THE COLOUR LINE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXII, Issue 15717, 9 September 1911, Page 8

THE COLOUR LINE.

The Universal Roces Congress, which met in London a few weeks ago, was a wonderful collection of idealists from all the corners of the earth. Its ultimate aim was to break down tho barriers that separate the black races from the white and the white from the brown and yellow, and its members, repre-

senting fifty different nationalities, appear to have succeeded in. bringing their idealist theories' out of the clouds and discussing a surprising diversity of subjects in commendably practical fashion. Naturally considerable divergence of opinion was shown in the papers and speeches dealing with tho mixing of races. While ono delegate declared that tho supposed inferiority of certain races was all moonshine, another with equal emphasis assured the Congress that the science of nnthropology had put an end to tho feasibility of tho theory that all men were equal. Of course tho disputants did not permit tho debates to stray beyond tho domain of verbal encounter, and tho Congress was a very happy family. All tho shades of white, yellow, brown and

black men and women sat together in deliberate equality, and the harmony of tho strangely constituted assembly was in itself one of the most powerful arguments advanced by tlie Congress in support of its advocacy of universal brotherhood. The representatives of tlie races have to work indirectly for the obliteration of the colour lir.o that divides mankind into antagonistic sections, and the problem which they have assailed is surrounded by tremendous practical difficulties. Race prejudice is an unreasoning thing, a physical rather than a psychological barrior to tho progress of tho elements of humanity towards a common goal. In America it is uninfluenced even by the profound religious and democratic discomfort associated with tho treatment of one section of citizens as inferior by another section. Many years must elapse before tlie barrier is broken down, but tho Universal Races Congress is directing it 3 attack against established institutions along tho way that is most'likely to lead to victory.