Evening journal., 1918-11-18
The Help Given by the
French Colonies During The War

Among the many deceptions Germany
has experienced during the war, pos
sibly none has been greater than that
she got I'm the steadiest loyalty shown
by French colonies TO their mother
land. Nothing however had been ne
elected by German propaganda to ere
ate trouble in those quarters; even as
early as 1903, the German governor OF
Togoland endcavOred to stir up the ma
lives OF DahOmcy an din the Far East,
tne German consul Of Hong-KOng TO
mented disturbances in lndo-China But
u was especially in North African
Algeria, Tunis and MaroccO,-that the
kaiser's agents allowed themselves full
play. Just before the war, an insidiOus
and continuous campaign was carried
on amongst the natives, against France :
organized espionage reigned In tourist
centres and amongst the bookkeeping
profession; quantities Of tracts were
delivered to incite The tribes Of Islam
70 join the Holy War proclaimed by
Turkey at the instigatiOn of Berlin.
AZ the outbreak Of hostilities. when
the Algerian ports Of Bone and Philip
neville were fired on by the Goeben and
Breslau, Germany was seking 10 stir
mp an insurrection and paralyse the
transport service for colonial troops TO
the mother-cOuntry. All these ma
neuvres failed in presence Of the wholly
patriotic spirit OF the native popula-
iiOns, who. from the very first day Of
mobilization, made IL a point OF honor.
not only TO refrain from giving any
cause for measlness 20 the home
country, which had been attacked, bui
also 10 consider her cause as their own.
and to afford her, GENEROUSLY and un-
reservedly, in recognition o. past SER
vices. all the help within their power
not only from a military point OF view,
but also from an economic and flnan-
cial one. We shall be able TO Judge. by
the following figures and facts, what
valuable assistance has been rendered
10 France by the spontaneous effort Of
her children overseas, how il inspires
her with hope for the present. and
what duties Will be incumbent on her
I'm future.
1. Military assistance.-M Henry ST.
mon. the Colonial Minister. speaking in
the Senate, said, that in july. 1918. the
French colonies had supplied the |
armies with 9is,OOO men, Of whom ESQ.,
600 were fighting units and 23s.0G9 |
workers: North Africa had contributed |
232,0OO fighting men, $4,000 recruited !
workers and 1000 voluntary hands !
The old colonies lthe Antilles Guiana /
and Reunion Island) had sent $1,000 |
men: the other colonies (Indo-China. |
Senegal and Madagascar had supplied
10000 combatants and 10000 workers,
besides 6O,OOO men now being recruited.
To these must be added 10000 men
serving, before the war. in regiments
of either Algerian, Senegalese. Anna
mite, Malgache or Moorish riflemen;
and lastly, a new colored army is be-
ing constituted
It is too early yet TO tell the glor-
'ous history Of the colonial troops dur
ng the war; the countless honors con-
'erred upon them render just homage
10 their gallant deeds. on the Mdrno.
he Aisne, the Yser, the Somme. at
Verdun and Saloniks. and quite recent
" al St-Nlihie-under the orders Of
.ome Of the most illustrious leaders Of
he French army, the generals Gallieni,
Mangin, Humbert Marchand,
the African regiments, especially