East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1914-10-29
BY THE SCISSORS
'TURCoS" OR AFRICAN TROOPS
OF FRANCE.
$$$OS$S$
CW. S. Had I'M Collier's. !

CIV. 5. Hiatt in Collier's.)
II Germany wins, France stands TO
lose an empire which for half CEN
tury she has been silently building up
in Africa.
We who live on this side OF the wa.
ter know little of the immense fer
tility OF this African continent and
of Frances loot held there. We do
not realize that France Is mis-
tress Of nearly so per cent OF a
continent which comprises one-fifth
OF the land of the globe: that she
holds nearly one-half of an area
larger than the North American con-
tinent by just two million square
miles. Her actual holdings in Africa
take in a rich area nearly twice that
Of continental United States. They
reach from the banks of the Congo
river to the shores of the Mediter-
ranean. and from the Atlantic sea-
board to the fertile valley of the
Mile.
The newspapers here are raving
over the expenses Of this European
war. The money spent in it is a
mere bagatelle TO the wealth of en-
pire that may be won or lost by it.
England almost went to war with
France sixteen years ago because the
latter was too rapidly absorbing the
African continent. When Captain
Marchand took the territory covering
the water sources OF the Nile, with
the ultimate possibility OF diverting
them into the Sahara desert, the
Fashoda incident was created. Eng
land demanded his retreat with war
as an alternative. France withdraw
Marchand, but the incident left a Bit
ter feeling. The truth is that the
continent OF Africa, some thirty years
ago was stolen and divided like a big.
luscious pie among various European
nations and Germany came late at
the cutting. Worse yet, France hav-
ing seen the pie first, got the big
gest share
when the English occupy a coun-
try" runs an international saying,
they build a customhouse: the Ger
mans a fort; the French a road" To- !
day the French have 5000 miles of
railway, $4,000 miles Of telegraph and
10000 miles of telephone in Africa
Trees, grass, cattle, oats, wheat, dates
wine, grapes, olives. potatoes and
beans are grown in abundance. The \
fisheries of the coast country have
been made productive.
Whether France will be tricked out
of her African possessions-to which .
island of Madagascar on the southeast
coast--as France has of so many Of
her colonial possessions-ls yet to be
seen. 1t is we'll worth Germany's time
and money to try It,
But in the present war what Ger
many has long feared has come to
pass. France is using her black ar
my! Two years ago General Fried
rich Won Bernhardi of the German
army wrote: "If the French succeed
In making a large African army avail
able for a European theater, the es-
innate of the French army as COM
pared to ours will be quite different"
The quality OF these troops is excel
ent. Hardy by nature, the best Of
raining has been given them. The
Example is set by the regiments Of
Wild white troops known as the le-
ZION etrangere and the battalion jes
oyeux. These troops made up for
he most part of Frenchmen too wild
o serve in home regiments, have the
eputation OF fearing neither God
lor man. Their battle cry is: 'Tl
e la groutte a boire la haut!
There's something to drink up
tere!")) The African troops. made
p Of Arabs, Berbers and other races.
I'd by French officers are apt pupils ]
or war. They obey an order even J
etter than white men, and have new
r been known to shirk their share Of :
fight.
In the initial mobilization OF
'rench troops, an army crops of
1ese troops were thrown across the r
protected by the pow
rful French fleet at Toulon. With
ar declared at the end of July. by >,
ugust black troops were leading
ayonet charges at Altkirch and Mu-
hausen on German frontiers.