Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1913-11-14
FRANCES DARK ARMY
With New Military Force Negro
Peril Arrives.
Public Opinion Undergoes Change
Danger In the Project Of increase
Ing African Legion to Hun
bred Thousand Men.

dreo Thousand men.
Paris.-Is France destined to be
overrun with blacks, as is certain
parts of the United States? There are
a number of thinking men here who
see such a thing happening If what ap-
pears to be the republics ultimate
military policy be carried out.
BLACK France" That is the latest
Gaelic phrase used to denote Frances
black colonies in Africa and her own
negro soldiers there. The average
Frenchman thinks of it with thrill OF
pride, but there are those who fear
that the country is brewing for itself a
pot of trouble, without realizing 1t,
through the fast increasing native AT
rican soldiery and the proposed I'M
portation of them into France.
The falling birth rate has made
drastic action necessary. No attempt
was made to conceal the fact that this
was the cause for returning to the
three-year military service law just
passed by both the chamber of depu-
addition, Frances standing army is
not big enough; something else had
to be done. That thing seems to be
the formation of the mightiest negro
legion the world has ever seen. Sensa-
tor Gervais is fighting for 100000 black
men, but others say that eventually
there will be under the tricolor OF
France an army Of native Africans
100000 strong.
The black soldier was sanctioned by
law in 1910. There are 10000 of him
already,
The argument for the innovation is
simple. France, being at standstill,
or worse. so far as population is con-
cerned; and Germany, its mortal enc
my, being on the rapid increase, 1t Is
pointed out that no other alternative
presented itself Manifestly France,
with its 100000 people, cannot pro-
vide white army as big as can Ger
many with its more than 60,000,000.
Germany's new army law gives II
about 100000 soldiers on peace foot
ing; Frances new law gives 1t 729, 900.
In France every youth must serve
three years. in Germany he serves two.
Suppose Germany likewise should take
the notion to adopt a three-year serv-
ice. Germany would have far more
than a million men ready to take the
field at an instant's notice and France.
having already gone its limit. would
- Ill
The only remedy for the situation, it
is argued is to introduce the negro
into the military scheme. There are
millions of negroes in Frances Afri-
can dependencies, and Colonel Man.
gin and Colonel Marchand, heroic
French leaders in Morocco, give them
a good character The thing to do is
to use them, they say.
And there, in the opinion Of many,
is where the trouble would begin. for
II has been found that in actual prac-
tice the Senegalian "a generic term
applied to all Frances black troops
whether Senegalians or mott, is not
worth much more as a soldier unless
he has his family with him. He must
carry his wife-or wives-along to act
as cook, porter and clothes member.
and without her he is utterly lost.
Therefore, II the Senegalian be
brought to France, Mrs. Senegalian
will have to come. too, with the thou
sands upon thousands of little Sene-
galians trailing at her abbreviated
skirt
That, say those who have studied
United States history, is where the
trouble thickens.
The first appearance Of blacks upon
the battlefields of Europe came during
the Franco-Prussian war, France using
its "Turcos." as the Algerian troops
were called, against the Germans
evoking the bitterest criticism on the
other side of the Rhine. France was
charged with using "savages" against
civilized people.
II the negro Is to be employed in
Europe considerable preparation has
to be done. The question Of proper
food, clothing and general living con-
ditions will have to be studied. The
white plague is frequent among ne
groes nowadays. and he is particularly
susceptible to the disease. The moral
confusion resulting from a new code
OF manners would have to be fore
stalled However, it lie apparent that
the French are pursuing a wise course
in gradually habituating the black man
to the new conditions and, what is
equally important, habituating public
opinion to the notion that 1t has in
these ebony soldiers a magnificent
fighting force capable of rendering the
highest services to the mother coun.
try.