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

tho effects Of which will be- felt far
beyond these she: es. Thousands ,.f
Jamaican Negroes, for instance, nr6
coming to the United States, despite
all Tho stories OF lynchins, because
they are tired of the miserable pit,
tances which they have been earning
on tho 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 q dc
finite principle that the native popu
lation OF given area should lie the
sole beneficiary OF any industrial do
velopmcnt within that area. If oil is
struck, the Indians get the proceeds.
Every individual Indian has Il watch
full guardian i'll Uncle Sam. who pro
tcctS the man even from his own FOL
~ or incNpericncc. If that principle
had been applied to Africa there
would never have been the rubber
i't rrors and tho dcpopulation of Ger
tain German territories. The Ameri.
can Indians were, OF course, few In
numbers, and it has not been dificalt
TO make generous provision for
them. The trouble I'm 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 pre
cedcnt he must give away everything
10 inc native and have nothing at
all left for himself.
What seems to he needed Is ON in
dependent authority empowered to
hold the balance even between the ma
i've and tho trader. 1t was hoped
mat on the Congo the late Kink Leo
pold OF Belgium would have acted in
this capacity; bat no became himself
profiteer, and it required King AL.
pert to put the matter straight
again. In that case the crucial point
was at what price and under what
cchdltlohs rubber was to he supplied,
Othcr similar products arc palm oil
ana cOcoanut. On such exDOrts the
hatlVe should be assured a fair deal.
rot TINS Is not easy to guarantee. No,
Aly Is the British Parliament ell
crossed In affairs nearer homo. but
IT,, whole OF the southern section of
Soath Africa is now self-govcrninc,
80 far as the white man Is concerned
When deputation of chiefs Visits
some Minister like Air. Walter Ions
at the Colonial Office in Downing
street the answer Is that the home
Cabinet cannot interfere with the do
miAion Prime Minister--that is, Gen.
Smuts-on the spot. And, indeed, il
Is SO. The recent election in South
Africa, in which the Labor Party foin
ed with the NationaliRts against the
SHUTS Government on q platform of
Independence, shows hsw little South
Afrfca Ia inclined just Mt present to
ha leotured by, England Or anybody
else on the PROPER treatment Of her
NATIVES 1t IL, a little like the jealousy
with which tho South here listens TO
criticisP's from tho North, on her
treatment OF tho Negro , {.
+, {, At1trica. will of course, recognize
the fact that, Britain, being herself
: under the 'searchlight ih:,India aand
[, lfelard} and Egsrtl is ,watrhinyt the
record of the, United, Rtatas, an rsspeet
Of the Negro Tho TACT That coibrea
men arc drifting hero from the West
Indies Is " compl infsntf to this ,cosn
try, and the educational achieve
ments Of Hampton and Tuskegee have
Afforded some of our best schools for
Engi tsh children materials for I'm
provement along the line OF !asssociut
Ing the hand and the he0d in the de
velopment OF personality. But, OF
oourae,l the lynchings have baen q
matter Of surprise especially among
foltsh people, who like to get In their
word, against tho Now World. The
2 color sline,,is drawn here more strict
ly than in England, for this very reas
GA. that with us the colored man is
too rare to make much difference. We
may be certain that 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
es can supplement- her admirable
educational work among the Negro
es by conferences, like those which
s'e being arranged by the Episcopal
and other churches. with a Wow 70
avoiding these outbursts Of summary
Justice" she will make an invalu.
able contribution to the settlement
Of native problems all the world over
The citizenship Of the Negro here
must be the high water mark-%he
gold standard-in such matters every
where. To a detached observer like
myself It would seem surely possible
to have Negro cases handled by spev
ial courts under Federal Jurisdiction
and trials for certain Offenses removed
rom the areas naturally inflamed
by them. The difficulty OF travel
night surely he mitigated. oven II
special accommodation OF equal lux
hry to that Of the white we're provid
ed. Out OF Scores Of hanquets in
which I have taken part + think that
there were only two in which >. color
cd man was present and none with q
colored woman. Despite the law on
taesubject- 1t seems rs II the oelore
Donlation Is cnt off from the intelles
tual opportunities enjoyed ny the
rest OF us in this brilliant and eager
land. NY friends tell me that the
fault lies largely with the colored PEG
rie themselves, who are 40 afraid OF
flfghts" that they will not avail
mselvcs OF their admitted soai..l