New-York tribune., 1918-02-03
By William A. Acry

negro Wills u or not, the war has TO
do with him.
There are no negroes to whom the
future is more significant than to the
ten million negroes in the United
States. No group has already been
affected by the war more than they
have. Their development is fraught
with possibly more significance than
that of the negroes Of any other coun-
try. Their economic and social at
tainments set the standards for the
negroes Of the world.
Africa a Torch
Africa has become the spark to set
Europe ablazc. Call to mind the jiery
clashes between England and France
at Fashoda; between Italy and Turkey
in Tripoli; between England and
Portugal in Dclagoa Bay; between
England, Germany and the Dutch in
South Africa, and between Germany
and France at Agadir and Alpeciras.
"A place In the sun" spells for Eu-
rope expansion in the African tropic.
and zones Of influence in negroland
Whatever the immediate cause, Of
the war may have been, in the back
ground there stood the negro, q silent.
compelling influence; but the negro
was not long silent or apart once the
fight had begun. He threw himself
into the struggle with Characteristic
1orgetfulness Of himself and his
wrongs. We believe that he will come
out OF the maelstrom with right and
advantage on his side.
Negro Fighters
Inc issue seems squarely drawn be-
tween autocracy and democracy. Over
TINS issue it looks as if the world is
wiling to fight to the death. A. in
our great American struggle. the ncpro
IS found on both sides in the {ight.
ne IS preponderatingly. however, on
the side Of the liberty of nations, as
IN our Civil War he was on the side
OF freedom for the individual
IN the Civil War the negro played
aete,r,minlng part. In the present
world war the negro helped to strike
the staggering blow that saved Paris
.-A-A t1HNC. rum lNlS DlOW the H.
Vader has not yet successfully recov-
cred.
When the Allies began using their
native troops Germany opposed the
INTRODUCTION of colored troops into the
conflict in Europe. This was probably
due to the fact that she had no means
OF transporting her black battalions
from East Africa to her own front.
tna nne IS now @ using, however. native
IT is easy to cite abundance OF prece-
dents for black troops fighting on Eu-
ropean soil. William of Orange used
them in 1888. Richeleu employed them
at La Rochelle, Maurice Of Saxony at
Eontenoy and Napoleon at the siege If
Gaeta and at Magenta and other places.
Ihree thousand negro troops served in
the Franco-Prussan War In 1911
france was considering raising q mill
sessions.
France the Exemplar
France has used many thousands Of
plack troops in the present war
Senegalese, Somal, Algerians and
Moors, among others. Negroes are
lighting in the British and in the
French armies alongside Of British and
French soldiers, and with such courage
and valor that they have won the reg
ognltlon and respect Of many Of their
superior officers. Now that America
has gone into the war, some $4,000
negroes have already been called to the
colors.
1t is in the armies Of France, how
guished himself The reason for this
IS not far to seek. Negroes, like all
other French colonials, love France.
They learned that France was in dam
ger and, though they had never set
foot upon European France before. they
rushed to the assistance of the mother
country.
The hold Of France upon her colo
nies i. wonderful. Despite German in
pire OF 100000 square miles was not
stirred hairs breadth by the catac-
lysm of 1914. The editor Of the Vicks-
burg (Miss.) Evening Post" gives the
reason. He says:
Fighting in the French army are
thousands upon thousands of variously
tinted men from all of the so-called
races upon earth-yellow Tonhinese
and Annaamese, jet black Senegalese,
brown Kanakas, .swarthy Moroccans,
mulattoes from Martinique - fighting
for France, giving their blood and lie
for France
French colonists all these are. It is
the first time that what are called 'in-
ferior peoples 'aborigines' and Subject
races have rushed instinctively to the
defence Of the power supposed to have
subjugated them.
"But inferior peoples'i In the French
system there are no inferior peoples
All the peoples of all the lands where
the French flag waves arc free, equal
and brothers. They are citizens of the
French Republic, exactly like all other
citizens.
"That is why there is this cxtraordi-
nary and touching response The CO.
lonial policy Of the French Republic
has covered tho name of France with
imperishablc glory. France has been
not only kind and good to her abort
glnes, but She has made them citizens,
equal and free. Now, in her hour Of
need, they come to lay down their lives
for her-France the broadminded.
France the democratic!"
General Maunoury's army. that
played so conspicuous part in turning
the tide in the Battle Of the Marne
that saved Paris and France was COM
posed lar. OF colonial troops from
Africa.
Two hundred and sixty-four personal
citations for bravery have been won BY
negro soldiers of single Somali bat
TALON since - landed in France in 1916.
One hundred and ninety of these were
won IN the furious battles Of the Aisne