ms pertaining to the community. There
is, moreover, the Farm Extension Bureau of the Chamber of Commerce of
Memphis, Tennessee, which was organized for the purpose of conducting
educational campaigns to improve agricultural and rural conditions.
This organization has extended its work from Tennessee into
Mississippi and Arkansas, and has adopted the policy of employing
Negroes to act as demonstrators among farmers of their own race in
order to furnish the Negro farmers with greater incentive to become
more skilful and industrious in their vocation.[102]

Since we have seen the attitude of the white leaders of the South
toward this movement, it might also be of interest to know what was
the view of the Negro leaders in regard to this exodus of their race.
In the first place, many of the local leaders in the South were much
opposed to this movement, but hesitated to give outward expression to
this for fear of rebuke from members of their race. Hence, their
policy was that of maintaining silence about the whole matter. On the
other hand, the editors of some of the leading Negro papers of the
South were somewhat outspoken and were more or less inclined to be in
sympathy with the movement. They nevertheless expressed regrets that
the Negroes were leaving the South, but this did not in the least move
them to do anything to help check the movement. They took the position
that the migrants had not been given justice in economic, political,
and social affairs, and that, therefore, they had no just grounds on
which to base appeals to them to remain in the South. In fact, in view
of these adverse circumstances, they felt that the Negroes could not
be blamed for moving to the North.[103]

Other leaders, however, especially those in the North, were more
positive and frank as regards their attitude toward the movement.
These may be roughly divided into two distinct classes, namely, the
conservative and the radical. Those of the former class adhered
largely to the view of Tuskegee Institute, which fosters the
traditions of Booker T. Washington.[104] They advised the Negroes to
remain in the South on the ground that it was there only that the
Negro could become a landholder, and that there were chances for him
to become a real estate owner almost at his own will. Some in this
class felt also that the Great War would soon end and that after that
the country would be flooded by immigrants from Europe, who would
doubtless deprive thousa