The Washington times., 1901-09-08

admiration on the part of all the foreign
commanders, notably of the United States
General Chaffee. and of the English Gen.
Sir Alfred GaSelee, as well as of Field
Marshal Count Won Waldersee. If. then.
the Japanese soldiers, Asiatics to the core,
remain SO mindful of the laws OF human
lty and civilization, even when excited
with the lust of battle, what reason is
there any longer for adherins to the old
time objection to the employment or Ori-
entails in wars among civilized powers?
The behavior OF the British Indian
troops in China likewise won the warm
commendation of General Chaffee and of
the other American officers. The Ameri-
cans were unanimous in declaring that
the Indians never got out of hand or took
part in the scenes of rapine and deviltry
which left so indelible stain upon the
fair name of Western civilization in Chi
ma Indeed. they were models of disCip-
line and good conduct. and possessed
sufficient strength of character to refrain
from following the example set by many
of their white comrades.
lnasmuch as the Japanese and the In
dian troops of Great Britain were the
only Asiatics taking part in the military
operations in China, it is evident that
there are grounds for a radical modifi-
cation of the rule against the employ
ment of non-Christian soldiers in war
fare among Christian nations. and that
the English Government is. to great eX-
tent, justified In the decision which it
has adopted. to utilize henceforth its At
rican and Asiatic forces without restric-
ton in any war in which il may become
engaged with a Christian Power. Judging
from the remarks of Mr.. Chamberlain in
Parliament the other day. it is quite like
ly that in the autumn Indian and West
African regiments will be despatched TO
take the places of the English troops
which it is proposed to withdraw from
the Transvaal and Cape Colony, while 1t
is probable that the administration may
even go so far as to accept the services
of the Basutoe, the most enlightened OF
"A African tribes
above have for the last twelve months
been entreating the British to allow them
to join in the operations against the
Beers.
England's example. unless checked by
an international conference. will undoubt-
edly be followed by other great Powers
possessed of Asiatc and African depend
encies. Thus. an altogether new element,
of which no account has been taken until
now, will be introduced into modern war
fare among civilized nations. In fact, 1t
is possible that in course of time the
white races may eventually come to use
none but their dark-hued non-Christian
lieges for fighting purposes: that Asiatics
and Africans will alone constitute the
rank and file of our armies. ofhcered ana
commanded by white men. In this way
the Continental great Powers OF Europe
such as France. Germany. Russia, etc,
may be relieved of that compulsory mill
tary service which is such a drawback to
trade and industry, while the English
would be rid thereby of the haunting
dread OF COnSCrlptlOn.
England has already at the present mo-
ment in India alone a force of more than
eight hundred thousand native soldiers.
These are officered almost entirely by
Englishmen, and backed up by teeming
population of three hundred million AS
iatics all of them Indifferent to injury
nd death. possessed Of warlike instincts,
and with a taste for fighting What Eng
lands resources in the way of native
troops in Africa may be. il is difficult at
the present moment to calculate. There
are. as stated above. no less than twenty
thousand well-armed Basutos ready to
take the field against the Beers. Native
campaigns on the West Coast to a sue
cessful completion. 1t should be remem-
bered that IT was with African troops. Off
cered by Englishmen. that Lord Kitchener
reconquered the Soudan for England and
for Egypt. The United States has sub
ject to its rule an Oriental population of
over eight million renowned throughout
the Orient for their love of warfare. Ger
many in its colonies on the west and
eastern shores of the Dark Continent. and
in China. has millions of dusky-hued peo-
pie. who would be delighted at the oppor-
tunity of turning an honest penny by
fighting for the Kaiser
In Cochin China. In Algeria, Tunis. and
the French Soudan, France has fifty mil
lion native subjects imbued with SINH
lar disposition. AS regards Russia, it is
so difficult to discover where Europe be-
gins and the Orient ends, and there is 50
much of the Asiatic in the Muscovite
character and life. that it is impossible
to form any estimate of the extent TO
which the empire of the Great White
Gar would be affected by this abolition
of the rule in existence until now. against
the use of non-Christian troops in war
fare among Christian nations.-New York
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