The New Negro by Alain LeRoy Locke — Read

Locke's exile in Berlin was interrupted late in February 1911 by the arrival of Frederich von Voss, who wanted to spend a month with him in Berlin. Voss confided that his parents objected to his going to Berlin, so he wanted to come in secret. Voss hoped he could share a room with Locke for the month, which would have helped Locke save some of his rent money. But it was not to be. When Locke met Voss at the Anhalter Station on February 27, Locke was not able to offer him a place in his apartment, most likely because Locke's very protective landlady refused. She had even shut the door in Voss's face without checking to see if Locke was home. Nonetheless, Voss's appearance in Berlin cheered Locke. Together, they walked the promenade on Friedrichstrasse, enticing the young homosexual trade. Voss introduced Locke to several of the cafes and restaurants that he knew from his earlier days in Berlin, and Voss's companionship soothed Locke's jangled nerves. Voss also introduced Locke to Charlottenburg, the lovely, tree-lined suburb at the outskirts of Berlin. Not long after that first visit, Locke moved into an apartment in Charlottenburg, perhaps taking over the one occupied by Voss during his Berlin stay. By March 9, however, Voss had returned to Potsdam and his family, and Locke was once again alone with his secret.

Locke had informed his mother and his closest Oxford friends that his thesis was rejected, but they did not seem to comprehend that he was prevented from obtaining an Oxford degree. An April 7 letter from his friend Lionel de Fonseka reflected how confused even Oxford undergraduates were about Oxford rules and regulations. "What does it mean-your name being taken off the books of the college. I hope it does not mean that you can't get a degree at all."1 Of course, it did. In one sense, it made little immediate difference whether he got the degree or not. Unemployed and near destitute in Berlin, he would have remained so regardless of Oxford's decision. What failure to get the degree really meant was that he could not face the embarrassment such failure would cause him at home. So he kept it a secret and remained in Berlin.