Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1919-05-31


DIR. DU BOIS AND THE PEACE
CONFERENCE
DR.. w. e. b. Dubois gives an in
tcrcSting account in the May Crisis
OF his experiences in France. He
describes conditions there in a most
entertaining manner and gives sound
advice to the colorcd people of this
country.
He says:
went to Paris because today tho
des,inicS OF mankind center there.
Make no mistake as to this, my read
ers:
Podunl1 may easily persuade it.
self that only Podunk matters and
that nothing is going on IN Now York.
The South Sea Islander may 1.-Two ig--
norant and careless of London. Some
Americans may think that Europe
docs not count and fow Negroes
may argue vociferously that the Nc
gro problem is n domestic matter, to
be settled in Richmond and New Or
leans.
But all these careless thinkers arc
wrong. The destinics Of mankind for
hundred years to come are being
settled today in small room OF the
Hotel Crillon by four unobtrusivc
gentlemen who glance out spccula
lively now and then to Cleopatra's
Needle on tho Place de In Concordc.
You need not believe this il you
do not want to. They do not care
what you believe. They have tho
Power. They are settling tho worlds
problems and you can believe what
sou choose rs long as they control
tho Armies and Navics. tho world sup
PLY of Capital and the Press.
Who will question this interesting
and forceful statement? 1t is the lack
OF power that handicaps tho colored
people OF this country today. They
a. . in n larc measure careless as ia
armies and navles and the supply OF
capital and the press. They live ig
norant and careless of tho outside
WA AN' ~ 40 a pollSS VI SSSh IlAL
for himself and God for us all"
He continues:
Other folks OF the world who thinl,
believe and act ;-Thirty-two Nations
Peoples and Races havo permanent
headquarters in Paris. Not simply
England, Italy and the Great Powers
fhnrn l,,f all
not simply little nations but little
groups who want to be nations, like
the Let's and Films; the Armcnians
and Jugo-Slavs; Irish and Ukrainians
Not only groups, but races have come
Jews; Indians; Arabs and All
Asia. Great churches, like Greek Or
!hodoX and the Roman Catholic arc
watching on the grounu. t..u.- ,rg.,u
cations, like the American Peace
Society, the League to Enforce Peace
the American Federation Of Labor
the Woman's Suffrage Association
and a hundred others are represented
i'll Paris today.
lie says further:
movement or idea in Government
Politics, Philanthropy or Industry in
the civilized world has omitted to
send and keep in Paris it's Eyes and
Ears and Fingers! And yet some
American Negroes actually asked
Why I went to help represent the Ne
gro world in Africa and America and
tho Islands Of the Se...
But why did l not explain my rea
sons and mission before going? Be.
cause l am not a fool. Because ]
knew perfectly we'll that any move
mcnt to bring the attention Of the
world to the Negro plDblem at this
crisis would be- stopped the moment
the Great Powers heard Of 1t. When
therefore, l WAS suddenly informed
Of chance to go to France as a news
paper correspondent, I did not talk
went.
What did I do when I got there?
First, there Wero certain things that
I did not do. did not hold an anti.
lynching meeting on the Boulevard
dcs Italiens. I would to God l could
have, but I knew that France is still
under martial law,-that no meeting
can BIO held today in France, any.
where or at any time without the con
sent of the Governments; no news
paper can publish a line without the
consent Of the Censor and no individ
uai can stay in France unless the
French consent.
But it did not follow that because
I could not do everything 1 could do
nothing. I first went to the Ameri.
can Peace Commission and said frank
ly and openly: IT want to call Pan
African Congress in Paris" The
Captain to whom I spoke smiled and
shook his head. Impossible" he said
and added: "The French Government
would not permit It," "Then" said
I innocently: "It's up to me to get
French CONSENT" at isl" he answer.