The Hartford republican., 1917-02-23
AFRICAN TROOPS
IN FRENCH ARMY
MAKE GOOD SOLDIERS UNDER
HAIL OF EJRE-CAN'T
STAND SNOW.

Zurich, Feb. IA war cores
pondent of the Neue Zuericher Zeit-
upg, who returned from the Western
war theater recently, after spending
two years in the field with the French
and British troops, reports that the
African negroes in the French army
now number nearly 100000.
About 100000 of them are station
ed on the southern wing Of the line,
near the Swiss border.
The negro soldiers come from AL
giers, Morocco, Dahomey, the French
Congo and other African colonies of
France and are to a large part semi
savages, but always give good ac-
count. of themselves when they go
into battle. AS a rule they have no
fear of death and they willingly bear
all privations and face the greatest
dangers without flinching.
When the negroes first arrive from
Africa they give the military author
tiles considerable trouble, because it
is hard to get them to submit to the
strict military discipline. altho they
are partly trained before they are
brought to Europe. Their fiery tenn
permanent often runs away with them
and 1t happens quito often that they
attack noncommissioned and even
commissioned officers. In such cases
the culprits are invariably shot as
warning for others.
The Africans commit grave excess
es when they manage to get wine or
stronger alcoholic beverages. as un-
der the influence Of LIQUOR they arc
not able to control their passions.
For this reason thcy are never quart
cred in towns and villages. When
not in the trenches they are kept in
camps as far away from any settle
ment as possible, and no white wo-
man is permitted to approach their
quarters.
Many of the negroes are very in
telligent and master the French Ian
guage quickly. These are sent TO
special training schools for noncom-
missioned officers and become SUBJ
commanders. They have been prom
ised that they will be employed in
the administration of their countries
after the war end do their best to
make themselves worthy of the po-
sitions they hope to obtain if they
get back to Africa alive.
Against all expectations, the negro
soldiers stand the change from the
tropical heat of their native lands TO
the cold winter of France very we'll.
Diseases Of the respiratory organs
are no more numerous among them
than among their white comrades.
Comparatively few become victims
Of consumption,
The snow they do not like. The
unaccustomed spectacle of a snow
covered landscape depresses them so
that they become melancholy and lose
their appetite. All of them seem to
be possessed Of superstitious fear
of the shining white. While they
keep their nerve in the most mur-
derous hail of shells and bullets. they
become very nervous when they are
ordered to clean the snow out of
their trenches or to dig paths for
the transports.
Tremblingiy they murmur conjur-
ations and cabalistic incantations,
and it takes much urging and even
threats to get them to work.
The white French soldiers, as a
rule. are not very fond of their black !
comrades, and in many cases even
object to their presence in the hos
pitfalls. This difficulty has been over
come, however, as most field and all
larger hospitals now have special
War.s FOR fha cnlorpd wounded