JUNE 15, 1921 A L's FLOOD-SWEPT PUEBLO Descriptions of the desolation wrought their response will be prompt and gen- by the elements indicate a scene of al- erous. ness. In Pueblo alone the damage in THEY WHO GO OVER THE SEA ing than first accounts indicated, it is the flood area stretches over a section FOR US certain that many scores of lives have thirty blocks long and twelve blocks ESS than a year ago the fishing been lost. It was reported on June 7, wide, and the financial damage may be schooner Esperanto carried the four days after the first cloudburst which as high as fifteen million dollars. The American flag to victory in the internadeluged considerable sections of Colo- correspondents describe that area as an tional race off Halifax. Now she lies at rado, that only about eighty bodies had appalling spectacle of ruin marked the bottom of the Atlantic, one more been actually recovered; but the condi- everywhere by "charred and crumbling witness to the dangers that daily contions of devastation and desolation are wreckage in a maze of slime-covered front the men who go over the sea that such that it has been extremely difficult streets." land-dwellers may eat of the harvest of to examine the vicinity carefully, and it The physical conformation of the the deep. The Esperanto foundered is believed that the number will be gorges, deep river valleys, and steep after striking a submerged wreck. Less seriously increased. The first estimates grades in this part of Colorado makes the than twenty minutes after striking, her of the number of deaths ran as high as prevention of such ruin from mountain hold was flooded and her captain forced a thousand; this, on the other hand, is torrents, swollen by cloudbursts and to order her abandoned. The crew took undoubtedly an exaggeration. In the swelled by tributaries bursting over to their dories in a heavy breeze. In one point of the extent of fatalities, their flooded banks, an engineering three hours they were picked up by antherefore, the Colorado disaster is inproblem extremely difficult of solution. other schooner and carried into Halifax. significant compared with the most terIn the case of the Johnstown flood the Captain Benham, of the Esperanto, telerible calamity of this kind known in danger centered in one great dam which graphed to Gloucester, reporting the American history—that at Johnstown in was too weak to restrain the pent-up sinking of his schooner and the rescue 1889, when over two thousand lives were waters; there the danger should have of his crew. He concluded his telegram lost. On the other hand, the number of been foreseen, and the repetition of the with the words, “Any chance for a new homeless, temporarily destitute, and in disaster was not at all beyond the reach vessel to start all over again?" Back to many cases sick persons whose needs of modern constructive science. In the Halifax from the owners of the schooner demanded instant attention the Colorado terrible floods of 1913 at and about Day came the message, “Yes, will have anflood has given rise to indescribable ton, Ohio, Governmental engineering other vessel for you." So runs the day's wretchedness and suffering. For a time ability saw a warning that extensive work of them that go down to the sea in it was believed that Denver was in great reservoirs and strengthening of river ships. danger from flood, but, although its banks should prevent a parallel calamity There will be no Esperanto to contend streets in the lower part were covered in the future. What, if anything, can be for the honor of defending the Interwith water, the reports as we write are done to cope with such frightful out- national Fisherman's Trophy this comthat the warning has come in time, and bursts of nature as those in Colorado is ing fall. But there will be men and that the damage from the South Platte a question not easily solved offhand, but schooners out of Gloucester and Boston River may be confined to the loss of certainly one calling for the most a-plenty for the task. There is talk that property. thorough investigation and use of scien- the new schooners which have been The damage and destruction of life tific reasoning built for the race are not wholly fitted and property were not confined to the One lesson of the disaster is that it to labor year in and year out on the city of Pueblo alone. Cloudburst after has brought home to the consciousness Fishing Banks. We hope and believe that cloudburst broke over the watersheds of of the American people the absolute if this is so they will be rigidly excluded the Arkansas River and other streams. necessity of maintenance of the Red from the coming race. The present In the repetition of these attacks by Cross as a National resource in time of deed of gift of the trophy requires that nature the disaster is, we think, unique. calamity. Thoughtless people contenders shall have spent at least one At least half a dozen towns were flooded, times question the necessity of the Red season actively fishing. Perhaps it and in each the floods destroyed prop Cross in time of peace; here in Colorado, would be better if this requirement were erty and in some cases life, while en as beforetime in San Francisco and in raised to two or three years on the suing fires added to the distress. In a other great calamities, the readiness of Banks. This would make certain the statement from Governor Shoup of the American Red Cross organization to elimination of all vessels whose conColorado, to Washington, he declared apply its organized effort instantly for struction infringed upon the spirit of the that the sum of twenty million dollars humanity has been splendidly exempli- most vital sailing race which has been was needed at once and urged that the fied. conducted in recent years. Government emergency fund should be The sympathy of the whole people of In this connection it may be added applied to the construction of twenty the United States has gone out to the that it seems probable at the present five large steel and concrete bridges in sufferers in Colorado. If demand is writing that the cup offered by the King the valley of the Arkansas and its tribu- made upon the American people to send of the Belgians for a yacht race across taries. The Governor also called upon National aid and to rally to the support the Atlantic will not be contested for the people of Colorado to contribute to of the relief agencies already working, this year. Not even the minimum rethe pressing need of the flood sufferers. it cannot be doubted that, as always, quirement of three entrants has been some part played by Germany in regard to the Armenian massacres. Even before Germany became Turkey's ally she was well informed of the extent of the villainy of Talaat Pasha and his accomplices. Yet Germany eagerly embraced an alliance with Talaat and his fellow. assassins although German subjects of high repute called the attention of the German Government to the matter. Mr. Morgenthau, then American Ambassador to Constantinople, tells the story fully. Not a sign of human sympathy came from Germany. She was solely concerned with making friends and allies with the murderers. Germany has a large share of responsibility for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Armenians. The testimony given at this trial by Professor Lepsius must have been hu. miliating to all who attempt to uphold German conduct in this matter. This German subject went to Constantinople, International investigated the Armenian slaughter, 0, 0. HENDRICKSON, OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, WINNING THE 440-YARD DASH conferred with the American AmbasMaxam, of Pennsylvania, finished second, and Stephenson, of Princeton, third sador, and sent in a report. It was sup pressed in Berlin; the German news. met, a fact which is probably due to the creditable showing for Harvard, for her papers were forbidden even to refer to recent business depression. A trans- track team had not been conceded even the matter; while Professor Lepsius was atlantic yacht race is a sporting event of an outside chance for victory. There deposed from his place as a member of the highest type, but it is also an event was a dramatic finish to the meet, for the German Mission to the Orient. In which entails costly expense. upon the division of points in the final his testimony the other day Professor race, an event in which no Harvard man Lepsius declared that the refusal of the AND OUR WOMEN ALSO was entered, depended the decision be German Ambassador at Constantinople tween Harvard and California. The col. THE American men who set sail for to interfere to prevent the slaughter leges and universities which entered the England to take part in the British caused the loss of a million lives of meet finished in accordance with the folamateur golf championship at Hoylake lowing order of rank; California, Har- although, to the credit of German citi Armenian men, women, and children, fell by the wayside, as readers of the vard, Dartmouth, University of PennsylOutlook know, very early in the contest. zens in the East, many of them indi Stanford vania, Leland University, vidually aided nobly in saving Armenian who journeyed overseas to Turnberry in Institute of Technology, Pennsylvania search of a similar golfing honor. Miss The cold blooded policy of the domiState, Yale, Lafayette, Syracuse, George- nant military element in Germany was Alexa Stirling went out of the tourna town, Rutgers, Holy Cross, Columbia, directly responsible for this blot on Germent in the first round before the re and Bowdoin. doubtable prowess of the British title man honor. As if to make that clear, holder, Miss Cecil Leitch, now again ac General von Sanders, who was the mili. ASSASSINS AND ACCOMPLICES claimed as the British champion. Miss tary representative of Germany in Con is gratifying to know that German Stirling's team-mates soon followed her stantinople at the time, had the audacity courts and the German people are unexample, thus leaving another trophy to defend Germany's refusal to act in for John and Mrs. Bull to take comfort willing to brand as a murderer the the matter on the ground that German Armenian student who killed the great troops did not take an active part in in during the coming year. Across the Channel another American est assassin of modern times, Talaat the murders. A cause to be defended Pasha. The sentiment of the world, sportswoman, Mrs. Mallory, perhaps bet on such grounds is weak indeed. ter known as Molla - Bjurstedt, went apart from legal technicalities, would Not only the result of the trial of revolt at the execution for murder of Teilirian, but the military trials now down before the racquet of the agile Mlle. Suzanne Lenglen in the final this young student, burning with indig going on in Leipsic of men and officers nation at the wholesale murder of his charged with atrocious acts during the round of the Women's World Hard race and led on by the illusion of a dead Court Tennis Championship. Mrs. Mal. war may at least serve to enlighten Ger lory was beaten in straight sets 6–2, 6–3. mother, herself a victim of the Ar. mans' knowledge of what was done in menian massacres, who, he declared their name during the war. So far, preappeared to him in a dream. tense of complying with the require. THE WEST WINS Yet, in a sense, German sympathyments of the Versailles Treaty as to try. The Harvard Stadium witnessed this with Salamon Teilirian is like the sym- ing those responsible for military and I" to of team, that of the University of Cali- murder for a victim who has fallen at ing adequate. Two inferior officers have fornia, in the National intercollegiate the hand of the other accomplice. It is been found guilty of ill treating prison. track and field meets. The University well that Germans should through the ers and have received absurdly short of California, however, beat its host by publicity of this trial come to under- terms of imprisonment. The most imi bare one-half point, a surprisingly stand how hideously callous was the portant case tried has been that of a T naval officer charged with sinking Eng. In both the spirit of Benjamin Franklin the “post-impressionists” is doubtless lish hospital ships. The result is one is finely exemplified. that of Cézanne. The display of no less that the Allies should not pass by with. than twenty-three of his pictures (porout protest. The officer was acquitted IMPRESSIONISTS AND POST. traits, landscapes, figure-pieces, examon the sole ground that what he did was IMPRESSIONISTS ples of still life) constitutes the main done under orders from his superiors! feature of the exhibition. After Cézanne so student of contemporary art who It is admitted that hospital ships were stands the less normal, more nervous sunk. It is admitted also, and brazenly, and dramatic Dutch painter, Vincent should miss seeing the loan exhibition that this was done by orders of the Gerat the Metropolitan Museum. It will van Gogh. Then comes the calmer but man Government. In defense the old last until the middle of September. It more primitive Gauguin with his perallegation is made that the hospital consists of pictures belonging to private versely savage subject matter. ships had violated international law by collectors and not ordinarily accessible The exhibition is the most widely repcarrying munitions or supplies. So far to the public. All the pictures are "im resentative of any show of the kind yet as we have seen, no evidence was given pressionist" or "post-impressionist” and seen in this country. A group of picto this effect. It is unbelievable that tures from the exhibit are reproduced this accusation by Germany will be al elsewhere in this issue. lowed to go without contradiction. Germany has assumed the responsibility; let Germany prove her charges or else THE LESSON OF TULSA hand over for trial those who are really responsible for the atrocity. N the night of June 1 a newspaper despatch from Tulsa, Oklahoma, A STIMULUS TO PUBLIC SERVICE said: "The hospitals of Tulsa are filled with wounded and dying men toHERE can be no doubt that the motive of Mr. Edward W. Bok in night and the morgues are crowded with offering an annual prize of ten thousand dead after twenty-four hours of rioting between white men and Negroes." dollars to that citizen of Philadelphia On the same day a woman stenog. who has in any given year done for that city an act of service “best calculated rapher in a Tulsa office wrote this to advance the largest interests of Phila moving letter to the editors of The delphia" is in itself an instance of Outlook: municipal patriotism and civic pride. To-day Tulsa is torn by a civil batIt is a coincidence that just before this tle between the white and black races announcement there was awarded to which is sickening to all right minded, thinking people of this city. Mr. Bok the Pulitzer prize of one thou All of little Africa is burning; many sand dollars for the best American people, both white and black, lie dead biography of the year that teaches and wounded. The cause of the trouble is the patriotism and unselfish services to the Keystone usual one. A young Negro is accused people. We have already commented at EDWARD W. BOK of attempting to attack a little elevasome length on the nature and attrac tor girl. He claims he intended no tiveness of Mr. Bok's book thus honform a valuable and suggestive histori wrong, but of course his story has no ored. It is called “The Americanization chance of recognition. cal survey. I am a stenographer in a downtown of Edward Bok;" its spirit is fine In 1860 the French painter Claude office, and just now a large company and thoroughly sincere, and it is highly Monet sent to the Paris Salon a land- of Negroes were marched through the readable. scape called "Impressions.” It was con street past my window, under the The Philadelphia prize is almost, or protection of white soldiers. They ceived according to a new technique. It are taking them to the ball park, quite, unique. It may be compared to emphasized the color imparted to ob- where they will be under protection. the Nobel Prizes and perhaps to some jects by the reflections from the sky and They are homeless, most of them minor Americanization awards, but, so the enveloping atmosphere. The canvas innocent of any wrong-doing or even far as we know, it has no exact parallel. wrong thinking, helpless, dumbly revealed a host of subtle variations of wondering why this thing should be. It may be that some difficulty will be atmospheric light instead of fixed colors. The whites here are much more to found in determining what kind or class From the title of the picture which first be blamed than the Negroes. It is of service would exactly come within introduced the new technique to the largely an element of hoodlum white the definition of the offer—we under- public view Monet became known as an boys, craving excitement, and looking for any opportunity to start a race stand that official political effort would "impressionist," and so did the other riot. not be included—and it may also be a painters of sunlight who imitated him. How long are such outrages going little difficult to define the phrases "best In the present exhibition there are to be allowed? Cannot America find calculated" and "largest interests." But half a dozen examples each of Monet's some means of preventing such ter rible occurrences? The Negroes are an excellent alternative has been pro- work and of that of his contemporaries, with us here in America, though they vided for the disposition of the prize Manet and Pissaro. The pictures of did not ask to be brought here. money in case the committee do not see these and other masters of the period There is wrong on both sides, but in their way to carry out the exact occupy the long wall to the left of the some manner law and order must be maintained. primary purpose of the donor in a given entrance to the gallery. year. In that case the money for that Upon the opposite wall are examples What caused the rioting, shooting, year will be devoted to free scholarships of the work of the “post-impressionists." and burning that left in Tulsa a wake for boys and girls of the city and The difference between their period and of deaths (at least thirty persons were vicinity. In this alternative there is the preceding is seen in the struggle to killed), widespread suffering and destianother thoroughly commendable plan express the inner significance of mate- tution, thousands of homeless people, for improving character and citizenship. rial objects. The greatest name among acres of smoldering ruins, a money loss International “FATHER D. C.” (MEANING DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA) SHOWING WASHINGTON CHILDREN HOW TO KEEP THE PARKS CLEAN Alton Bishop, as "Father D. C.." is giving a demonstration to the children of Washington as to the right way to keep the parks clean. This event was a feature of the inauguration of the American Forestry Association's Forest Protection Week at Rock Creek Park the present writing plans are under What is the significance of this tragedy for the rest of the Nation? Tulsa is not essentially different from any American city in which there is a considerable Negro element. Contemplating the dark episode, almost any other city might echo the humble thanksgiving, “But for the grace of God there goes John Bunyan." So long as race feeling exists there is danger of such outbursts. Deprecate it all we please, the foundations of order are secured through effective police backed by a firm demand for law and order by all decent citizens and helped by the earnest desire of white and colored people to draw together in just and friendly civic relations and to abstain from forcing the questions of social relations to the front. Potentially disorderly elements are restrained by fear of the instruments by which society defends itself. Prompt and energetic action on the part of the peace officers at the first sign of trouble in Tulsa that Tuesday night would have prevented the riots. Governor Robertson, who arrived in the city soon after the disturbances were over, expressed a general opinion when he called the affair "damnable and inexcusable" and blamed the ineptitude of the officers responsible for maintaining order. At the outset a few well-directed policemen could have dispersed the trouble-makers at the Court-House. Once the mob spirit was aroused and armed crowds had gathered, the situation was out of control until the display of overwhelming force by several hundred determined Guardsmen. In the long run civilization must depend on the education, tolerance, and intelligence of the mass of the people. But, as the experience of Tulsa and so many other cities shows, police forces cannot be demoralized by politics or by neglect except at risk of disaster. of perhaps a million dollars? Superficially, the answer might be that it was a strange misunderstanding of facts. General Barrett, in command of the State Militia, is quoted in the papers as saying that the riot was caused by "an impudent Negro, a hysterical girl, and a yellow journal reporter." Again superficially, it may be said that this horror was caused by the misuse of a word; it was reported that a white girl had been "assaulted" by a colored man; the fact was, it now appears, that a bootblack stepped on an elevator girl's foot, that she slapped him, and he grasped her by the throat. But the real causes lie deeper. Americans take the observance of law and order for granted. Civilization, they assume, has reached a stage where force is not needed. Then, under some comparatively slight provocation, the wildbeast element in society leaps up, the peace officers are unready, and we have the race riots of Washington, Omaha, East St. Louis, Chicago, and Tulsa. Especially is this true when race feeling is involved. Race aversion (from which few of us are free) easily becomes race prejudice; race prejudice is quickly fanned into race hatred; race hatred among the ignorant and violent elements, black and white, may at any moment blaze into race war. The following account comes to The Outlook from a well-informed Western correspondent upon our telegraphic request: Tulsa, the scene of the recent rioting, is an Oklahoma oil city of mush room growth. It has a population of seventy-three thousand, of whom perhaps eight thousand are Negroes. The Negroes are employed chiefly in forms of service not sought by the whites. The men are porters, barbers, bootblacks, day laborers; the women cooks, charwomen, laundresses. There has been no industrial race friction. The industrial depression had brought an unusual number of idle men from the oil fields to Tulsa. A few gathered at the Court-House where the Negro was confined. The sheriff ordered them away, but did not enforce his order. An altercation followed. Word spread that a lynching was contemplated. Several armed Negroes appeared. A Negro peace officer appealed to them to disperse, assuring them the prisoner would be protected. Most of them started away, but leaders called them back. Whites and blacks continued to gather. The police did nothing. Then a shot was fired and a white man fell. This was the beginning of a series of battles between rapidly growing mobs of whites and blacks, which the small police force was unable to control. The fighting lasted into the morning. It resulted in the death of nine white men and more than twenty Negroes and in the wanton burning of the Negro residence district, leaving thousands of innocent persons homeless. Tulsa was impotent, but the Government of Oklahoma functioned promptly. By early morning the State was pouring National Guardsmen into the city. Governor Robertson proclaimed martial law, and the rioting abruptly ended. A citizens' committee with the local Red Cross unit at once took the situation in hand and organized relief work. Tulsa is a wealthy community. It cannot spare its Negro workers. At T WHAT MAKES THE WILD WOODS WILD HE mental makeup of men and women who scatter papers along the highroads, who trample down growing crops, who break down farmers' fences, and who are responsible for surrounding our woodland streams with a beadwork of tomato cans is quite easy to understand. Such people are merely primitive individualists. They have not yet advanced in civilization to a point where they can visualize the property rights of others. They scatter their trash broadcast through the land because they have not imagination enough to see how such action can rebound to |