The Washington times., 1901-09-22
UTILIZING SAVAGE TROOPS.
EugIand's Decision Will Hhve Ter
rjbIe Eject Hereafter.

EngIand's Decision VIII HIVE n Ter
ribIe Eject Hereafter.
One of the most important announce
| ments that has been made in the British
| Parliament for many year past was the
declaration of Colonial Secretary Joseph
| Chamberlain that the English Govern
ment will not hesitate henceforth to en-
| ploy in Europe or elsewhere her lndian
and African troops. 1t is an announce
ment of the most profound interest to the
entire civilized world, but more especial J.
| ly to great Powers such as the United
States, Russia, France. and Germany,
which have millions of semi-barbarous
races subject to their rule. Uncle Sam
alone has some 100000 Filipinos in whom
the military instinct is most strongly de-
veloped, the males preferring warfare to
industry and with q characteristically
Oriental disregard for death or injury,
and almost incredible powers of endur-
ance would always sooner fight than
work. Indeed the Philippine Islands will
furnish to the United States practically
ineXhaustible recruiting ground for its
army, now that the compact which has
hitherto existed between civilized nations
against the use of Oriental or African
troops in civilized warfare is to be brok-
en- by Great Britain.
Curiously enough the Peace Conference
at The Hague two years ago. when the
rules of war were subjected to a revision
carefully avoided any reference to
the matter, that is to say, in the shape
of any steps toward a specific engagement
by treaty to refrain from the employment
OF Asiatic and African troops in civilized
warfare and the only action taken by the
delegates that can be considered as in any
way bearing upon the question was the
declaration of their adhesion to the .ac-
cepted laws of warfare among civilized
nations" which comprise a restriction
prohibiting the use of bodies of troops
composed of individuals of savage or
semi-civilized races" Neither England
nor Russia nor yet France was desirous
of binding itself to abstain from avail
ing itself of the services of its dusky sol
diers in the event of war in which its ma
tional existence was likely to be at stake,
and the matter. therefore, was by sort
of agreement kept out of the discussions
at The Hague.
1t has until now been generally under
stood. however, by these three great
Powers that if native troops were en-
ployed ii would be only in the last eX-
tremity. and this view has been strength
ened by the extraordinary pains which
the English Government has taken TO
prevent the warlike Basuto tribes, who
are under British rule and most Loyal to
the English flag. from taking part in the
war against the Beers. In the war OF
1870 the French at one moment brought
few regiments of Turkos from Algeria.
But so great was the outcry raised, not
only in Germany and elsewhere in Eu-
rope but even in France, against their
employment that they were hastily snip
ped back to Africa long before the close
of the war although they were magnifi-
cent fighters and from a military point Of
view of infinitely greater value than the
unframed levies of ''mobiots," the majori-
ty of whom had never handled gun be-
fore in their lives.
The action of France shows better than
anything else how strong has been the
prejudice in the past against the use of
semi-civilized races in the wars of Chris
tian States with one another, and the ex-
tent to which it has been condemned. by
that species of unwritten- and underlined
code known as "the law of nations. 1t
is a sentiment that found expression in
the eighteenth century at Westminster.
when the great Lord Chatham denounced
with such eloquent Indignation the en-
ployment by the British commanders in
this country OF red Indian tribes against
the American Revolutionary forces. and
there are few newspapers, either in the
United States or in Europe, that did not
express their abhorrence OF the use of
Coasacks and Circassians by Russia in
suppr.ssing the Hungarian insurrection
of IS4S, and of the Sultan's action in en-
deavoring to put down the rising in Bull
tn INrs af ivra tlDt- hos
bazouks recruited from the most barba-
rous portion of his Asiatic dominion.
A couple of years afterward, at the time
when England seemed to be on the verge
of war with Russia a small contingent
of Indian cavalry was brought to Malta,
which created such an outcry and storm
of protest even in Great Britain that the
men were quickly shipped back to Bonn
bay. Their visit TO Malta however, serv-
ed to remind Continental Europe of the
fact that the military resources of Eng
land were not restricted solely to her
standing army at home and that her
forces in India must be taken into ac-
count-and this is probably ali that
Lord Beaconsfield had in view when he
brought the Indian contingent to the Med
iterranean.
II is to Japan in great measure that
must be attributed the recent removal Of
this prejudice against the employment of
Oriental troops in warfare among Christ
ian nations and the determination of the
British Government 10 dispense with all
restrictions which have until now pre-
vented the use of its Indian snd African
soldiers in conflicts with civilized Pow
ers. For the objection 10 these warriors
has been based altogether on the belief
that when their passions have been
aroused by the excitement and turmoil OF
battle it would be impossible to prevent
them from indulging in savagery and cru
city which, while natural in barbarous
races, should be repulsive In the extreme
to white people But during the recent
campaign In China the japanese distin-
guished themselves among all the other
allied troops by their humane methods of
warfare and by their indignant refusal to
city and the altogether ineXcusable bar
barity which disgraced most of the Euro
pean contingent engaged in the military
operations in the Celestial Empire.
England's example, unless checked by,
an international conference, will undoubt-
edly be followed by other great Powers
possessed of Asiatic and African depend
encies, and thus an altogether new elc-
ment, OF which no account has been ta-
ken until now, will be Introduced into
modern warfare among civilized nations.
time the white races may eventually come
to use none but their dark-hued, nom
Christian lieges for fighting purposes, and
that in this way continental great Powers
of Europe, such France, Germany,
Russia, etc. may be relieved of that com
pulsory military service which is such a
drawback to trade and industry.-PhiIa-
dolphia Times.