and Thomas Fortume Ryan of New York joined hands to exploit the wealth of the Congo they did it with oiled phrases on their lips. They called that land of horrors and of shamc "The Congo FREE State!"

And, so, when Nations go to war, they never openly declare what they WANT. They must caniouflage their sordid greed behind some sounding phrase like "freedom of the seas," "self-determination," "liberty" or "democracy.” But only the ignorant millions ever think that those are the real objects of their bloody rivalries. When the war is over, the mask is droppedl, and then they seek "how best to scramble at the shearers' feast." It is then that they disclose their real war aims.

One of the most striking cases in point is the present peace congress. Already l'resident Wilson has had to go to look after democracy himself. Alreadly responsible heads of the Allied governments are making it known that "freedom of the scas" means a benevolent naval despotism maintained by them, and that “(lemocracy" means simply the transfer of Germany's African lands to England and the others. Africa at the peace table constitutes the real stakes which the winners will rake in. We may read in headlines the startling item “Negrocs Ask For German Colonics," but Negroes of sense should not be deluded. They will not get them because they have no battleships, no guins, no force, military or financial. They are not a Power.

Despite the pious piffie of nice old gentlemen like Professor Kelly Miller, the King-word of modern nations is POWER. It is only Sunday school "kids” and people of child-races who take seriously such fables as that in the "Band of Hope Review" when we were children that "the secret of England's greatness is the Bible.” The secret of England's greatness (as well as of any other great nation's) is not bibles but hayonets-- havonets, business anel brains. As long as the white nations have a preponderance of these, so long will they rule. Isk Japan: she knows. And as long as the lands of Africa can yield billions of business, so long will white brains uise bayonets to keep them--as the British government did last year in Nigeria.

Africa is turning over in her sleep, and this agitation now going on among American Negroes for the liberation of Africa is a healthy sign of her restlessness. But it is no more than that. Africa's hands are tied, and, so tied. she will be thrown upon the peace table. Let us study how to unloose her bonds later. Instead of futile expectations froni the doubtful generosity of white land-grabbers, let us American Negrocs go to Africa, live among the natives and LEARN WHAT THEY HAVE TO TEACH US (for they have much to teach us). Let us go there... not in the coastlands.--but in the interior, in Nigeria and Nyassaland; let iis study engineering and physics, chemistry and commerce, agriculture and industry: let its learn more of nitrates, of copper, rubber and clectricity; so will we know why Belgium, France, England and Germany want to be in Africa. Let its begin hy studying the scientific works of the African explorers and stop reading and believing the silly slush which ignorant missionaries put into our heads about the alleged degradation of our people in Africa. Let us learn to know Africa and Africans so well that every educated Negro will be able at a glance to put his hand on the map of Africa and tell where to find the Jolofs, Ekois, Mandingoes, Yorubas, Bechuanas or Basutos and can tell something of their marriage customs, their property laws, their agriculture and systems of worship. For, not until we can do this will it be seemly for us to pretend to be anxious about their political wellare.

Indeed, it would be well now for us to establish friendly relations and correspondence with our brothers at home. For we don't know enough about them to be able to do them any good at THIS peace congress (even if we were graciously granted seats there) ; but fifty ycars from now --WHO KNOWS?

"They Shall Not Pass!" When heroic France was holding the Kaiser's legions at bay her inflexible resolution found expression in the phrase, “Ils ne passeront pas !"--they shall not pass! The white statesmen who run our government in Washington seem to have adopted the poilu's watchword in a less worthy cause. The seventy-odd Negro "delegates" to the Peace Congress who have got themselves “elected" at mass-meetings and concerts for the purpose of going to France are not going---unless they can walk, swim, or Ay. For the government will not issue passports for them.

Of course, the governnient is not telling them so in plain tinglish. That wouldn't be like our government. It merely makes them wait while their money melts away. Day after day and week after week, they wearily wend their way to the official Circumlocution Office where they receive a reply considered sufficient for their child-minds : "Not yet."

It is many weeks since Madam Walker, Mr. Trotter. Judge Harrison and other lesser lights were elected, but "They shall not pass !" says the government with the backing of Enimett Scott. THE VOICE holds no brief for these people: in fact it has taken the trouble to tell them more than once how silly their project was. But it

to get

is not out of order to inquire wliy the government will 110t let them go, anel to find an answer to that question.

The government will not let them go to france, because the government's conscience is not clear. And the gove erminent ordered that ludicrous lackey, Mr. R. R. Mot011,

for the same reason. In fact, the creation of sineeures for Mr. Scoll and the other barnacles is due largely to an incast conscience. Ilow would it look to have Negroes telling all Europe that the land which is to make the world wife for democracy" is rotten with race-prejudice; Jini-crows Negro officers oil ships coming over from lirance 111 on trains run timer government control: condones lynching hy silent acquiescence and refuses to let its Negro hicroes vote as citizens in that part of the country in which nine-tenths of them live. This wouldn't do at all.

Therefore: They shall 1100 pass! And if, finally, the government, nettled by such criticisms, should lift the han when the l'cace Congress is practically over, the Negroes of America may be sure that those permitted to go will loc carefully hand-pickeel.

But what is the matter with America as a land for pioneer work in planting emocracy? Are these Negro cmigrés afraid to face the white men here in the Republican Party or any other and raise Haces until the Constitution is enforced? Is cowarilice the real reason for their running to l'rance to uncork their mouths ? It looks very much like it.

Ladies and gentlemen : don't run. The light is here, and here you will be compelled to face it, or report to us the reason why.

A Cure for the Ku-Klux It was in the city of Pulaski in Giles County, Tennessee, that the original Ku-Klux Klan was organized in the latter part of 1865. The war had hardly been declared officially at an cul when thic cowarılly "crackers" who couldn't lick the Yankees began organizing to take it out of thc Negrocs. Thicy :rassed laws declaring that any black man who coulln't sirow three hundroid dollars should be declared a vagrant ; that every vagrant should be put to work in the chain-ging on the public works of their cities; that three Negroes should not gather together unless a white man was with them, and other such methods were used as were found necessary to maintain "white supremacy." When the national Congress met in December, 1865, it looked upon these light diversions with an unfriendly cyc and, noting that nothing short of the re-enslavement of the Negroes would satisfy the "crackers," it kept them out of Congress until they would agree to do better. l'inding that they were stiffnecked, Congress passcd the 14th and 15th amendmenis and put the "cracker" states under military rule until they accepted the amendments. The result wns that the Negro got the ballot as n protection from thic people who know him best."

In the meanwhile, the Ku-Klux after rampaging around under the leadership of that traitor, General Nathaniel B. Forrest, was put down-for good, as it was thought. Today, after the Negro has been stripped of the ballot's protection by the connivance of white Republicans in Washington and white Democrats at the South, the Ku-Klux dares to raise its ugly head in its ancestral state of Tennessce. This time they want to increase that fine brand of democracy which every coward editor knows that Negroes were getting when they were bidding them to be patriotic. The Ku-Klux means to shoot them into submission and torture them into terror before they get