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August 15, 1913.

Mr. Joseph P. Tumulty,
Secretary to the President,
Washington, D.C.

Dear Mr. Tumulty:

I have received from Dr. Booker T. Washington a letter in
which he says:

"I cannot believe that either President Wilson or Mr. Tumulty
realizes what harm is being done to both races on account
of the recent policy of racial discrimination in the depart-
ments. I have recently spent several days in Washington,
and I have never seen the colored people so discouraged and
bitter as they are at the present time. I am sure that
President Wilson does not realize to what extent a lot of
narrow little people in Washington are taking advantage of
these orders and are overriding and persecuting the colored
people in ways that the President does not know about.

The colored people are especially embittered and discouraged
over the fact that an Indian was made Register of the Treas-
ury instead of a colored man. Added to this, it seems that a
white man has been nominated for Minister to Hayti instead of
a black man."

I an sending the original of the letter to Mr. Wilson direct with a
communication from me on the two questions at issue. I sincerely hope
that the President may find time to read these letters and take a po-
sition shortly upon them; non-action will be hurtful.

I am so deeply in this cause that I have no feelings to
be hurt. I want to take this opportunity to remind you, however, that
the President on May 14th told me to come and see him on my return from
Europe on the Race Commission, and that this appointment that I have
been seeking was also at your request. As it is very plain that the Presi-

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