The northwestern bulletin-appeal., 1924-01-12

serving In the great war were Ameri-
cans. We sent not Irish-Americans
nor French Americans; we sent not
Polish or Italian Americans; we sent
not white Americans nor black Am
orleans; not Americans of any group,
fighting men of the A. Z. F., units OF
or class, or race, but AMERICANS,
fighting men of the A. E. F., units
of the American army.
The edict went forth In some fash
ion to classify the black soldier. They
tore of the corner of our registration
cards, but thank God, that did not
blot out our Americansm, for when
the first Illinois combatant forces re-
turned it was the 370th U. S. Infantry
that made people frantic in their mad
desire to shower praise and apprecia-
tion upon those soldiers.
What a day it was. What a sight
to behold! American soldiers who had
been on the firing line, had stormed
the Hindenburg line; they were the
men whom the populace of Chicago
greeted without stint or saving-Am-
erican soldiers.
France numbers as its nationals ey-
cry Frenchman. whether Of France
in Europe or Of her colonies.
A Frenehman is a Frenchman.
British subjects are as such, not white
not black. A Brazilian Is a proud
Brazilian. There is no line Of tint
or pigment demarkation, modifying
Brazilian one way or the other as
hyphenated Brazilian. So it is
throughout South America and in all
countries save the United States. ,
America, black men sailed the high
seas with Columbus when ne discov-
cred America and the real American
red man; America, black men were
with you when you planted the col
ony at jamestown a year before the
Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock,
black men gave of their Drawn in
unrequited toll. America, black men
fought, bled and died to save the Tn
ion in the great civil struggle, yea,
they even proved most loyal to the
confederate heart in a way that was
loyalty in the most superlative de-
gree. America, black men before the
Civil war shed their bloc dior lib
erty that this land might be free; the
stream leads all the way from Bos-
ton commons where Crispus Attucks
fell, to Belleau Woods and the Ar
gonne. America, black men stand
ready to answer the Nations cali
whenever 1t is made. The corners of
our registration cards were torn off
but that act did not for one moment
mutilate our Americanism.
No Americanization propaganda is
necessary within our ranks. We are
welded, indissolubly to America and
her American institutions and tradl-
tons. We know them from Alpha to
Omega.
Why then, America, deny us that
birthright and heritage that is ours,
SO richly won, so Loyalty maintained.
untarnished by the flag Of anarchy,
the role Of traitor. Stacker or con-
scientious objector.
America, we challange thee today
AMERICA, NOT NEGRO, FOR
1924.
beginning this promising and aus
picious year Of 1924, 1t Is to be cam
er'can" for the erstwhile American
negro. Hyphens are dropped, pre-
fixes and suffixes forgotten. Editors.
publishers, writer's, orators, speakers
and publicists, take cognizance Of
this fact that the American Negro
no longer weighs himself with a Pc
culiar racial stamp, he counts himself
none other than American. Failing
to recognize our fond hopes, our cher
ished wishes and fervent prayers to
be part of the body polite as Ameri-
cans, we now let 1t be known that
we shall resent as an unfriendiy act
any reference to the group as Negro
or anything other than American. We
have earned 1t, we merit 1t, have writ
ten in letters of blood, American,
Negro. for 1924" Remove the blot
of the hyphen, destroy alien-mind-
edness; develop one America for all
Americans. including over fifteen mil
lion citizens heretofore classified as
Negro, making a real nation of over
one hundred million Americans.