The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1920-04-17
IErER-RAcE TROUBLES IN,
CHICAGO.

leration to all the ministers OF the
city. calling their attention to III,
serious situation on the South sid
Of the city where inner racial troubles
had been increasingly evident between
the Negroes and white people. The
fact was mentioned that within The
past four years the colored popula-
ton Of Chicago has risen from 1000
to I25,OO0. Better Industrial oppor-
tunities and higher wages have been
the attraction that brought these tlarSe
numbers from the South Il vas
hoped that the various efforts made
during the late summer and early au-
tumn to a1lay the irritation would
prove sufficient.
Within recent weeks, however, the
situation has grown increasingly seri-
Gus. Violence has broken out in a few
instances and many bombs have been
used as weapons against the property
of Negroes and those who have oent-
ed or sold dwellings to Negroes. The
chief reason for this bombing was
the invasion by Negroes of sections
of the city hitherto entirely occupied
by white people A definite effort has
been made through legal action and
the organization of a Property Own
ers' Association to prevent further ad
vance by Negroes, and as natural
consequence the colored people them
selves have organized protective cir
cles. The decision of the Supreme
Court OF the United States makes il
legal any such effort to segregate :
portion of the population.
The causes of the irritation are
many Perhaps the chief one is the
difficult housing situation. Rents are
high and Negroes are charged much
more than white people for the same
property. The charge is made also
that city and county officials are lax
in their efforts to curb and punish
crimes against the colored people and
their property. Of the twenty-seven
cases of bombing in which Negro
property or that Of white people who
have rented to Negroes have been the
cause of attack, only two arrests have
been made, and in both instances the
men charged with violence have been
released on inconsequential bonds,
FIVE hundred dollars being the limit
in each case
The Church Federation, as the rep
resentative of cooperative Protestant
ism, has been deeply concerned with
this situation, as has also the Federal
Council of the Churches of Christ in
America, which sent out from its Of
fee in New York letters of inquiry
regarding the increasing tension re-
ported in Chicago. The Inter-Church
World Survey, conducted by a staff
under the direction of the Comfy
Commission of the Chicago Church
Federation, has sent out valuable in
formation regarding conditions here,
particularly the details of the bomb
ings. This information has been sent
to all the ministers in the city.
Two conferences attended by repre-.
sentatives of the various religious
groups emphasized the necessity Of
creating commission including
those who served on the Church Fed
Grafton Committee in August and 9TH
ers whose knowledge of the situation
and influence made them valuable
members of such a commission. Ac-
cordingly, this group is now serving
the Church Federation in investiga-
ton and counsel and will hold fire.
quent meetings, watching carefully
the development of events. The mem
bers of that group are: DR.. Graham
Taylor, Dr. Smaller Mathews, Father
NJ. w. Ross, Rev. John Seibert, Rev.
John Thompson, Rev. Henry S.
Brown, Rev. Perry J. Rice, DR.. Her
bert L, Willett, Rev. Frank o. Beck,
Prof. George H. Mead, Mr.. Wallace
Hickman, DR.. Charles E. Bentley,
Rev. F. l. Anderson, Rev. c. S. Laid
man. Mrs. G. N. Mathes, Miss s. P.
Breckenridge, Miss Mary Mcdowell,
DR. ]. c. Armstrong, Rev. w. Clyde
Smith, Rev. A F. Clark. Hon. Robert
McMurdy, Prof Robert E. Park, Mr..
L. NJ Smith, Prof. Samuel Dickey,
Rev L. K Williams, Mr.. A. Arnold
Hill, Mr.. George R. Arthur, DIR.
George c. Hall, Mr.. Lucius c. Har-
per, Rev. ]. w. Robinson, Rev. Chas.
W. Burton. Rev. w. D. Cook, Rev.
E T. Martin.
At the direction of the Commission,
public officials of the county and city
have been visited for the purpose Of
emphazing their responsibility for the
Of violence and the pun
ishment of offenders.
Meantime, the Commission earnest
y requests the ministers of the city
10 study the problem and to present
% their congregations at the earliest
possible opportunity such Of its