Evening star., 1923-05-23
NEGRO DEFENDED
AT SOCIAL MEETING
Speakers Plead for More
News of CoIored Peoples
Achievements.

Emphasizing the fact that action
springs from mental attitudes. Gra-
ham Romeyn Taylor of New York,
in an address today before a group
meeting Of the national conference of
Social Work in the Interior Depart
iment auditorium. declared the negro
problem" is a "misnomer. the real
problem being mainly the problem of
the white mind"
The topic Public Opinion in Prob
lens of Race and Nationality" was
spoken on also by Prof. Herbert Adolf
phus Miller, department of sociology,
Oberlin College. Oberlin, Ohio and
Charles S. Johnson. formerly associ-
ate executive. Chicago commission on
race relations and now director. re-
search and Investigations. National
Urban League, New York. Allen T.
Burns, first vice president Of the con-
ference, presided.
Says Press Aids Prejudice.
Mr.. Taylor, who formerly was ex-
ecutive of the Chicago commission
on race relations. and now is eXecu-
tive director. joint committee on
methods of preventing delinquency,
New York, said that traditional be-
liefs cause press and public to ac-
cept and give currency to items of
news about negroes which happen to
coincide with these familiar beliefs.
discarding and ignoring news which
is more truly representative Of the
facts. AS an example, he discussed
the prevalent notion that the negro
is unduly inclined to crime, this lead
ing to the publication of news about
crimes committed by negroes far out
of proportion to the negros real rec
ord of criminality. This in turn in
creases the impression that the negro
is inclined TO crime. and so vicious
circle of thought and misconcepIion
is created. He deplored the habi: Of
the press in labelling only negro Of
tenders as such. when 1t rarely indi-
Gates the race or nationality of other
offenders, and declared this TO be 4
fruitful cause of prejudice.
He pleaded for more news concern
ing the other facts of negro life. so
that the public would gain n rounded
and balanced understanding Of The
struggles and achievements of the
negro population.
In the promotion of better race re-
lations. Mr.. Taylor declared that
there Is no easy formula. but only
patient building of knowledge and
understanding. This requires the
joint effort of both races, and he de-
clared that the success of the efforts
of the Chicago commission on race
relations was due in large measure to
the fact that it was composed half of
leading white citizens and half of
leading negro citizens of Chicago.
Most Dangerous Ideas.
Prof. Miller said 100 per cent
patriotism and confidence in Nordlc
superiority ARE the two most dan
gerous ideas in the world today"
They lead exactly in the opposite
direction from which civilization
must go if it is to survive. he added
The alternative" said Mr.. Miller,
must be a new public opinion which
or a race as severely as 1t condemns
that of an individual. When there
are personal relations between people
of different nations or races there is
no basis Of conflict, but when trained
prejudice Is let loose reason vanishes.
bolshevik or a hun, and every one
of different color is inferior. All
are to be exploited. and in the
opinion of certain captains of in
labor commodity. The breakdown of
prejudice will come when the injunc-
tion Of Emmanuel Kant Is followed to
treat every person as an end. not as
a means.
Egotism Vice.
Individual egotism is a vice and
there is a social demand for it's sup
blOuP mag
as the highest virtue at present,
whether in religion, nation, or the
chamber of commerce.
Patriotism is beginning to descend
to chauvinism. and the next step must
be national tolerance to correspond to
religious tolerance. All the new states
of Europe make constitutional protec-
ton Of minorities to meet this neces-
sity. The relation of races has not yet
reached it's crisis, so there is little re-
straint on racial egotism.
''In every case public opinion has
trained it's groups to rationalize about
their respective superiority. But this
training has been artificial and myth
cal People have been justified in sat
isfying their egotism through legend,
religion, the press. the law, neighbor-
hood gossip, and now by science. Most
immigrants are learning to fear and
sometimes hate America, just as the
Jews have feared and despised the
Christians for their naughty airs and
much moralizing."