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

i''1H'ht 'ldl cNll SCnln% OF the Nc
Fl" race. Thomas Jesse Jones Il white
ihAn. Dr.. Motion took no time 10 in
Tc&t.&atc or inquire. He made a few
speeches OF which one is reported by
y nearer as follows:
The address delivered by DR.. Mo
ton to the men consisted OF one or
two jokes ~ Il colorcd preacher, The
assurance that the people :: home
were proud OF them and :hc manner
i'll which they should act upon their
return 10 the United States. dwelling
almost entirely upon the phrase Not
to be arrogant.' After he had Spok--
on to the men the Major informed
the officers that DR.. Moon desired to
hold secret conference with them.
All Officers congrcEatcd in the office
After being presented to tho officers
DR.. Motion stated that he had been
sent to France by President Wilson
and Mr.. Baker for the purpose of
speaking TO the colorcd troops He
also stated that he had just left Paris
where he had been in conference with
President Wilson and had asked the
President his views as to the prac-
teal application of democracy toward
he co'orcd man in the United States
hut ending by saying: Il was very
much pleased with his reply; but gen
tlcmcn | cannot quote the President :"
After Or. Motion finished his talk
no Oppor unity was given to the off
GERS; to inform him OF the conditions
that had existed in France and he
did not seek any information relative
to Same from any of the officers after
the conference ended.
We do not believe that Dr.. Motion
needed any information as 10 the con-
ditronS existing i'll France. He already
knew about those conditions. lie was
over there to induce the colorcd men
to submi, to those conditions there
and to give no trouble about those
conditions when they arrived on this
side of the Atlantic. What is the use
Of Disgusting what was plainly owl
tween the lines? France is one of the
frccSt countries i'll tho world. Colorcd
men arc recognized according to their
worth and color is no bar to thcir adj
yancemcnt in that remarkable coun-
try. These colorcd men had come in
contact with these conditions and had
politically and they were chatting UNI
der the yoke that held them under
restraint. DR.. Motion, known to be
one Of the most influential colored
men i'll this country and many OF the
colorod soldiers having been students
at Hampton Institute and Tuskcgco
Institute, those far-sccng white men
at Washington saw i'll him tho
medium through which the complain
ing colorcd troops could be reached.
If tho War Department gave Dr..
Motion, Mr.. Thomas Jesse Jones as
Il companion, what else could he do,
but accept him? Evidently the task
assigned the distinguished Virginian
WAS distastcful to him for DR.. Dubois
says that he rushed around rs fast as
possible. We are OF the opinion that
had we accepted the appointment
which we would not have accepted,
We would have done the same thing.
When YOU have an unpleasant duty to
perform, the best thing to do is to
perform it as quickly as possible and
"bc done with it," DR.. Motion did this
very thing for Dr.. Dubois says that
he did.
We repeat why should Dr.. Motion
give the officers an opportunity to in
form him Of conditions in France?
This information was already onstlilc
in he Hon. Emmett j. SCOTS Office
in Washington and Mr.. Scott and DR..
Motion were the ones 10 whom had been
assigned the task OF bringing these
conditions to the attention of Sec
rotary Baker, who was really the
eyes, nose. mouth and ears OF the
President OF the United States. 1t is
also apparent that had these com
plants been voiced to Il civilian, these
officers would have been liable TO dis
ciplnary measures by that Negro hat
ing combine in the War Department
Our purpose is not to excuse Dr..
Motion, but to show that tho remedy
for these troubles was higher up. Mr..
Scott claims that lie had brought
these matters to the attention OF tho
Secretary OF War and that he had
gone so far as TO threaten to resign
~
a gentleman Of high character and
mqestioned vcracity, who will ques-
ton the statement? DR.. Dubois CON
Times to flay DR.. Motion by quoting
statements and putting him in an at
titudc Of running away from an op-
portunity to speak for tho colored
people Of the United States OF Ameri-
ca III general and tho colored soldiers