The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1914-11-13

fCorrespoudent Chicago Daily News.)
Epernay, F'rance-There are two
principal categories OF foreign troops
fighting side by side with the french
To defend this lovely land-the Brit
fsh from across the channel and the
Algerians. Moore and Senegalese
from across the Mediterranean In
Africa. Dozens OF correspondents
have followed the British expedition
airy force TO chant the heroism OF
Tommy Atkins But though the exact
figures are not available, i believe the
French African troops now facing the
Germans are about as numerous as
the British-namely. in the neighbor-
hood OF 100000. Somebody ought TO
chronicle their glories, too-some
strolling poet OF the Atlas, some black |
Voodoo with an epic turn OF MIND.
In the meantime / may be permitted
to tell the little | have learned about
them, as | have seen them In these
old French towns and marching
among the vineyards OF Champagne.
You may read in the Old Testament
how David, after stunning Goliath OF
Gath with a stone. cut of the giants
head and carried it back to exhibit III
camp: or. how Joshua and his Israel
ties, on taking Jericho, utterly de-
stroyed all that was in the city, botn
man and women, young and old, OK
and sheep and ass with the edge OF
the sword" This was the ancient
idea of warfare-not merely to defeat
hui lxrta N
and carry off the heads of his cham-
pions as trophies. 1t is the idea OF
the Turcos and Senegalese rifemen
TO this day.
Can't Change Nature Habits.
These Africans have by no means
been able to shuttle off their native
habits just because they have been
bought to fight in the white man
battles. All of their officers are
French. One of these officers con-
fided to me that he often had the
greatest difficulty" in persuading the
men to behave in civilized manner
toward prisoners and the enemy S
wounded Indeed, | should say that
1.-The greatest difficulty is euphe-
mism. Somewhere up near the Belgian
frontier the advancing Germans found
barn with 50 wounded Turcos III
it. They burned and Gynamited the
building just as it stood
Two Kinds of African Troops.
Roughly speaking, there are two
sorts of French African troops-Tur
cos and Senegalese. Turco is a gen
eral name, covering Moors, Berbel
cavalry and Algerians, but proper!
applying only to the last, so calico
in the Crimean war by the Russians
who mistook them for Turks. The
Turcos wear white or light blue bag
gy trousers, light blue jackets and RET
hats They are recruited promiscu
ously among the various peoples III
habting the North African coast. bu
all are Mohammedans, and in mos
of them Arab blood predominate'
They wage war with the same fanati
fury which, in their forefathers, tn
Saracens. aroused the wonder of tn
Crusaders, and their specially is tn
bayonet charge.
But the day of cold steel and tn
hand to hand fight, though by II
means past, is gradually passing, a
the Turcos have found to their cos
A division of them was In the rea
guard which covered the French r
treat from Belgium. At Signy-rA
baye they made a stand. The purs
ing Germans halted in the fringe of
wood ard presently the Turcos, who
their officers were unable longer
restrain, charged with the bayont
Over the stubbe fields where Il
wheat still stood In the shock swe
the long. brightly colored line-blu
red, white. bYown-and re silver
sunlight on polished metal. AS tn
drew nearer to the foe they redoubl
their shrill yells and began dischal
ing their guns Four hundred yarC
800 yards, 200 yards, Where we
the Germans? Had the visible fu
of the onslaught already frozen th'
hearts? At 100 yards a terrific fus
lade of rifles and quickfirers open
from the woods. The painting L
cos. undaunted increased their spec
sure now of victory, when suddenly
barbed wire, The German h
The Turcos were caught like flies
the cruel web. Half of them
turned. That. as far as | know, v
the first and thus far the only gr
bayonet charge of the present W
though minor engagements of I
nature have been frequent and eft
I've.
at Was Written He Should Die.
1t is curious how the oriental ia
ism of the men soon spreads TO I'll
occidental leaders. Last night il
quiet cafe OF this town | was c
versing with sergeant of the
roccan fusileers. He was a Frer
man OF Lyons who had served (
years in Algeria and two in Moro
"a fine, brown-eyed, handsome
low. in his baggy, light blue trous
his jacket OF the same color dec