67

REPORT OF THE COLORED DIVISION OF THE MARYLAND
COUNCIL OF DEFENSE.

DR. ERNEST LYON.

That the public may have some definite idea as to the work
and activities of the Colored Division of the Maryland Council of
Defense, we call attention to the following definite work done by
the council since its organization:

1—During the two Liberty Loan campaigns our Council was re-
quested to assume the work of interesting the colored people in the
loan. The magnificent results have been published in the daily pa-
pers, showing that 1,000,000 dollars worth of bonds were purchased
by them in Maryland.

2—When representatives of the I. W. W. were in the city of
Baltimore for the purpose of creating discontent among the colored
laborers, in order to impede the progress of governmental contracts,
Mr. A. S. Goldsborough called upon the Council of Defense to coun-
teract the efforts of the I. W. W. agents. The results of the Coun-
cil, on file in the office of Mr. Goldsborough, showed that in less
than twenty-four hours after notification one hundred and fifty
ministers were warning their congregations against the country's
enemies.

3—When the Red Cross membership campaign was on, the
campaign committee called on the Council to conduct the campaign
among the colored people. The results of our efforts in this line
were publicly acknowledged in the newspapers by the General Red
Cross Membership Campaign Committee and showed that about
10,000 colored members were enrolled.

4—The United States Government War Savings Committee,
under the direction of Mr. W. Bladen Lowndes, is at present con-
ducting a campaign among the colored people through our Council
with headquarters located at 608 N. Eutaw street. Already ten
thousands of dollars of stamps have been sold through this office.

5—On February 22, when four hundred colored soldiers from
Camp Meade, under the direction of white officers, came to the city
for a benefit entertainment at the Richmond Market Armory, our
Council received them at the station, escorted them through the
city, then to Metropolitan M. E. Church on Orchard street, where
the Women's Section of our Council served them a luncheon and
otherwise looked after their entertainment during the time inter-
vening between their arrival in the city and the time for the benefit
at Richmond Market Armory. The officers of the company gladly
accepted the hospitality of the Woman's Department and lunched
with the company.