Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1930-08-09

lists for the Ancon's sister ship, the
Cristobal, were filled. 1t was felt
that the commission would have to
obtain some other means Of trans
portation back, or wait for a later
ship.
When the commission had been
two weeks in Haiti, plans for COM
pleting it's work were drawn up.
That was ten days prior to depar-
ture. DR.. Motion asked the state de-
partment to have cruiser at Port
au Prince to take the commission
to Old Point Comfort, Va, on July
7. The state department waited sew
eral days before replying. It then
sent the message that the navy de-
partment was unable to make a
cruiser available. Two alternatives
were offered. First, to go by air
plane from Port au Prince to Mia
mi, Fla. Second, to take a mine
sweeper for the twenty-hour trip
from Port au Prince to Santiago,
Cuba; to take the train from San
tiago to Havana, where we could
board steamer for home.
DR.. Motion declined the sweeper
because there were no sleeping ac-
commodations aboard and the trip
might take more than twenty hours.
The trip by airplane to Miami was
frowned on for several reasons:
Some Of the men did not feel that
they had left their affairs in the
states in the proper shape to take
the riks over the water; some did
not want to travel in the south,
landing at Miami, and others want
ed to stop in New York. But all Of
them wanted to get out Of Haiti, on
account of the heat, as soon as their
work was done.
DR.. Motion was thoroughly upset
by the state department alternatives.
He upbraided the tate department
reprepresentative and Immediately
had his secretary draw up cable
gram to President Hoover in which
he protested strongly against the
treatment he was receiving. Con-
siderable differently was experienced
in getting that cablegram off. In the
meantime, the commission had de-
cided itself that if it could be
squeezed on the Cristobal, it would
leave on the ninth, providing no
change was brought about by Hoov-
er. DR.. Motions cabel to Hoover did
not cause any change and the COM
mission party therefore eagerly
gobbled up what space remained on
the Cristobal. It was the best they
could obtain, and they wanted to
get home.
If the throwing of any brickbats
is necessary in the matter, they
should be thrown at the state and
navy departments which. during a
peroid of three months. could not
find a single cruiser to put at the
disposal of the commission. And
there might, too, be some question
of Presidents ability to get things
done. No censure is too severe for
the chicanery you find in American
official circles.
Nevertheless, there are the So
called smart and brilliant young
Negro writer's who will seize upon
wisps of rumors and out of which
they weave tissues of lies to cir
culate to the discredit of their own
people. One Of these smart gentle
men, who writes favorable comment
when he is paid to do so wrote re-
Gently that the commission sang
for the guests aboard ship and that
afterward the ships passengers
gave them presents. The fact was
this: Carl Murphy, president Of the
Baltimor Afro-American hade been
a guest of the commission in Haiti.
On Sun. night before we reached N.
Y, Mr.. Murphy entertained the COM
mission. The members of the COM
mission party were gathered in the
ships dining room, alone. Mr.. Muir
ply had written sort of doggerel
toast to each person and had
bought with his money a present
for each member of the party. He
gave out the presents. Then there
were speeches of thanks to Mr.. Muir
ply. 1t was Sunday evening. There
were two ministers in the group,
We decided that we would enjoy
ourselves with the reading Of some
of the poems from Johnson's Goods
Trombones", and with singing. Then
others of the ships passengers
came around. It would not have
been courteous to have invited
them out of the dining room or to
have halted our own party in the
face of their entrance. Parties had
been given by the other passengers
and too. all the commission had
been invited on previous nights
and given the seats Of honor. The
commission invited no one, but
when they came, did not invite them
out.
know that Mr.. Murphy, who is
d Harvard intellectual, must have
been surprised when he saw that
one smart young man had distort-
ed the purpose Of his party in order
10 cast reflections upon the MEM
bers of the commission.