The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1919-06-21
THE RIGHTS OF AFRICANS AND
OF PEOPLES OF AFRICAN ORI-
4, GIN

/ Pan-African Congress held February
| 10 and 20, at the Grand Hotel, Paris,
! relates materially 20 the future peace
OF the world. 1t consisted of Repre-
sentatives from the United States
OF America, the French West Indies,
| Haiti, France, Liberia, the Spanish.
and Portuguese Colonies, San Domin-
Belgian Congo, Abysinia. and from
Colonial Powers, such ass France,
Belgium, and the United States. A.
lnong the speakers at the Congress
were Blaise Diange, deputy from
Senegal to the French Chamber and
Commissioner General in charge of
French Colonial electives; C. d. B.
King, Minister of Foreign Affairs of
the Republic of Liberia; Franklin
Boullion, chairman of the Committee
Of Foreign Affairs in the French
Chamber; Gratein Candace, French
deputy from Guadeloupe; William
English Walling and Charles Edward
Russell, of the United States.
II Is surprising that more interest
has not been taken in this gathering.
speaking as 1t did, for approximately
200,000,000 Negroes and Negroids.
The reason for believing that this
meeting was significant at this time
OF reorganization transcend the num-
bers represented. They relate to
all principles now seen to be vital.
These millions are becoming self
conscious. What is more, they are
bitter. One representative to the
Congress when asked for his solu-
ton OF the problem of the punish
ment OF the German Kaiser remarked
in the presence of the writer: Have
him classified as a Negro and then
obligate him to live in the United
States" The wife of former consul
from the United States to Liberia
believes that the white men should
keep out Of Liberia and send to that
country only educated negroes to
help in its reorganization. This same
person Is quite convinced that the
American Negro soldiers in France
have been treated shamefully by
white American officers. She, having
lived many years in France, is pro-
foundry disturbed to find the French
people catching the American spirit
of tolerance toward the black men,
spirit which has never been present
in France heretofore. An intelligent
American Negro, professor in one of
our American universities, said to
the writer's: There must be a change
soon in the attitude Of the white men
toward the black, else there will be
revolution" 1t is pointed out that
France has had representatives of the
Negro race in her Parliament since
hafnra hnk
attitude OF France toward her Col
onies is and has always been ire
proachable. The President of the
Committee Of Foreign Affairs Of the
French Chamber of Deputies remark
ed at the Conference: France judg-
es men by their brains and hearts,
not by their color" He does not see
how France could feel otherwise in
the light of the fact that 100000 Col
ored men have been in France help
ing effectively to win the war against
barbarism. Mr.Walling urged from
the method adopted by France, that
there should be forty Negroes in the
| United States Congress. He looks
upon Negro question not as race
problem" but "a white problem" a
world question. He went so far as
to say that: America will go down
| II she persists in her opposition to
the Colored people of the world"
but he fastened to add that "the
American people will not continue"
He believes that the race question,
so-called, has been placed upon a
new basis by the war, and that there
will yet be full equality, as result
of the revolutions which are ON the
way. AS he listened to the criticisms
of his America by the black men he
listened to the criticisms of his
America by the black men he con-
fessed that he could but blush"
Mr.. Russell argued that races are
not inferior or superior, that the
Africans should press their claims"
and insist upon their rights" The
Secretary of the Conference was DR..
w. F. Burghardt Dubois, Director
OF Research, National Association for
the Advancement of Colored People.
U. s. A.
II is evident that the Negroes OF
the world are interested in matters
Of justice and humanity. They de
niand that the Allied and Associated
Powers shall establish code of laws
for the International protection of
the natives of Africa similar to the
proposed International code for labor.
They demand that the League of Ma
lions, which they assume to be an
accomplished fact, shall establish a
permanent Bureau to oversee tie
application Of these laws to the wei
fare of the natives. They believe
that the land and its natural re-
sources throughout Africa should be
held In trust for the natives, and
that at all times they should have
effective ownership of such lands as
they may prove they can profitably
develop thsm. They believe that mat
! ters Of capital and concessions must
DE regulated to prevent the exrlo'.
tation OF natives and the unreason-
able exhaustion CT the natural wealth
OF the country. rhey argue that
slavery shall be abolished; and that
| the general conditions Of labor
shall be prescribed and regulated by
the State Other matters with which
they are concerned arc indicated by
the resolutions unanimously adapted
i some OF Wnlcn Tedu'
ut shall be right Of every native
child to learn to read and write his
own language and the language Of
the trustee nation, at public expense
and to be given technical instruct.
ions IN some branch Of industry. The
State shall also educate as large Q
number Of natives as possible II
higher technical and culture train
ing and maintain o corpse Of native
teachers.
at shall be recognized that human
existance in the tropics calls fol-
special safeguards and scientiii
system Of public hygiene. The Stat'
shall be responsible for medical care
and sanitary conditions without ser
\ vice created BIZ the State shall pro
vide physicians and hospitals, anS