The Turkish Peace — Page 21
21 otherwise never tolerate such brutalities. Not only is there no direct action against the Russians, they are not even being boycotted. Even within the United States, shocking atrocities which leave one astounded are committed, not in the name of religion, but because of racial divides. This is a country which claims to be the torchbearer of justice and equity and holds up the banner of liberty. And yet President Wilson has declared that if the Turkish Empire is not broken up, it would defeat the purpose of the war. Recently, a nineteen-year-old African American man called Lloyd Clay was accused of a crime, though later shown to be innocent. Yet while in custody in Wicksburg, a 1500-strong mob made up of members of the public broke in to his cell with the intent to seek retribution. He was stripped naked and hanged from a tree. Some people wanted to kill him immediately, while others felt he deserved a slower death. They threw paraffin oil on his body, lit a bonfire, and all the men and women gathered there revelled in his screams and cries for help for almost an hour and a half. Afterwards, his dead body was taken down and the pieces of the burnt rope he was tied to were kept as a souvenir, and the tree he was hanged from was declared a sacred memorial. What were the reasons behind the atrocities carried