ol money To hulld Negro
High School. lind that NC can even
save the money that we are wasting
on the present Negro high school. |
have coun ri up tn" empty seats i'll
several Of uur white high schools ana
find that there is more than Sulll--
rjvut room for every Negro child OF
Mgh-&chuol grade and for Ill that are
Ekoly "a reach high school grades Tor
years to come. There is nothing f" !
proven. the Supc @ts#@,1t !"om us
'nE this waste space, and it will be ,
tremendous saving!"
do NOT need to say any mroc. You
know that he got the money for Il
colorcd high school at that meeting. ;
The Dunbar High School, costing !
moro than 100000 is Il T1numcnt to ;
his fine diplomacy.
So the Japanese got Kiao.Chau i'll !
spite of the fourteen points. And
with such Il weapon in their hands j,
and with Virginians and Texans for ,
their opponents, they would have won F.,
against $4,000 points.
The greatest weakness Of dear old |
United States is just this weakness. !
The most far-rcaching proposition |
brought to Paris was the proposition |,
OF the equality Of man. And some of !
the peace delegates were not equal to
the moment of history which met .
them.
Philadclphia Public Ledger. May 10,
1879