Clark Atlanta University A Chronicle of Race Relations Author(s): W. E. B. Du Bois Source: Phylon (1940-1956), Vol. 3, No. 1 (1st Qtr., 1942), pp. 66-86 Published by: Clark Atlanta University Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/272546 Accessed: 21/08/2010 03:56 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp. JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use. Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained at http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=cau. Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed page of such transmission. JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Clark Atlanta University is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Phylon (1940- 1956). http://www.jstor.org A Chronicle of Race Relations Arranged by W. E. B. DU BOIS WAR THE CUBAN PLATICA * War like every other human ailment * The attempt to hold in Cuba a series tends to leave the body politic folded of conversations among intellectuals along ancient creases and festering in covering the present state of the world, old sores. The first World War did not was an excellent idea imperfectly car- sink far into racial hatred, although ried out. The meeting was held in there were some signs of it when Asia Havana the latter part of November, and Africa were brought into the pic- after the more official meeting of the ture. This second World War is more Intercultural Commissions. It was con- ominous in this respect: first came the ceived of as a smaller and more inti- Ethiopian incident when some of the mate series of conversations among in- best minds of the world argued that tellectuals. However, it had not been since black folk could not civilize them- planned with sufficient forethought. It selves, it was best to let Italy have is hard for persons to be sufficiently Ethiopia even at the cost of sabotage internationally minded to remember the to the League of Nations. Then quite vast hindrance and disadvantage of the unexpectedly came the sudden brutal use of many tongues. In Havana we had outburst of anti-Semitism in Germany to speak in Spanish, French and Eng- which set a distinct racial tinge to the lish and we at times used Portuguese, conflict. Now comes the war between Italian and German. To follow com- the leading nation of Asia and the lead- pletely the statements and discussions, ing nation of America. No greater a good knowledge of two or three of calamity to race relations could easily these languages was necessary. It would be conceived. No matter what the out- have been excellent, therefore, if the come, the prospect exists of a revival main statements of a series of distin- of the yellow man's hatred for the guished participants had been prepared white man and of the white man's con- beforehand, translated and printed al- tempt for the yellow man. though not publicized. This was the For such reasons it is all the more method used at the celebrated Races in 1911 in London. necessary that now even before there Congress Afterward, under these is any outlook for peace we should be- the shorter speeches-and circumstances could ha v e been stir ourselves for a worldwide fight they short-could have been translated against race hatred and racial propa- kept by word of mouth. ganda in the days of peace which may sometime come. * Even failing of systematic transla- [66] A CHRONICLE OF RACE RELATIONS 67 tion, here was a most interesting oppor- edy,-tragedy which came to be vocal tunity. One could sense the streams of in the protests of Laugier. Kelsen, for- interest represented: the woman who merly of the University of Vienna and represented defeated Spain and was Raestad, former Foreign Minister of teaching in Puerto Rico; the French- Norway, spoke with strength and feel- men of letters, Romains, Laugier and ing. the Italian Sfor- Focillon; expatriates, * Back of this came the za and and Ortiz Fernan- public opinion Borgese; y of South America and that was more dez, the Cuban master. The Negroes had difficult to measure, since it was not a strong, well-thought of and forceful fully developed in any single case. The advocate in Dantes Bellegarde. urbanity of the presiding officer, Al- In numbers, of Cuba was in course, fonso Reyes, Mexican diplomat and pro- and and majority naturally thought fessor, gave limited knowledge of his talked of her internal problems against deeper thought. Brazil had two repre- the of American investment background sentatives, and Venezuela and Chile one and culture. European Nevertheless, each, but they spoke with reserve and outside of their words did not Ortiz, briefly. Bellegarde spoke two or three command because whether great respect times clearly and forcefully, emphasiz- it was fair or not were translated they ing the fact that America had not lived into local The leader of the politics. up to her promises made at Lima and Communist was a Party magnificent other Pan-American congresses. looking man with a fine voice; but his hearers were not convinced of his sin- * The American delegation was not cerity. On the other hand, Jorge Ma- strong and the basis of its choosing was nash, professor of philosophy, argued apparently knowledge of languages for intellectual detachment from polit- more than anything else. The univer- ical life and brought down a storm sities were especially weak in their rep- upon his head. In other ways, local resentation. There was Louis Adamic Cuban politics, stirred as they are by who gave an impression of sincerity, a strong government which gets its sup- and it was too bad that Shotwell had port from the disinherited masses and to leave so early. For the most part, the yet keeps peace with American invest- American delegation was rather domi- ment, made itself felt and at times dom- nated by the Nation group and, under inated the Platica. the leadership of Freda Kirchwey, they But surging up through this was the were wild for war. They seemed to look attitude of the refugees. They were with upon fighting as a final cure for ill; one exception calm and well-bred men, and Krutch of Columbia University es- but they were examples and terrible pecially voiced in word and mien a examples of what had happened in the fine and traditional disdain for Latins. world. One could not look upon the Yet with all this by way of criticism, pleasant but slightly sad countenance of it was an inspiring and promising meet- Romains or upon the perfect self-con- ing. If in the future these nations could trol of Sforza without a sense of trag- overcome more completely the language 68 PHYLON difficulties and get to something like the point is we do think so. We in- real interchange of ideas, we might habitants of the United States are so revolutionize this Western sure of this that the color of one's Hemisphere skin is one of our social and with it the world. It is to major prob- sincerely lems and we have become missiona- be that the Platica idea will not hoped ries of color prejudice to all the be dropped. Americas, so that color is not the least * The writer spoke once and on short of the Cuban problems. I am told notice. What he said evoked applause that you are not unconscious of color but no other nor and in other parts of America. response argument I should be then if the it seemed to him so much a matter happier yet problems of millions of Negroes and of prime importancethat it is introduced Indians on the American continent here were more openly and frankly rep- I should like to emphasize in the resented here as part and parcel of minds of this conference, one thought. the present world situation and not It has always been the easily made more or less unsuccessfully concealed mistake of the group which at any as merely class or national problems. time happens to be in leadership of In general I have been repeatedly current culture, to consider them- disturbed in these awful years be- selves as representing the world and cause, in nearly none of our plans of their particular interests and prob- peace and reconstruction, have we lems as the only essential problems included Africa; we envisage Asia of the universe. Thus Europe has re- often only insofar as we fear that peatedly sat in conference to discuss Asia as a field of exploitation may European problems and thus solve pass out of white control. all problems of the earth. Today in I therefore trust that this confer- such conferences we are including ence both in its written word and America, not simply North but South unwritten conviction will not forget America and the West Indies.