Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1920-04-17
(By u. Nv. Wilson.)


OF Nations has issued tho ANNOYANCE
mont that France, Britain. Belgian
and the Union OF South Africa are to
lie manufactures for German colonies
in that continent by Il stroke OF the
pen. populations numbering 100000
are transferred from one sovereignty
to others, doubtless for their advnnt-
age got withou; a plchiscite or otkea
method OF consultation. Some OF us
had hoped that under the League, Ne
gro Africa would have been consoli-
dated, like India. with this difference.
taat the Government would have been
International. This ideal has not been
realized. Africa remains divided and
is part OF the spoils OF war. And the
arrangement means that tho white
man has still to solve the problem
of the black man, which beo5mos
fnore formidable With every year
that passes.
Al this moment of uphoaval there
arc l.G0a millions of persons. living
uneaSily on this planet. OF these per
sons, one in cvary ten is OF Negro
hood. and everywhere the Negro is
in vague Torment somewhat &c
ScmblinG the unrest in the ao1lam
world. IL there had been no war at
all i, is clear that with gradually i'm
proving education and his own
c',urchcs and newspapers, the color
81 man must have become CONSCIOUS
Of his own International origin and
destiny. But the war has stimulated
that awakening From the United
States alone not far short Of 5000
Negroes entered the contest. In tke
French Army there were numerous
Stncgal"3c and similar regiments
while | have myself addressed West
African troops in the British Array
N'r, Winston Churchill WAC all fer
flooding Europe with as many Asiat
&c sad African soldiers as couh he
recruited anyhow. and Of course the
emergency was severe. But the white
man has now to face tho consequences
of summoning The native races to sot
tie his Quarrcl6.
Before the war the Negroes were
what tho lets Gen. Booth would have
called Il submerged tenth. Whether Ia
the New World or In the Old, the surke
OF Ham hung heavy over these prim
oval races. In the South OF the UNI
al States the Negro has achieved
economic freedom. but has not yer ar
rived ut social ana political eauaif.
ty. In Africa his proper homie, ne
has been the 'scr7 Of the gold aad
; diamond mines, the, victim or the
rubber fiend and the helpless save
of the Moslem raider. Of'ailt great
! Negro, otatef> AbyM1nia aRae y re-
mains independent. And f. her. etyiliaa
/ tioa, though Rnciont, Is stih rudi'
mentnry.., Some years 'ngo spnat a
, weak end In England with tho young
j King OF Uganda, who ts Christian
and the Representative OF a dypasty,
bnstipE,,I think. twenty-eiEht oonSa
/ cutiya generations. But no had q Brit
ish tutor and his country was u pro
ttctorate.. While Liberia Is n 1emiy
.ueccsstul experiment, Hayti Is an ad
. mitted failure, and 1t " clear that An
/ the pmstice OF self-goverAment the
Nerru-cvcn when he uses the phraa-
cs--.hae yet great deal to learn. 10
rpatrinte him to his ancestral uop-
its in Africa is no solution or MS ain
iculties. For him there IL not and can
rot DO my policy OF applied Zion
ism. T." Side by side with tho white
naA, and under a white mans adnln
;Nration, he must live, and liV6 II
lie can contcntedly. Segregation 10
no, practical politics, Whore the Me-
groes are most national-that 10, In
countries entirely f1habitatod by
them-they are the least able to face
the actualities of modern prosraeH.
The serious thing is tnat we wxe
asking the Negro to be at case III
world which is itself out OF joint.
nh 4 q
,iop awakens a wild echo in his heart.
hitherto his grievances have bean
lacal. and the Negro who Was floS&
ID on the Rand did not worry very
ruch about the Negro who was lynch
Cd in kentucky. But under tho LEAD
ership OF men like MIR. DIV Bois. tho
Ncs1 ocs are, as it were, mobliEins
their grievances, so that tho same
journal will advertise delegation
OF Basuto chiefs to the NPitiah GOV
crlrncnt and the Jim Grow car IN
Alab.H.t. Between the British Rm-
pire and the United States, therefor
the Negro furnishes now point OF
contact Politically this may not com
lare In importance with 1neianu. yet
i, viii tell, none the less. Over Ne
g,oes in the Ola World. Britain Is
the leadiag sugerai1n, and In the
New York this is the position OF the
United States. whether within her
own borders or in Hayti and San
Domingo. Already We have AlmcrH
can newspapers OF Negro sditornhiD
somatimee excluded from the Brit
iEh West Indies at tho very mornent
when Congress- Is talking Of meas
ures to restrict the passage OF thoHo
same newspapers through the Ansri
can mails.
For the intellect OF the Negro move
lient IL in this country. Mr. Du Bofs
himatlf Is a Harvard man. In his pit
less way tho scientist tells us that
tho brain Of the gorilla weights fff
toen ounces anI OF the Negro thirty
five ounces; and OF the white Cnucas
ian forty-five ounces: but there are
millions OF persons c)nssed az color
ed who have white blood and white
ineimc&i, without enjoying white
privileges. In Brazil and other South