John Milton Waldron to Woodrow Wilson

While the members of my Race (the Colored people) everywhere in this Country are loyal citizens, not many of them are enthusiastic in their support of yourself and the party in charge of the Government. There are many reasons for this coldness on the part of the Colored citizens toward the National Democratic Administration, which will readily occur to any intelligent American statesman, who will give the matter even a little serious thought.

The Colored people make up one tenth of the entire population of America and in the perilous times now facing our Nation it would appear that everything possible should be done to have this large class of loyal American citizens become hearty, earnest and intelligent supporters of the President and the Party charged with the duty of carrying on the War that Germany and her Allies have forced upon Our Country.

In my humble judgment the time has come when the President of our great Republic should assure the Colored American Citizens that he and his Administration desire their hearty, united and enthusiastic support in carrying on the War which is upon us, and that no discrimination or injustice will be practiced by the Government or the Administration upon Colored American citizens because of their race, color, politics, previous condition of servitude or because of the locality in which the majority of them now reside.
The above expressed opinion is not only mine but it is the opinion of most -- if not all -- of the intelligent, loyal and thoughtful leaders of the Race everywhere in this Country. While this opinion is generally held by my people, it is seldom, if ever, expressed in the newspapers or in the public gatherings as the Colored American citizen does not wish to give comfort and encouragement to the enemies of his Country.

A few words of reassurance from you, Mr. President, to my people at this time would be of untold value to Our threatened and warring nation and would set at rest the fears of ten millions of loyal American Citizens and turn them into enthusiastic and earnest supporters of the President and his Administration.

If you desire, Sir, an occasion and an opportunity to make a public address -- long or short -- to the Colored American Citizens of the Country, both the occasion and the opportunity are placed at your disposal in the Patriotic Meeting to be held at Shiloh Baptist Church (“Strangers' Home”) L St. bet. 16th & 17th Sts., N. W. at 8 P. M. Sunday, April 22nd A. D. 1917. At this meeting the Shiloh Church and her Pastor will publicly pledge themselves to loyally and heartily support the President and his Administration and the Nation in the prosecution of the present War to a successful issue, and will urge the members of the Race everywhere in America to take the same stand. Your presence at this meeting and a word from you would make this meeting a thousand times more effective and would set at rest the fears and doubts of my people.

I await your pleasure, Mr. President, in this matter, and I stand ready to serve you and our Country in any and every way I may be needed, and I beg to remain,