The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1907-02-16
NEGROES AS SOLDIERS
WARDo ALLEN CURTIS. IN CHICAGO DAILY NEWS.

The United States is the only mo
dern nation which maintains negro
soldiers as an integral part of the
home army. England and France
enlist them in the colonies for SER
vice in the colonies-not necessarily
the colonies where they are enlisted
The west African colonies of Br-
tain are garrlsoned by colored troops.
designated as "West Indian" negro
regiments, wearing "A zouave uniform.
Sierra Leone, in Africa, has native
artillery corps. These few organiza-
tions comprise all the negro soldiers
in the British army, though Britain
rules over an immense negro popu-
lntion.
For n century It has been the fixed
policy of Britain never to use colored
troops of any sort i'm conflict with
whites. only once In that period did
the nation depart from this policy,
and that was when, during the Egyp-
ton troubles, following the Arab
Pashn rebellion, it was threatened with
attack by France and Turkey. Twelve
thousand East Indian troops then
were moved to Alden and Malta and
this display of Britain's resources in
the way of soldiers caused the war
talk to cease. East Indian troops
wished to serve in the Boer war, but
their desires were disrcgardcd i'm ac-
cordance with the British tradition,
that colored troops must not be used
against white men. The British CON
iV ha fVy Oh
ever, was principally composed of
sikhs.
France controls It's possessions in
equatorial Africa by negro soldiers
and used them in subiugating NADIA
gascar. In the Franco russlan war
the Algerian contingent of $4,000 men
contained some negroes. When these
Algerians were captured, as almost
all OF them were, many Germans
got their first glimpse Of negro
The troops of the KOngo Free State
are blacks differed by whites and one
principal reason for the atrocities in
that country Is that the tribes Of can
nibals furnish the most warlilie men
and 80 form the larger part of the
enlisted soldiers.
Negroes as individuals and even as
regiments have fought in wars on this
continent since an early period The
Spaniards in Florida had negro
troops two centuries ago. A negro,
Acuif is said to have taken part in
the Boston tea party and there were
several negroes in the battle of Bunk
or Hill. One of them, Peter Salem,
shot Maj. Pitcairn. When picked
body Of American soldiers surprised
and captured Maj.-Gen. Prescott, COM
manding the British garrison at New
port, it was a negro VIII oiled them.
An entire regiment of negroes
fought for the American colonies in
| the revolution. In 1878 Rhode Island
| passed an act granting freedom to
| slaves who enlisted I'm the continent
tai army, giving them the same pay
as whites and paying their masters
their full value. There were 1855 ne
groes in regiments from Connecti-
cut, New York and New Hampshire
| in IT'S. There was much opposition
TO their enlistment, but il was almost
| necessary to counterfeit the efforts
Britain was making TO enlist them.
In the far south this opposition could
not be overcome and great numbers
Of slaves ran away to join the British
army. Maryland was the one south
ern state 10 enlist negro soldiers, put
ting them ndiscriminatingly into
white companies,