The Black Dispatch (Oklahoma City and Guthrie, Okla.), Vol. 4, No. 36, Ed. 1 Friday, September 28, 1917 Page: 4 of 8
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1
THE BLACK DISPATCH
\
THE ALACK DISPATCH
00 E. Second S'^et Phone Maple 818
SUF SCR7PTION—CASH IN ADVANCE.
One Year 51-50
Six Month- 90
Three Months 50
Ml matter for publication must be in this office not later than Tues*
day night. Sign your name to all manuscript for publication.
Entered at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, postofflce as second class mail,
under Act of March 3, 1879.
All manuscript sent to this office for publication must bear the full name
and address of the author, otherwise the same will receive no notice by this
publication
MEMBER
Western Negro Pref* Association.
ROSCOE DUNJEE Editor
DRUSILLA DUNJEE HOUSTON Contributing Editor.
WE'LL FIGHT FOR THE FLAG
For the freedom
of the sea and
the freed m of
.ne land.
For the zephers"
of Justice and the
shackling of
•night.
For our dear
women's ocean of
tears and our
flickers of light.
For our manhood
and the defense
of our homes.
EDITORIALS.
Our Schools
School enrollment this year is slightly under average and Prof. Debnam
aptly accredits the situation to the changed economic conditions of the year.
For instance, a study of the enrollment shows that the decrease does not
show in the lower grades among children too young to work but develops
In the higher grades. .
With cotton picking bringing $2.00 per hundred, the packing plants cry-
ing even for women, and every avenue of activity, almost, open to the en-
trance of black folk, tho temptation is too great for the colored youth At
the end of tho second week last year the enrollment in the high school was
f4j, thin year 111 and such appreciable decerases show down to about the
sixth grade. However, Prof. Debnam says this condition will not obtain when
the weather gets cooler and the monster crop harvested. Miss Cecil D.
Carter has been added to the Domestic Science department and Mrs. Foster
plans to do more effective and practical work since the cooking, equipment
has been completely instaled, failure to get this equipment last term severly
handicapped the work. ,
Miss Ethel L. Cuff succeeds Miss Ida Wright in the English department
of the high school and Miss Sallie Floyd will handle the kindergarten work
at Dunbar. Miss Pearl Jones will also leach at Douglas, she is one of our
home girls who lias made good. n .
The new rule of the Hoard of Education requiring all pupils who live
east of Kelly to attend the Dunbar school- will materially increase the>en-
rollment there and lessen the congested conditions at Douglas.
Miss Edna Wright has been assigned to Packingtown and reported the
second week an enrollment of 22.
' The manual training department is in splendid working order. Prof.
P x'jner Is now ambitious to install a shoe muking department. -Oklahoma
,itla.. are n„t HS largely acquainted with the fact as thev ot wta oiat I rot.
Brttner U. «r-- ti.. w.w.wMr teachers ' America. He is giving
to.the boys \ ho enter his department not only the text, but inspiration to go
out nnd do practical useable work in handicraft. The equipment in his de-
partment is complete and includes the splendid varsity saw "that cost more
than 500 dollars. The play ground proposition in the colored schools has not
reached a point where the children will secure its benefits yet a while, last
year the faculty thru "public benefit programs and "field spectacles" secured
$100.00 dollars for this purpose but this will not be enough to secure ade-
quate or even temporary equipment of the cheapest sort.
Somehow the county commissioners can not be shown that there is tin
same need for the Negro children in this respect as for the whites and as a
result the teachers have had to try and shoulder the burden themselves
which seemingly is too heavy for them to bear.
In this connection we might add that there is at this moment, store
the old high school building, according to one of the school board officials,
more play ground equipment than they know what to do with. It was bought
by the taxpayers of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City Negroes included, but
then the manipulation of the ,11m Crow school system, and lack of repre-
sentation, for which America once fought, this play ground apparatus is
held for probably use of white children, and the Negroes are told that there
'* no fund from which to secure such things for them.
mcalester news.
The members of the Triumph Bap
Mst Church gave Rev. Roebuck a re
option on the eve of his departure
for Detroit, Mich. A program was
rendered which was excellent. Many
valuable presents were received.
The Domestic Science club met at
the hom of Mrs. T. Prsly, Friday af
ternoon. As roll was call"d the mem-
bers answered with quotations. The
President made her report of the
State Federation meeting at Okmul-
gee which was enjoyed by all. After
the regular business had been at-
tended to the hostess, Mrs. Presley as-
sisted by Mrs. M. E. Thompson,
served a dainty repast.
A writing contest was engaed in
and the prize was awarded to Mrs.
Brown of Texas. Next meeting to be
held at the reading room.
Mrs. Billinger or Alderson Is very
'"-rhe union rally at Rev. Frank Mot-
ley's church at Alderson was a sue
cess. Proceeds whs $41.66 the pur-
pose of tb erally is to paint his
church.
The ladles of McAlester are sparing
no pains to try and make it pleasant
for the boys who will take their de
parture >ctober 3rd for the call of
our country. An excellent program
will be rendered. Attorney Harrison
will be the principal speaker.
Mrs. Edna Milliner has been very
ill but reported beter.
avery chapel.
I Sunday 23rd, Avery Chapel wound
up her last quarterly conference for
111 17, the very best we know to say
would not be sufficient praise for this
our most successful year. At 11 the
Presiding Elder spoke wonderfully on
"In thy light we shall see light." At
night upon the resurrection of Christ.
Hoth sermons were grand and largely
attended. He also gave great praise
to Avery for her being out of debt.
Let us have your dollar money now
please to Sunday; Sunday School at
9:4.',. Please let us have your chil
dren. Services all tlay. He sure you
are present.
NEW WAR PLANES TO CM 19II
Britain Sends Us Plans for
Giants of Air to Be
Built Here.
WILL PARALYZE THE ENEMY
Mrs A. H. (iray, of 809 E. 7th, re-
turned Monday from a week's visit to
Wynnewood with her siliter, Mrs. E.
J. Ores ham. Iter father, Mr. A. T.
Trotter, who accompanied her, re-
turned to Wynnewood, Sunday.
Miss Corda Mills of Chickasha, was
visiting her sister Mish Josephine
•Mills this week.
Mrs. Dora
Louis before
relatives in
Reid is visiting in St.
returning she will viBit
Texas.
Stop in Ardmore
AT THE
~ PEOPLE'S HOTEL
5 22 E. MAIN ST
i The Best Hotel in the City
Rates Cheap Fare: The Best
H. C. PROVO, MGR
Divine Healer
MME A.J.BOYD
Call and See Me .
Treats All manners of Diseases
505 Idaho St
Oklahoma City, Okla.
Stevedore Soldiers! What?
We want to register our protest here and now against the spirit and at-
titude pf'the government In their request that Black Men volunteer as "steve-
dores soldiers."
If a Negro goes to the army recruiting station in Oklahoma City today
and volunteers to enlist, in the aero corps, the signal corps, the coast artillery
lery. calvary or infantry he is told that all these units, for him, are tilled
and completed, a white boy coming right behind" him may choose as he will
and is immediately assigned to any or these branches of the military service.
The Black Boy, tho, is Informed that he may volunteer in a "stevedore
regiment." When the editor of this paper asked the army recruiting officer
here, what the military meaning of "stevedore" was. he was met with the
evasive answer "Oh the Boys won't have to face any bullets." To which we
replied: "Yes, but the government is in danger and in registering our
strength against the enemy we black men have not delegated any one to
shield us from German bullets."
Wo knew the common accepted meaning of stevedore, but we did not
care to run afoul of some military term, and that is why we asked the re-
cruiting oillcer the duty of "soldier stevedores" which he finally admitted
would be the loading of ships, nothing less—nothing more.
The telegrams states that "special uniforms" will await the volunteers
and we trust that we shall not be guilty of treason if we should say that
those uniforms are likely to be a good strong pair of "geens overalls."
Maybe we have said too much ail ready but we want to close this ex
pressiOn of our feelings by stating what our last words were to this recruit-
ing officer, to whom we talked.
"If you were closed In the death grip of a vicious advisary and. I your
friend should rush to your assistance, how do you think my mental and spir-
itual process would work were you to disassociate your attention from the
foe and say NO! don't do this and don't do that and conclude by telling
me to run home and milk the cows by the time you get there"?
I'd go home and I wouldn't milk * cows cither for that wasn't exactly
subject to shoulder a gun.
Just so surely as Black men find that there are no military units open
to them except "stevedore units" enthusiasm is going to die for in this tight,
we. just as all other people, are fighting for liberty and freedom, and we
believe that this freedom and liberty should begin at home and spread abroad.
We long to fight with Wilson for the right of the voice of men to be heard in
their own government.
what I, started out to do.
The editor of this paper is patriotic, we ar trying every day of our
{ 0:1 t NORTHWARD, Continued on page 5
♦
Have you Decayed Teeth? P'
Do your Teeth nepd clean-
ing f
Are your Teeth loose? "*®Oo^ dj
Do you need Crown, Bridge ai^ Puo * „ JO
Piano lessons,
asonbale term , J
New piano
terms. Call K. Ca
atest meth"'
Caldl
.. : ■!-
5ER VICE
VALUE
A ticket via Rock Island
Li >es v u ij. to
your destination — and
something else.
Safety, courtesy, travel-
comfort and expedition
are included.
A business trip becomes
a oleasure and a pleasure
t ip a reality wncii \<u
-ft full service-value foi
your money.
That's why you should
ask to be routed
—£orfares, routes pno reser
Tka-iCHilt on or write
~~Soek Islanc
IF SO CONSULT -
'^7 «"*n
opy established m r-
I. confidential
Their floral department ftiralsfee? htin-
lreds of dollars worth of flowers each
movement.
jV^Snap.
klahoma
Great Number of These Craft to Make
Impossible Re-enforcement of Ger-
man Lines—Engines Very
Powerful.
London.—American airplane manu-
facturers are In possession of working
models nnd blueprints of aero motors
developed by England and France dur-
ing three years warfare. The Unit-
ed States airplane factories have re-
ceived gratis the secrets of new alloys
and Improvements In construction
which previous to America's entry into
ihe war could not be bought at any
price—secrets that were guarded with
men's lives nnd were never mentioned
beyond the doors of certain offices.
Personal messengers have left England
by every departing steamship; mall
bags have been filled with priceless
blueprints and cable lines have been
Jammed with messages, all bearing on
th? development of the American air
squadron.
The governments of France and
Great Britain know that upon the ef-
forts made on the other side of the At-
lantic within the next six months de-
pends the fate of the armies afield.
Important above everything else in the
struggle for victory is the airplane,
which must be produced in myriads,
and the task now falls squnrc-ly to
Uncle Sam.
Doubters Are in Minority.
There are doubting Thomases on
this side of the water who sneer lit the
grandiose statements coining from New
York and Washington and who assert
thnt even if the United States organ-
izes for the aerial construction pro-
gram the product will he so Inferior
that It will he useless for actual fight-
ing. Fortunately these doubters are
In the minority. Officials and men In
a position to know what already ha
been done are highly optimistic. They
belle*) *hat American methods applied
to the manufacture of air craft will re-
sult In just as good a product as Is
now coming from factories organized
here shortly after the war started.
Despite all the lurid prophecies re-
garding the great tleet of airplanes
that eventually will lay waste the prin-
cipal German cities, the experienced
airmen on this side only hope for
thousands of machines with which to
fight the German armies in the field.
'The success wlilch America's efforts
are to Insure will rome only when the
allied armies In France have sufficient
airplanes to retain mastery of the air
and to patrol every mile of the terri-
tory immediately behind the German
lines. When the day finally arrives,
Germany will not be able to move a
train back of the lines and to move
reserves will be impossible. She will
he unable to feed the men who are In
the first lines. Her heavy artillery
will he silenced nnd In the end her en-
tire fighting forces made useless. The
way will then become one of move-
ment, with the chances for victory al-
together on the side of the allies.
There are various types of airplanes
which will be manufactured in Ameri-
ca thnt nre already being used In
1 "ance. Engines of unbelievable pow-
r are being put into the newest type
if plane. The average American Is
more or less familiar with automobile
engines nnd has some iden of what
weight of engine will develop 100
horsepower. If this average American
were to look at some of the newest nir
motors he probably would judge them
to he ton or 15-horsepower. In fact,
he could lift some of the engines un-
aided nnd would probably be astound-
ed to learn that such a machine was
upable of developing not 100. but t.~0-
horsepower.
Every newspaper render in the Unit-
ed States has been well Informed of
the plans for building airplanes, hut it j eouHl ha\o hel
Is doubtful if one in a thousand can wfts wry (lou,
picture the size of some of the planes
that eventually will he loaded on trans-
ports nt the Atlnntlc piers. The cor-
respondent has had an opportunity in
the last few weeks of inspecting the
newest type of aircraft; the type that
will be tur.icd out in vast numbers by
America, and it Is bigger In every way
and more powerful than laymen im-
agine.
To begin with, the body of the new
machine resembles in ninny ways a big
motor launch. Its under part is
rounded nnd beautifully constructed
of finely grained wood. It Is so big
thnt to enter It one must clamber up n
ladder and go down through a hatch-
way as big as the cabin door of a
motor yacht. It is of the biplane type
and from tip to tip of each wing there
Is room enough for a dozen men to lie
out full length. Its two motors will
develop 600 horsepower and their com-
bined weight Is so little comparer! to
the power that the actual figures would
look untruthful In print. Whrre the
old types could carry hundredweights,
this machine carries tons.
Can Carry Nineteen Men.
This new plane Is manned by a pilot.
two or three observers, a forward gun-
ner. a boiub-drop|K>r. a mechanic and.
If necessary, a dozen passengers. It
has an electrical lighted passageway
leading from one compartment to an-
other. The flooring of one compart-
ment is a strongly constructed grating
through which the occupants can view
the earth below. The sides of two of
clouds, or,. In case of combat, of the
enemy planes. When the levlathun
motors are started their roar Is awe-
Inspiring, nnd the wind from the pro-
pellers sends backward a blast In front
of which a strong man woiild find diffi-
culty In remaining erect. I
This is n picture which [must be im-
pressed upon the public Inind If the
great mass of the peopleils to realize
what the United States Is going to
do. The task set for t'l American
workers is not that of turr*g out light,
hurriedly built scouting luchines to
the number of tens of thousands, but to
construct carefully with the last de-
gree of Ingenuity the highly developed
wnr craft needed in modern battles.
That Is what England expects of her
newest ally and what she has striven
valiantly to teuch authorities across
the Atlantic. The vast technical detail
developed by continuous fighting in the
air has been turned over entire so that
the United States begins the Work with
the most favorable chances oV success.
The Invention of some new fighting
machine lifter the manner of the tank
Is what all Europe expects of America,
and they expect to see the new ma-
chines, airplanes or walking seaplanes
or flying torpedo boats come to France
fully manned, nicknamed nnd prepared
to throw new terrors into the heart
of an enemy who invented terrorism.—
New York Sun.
(
■SMS
Student Aviators at Mineola
Field Learn to Worry
the Germans.
SOME TESTS OF SKILL SHOWN
Men Go Up About Half Mile, Then
"Slide" Down at Sharp Angle—
And, 8ay, This I* No Job
for Nervous Man.
Mineola, L. I.—While hundreds of
thousands of men In America are
learning how to Jab bayonets through.
German soldiers in a leisurely manner,
some of the most promising embryo
officers of the American forces nre
here learning how to destroy Boche
birdmen. To Judge by their training,
they will do the Job both efficiently and
quickly.
Under the direct supervision of Bert
Acosta, one of America's most success-
ful civilian aviators, scores of candi-
dates for commissions in the aviation;
section of the Army Signal corps are
being taught to extricnte themselves
from the most dangerous positions
Imaginable while several thousand feet
from the ground.
For military reasons It Is forbidden
for details of the fighting Instruction
for uviators to be made public. Here-
however, Is an illustration of the dan-
gerous situations the aviators are be-
ing put through:
While about two thousand feet above
ground, with the machine going nearly
straight up, let her quietly slip back-
ward and downward, tail first, for 75
or 100 feet, then get the machine un-
der control again, go up still higher,
and try It once more.
It's quite easy—that is, It is easy
to watch Bert Acosta or Edward Hol-
ternian, his first assistant, pull It off.
All you have to do is to let the ma-
chine drop backward nnd downward
until .von feel thnt you have gone far
enough, then pick up speed and make
her go upward again. Simple!
Another simple little test of your
skill ns an aviator is to ride up 2,000
or 3,000 feet, then come down In n
spiral, with the wings of the machine
almost vertical. Acosta recommends
this for nervous persons.
Notwithstanding the apparent reck-
lessness of the flyers, each "stunt" is
vrled out In an absolutely scientific
That Issue is settled for the Awfe'.fj nfmnner. Wtead'ofspurting dangerfor
people. Our task now is to pi
for victory."
In these words Secretary Bal fr
summed up the attitude of all Was
lngton officials. There are others, how-
ever, who believe the reasons for Amjr-
s a V'fry
UNCLE SAM AT PEACE TABLE
This Government Will Be in Position
to Dictate Terms When Time for
Negotiation Comes.
Washington.—President Wilson's re-
ply to Pope Benedict's peace proposal
has temporarily halted the widespread
demand for a definite statement of the
war aims .of the United States.
"The purposes of the United States
in this war are known to the whole
world—to every people to whom the
truth has been permitted to come,"
the president said In his reply to the
pope. "They do not need to be stated
nguln."
In lils Flag duy address the presi-
dent said the reasons for America's
entrance Into the war must be appar-
ent to every thinking man. Still, there
is confusion in the minds of many
Americans. The attempt of the com-
mittee on public Information to clear
up this confusion with its pamphlet,
"How the War Came to America," was
only partly successful.
"I shall not discuss here how Amer-
ica came Into this war," Secretary of
War Baker told the Fort Myer reserve
officers on the day of their graduation.
icn's entrance Into the war have
Important bearing on peace and on the
future history of the world.
Just as there were underlying causes
of the European conllict that never
have been mentioned in the official doc-
uments, so there were causes for Anier-
Icn's entrance Into the wnr that were
slighted in the president's address.
One of these causes Is generally be-
lieved to have been that France was
"bled white" and that the allies wen
In danger of defeat. Many Americans
find the best Justification for Ameri-
ca's entering into the conflict in the
statement that "we went iu to save
France."
This notion was given n severe Jolt
when Andre Tardleu, the French pur-
chasing commissioner In ihe United
States, made public his letter to Sec-
retary Baker giving statistics on the
present military strength of Ihe
Jthe fun of It" the aerial movements
nre carefully planned with the factor
>f safety always being among the first
things considered. Nothing is under-
taken for exhibition purposes except to
demonstrate how to escape death o\et
the battlefield.
"To fly around putting the machine
nt all kinds of angles and going
through all the manipulations may ap-
pear slllv and dangerous." Acosta said.
"As a matter of fact, it is the only safe
thing to do when you are above an
enemy's battlefield.
"Infantry officers In our training
enmps nre telling their men thnt 'Ig-
norance courts death. In a battle with-
bayonets. In the aviation service Ig-
norance is certain death."
High In the ranks of the men seek-
ing commissions In the aviation corps
stands Cnpt. Cushman. A. Ulc^jveternn
of half a dozen wars on the"£merlWri
continent and a former member of the
general staffs of three brigadier gen-
erals of the American army.
Captain Illce, "The Cuban Mllllon-
nlre," made n fortune in Cuba follow-
ing his resignation sis a captain of in-
French republic. With facts and fig- |n the regular army in 1902. He
tVi piimonrf "*nts are built to open and
LHi*e r,|| 'fttWA nf lUe
ures supplied by the French war of-
fice. Tardleu disproved the theory that
France was "bled white."
One of tho highest officials of the
United States government said it was
r.ot true that the allies were in danger
of defeat Just before America entered
the war. France and England both
held out for years and it
j was very doubtful, he Said, that the
German war machine could ever have
achieved a military decision over the
allies.
The United States, the president be-
lieved, would he in no position to as-
sert its views at the peace conference
if it remained a neutrnl. It was tho
avowed Intention of leaving matters
such as disarmament and an interna-
tional organization to prevent future
wars to a congress that would follow
the peace conference.
The president believed that guar-
antees for the future would be the
only results that would make the three
years of fighting worth while, and
that they should be made an Integral
part of the peace treaties. By the en-
trance of the United States, President
Wilson became the world leader. It
was made certain thnt by the aid ren-
dered the nllles the United States
would be in a position to dominate the
peace conference and to force that con-
vention to accept Its views.
Thus it would seem, to he estab-
lished that the real underlying cause
for America's entrance into the war
was not to succor an alliance in dan-
ger of defeat, but to Insure and to
dictate if necessary a Just and lasting
peace. There is reason to believe that
the allies will be fore ■<! to accept
tenns of peace that they never would
have considered but for the Influence
of the United States. And by the
same token there Is ground for hoping
that through the United States tfe
world will, ia fact, b« "made safe for
surrounding democracy.'
i
S
is temporarily a sergeant In the corps
of men slated to receive commissions.
Recently he told how it feels when you
make your first flight in an airplane.
"When Mr. Holterinan, who was
driving the machine, nnd myself were
gliding along about 1,200 feet up. for
some unaccountable reason I felt a
strong desire to leave my sent and
walk out on one of the wings to learn
how It felt out there. I don't know-
why It was, but I felt that desire so
strongly for about ten minutes that I
almost had to go.
Really you feel quite safe and se-
cure. no matter how high you .go.
when you have confidence in the man
driving the airplane—or when yon are-
driving it yourself, if you really un-
derstand running it. Everything is so
new and different wny up there that
you do not hnve time to think of being
nfrnld."
Cnptain Rice will be among those
whose time to go to France is rapidly
npproaching.
Captain Rice stands out as a man
who took the hard road to a commis-
sion. although he could have had one
without working for it. Notwithstand-
ing the fact that he could have becoma,
lieutenant colonel of infantry, brf
cause of his military record, he chosfcy
to enlist In the avlntlon corps au|m
work for his commission, which he wlli>
receive nt the end of the rogulnc^
five months' training period* iTis milSfcr
tnry record includes participation ii j
three Lstln-Amerlcnn revolutions th< j
Spanish-American war as a captain Inl
the regular army, the Philippine cam j
palgn In command of a detaclment of
mounted scouts and service In China. V
A number of candidates here are^
awaiting commissions, which hataj
authorized, and will shortly T
France to go Into the last sri
their training oTer there. AdJ ^
candidates from the variou^^,
schools will replac* them.
i haie t*eeq N
>«Jhu§?T
in
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Dunjee, Roscoe. The Black Dispatch (Oklahoma City and Guthrie, Okla.), Vol. 4, No. 36, Ed. 1 Friday, September 28, 1917, newspaper, September 28, 1917; (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc152048/m1/4/: accessed April 18, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.