860

August 31, 1913

152

My dear Villard:

It would be hard to make any one under-
stand the delicacy and difficulty of the situation
I find existing.here with regard to the colored
people. You know my own disposition in the matter,
I am sure, but I find myself absolutely blocked by
the sentiments of Senators; not alone Senators from
the South, by any means, but Senators from various
parts of the country. I want to handle the matter
with the greatest possible patience and tact, and
am not without hope that I may succeed in certain
[?] but just because the situation is ex-
tremely delicate and because I know the feeling of
irritation that comes with every effort of systemat-
ic inquiry that conditions—because of the feeling
that there is some sort of indictment involved in the
very

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