The Washington times., 1901-09-08
BRITISH TROOPS In EUROPE
The Significance of Mr.. Chamber
lain's Recent Announcement.
Indian and African Soldiers to BE
Used on the Continent When Eng
land So Desircs-An Example That
Is Likely to Find Followers.

Is Likely to Find Followers
One of the most important announce
ments that have been made in the British
Parliament for many years is the declara-
tion of Joseph Chamberlain, the Colonia
Secretary. that the English Government
will not hesitate henceforth to employ ir
Europe or elsewhere her Indian and Afrf-
can troops. 1t is an announcement of the
most profound interest to the entire civ
ilized world. but more especially to the
great Powers, such the United States,
Russia. France. and Germany, which
have millions of semi -barbarous races
subject to their rule. Uncle Sam alone
has some S.GO0.000 Filipinos in whom the
military instinct is strongly developed. the
males preferring warfare to industry.
With characteristic Oriental disregard
for death or injury. and possessing al
most incredible powers of endurance, they
would rather fight than work. Indeed.
the Philippine Islands will furnish to the
United States a 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 broken by Great Britain.
So sensational indeed is the announce
ment made by the English Government
that an international congress is likely
to be summoned to discuss the matter.
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. No steps were taken toward a
specific engagement by treaty to refrain
from the employment of Asiatic and Afri-
can troops in civilized warfare, and the
only action by the delegates that can be
considered as in any way bearing upon
the question was the declaration of their
adhesion to the accepted laws of war
fare among civilized nations" These
laws include a restriction prohibiting the
use of bodies of troops composed of indi-
viduals of savage or semi-ciyilized races.
Neither England. Russia, nor yet France
is desirous of binding herself to abstain
from the use of dusky soldiers in the
event of war in which national exist
ence was likely TO be at stake. The mat
ter, by sort of tacit agreement, was
therefore kept out of the discussions at
The Hague.
1t has until now been generally under
stood, however, by these three Powers
that If native troops We're employed it
would be only in the last extremity. This
view has been strengthened by the eX-
traordinary pains which the English Gov
ernment 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 brought
few native regiments of Turcos from AL
geria. But so great was the outcry raised.
not only in Germany and elsewhere in
Europe, but even in France, against their
employment that they were hastily ship
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 ''Moblots," the
majority OF whom had never handled
gun.
This shows better than anything else
how strong has been the prejudice in the
past against the use of semi-ciYiized
races in the wars of Christian States with
one another, and the extent to which the
practice has been condemned by that spe-
cies 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 employment
by the British commanders in this coun-
try of Red Indian tribes against the
American Revolutionary forces. There
are few newspapers either in the United
States or Europe. that did not express
their abhorrence of the use of Cossacks
and Circassians by Russia in suppressing
the Hungarian insurrection of 1915. and of
the Sultans action in endeavoring to put
he 5stn in, Ifya1,r y. f.,
means of irregular Bashi-Bazouks, re-
cruited from the most barbarous portion
of his Asiatic dominions.
Several 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 England
were not restricted solely to her standing
army at home. and that her forces in In
dia must be taken into account This is
probably all that Lord BeaconsfieId had
in view when he brought the Indian con-
tingent TO the Mediterranean.
1t is to Japan in a great measure that
must be attributed the very recent re-
moval of this prejudice against the en-
ployment of Oriental troops in warfare
among Christian nations and the deter
mination of the British Government to
dispense with all restrictions which have
until now prevented the use Of her Indian
and African soldiers in conflicts with civ
ilized Powers. The objection to these
dusky warriors has been based altogether
on the belief that when their passions
had been aroused Ly the excitement and
turmoil of battle. it would be impossible
TO prevent them from indulging in saw
agery and cruelty which, while natural
to barbarous races. would be repulsive
in the extreme to white people. But dur
ing the recent campaign In China, the
japanese distinguished themselves among
all the other allied troops by their hu-
mane methods of warfare and by their
indignant refusal to participate in any of
the rapine. the cruelty and the altogether
inexcusable harbarfty which disgraced
most Of the European contingent engaged
IN the military operations IN the Celestial
Empire. Indeed the soldiers of the Afka-
do showed themselves from first TO last
Ii great deal more civilized and strict in
their adherence to the accepted rules of
warfare than any of their white com
rades.
There was no looting by the japanese.
no indiscriminate slaughter of inoffensive
old men, women. and children; no perpe-
tration of those nameless outrages OF
which the Russians in particular rendered
themselves guilty, and which. being I'M
printable have only been hinted at in the |
press Indeed, the beha aVior of the fear /
less little Japs was the theme of universal /
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