"That the idea of a 'Secretary of Peace' for the United States is no new
thing was brought out in the course of a paper by P. Lee Phillips, read by
President Allen C. Clark before the Columbia Historical Society, which met
at the Shoreham Hotel last night.
"In the course of the paper, entitled 'The Negro, Benjamin Banneker,
Astronomer and Mathematician,' it was brought out that Banneker, who was a
free Negro, friend of Washington and Jefferson, published a series of
almanacs, unique in that they were his own work throughout. In the almanac
for 1793 one of the articles from Banneker's pen was 'A Plan of Peace
Office for the United States,' for promoting and preserving perpetual
peace. This article was concise and well written, and contains most of the
ideas set forth today by advocates of peace. Banneker took a 'crack' at
European military ideas, and advocated the abolishment in the United States
of military dress and titles and all militia laws. He laid down laws for
the construction of a great temple of peace in which hymns were to be sung
each day.
"Mr. Phillips's paper brought out that Banneker helped in one of the early
surveys of the District of Columbia."--_Washington Star._
This dissertation will be brought out in the Annual Publication of the
Columbia Historical Society.
Professor Alain Leroy Locke, of Howard University, has published an
interesting prospectus of his lectures on the race problem.
Professor A. E. Jenks, of the University of Minnesota, has contributed to
the _American Journal of Sociology_ an elaborate paper on the legal status
of the miscegenation of the white and black races in the various
commonwealths.
Miss L. E. Wilkes, of the Washington Public Schools, has been lecturing on
"_Missing Pages of American History."_ This is a summary of her work
treating the Negro soldier from the Colonial Period through the War of
1812. The treatise will be published in the near future.
In the Church Missionary Review has appeared "_A Survey of Islam in
Africa,"_ by G. T. Manley.
An article entitled "_The Bantu Coast Tribes of East Africa Protectorate,"_
by A. Werner, has been published in the _Journal_ of the Royal
Anthropological Institute. In the same _Journal_ has appeared also "_The
Organization and Laws of Some Bantu Tribes in East Africa."_
_Ashanti Proverbs_, translated by R. Sutherland Rattray, with a preface by
Sir Hugh Clifford, has been published by Milford in London.
A. Werner has published in London "_The Language Families of Africa,"_ a
concise and valuable textbook of the classification, philology, and grammar
of the languages.
_The German African Empire_, by A. F. Calvert, has appeared over the imprint
of Werner Laurie.
_The History of South Africa from 1795 to 1872_, by G. McCall Theal, has
been published in London by Allen and Unwin. This is a fourth and revised
edition of a work to be completed in five volumes.
_"The Tropics,"_ by C. R. Enock, has been brought out by Grant Richards.
This is a description of all tropical countries. It contains some valuable
information but is chiefly concerned with advancing the theory that it is
essential to study the capabilities of a country so as to develop all of
its industries. The contention of the author is that the economic
independence of each country is its safeguard from war and that
commercialism is ruin.
The Methodist Book Concern has announced _"Pioneering on the Congo,"_ by
John Springer.
Hodder and Stoughton have published _"Mary Slessor of Calabar: Pioneer
Missionary."_ This is an account of a factory girl who distinguished
herself as a missionary and was later appointed head of a native court.
_French Memories of Eighteenth Century America_, by Charles H. Sherrill,
has been published by Scribners. He failed to take into account the many
references of French travelers to the Negroes and slavery.
In the second number of _Smith College Studies in History_ appears Laura
J. Webster's _Operations of the Freedmen's Bureau in South Carolina._
About the middle of July the Neale Publishing Company will bring out _The
New Negro, His Political, Civil and Mental Status_, by Dean William
Pickens, of Morgan College.
Professor Sherwood, of La Crosse, Wisconsin, has for some time been making
researches into _Paul Cuffee._