The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-08-08
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Lord Beaconsfield brought large con-
tingent of Indian troops to Malta in 1878,
at a moment wpen England seemed to
be on the brink of ap armed conflict with
Russia, a chorus of denunciation arose
throughout Europe, in which even large
bodies of English people joined, it being
pointed out that France had forfeited
much of the sympathy which she would
have otherwise enjoyed in 1870 in pitting
against the German invaders several reg
iments of Turcos, a force made up of
semi-savage Algerians, Kabyles and ne
groes. England would gladly have avail
ed herself of her magnificent Indian army
in the South African campaign had she
not been unwilling to offend the doc
trines of civilized warfare, and the only
use to which she has put Indians during
the struggle with the Boer republics has
been as litter carriers and stretcher bear
ers in connection with the ambulance de-
partment.
lORIENTAL SAvAGERY IN WARFARE.
The Chinese, however, are not Chris
tians, and therefore Indian troops can
be used without any objection for the
march on Picking. The employment of
Oriental troops adds to the horrors of
warfare, since all the latent savagery of
their nature is brought to the surface.
and in conflicts where they are employed
few prisoners are taken. and there, is lit
| tie call for the surgeons to attend to the
enemys wounded. 1t has been proved,
| in spite of all denials, that during the
last Soudan campaign there was much
shooting and bayoneting of wounded
Dervishes, the killing being done by the
black Soudanese battalion of the Egyp-
tian army, while appeals for quarter and
offers of surrender were rejected, on the
iground that a Mahdist was less trouble
some when dead than alive. If this
spirit of the black troops sometimes COM
municated itself to their white comrades
it is not surprising, for the white as well
as the black soldiers of Lord Kitchener
were aware of the horrible fate that
awaited them in the event of their being
captured, besides realizing the fact thai
wounded Dervish was at all times ready
Ito use his knife, even upon the very sur
lgecn who was tending his wounds OF
putting his water gourd to the mans lips
In the war which France carried on fol
SO many years against the semi-independ
tent tribes of Southern China who under
the name of the Black Flags infested Ton.
lquins every French soldier who fell into
the hands of the enemy was put to g
most horrible death; and often when ar
irving before some Black Flag strong.
hold the French troops have been mad
dened with rage by the sight of the bod
les of their comrades spitted to the wall.
o. the place by means of huge hooks ant
sharp. knifelike projections. Spectacle.
such as these were not calculated to rem
der men disposed to observe the civilized
rules of warfare, and II is not astonish
ing under the circumstances that the
struggle should have been carried OIL
with savagery on one side as well a.
on the other which does not precisel,
constitute pleasant or Christian reading
In the dispatches from Shanghai indig
nation Is expressed by some of the for
leign officers at Tien-Tsin at the brutalit,
and barbarism of which the Russian
troops are asserted to have been guilty
But 1t must not be forgotten that. II
the first place, the Russian troops. espe
cially those stationed on the eastern par
OF the Cars dominions, are more Orient
al than European, being largely recruit
ed from Caucasian, Central Asian am
Siberian tribes, while their constant in
tercourse with the Chinese along. the Dor
der line renders them more familiar wit
the Monaghan methods of dealing wit
foreigners that fall into their hands tina
the American, English and German nava