Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1911-12-01
france TO MAINTAIN
BLACK MILITARY
,.0OO,OOO Negroes to Be Re-
cruited from French At
rican Colonies.
ARMY AND NAVY is WEAK
.,encH POPULATION STEADILY
DECREASING - WRITER SAYS
black MAN Is VALUABLE AS
soLpIER-GERMANY ALARMED.

constant talk Of probable conflict
( Aetveen France and Germany. and
~ revelation that Frances popula-
Nm In late years has dwindled to such
. alarming extent that in the event
4 war the French would be COM
reed to put out an inferior army and
Jaw to battle with the enemy. has
c.nsed the French government to Sc
rously consider recruiting 100000
HACK men from the French colonies.
While the French are becoming en-
Unused over the plan Of France main
aiming black military reserves. the
other foreign powers do not take
indy to the idea of having to COM
nj with negroes, knowing full well
4 their value as warriors.
& Among those who believe that
frances only hope on the battlefield
h the future will be by recruiting
nom the French African colonies is
Francis Gribble. a writer Of reputa-
\ on, who says:
THE population of that part Of the
french African colonies in which re-
ruiting would be possible is esti-
mated at 10,0O0,000 and there Is rea-
son to believe that the estimate is
considerably under the truth. It is a
population of fighting men-men who
would much rather fight for their liv-
Ing than work for it. There would be
no need to institute system of uni
yersal service in order to compel
them to come in. They would all
gladly come In Of their own accord,
q volunteers, and the number Of them
who are able-bodied and of fighting
age is computed at about 100000.
zone million men, be it observed,
who could be recruited and trained,
and kept ready for use in a European
var-a reserve OF men, that is to say,
practically inexhaustible. and 80 sit
mated that, as long as France, or her
allies, kept the command of the sea,
40 enemy could possibly get at 1t and
destroy It. A million men, too, whose
lighting value is not to be denied.
1T has sometimes been assumed
that. because handfuls Of white men
have often scattered hordes Of black
men, therefore the black man would
be Of no use in white mans war;
but that is mistake. Inferior equip
nent and lack OF organization easily
account for these sensational defeats.
The black man has often proved that.
y be. is armed like the white man. and
has white men to lead him, he Is quite
capable Of standing up to white
troops. He did 30 In the American
war Of secession, and In the American
war with Spain, when the heights Of
San Juan were stormed by a black
regiment Napoleon himself en-
ployed black troops in European war
fare-a black regiment particularly
distinguished itself at the siege Of
Gaeta, and afterward captured Fra
Dlavolo under the guidance Of Victor
Hugos father. Black troops helped
70 storm the Malakoff, and were en-
ployed at Magnetic, and in Mexico.
At least 5000 of them served through
the Franco German war. Their bay
onet charge at Froeschwiller was one
Of the most brilliant feats recorded
% the history Of the war; for they
actually preserved their morale after
ne regiment had lost 90 per cent OF
rs officers and s. per cent. Of its men.
We may take it, therefore. that
mere is nothing new or chimerical-
nothing to be described as counsel
y despair in the French proposal to
Employ black troops against Germany.
This Is the black peril for Ger
many and for no other power; and 1t
. much more real than that yellow
peril against which the kaiser noisily
warned the western world.
presumably, too. It is peril to
Which Germany is not altogether
bind, and one not without its bear
ngs on the course Of; the critical ne
proceeding, at the moment
y writing, with reference to the
1snt OF the two countries in Moroc-
.. The German demand for compen-
alton is, In effect. a demand for the
'ufrender Of q portion Of the Black
That Is one Of the reasons
sny Germany is 30 eager. and so
nm; that IL also one Of the reasons
ny France shows herself so obstin-
''eiy reluctant to cede anything
BEYOND HER DEPTH.