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

beyond these she: eB. Thousands III
Jamaican Negroes, for instance, aro
coming to tho United States, despite
all tho stories OF lynchins, because
they are tired OF the miserable pit.
tanccs which they have been earning
on the plantations, with the discrimi
native taxation and the low standard
OF education.
The ideal policy for Africa was
laid down once for all in this country
when the reservations for Indians
were established thirty years ago.
There you had the assertion of Il dc
finite principle that the native popu
latlon OF given area SHOULD lie The
sole beneficiary OF any industrial de
velopmcnt within that area II oil is
struck, the Indians get the proceeds.
Every individual Indian has Il watch
ful guardian in Uncle Sam. who pro
tccts the man even from his own tol
" or inrNpcrcncc. If that principle
Mad been applied 70 Africa there
would never have been the rnbbcr
it rrors and the dcpopulation of Ger
tain German territories. The Amcri.
can Indians were. OF course, few In
numbers, and il has not been difficult
to make generous provision for
them. The trouble In the case of Afri.
ca is that the white man is in q small
minority. and he argues that IL he
Follows the American Indian IRE
cedent he must give away everything
to the native and have nothing at
all left for himself.
What seems to no needed is IN in
dependent authority empowered to
hold the balance oven between the ma
i've and the trader. 1t was hoped
That on the Congo the late Kink Leo
b"ld or Belgium would have acted in
ms capacity. but ho became himsels
Il protlteer, and it required King Al
pert to put the matter straight
aRalf. In that case the crucial point
was at what price and under wba1
conditions rubber was to DO supplied
o'hcr similar products are palm oil
ana cocoanut On such exports the
native ahould be assured Il fair deal
Yet this is not easy to suars ntec. No,
1ly is the British Parliament ell
crossed in affairs nearer homo, bnt
Tia whole OF the southern section of
Soath Africa is now self-govcrning,
80 far az the white man is concerned.
"heh depntation Of chiefs visits
some Minister like AIR. Walter Long
NJ the Colonial Office in Downing
street the answer is that the home
cabinet cannot interfere with tho do
miAion Prime Minister--that is, Gen.
SmntS-on the spot. And, indeed, il
is so. The recent election in South
Africa, in which the Labor Party ioin
ed with the Nationalists against the
SHUTS Government on platform eff
Independence, shows how little South
-Nfrica Is inclined just Mt present to
BID lectnred by England or anybody
ola" on the proper treatment OF her
natives 1t ia a little like tho jealousy
with which tho South here listens TO
CRITICISMS from tho North. on her
treatment OF tao Negro. -
America. will OF course, recognize
The fac; that Britain, being herself
under the 'aenrchlight in, India and
/, lfeland and Egypt, is Watching the
i, record OF the United atntas In; respect
OF the Negro. Tho fact that coloreli
men arc drifting hero from the West
Indies Is Il compliment to this coan
try. and the educational achieve
ments Of Hampton and Tuskegce have
afforded some of our best schools for
EnGl ish children materials for inl-
provement along the line OF ntsociat
Ing the hand and the head in the de
valopment OF personality. But, OF
course. the lynchings have boon a
matter Of surprise especially among
folteh people, who like to get In their
word against the Now World. Tho
color line Is drawn hero more atrict
iy than in England. for thia very reas
oai. that with us the colored man is
too rare to make much difference. We
may be certain that n continuance
OF lynchings will react upon Africa.
The Negroes here will be restless
and they will communicate their un
easiness to mon Of their race all the
world over. II, then the United Stat
az can supplement- her admirable
educational work among the Negro
es by conferences, like those which
sic being arranged by the Episcopal
and other churches, with a view to
avoiding these outbursts of summary
''justice,' she will make an invalu-
able contribution to the settlement
OF native problems al the world over.
The citizenship OF the Negro here
mast be the high water mark>-%he
gold standard-in such matters every
where. TO a detached observer like
myself 1t would seem surely possible
to have Negro cases handled by spec
ial courts under Federal jurisdiction
and trials for certain offenscs removed
from the areas naturally inflamed
by them. The difficulty OF travel
Night surely he mitigatcd. even if
special accommodation OF equal lux
"ry to that Of the white were provid
cd. Out OF Scores OF banquets I'm
which I have taken part 7 think that
there were only two in which y color
cd man WAS present and none with q
coiorcd woman. Deapite the law on
taesubjcct, it seems as II the oelorel !
poulation Is cht oft from the intellec
Nal opportunities enjoyed by the
rest OF us in this brilliant and eager
land. Ny friends tell me that the
fault lies largely with the colorod peo
Ile themselves. who are 90 afraid of
flights" that they will not avail
th' mselves OF their admitted sooi Il