Viewing page 5 of 27

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

knowing that our fathers' God is a God of Battles, and abides with us to serve us and nerve us in order to restore His ways upon earth and His saving health among the peoples of the earth. 
(Signed) Charles Young,
Colonel, U.S.A., Retired.

The Black Soldier
This number of THE CRISIS is dedicated, first, to the nearly 100,000 men of Negro descent who are today called to arms of the United States. It is dedicated, also, to the million dark men of Africa and India, who have served in the armies of Great Britain, and to the equal, if not larger, number who are fighting for France and the other Allies.
To these men we want to say above all: Have courage and determination. You are not fighting simply for Europe; you are fighting for the world and you and your people are a part of the world. 
This war is an End and, also, a Beginning. Never again will darker people of the world occupy just the place they have before. Out of this war will rise, soon or late, and independent China; a self-governing India, and Egypt with representative institutions; an Africa for the Africans, and not merely for business exploitation. Out of this war will rise, too, and American Negro, with the right to vote and the right to work and the right to live without insult. These things may not and will not come at once; but they are written in the stars, and the first step toward them is victory for the armies of the Allies. 

Our First Great Tragedy of the War
I have seen thousands of Negro men received into the provisional army of the United States who cannot read or write. Some of them thought the enemy to be fought was just a few miles beyond Atlanta, and that a battle was imminent at almost any hour. They mistook the blasting of rock for the roar of enemy cannon. 
Some had never heard of Germany or Serbia or France or the Kaiser or Europe or New York.
They had just known for a few weeks that a great war was raging, and had not the slightest idea what it was all about.
Hundreds, though born and reared in Georgia, did not know that Atlanta was its capital.
They knew nothing — they were so ignorant.
These men have left at home sisters and mothers and fathers and wives and little ones who are still dazed, because they do not yet know what it is about.
Our country has found it necessary to call on these people, so long neglected, repressed and exploited, to help fight the fight of freedom and democracy.
We are glad they have been called. All honor to these black men that "they are making a fine showing," as reads the report from every camp.
J. B. Watson.

Pushing the Crisis
Our traveling representative, T. J. Calloway, desires to express his appreciation to numerous friends for hospitality and hearty co-operation on his recent trip. He visited in the interest of THE CRISIS twenty-nine states and ninety-eight cities, speaking to sixty-five audiences, which approximated 30,000 people. He traveled in all 12,000 miles. Despite the fact that he was forced to use during three-quarters of his journey the "Jim-Crow" cars of the South, he has returned, thanks to the kindly hospitality of our friends, in excellent health and enthusiastic over the future of Negroes in this country.
He believes that our military service as well as the civic co-operation of colored men and women is going to bring a new day for the Negro American.
He is happy to share with the management of THE CRISIS and its one thousand agents and the achievement of driving the circulation of THE CRISIS from 45,000 in November, 1917, to 73,000 in April, 1918.
No further testimony is needed to prove the place which THE CRISIS is winning as a servant of the Negro people.

Complain
If you do not get your copy of THE CRISIS, complain. If it is our fault, we will correct it promptly. It may, however, be the fault of the railroads which today, because of war burden, are unusually slow. It may be your own fault, (1) because the address you sent us was not clear or complete, (2) because you have changed your address and not notified us, (3) because your subscription has expired and you have forgotten to renew it.
Whatever the cause is — if you do not get your copy of THE CRISIS, complain.

Civil Rights
We congratulate our colored assemblyman, E. A. Johnson, and the Governor of the State of New York on making into law an amendment to the Civl Rights Bill, which protects the rights of citizens of Negro descent in this state as completely as they can be protected by legal enactment.
We urge colored people of other states to study his law and make effort to secure the enactment of similar civil rights laws throughout the civilized parts of the country.

The Department of Labor
The United States Department of Labor is to be warmly commended for bringing the black man into its official councils. The new expert on Negro Economics, Dr. George E. Haynes, is a colored American of the highest type and widest culture, and his advice deserves to be carefully heeded.

An Angel
A gentle Catholic priest in Texas does much good by quietly writing letters of commendation or reproof to persons and editors who express themselves on the Negro problem.
Recently Father Vernimont wrote to the editor of the Little Rock Daily News, "an afternoon penny paper for the masses." The learned editor, after first making the usual accusation that this white priest was probably a "nigger," and then after waving his hand majestically over his father's "black body servant," who had the misfortune to die in his arms, and "May God blight me or mine if I ever for one moment questioned his loyalty or faithfulness!"— after all this and some more the distinguished "R. P. Robbins, editor" hands this gem to the editor of THE CRISIS:
"I regard the white man as just a little lower than the angels, and the Negro as just a little higher than the brutes. Conditions as they continue confirm my convictions, and the more I read from such Negroes as the editor of THE CRISIS, the more firmly set the convictions become. I feel sorry for the poor, ignorant black fool, with all his egotism and all his lack of knowledge. God pity him, and help him to see as much light as it is possible to get into the brain and intellect of such a man."
To this we simply add, in paraphrase: the more we see of angels the more we like brutes.