The Muskogee cimeter. [volume] (Muskogee, Indian Territory, Okla.) 1901-19??, 1911-12-02
FRANCE TO MAINTAIN
BLACK MILITARY
100000 Negroes to Be Re-
cruited from French A.
rican Colonies.
ARMY AND NAVY IS WEAK
FRENCH POPULATION STEADILY
DECREASING - WRITER SAYS
BLACK MAN rs VALUABLE As
soLDiER-GERMAN ALARMED.

-
Constant talk OF a probable conflict
between France and Germany, and
the revelation that Frances popula-
ton In late years has dwindled to such
an alarming extent that In the event
OF war the French would be com
PEELED to put out an inferior army and
navy to battle with the enemy. has
caused the French government to sc.
riously consider recruiting 100000
black men from the French colonies.
While the French are becoming en-
thused over the plan of France main
tanning black military reserves. the
other foreign powers do not take
kindly to the idea OF having to COM
bat with negroes, knowing full well
sheir value as warriors.
Among those who believe that
Frances only hope on the battlefield
In the future will be by recruiting
from the French African colonies Is
Francis Gribble. a writer OF reputa
ton. who says:
The population OF that part Of the
French African colonies in which re
cruiting would be possible Is esti
mated at 10000. 900: and there is rea.
son to believe that the estimate is
considerably under the truth. II Is
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 a system OF uni
versal service In order TO compel
them 10 come in. They would all
gladly come in OF their own accord.
who are able.bodied and OF a fighting
age is computed at about 100000.
"One million men. be II observed.
who could be recruited and trained
and kept ready for use In a European
war-a reserve of men. that is to say.
practically inexhaustible. and SO sit
| uated that, as long as France. or her
allies, kept the command OF the sea
no enemy could possibly get at II and
destroy Il. A million men. too. whose
fighting value is not to be denied.
1t has sometimes been assumed
that, because handfuls Of white men
have often scattered hordes of black
be OF no use In a white mans war /:
but that is a mistake. Inferior equip
ment and lack OF organization easily
account for these sensational defeats.
| The black man has often proved that,
| IL he 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 so In the American
war OF secession. and in the American
war with Spain. when the heights OF
San Juan were stormed by 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
Diavolo under the guidance Of Victor
Hugo's father. Black troops helped
to storm the Malakoff. and were en-
ployed at Magneta, 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
In the history Of the war; for they
actually preserved their morale after
the regiment had lost 92 per cent. OF
its officers and S5 per cent Of its men
''We may take IL. therefore. that
there Is nothing new or chimericai-
nothing TO be described as counsel
of despair I'm the French proposal tc
employ black troops against Germany
This is the black peril for Ger
many and for no other power: and Il
is much more real than that yellow
peril against which the kaiser noisily
warned the western world.
Presumably, too, II is peril Il
which Germany is not altogethe.
blind. and one not without its bear
ings on the course OF the critical ne
gotiations proceeding, at the moment
of writing. with reference TO IN,
right OF the two countries In Moroc
CO. The German demand for compen
sation is. in effect, a demand for tn,
surrender of portion OF the BlacI
Reservoir. That is one OF the reasons
why Germany Is so eager, and s,
frm: that is also one of the reason,
why France shows herself so obstin
| atalv raluatapt IN caIa snythinp"