The Washington times., 1921-12-11

now writing II the voice Of the COL
ored people. As a novelist-a novel
ist in my spare time and as man
very curious by nature about hui
man reactions. the peculiar situa-
lions created by "color" in America
have always appealed to me. do
not understand why American fic-
ton does not treat Of them more fire.
quently. 1t il the educated. highly
intelligent colored people who get
my interest and sympathy. I ca,-
not get up any race feeling about
them. / am particularly proud to
have known Booker T. Washington
and to know Mr.. Dubois. and this
time, in spite Of q great pressure Of
engagements, J. was able to spend
two hours last Sunday listening to
the proceedings Of the Washington
Correspondence Club. an organize
ton which battles by letter and Ia
terview and appeal against tho
harsh exclusions from theaters,
schools. meetings, restaurants, IL
braries and tho like that prevail
here. I viii not discuss here the
rights and wrongs of a bar that cuts
off from most of the intellectual
necessities and conveniences Of life
many people who would pass AZ re-
fined and cultivated whites in any
European country; I mention this
gathering merely to note very IN
teresting topic upon which I was
called to account thereat.
Uphold Training By Franco
Once or twice in these papers-I
do not know II the reader has noted
tt have mentioned the French
training Of Senegalese troops and
the objection felt by other European
peoples to their extensive employ
ment In Europe. / was asked at
the correspondence club whether the
objections had made to this were
not fostering race prejudice?" and
some interesting exchanges followed. I
/ was inclined to argue that the i'm
portation Of African negroes into Eu-
rope for military purposes was as
Objectionable as their importation
into America for economic services.
but some of my hosts. some of the
younger men. did not see 1t in that
light. They are warmed toward the
French by the notable absence Of
racial exclusiveness in France, ani
they see the ideals Of that epoch
making book, la France Negre."
from an entirely different angle.
Why not q Black France as big or
bigger than White France and new
people who have learned military
discipline. military service and
united action from Europe7
why not an African Napoleon
presently7" said the young man. q
little wanting. thought, in that alb
ject meekness which is the Ameri-
can ideal Of colored behavior.
He was imagining. suppose.
something happening in Africa
rather after the fashion of the eman-
cipation Of Hayti and Of great Afri-
can armies pushing their former
rulers back to the sea But Colonel
Taylor has recently suggested an
other possibility. namely. that Of
France finding herself IN the grip
of a black pretorian guard. II In .
just conceivable fancy pretorian
guard, French speaking and ultra
patriotic, keeping French Socialists
and pacifists and Bolshevists In
their proper place.
do not believe very much In
either Of these possibilities. nor even
in the third possibility Of European
powers fighting each other with
black armies in Africa. but do per-
ceive that dreams Of a world peace
will remain very unsubstantial
dreams indeed until we can work
out q scheme. or. at least, general
principles Of action. for the treat
ment Of Africa between the Sahara
and the Zambesi river. a scheme
that will give some sort of quietus
to the jealousies and hostilities
evoked by the economic and political
explorations of annexed and manda,
tory territories upon nationalist and
competitive lines in this region OF
the earth. For It seems to be the
fact that tropical and subtropical
Africa has another function in the
world than to be the home of the
great family of Negro peoples. AZ
RIGA is economically necessary to Eu-
ropean civilization as the chief
source of vegetable oils and fats and
various other products Of no great
value to the native population. Eu.
ropean civilization can scarcely get
along without these natural re.
sources Of Africa.
Now here we are up against a
problem entirely different from the
problem that arises In the case Of