The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-14
PROTESTS AGAINST USE
OF BLACK TROOPS
Writer Calls These the Days
Of England's Black
shame.
-, ERWIN RosEN Of Hamhnrs.


war. After the Jameson raid
young British Captain of an In
dian cavalry regiment appned for sick
leave that he might go to South AZ
RIGA in anticipation OF coming events.
lie took with him the oldest native
officer Of his regiment, who was espe-
citally devoted to him.
The war breaks out. The Captain
Is gladly welcomed by the English
troops az volunteer. But the native
Hindu officer has to garb himself as
Hindu servant II he wishes to ac-
company his master. for he is not al
lowed to fight. At that time London
said:
This Is a fight for the masters. a
fight between white men. Any one
who is black brown or yellow must
not be allowed to fight against the
Beers"
And the Indian stands helpless in
this war OF the masters. He wants
fight, murder, burn. but
BE still--this IL a war between
white men" the Captain has TO re-
mind him.
How praSeworthy, Every line Of
Kipling's story breathes the noble
pride OF the English ideal to fight
against white men with white men
only Thus wrote the English au-
thor ten years ago. and he is extolled
as the finest and c,earest exponent
Of the thoughts and feelings OF Eng
land.
one day in November. 1914. re-
read this story by Kipling, and had
to laugh when looked at a news
paper on my table and saw the re-
port that Indian troops had been
brought into the field against our
troops in Flanders. | took up an issue
Of the Times and saw how Rudyard
Kipling faycd the German Huns"
in his wonderful English
The pride of the white man was
an English lie, just as friendship for
mankind is English cant. Great
Britain is bringing black and brown
masses Of men from India to Europe.
in close imitation of the practice Of
her French ally. on the battlefields
Of France African Turcos. recruited
from the lowest of African races ;
Arab Spahis. Hindu SheilSs, Bengalis
and Gurkhas are fighting, a human
mob of all coiors and religions: the
envious merchant has lost the last
remnant Of honorable feeling.
England has forgotten that sense
Of honor upon which such stress was
laid in the terrible war against the
freedom loving Beers. Has England
also forgotten what dangerous play
things black troops OF warriors may
become? Can she not hear in these
days Of her black shame the ringing
shrleKs ~ English women and chill
dren as they died in those barbarous
days Of Lucknow? Can she not see
that grewsome picture OF the Indian
Sepoy rebellion? Does not England.
who has had such wide experience
with colonial troops. know how thin
the veneer is upon black soldiers of
European drill and command?
No. She has not forgotten. Every
British officer who has led native
troops knows well enough that his
control over H. em is very limited. The
commands are given in English and
understood. But the real leadership II
the natives is in the hands of the ma
tive Lieutenants, who act as interpre-
ters and a kind of intermediate power
The thought and feeling OF these Off
GERS are Of course Asiatic. and such
conceptions as that Of the Red Cross
and its sanctity or humanity TO 2
wounded foe are 30 foreign to then
! that they do not grasp them at all.
Rudward Kipling. who knows the
| Hindus so well, could cite hundred.
/ of instances OF their murderous border
| warfare. We have modern instances
! from our battleflelds in the fact tina
| in the bread bags of captured African,
/ have been found human fingers, will
the rings they wore in life. The Tri
bund OF Rome says; The black co
/ lonial troops are a terror to frienC
and foe alike. They steal burn anC
/ kill at will Lately train bearinf
wounded German prisoners was seu
to Lyons, with a SingaleSe detach
ment as escort. When the trair
reached the second station all thu
wounded were dead. The Singales,
had stabbed them"
This is the black shame But i
would he waste OF time TO conside
English methods now from moral o
cultural side The bringing of blacl
troops to Europe IL well in line witt
the alliance with Japan, the treatmen
Of Germans taken in England and he
colonies and the proclamation of tn
plunderinE Of German property II
London suburbs.
We can only protest against tn
shame OF England and France as
crime against civilization and human
ity. We shall take good note Of thi
for the future, when she shall b
harder and wiser We shall neve
forget that English words and Eng
fish deeds are entirely different. w
shall keep our ldealsm and our goo
faith for ourselves and become har
figurers and Judges to the Engls
hereafter In this struggle let no Ger
man forget the black shame Of Eng
land. for it Is one OF the main stone
in the structure OF British baseness.
At present We must estimate tn
value or lack OF value. the danger o
lack OF danger, In this black sham
practically. our women need not feal
We will hold responsible the whit
officers OF our enemies colonial troop
for the cruelty OF their subordinate
= and we will soon settle the accoun
But England is very shortsighted /
her hasencss,
There are laws OF honor in the re-
lations between races and nation
which cannot be violated with i'm