Cayton's weekly. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1916-1921, 1919-01-18
THE NEGRO AT THE PEACE TABLE
By w. j. JOHNSON

A few weeks ago The Age spoke about
the waste Of effort being put forth in the
election Of multiplicity of colored dele
gates to the peace conference The thing
has reached the absurd stage. It would
have been all very well to have had two or
three men chosen to go in a sort Of adj
Vlsory capacity, to use every possible means
OF bringing pressure to bear on the peace
delegates, but we learn every day of full
delegations being elected by various colored
organizations all over the country
ALI OF this misdirected zeal, energy and
money IS due mainly to ignorance; ignorance
OF world conditions and world questions.
ALI OF these delegates have been chosen
Tor the specific purpose of going to place
before the representatives Of the different
nations the wrongs and injustices suffered
by the American Negro.
These steps have been taken without a
realization Of the fact that the Negro prob
lem in the United States is a national and
not an international question. The peace
delegations Of neither England, France or
Italy would dare to breach it at the table;
and it is hardly likely that the American
delegation would voluntarily bring it up.
Japan and China may possibly protest
against discrimination against Asiatics; but
not even these two great colored nations
would so far violate international precedent
and courtesy as to bring up at the peace
table a matter which will be regarded as a
domestic question with which only the United
States is concerned
l am not now speaking Of what is within
the bounds Of common sense, of what is
right and ought to be done; I am speaking
OF what, according to all the probabilities
VIII, .,,4ou
precedent courtesy and international red
tape will and will not be DONE I am facing
the cold facts
AS soon as the armistice was signed a
number Of clear-visioned colored people be-
gan an agitation for a presentation of the
cause OF Africa and especially the former
German colonies in Africa to the delegates
to the peace conference and to the whole
world. This brought some criticism from
those who saw IN such move desertion Of
the cause OF the American Negro; but
broad and deep study Of the matter will
show that this was one Of the wisest moves
that could be taken. And for the simple
reason that the question Of Africa is an
international question: it belongs at the
peace table; every nation represented there,
from England to Liberia can freely discuss
it. Africa, in fact at bottom was the cause
OF the great war; and unless the African
question is wisely and justly settled there
can be no guarantees for future peace.
And so, shedding the right light and
bringing the right pressure to bear on the
future status Of Africa and the African
colonies are, perhaps, the very best means
that could be taken to focus the attention
of the peace delegates and the entire civil
lied world on the just claims Of the Negro
everywhere.
1t does not take great knowledge Of his
story and world politics to realize that the
problem Of the Negro in the United States
is not going to be settled around the peace
table at Versailles It takes only little
common sense and serious thought to under
stand that the Powers Of Europe are not
going to do very much, even if they could,