The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-10-20
FRANCE IS TO ORGANIZE
 ARMY OF BLACKS LN AFRICA
NEGROES ARE TO BE DRAWN FROM THEIR NATION HEAT FOR THIS STRANGE EUROPEAN ARMY-ALL ARE
 TO BE VOLUNTEER

sentimental and practical. The former nave not been of the kind which we ourselves would perhaps have expected or brought forward. there is no trace or any dfsincfination to call upon the coiored man to assist the white te nsnt nis battles and engage In his quarrels with other white men. It ia urged In the first place. that there is something of humiliation in appeai- Ing to q conquered race. never vet ad- mitted to the ordinary righte and prfv- fieges of citizenship. to filI the gaps caused Tn the ranks of the French Ar my proper by the stagnntio in the birth rate of the nation. It is further stated. although the arzuraent may possibly not be particularly convincing, that no nation can support, or ever has endured. the burden of an army tlfr- proportioned. to It's population, and that any undue increase in the military budz get of country falls to stimulate pa- triotism and merely offers encourage ment to an antf-miiitarisf propaganda.
 It is pointed out that the present long-servfce iegfonary. both while he fs with the cofors and when he has re- tired on hts modest pension. is him self the best possible agent for indoc- trfnating spirit of contentment witk French rule; that the weil-paid voiun- tary soldier. with q prospective pen-
  pusrolily enlisted man of the same race. whose pay and prospects are im- measurably inferior; and that even if the ranks of the active army are filled by the proposed methods of compni- sion, 1t will require a vast and an ex- pensive machinery to insure at any time the fulfllment of their military obligations by the reservisfs who be- long for the most part to q nomad race
 Advsntages of the Scheme.
 On the other hand. 1t is urged in favor of these proposals that some means must be found for adding 10 the numerical strength of the armed forceA or France. to .counterbalance the su- perioritv of Germany. The German Eni- pire today counts a population of 6s,- 900. 900: that of France remains at the figure for 1s71--before the Treaty of Frankfort had robbed her of her two pair proyinces--something under 4e.- 100000. Is France then justified. it Is asked. in refusing for any of the reasons given above. to avail harsaif of the excellent material which lies ready to her hand. material, moreover. which is not only good. but abundant. since some parts of North Africa un- der French rule are today as denseiy populated as Belgium.
 But the resources of France do not end with the army corps which it is thought that she may draw from Ai- geria: it is proposed now to raise ne- gro army from Senegal. from the French Soudan. and from the vast and hitherto untouched recruiting ground contained within the limits of the French Congo. These are important propositions, and their advantages and disadvantages have still to be discuss. ed while many will find serious peril in this scheme for the practicaIiy unlimited militarism of the first-rafe fighting men from these great recruit ing grounds by e nation which has ever shown remarkable aptitude fof such training, and which has never ject and semi-civiiized races in wars with Europeans.