Page:The Negro a menace to American civilization.djvu/288

264 He pointed out the fact that it would cost at least $100 a head to transport the negroes to that country, and that the great vessels necessary in the shipment of them across the ocean would, of necessity, have to come back empty, for the reason that his country re- ceives nothing from Africa in the way of staple prod- ucts. On the other hand, to land them on the east- ern shore of South America, it would not cost over $15 a head, and on the return trips sugar, coffee and other South American products could be transported at a nominal cost. A New Plan Formulated Recently this association has formulated a new plan. Each State of the Union will be requested to organize a society for the purpose of pushing the scheme. Each State will be required to raise a fund sufiicient to send from twenty-five to 100 families to South America as an experiment, and to provide for their wants for several years, in case they are unable to se- cure homes and make their own way. When these societies are formed among the negroes of the various states, during the coming winter, a board of directors will be chosen by each State association. Later, all these boards will come together and select a national board to go to Brazil, Bolivia, Argentine Republic and other South American countries and arrange with the government offering the best advantages for either the purchase or lease of lands for the American colonies. Each State board will have charge of the deportation from that State, and in order that the plan may be fa- vorably received by the Afro-Americans and finally accepted by them as the best and surest way to solve the race problem, only industrious, intelligent and thrifty negroes will be taken in the first shipment. If they have sufficient money to make the trip, they will be expected to pay their passage ; if they have not the necessary means the society of the State from which they go will pay the expenses. None of the indolent