EDITORIAL ROOMS OF

THE CRISIS

70 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
FOR THE

W. E. BURGHARDT DU BOIS

ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE

September 25, 1917.

Major J. E. Spingarn,
311 Infantry, Camp Dix,
Wrightstown, New Jersey.

My dear Major Spingarn:

The Board of Directors are using every effort to get the men to stick at Des Moines until they get their commissions. On the other hand we are trying to bring some weak pressure to bear on the War Department. I am going down to see Secretary Baker, personally, next week. He has informed us by letter that the policy of the War Department, concerning colored troops, has not yet been formulated. I am afraid the South may be getting in its work, but I am still hopeful.

I know you must have your hands more than full. There is some indication that my good friend, Mr. Villard, has his eye again sternly fixed upon a possible vacancy, but we have to avoid any such misfortune. I am returning your letter.

WEBD/GRB.

Enc.

EDITORIAL ROOMS OF

THE CRISIS

70 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
FOR THE
ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE

W. E. BURGHARDT DU BOIS

December 29, 1917.

Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Spingarn,
9 West 73 Street,
New York City.

My dear Mr. and Mrs. Spingarn:

I thank
you very much for your kindly greeting
and was especially glad to see Major
Spingarn at the Ethical Culture meet-
ing. When the audience learned that
he had been there they were very sorry
indeed that they did not have a chance
at least to see him.

Very sincerely yours,

WEBD/GRB.

EDITORIAL ROOMS OF

THE CRISIS

70 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
FOR THE

ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE

W. E. BURGHARDT DU BOIS

June 24, 1918.

Major J. E. Spingarn,
military intelligence branch,
General Staff,
Washington, D. C.

Dear major Spingarn:

Enclosed is the
memorandum and also the resolutions of
the conference. I drafted the latter
without instructions and they were a-dopted unanimously with only verbal cor-rections.

Enc.

# CREDO

By W. E. BURGHARDT DU BOIS

¶ I believe in God who made of one blood all races that dwell on earth. I believe that all men, black and brown and white, are brothers, varying through Time and Opportunity, in form and gift and feature, but differing in no essential particular, and alike in soul and in the possibility of infinite development.

¶ Especially do I believe in the Negro Race; in the beauty of its genius, the sweetness of its soul, and its strength in that meekness which shall yet inherit this turbulent earth.

¶ I believe in pride of race and lineage and self; in pride of self so deep as to scorn injustice to other selves; in pride of lineage so great as to despise no man's father; in pride of race so chivalrous as neither to offer bastardy to the weak nor beg wedlock of the strong, knowing that men may be brothers in Christ, even though they be not brothers-in-law.

¶ I believe in Service—humble reverent service, from the blackening of boots to the whitening of souls; for Work is Heaven, Idleness Hell, and Wage is the “Well done!” of the Master who summoned all them that labor and are heavy laden, making no distinction between the black sweating cotton hands of Georgia and the First Families of Virginia, since all distinction not based on deed is devilish and not divine.

¶ I believe in the Devil and his angels, who wantonly work to narrow the opportunity of struggling human beings, especially if they be black; who spit in the faces of the fallen, strike them that cannot strike again, believe the worst and work to prove it, hating the image which their Maker stamped on a brother's soul.

¶ I believe in the Prince of Peace. I believe that War is Murder. I believe that armies and navies are at bottom the tinsel and braggadocio of oppression and wrong; and I believe that the wicked conquest of weaker and darker nations by nations whiter and stronger but foreshadows the death of that strength.

¶ I believe in Liberty for all men; the space to stretch their arms and their souls; the right to breathe and the right to vote, the freedom to choose their friends, enjoy the sunshine and ride on the railroads, uncursed by color; thinking, dreaming, working as they will in a kingdom of God and love.

¶ I believe in the training of children, black even as white; the leading out of little souls into the green pastures and beside the still waters, not for pelf or peace, but for Life lit by some large vision of beauty and goodness and truth; lest we forget, and the sons of the fathers, like Esau, for mere meat barter their birthright in a mighty nation.

¶ Finally, I believe in Patience—patience with the weakness of the Weak and the strength of the Strong, the prejudice of the Ignorant and the ignorance of the Blind; patience with the tardy triumph of Joy and the mad chastening of Sorrow—patience with God.

EDITORIAL ROOMS OF

THE CRISIS

70 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK

W. E. BURGHARDT DU BOIS

June 28, 1918.

Major J. E. Spingarn,
915 Eighteenth St., N. W.,
Washington, D. C.

My dear Major Spingarn,

I have your letter. Can you give me any idea of just the kind of work I shall be required to do? This is still a little hazy in my mind. I am interested to hear that you still think the project will go through. I had about given it up.

Very sincerely yours,

WEBD/GRB.

EDITORIAL ROOMS OF

THE CRISIS

70 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK

file

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

FOR THE

ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE

W. E. BURGHARDT DU BOIS

August 7, 1918.

Major J. E. Spingarn,
917 Eighteenth St., N. W.,
Washington, D. C.

My dear Major Spingarn:

I can only express my great sorrow at the final decision of Colonel Churchill and my sympathy with you in your efforts. I trust you are not discouraged. As I am saying in next month's CRISIS, "no one who assays to teach the multitude can long escape crucifixion."

Very sincerely yours,

WEBD/GRB.

April 11, 1921.

Dear Mr. Du Bois:

I have just received an indignant protest
from Professor Morse on the publication of his
letter to me in the Crisis, and I confess that
I was quite as much surprised as he was. Even
if the editorial containing the letter was
sent in advance of publication to the members
of the Crisis Committee (and I don't happen
to remember seeing it there), don't you think
that you should have written personally to
Professor Morse or myself for permission to
print a private letter?

Sincerely yours,

Mr. W. E. B. Du Bois,
70 Fifth Avenue,
New York.

EDITORIAL ROOMS OF

THE CRISIS

70 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
FOR THE

ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE

W. E. BURCHARDT DU BOIS

June 1, 1922.

Mr. J. E. Spingarn,
9 West 73 Street,
New York City.

My dear Mr. Spingarn:

May I make the following suggestions of persons who might write an article on the Negro problem for the Bookman:

Miss Jessie Fauset, Cornell A.B.,
University of Pennsylvania A.M., and
Literary Editor of The Crisis. Mr. Benjamin
Brawley, author of "A Social History of
the American Negro" and several other ex-
cellent works published by MacMillan and
Company. R. W. Bagnall, Director of Branches,
and former rector in Detroit. Alain LeRoy
Locke, Professor at Howard University, former
Rhodes Scholar. Garnet Wilkinson, Assistant
Superintendent of Schools, Washington, D. C.
Edward F. Frazier, Fellow University of
Copenhagen of Scandinavian Foundation, address
in care of the Urban League.

Very sincerely yours,

WEBD/FF

freedom, that she was giving the students
no chance at self expression and that she
was choking the truth by propaganda for
the benefit of southern whites, and I in-
sisted that the alumni must have a voice in
the running of the institution. It was a
hard speech to make but I think I did a
good job.

I then returned home with the determi-
nation of going to work for the summer and
fall and not attending the Philadelphia con-
ference of the NIA.A.C.P. My thesis was
that if I was not needed at Kansas City I
would not be needed at Philadelphia; but
when your brother and a few of the other
Directors got through extollating I
went to Philadelphia and made a speech.
The meetings there were very excellent and
the Association is in good condition.

I am doing some writing, but I am in
the condition now of having a good deal
more to say than I have the physical ability
to express which makes me feel mentally
stuffed.

I hope this will find you improving
in health and reasonably happy. Mrs.
DuBois joins me in best regards to you and
Mrs. Spingarn.

Very sincerely yours,

W.E.B. deBE

EDITORIAL ROOMS OF

THE CRISIS

69 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK, N. Y.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
FOR THE

ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE

W. E. BURGHARDT DU BOIS

May 13, 1925.

Mr. J. E. Spingarn,
Troutbeck, Amenia,
New York.

Dear Mr. Spingarn:

Here is a first rough draft of
the Amenia pamphlet. I had to choose
between finishing this and coming to
call upon you and I thought you would
prefer this. There is one date miss-
ing, the date of the Committee of
Twelve conference at Carnegie Hall. I
will supply that later.

Please tear this up and criticise
it in all sorts of ways and when I get
back from California in July I will
write again. I am not at all sure that
it covers your idea of what should be
said and I am afraid there is a little
too much conference and somewhat too
little Amenia in it.

Will you express to Mrs. Spingarn

EDITORIAL ROOMS OF

THE CRISIS

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION

FOR THE

ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE

W. E. BURCHARDT DU BOIS

July 20, 1925

Mr. J. E. Spingarn
Troutbeck
Amenia, New York

My dear Mr. Spingarn:

I have the manuscript
and will revise it according
to your suggestions and also
send you the addresses of the
persons mentioned.

I should be so glad to
see you this summer whenever
you are feeling fit.

With best regards,

Very sincerely yours,

WEBD/KF

EDITORIAL ROOMS OF

THE CRISIS

69 FIFTH AVENUE., NEW YORK, N. Y.

W. E. BURGHARDT DU BOIS

July 24, 1925

Mr. Joel E. Spingarn
Troutbeck
Amenia, New York

My dear Mr. Spingarn:

Answering your card of this
morning I beg to say that I think
I could use twenty five copies of
the essay. I assume, of course,
that you would be sending copies
of them to the members of the
conference.

I am venturing to enclose
four essays from our contest,
the four that our readers think
are the best. Would you have
the courage to read these over
and grade them and say some-
thing about their possible
merit? I should be so much
obliged.

With best regards,

Very sincerely yours,

WEBD/KF

KRIGWA

THE CRISIS magazine desires your presence at the Renaissance Casino, 150 West 138th Street, at 7th Avenue, Friday evening, August 14, 1925, to witness the distribution of the AMY SPINGARN PRIZES FOR NEGRO LITERATURE AND ART.

We are planning a most interesting evening. There will be the production of a prize play; the reading of the prize poems and essays; and reading and tableaux illustrating a prize story. Afterward there will be dancing.

The exercises will begin promptly at nine o'clock. The price of admission will be one dollar and this invitation should be presented at the door. Further invitations for your friends and for all friends of THE CRISIS will be furnished gladly on application at the office of THE CRISIS, 69 Fifth Avenue, New York, N. Y.

W. E. B. DUBOIS

W. E. B. DU BOIS.
EDITOR

BUSINESS DEPARTMENT

THE CRISIS

A MONTHLY MAGAZINE

69 FIFTH AVENUE
NEW YORK, N. Y.

A. G. DILL.
BUSINESS MANAGER

March 27, 1926.

Mr. J. E. Spingarn,
9 West 73rd Street,
New York City, N. Y.

My dear Mr. Spingarn:

I shall be glad to come and call on you
Wednesday afternoon, March 31st, about 4:30.

I am at a loss to express to you my
appreciation of what you have done. I suppose,
theoretically at least, it would be fine in this
world to be independent of our friends, especially in matters of bread and butter; but on
the other hand, I am not just sure that the
opposite is not the best ideal.

I do hope that I have not put you and
Mrs. Spingarn to any great trouble. I think your
effort will go far to extricate me from present
difficulties. I shall be glad to talk over the
details with your brother and you. I am enclosing
three demand notes.

With best regards.

Very sincerely yours,

WEBD/DW
End. 3

EDITORIAL ROOMS OF

THE CRISIS

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
FOR THE

ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE

W. E. BURGHARDT DU BOIS

July 16, 1926.

My dear Mr. Spingarn:

I have had the unusual good fortune to arrange for some articles and lectures which will give me a chance to revisit Germany and Switzerland this summer. I am sailing at midnight tonight and expect to be back October 1st.

I had fully planned to see you several times this summer on my way to and fro to Great Barrington, but this new plan interferes. I hope you have a pleasant summer.

We are to have the preliminary reading of the manuscript in the prize contest and are going to ask you in September to read a half dozen of the best essays. We have decided that on October 25th at the International House we will not attempt dinner. Dinners cost so much that it is difficult to carry them out and get good attendance. We are planning, therefore, to have that evening one or two plays, some reading, and social intercourse, and to get as many worthwhile people as possible.