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

as usal that 1t could never be," etc.
! But what did tho Japanese do?
They came forward with direct and
{uncompromising attack upon great
intangible something which MIR. vii
son and his kind OF Americans value
more than any other thing, material
Tor immatcrial-racial superiority.
! When the Japanese risked Il fight on
this issue Of the intangible they risk
cd only where they could not lose
for racial equality belongs to who
, over can take it. The merest simple
! ton knows that If race equality"
got written into the peace pact it
would do itself no harm and if ii
were refused admission it would do
; to maintain their own equality. Tho
! Japanese knew ibis.
But men from Texas and Virginia
give up anything i'll the world, includ
. ing of course the whole Chinese en-
| pire rather than sign their names to
a document which says that skins oil
other colors arc juso as good as theirs.
The Japanese also knew this. And
this is the ''acc" they held. So they
just went to that Peace Conference
bust. And i'll order to pGcify them the
,, American peace delegates handed over
Kiao.Chau on Il golden platter, with
compliments and apologies. Anything
on earth to get the Japs off that race"
business and save sentiment! The
"blUc blood" of Texas (Which by the
way. is no blucr under the microscope
than the blood of chinese coolic)
. H., .,i
This japanese diplomacy reminds
ne Of similar case III Washing on,
ID. G. where a bright school superln'
tcndcnt played the same game against
Il narrow minded school board. lie
had pleaded for years to build an ado
quutc high school for Negro children.
1t would take from $250,000 TO $500.
600. The superintendent of schools be
ing broad minded white American,
had applied to successive Schooi
boards in vain. all OF them refusing
to authorize L indorsc the expenditure
OF SO much money on tho Negro chill
drcn who constitute oncthird OF their
school population.
Finally the superintendent decided
to use "diplomacy.' lie came to al
scEool-board meeting with an air of
relief and remarked indiifercntly:
"Gcntlcmcn, I have been doing lit
lie investigating and thinking and
to my surprise l find that those are
right who say thai it will be sheer
waste OF money To build Negro
High School. | find that We can even
save the money that we are Wasting
on the present Negro high school.
have coun cd up the empty seats in
several of our white high schools ana
| find that there is more than Suhl'-
cirnt room for every Negro child oil
high-school grade and for all That arc
likely 20 reach high school grades Tor
years to come. There is nothing to
prevent tho supc" .ntcnG>nt from us
ing this waste space, and it will be 4
tremendous SaVing!'
do not need to say any mroc. You
know that he got the money for 4,
colored high school ut that meeting.
The Dunbar High School, costing
more than 100000 is IL monument to
his fine diplomacy.
So the Japanese got Kiao-Chau in
spite Of tho fourteen points. And
with such weapon in their hands
and with Virginians and Texans for
their opponents, they would have won
against $4,000 points.
The greatest weakness Of dear old
United States is just this weakness.
The most far-reaching 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.
philadelphia Public Ledger. May IS,
1879