FRANCE'S BLACK ARMY.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 708, 30 September 1914, Page 6

FRANCE'S BLACK ARMY.

A POWERFUL WEAPON. STORY OF ITS FORMATION. Franco is not the first country to employ black troops in Europe, although most of us have forgotten the historic instances upon which the two races have opposed each other on the battlefield It was with the help of their black troops that the Mussulmans conquered North Africa', and it was also with their help that they conquered Spain. We must remember, too, that William, Prince or Orange, had black troops with him when he landed in England, and that Maurice da Saxe had black troops at Fontenoy—infantry and cavalry both. A battalion of black men went through Napoleon's Russian campaign under Murat, and France kept Gaudelope thanks to her black troops,who fought very well against the English. The man who organised France's Black Army was Colonel Mangin, who was the right hand man of March and in that unfortunate affair at Fashoda, when the two nations which are now such fast friends very nearly came to blows. He had an immense faith in the man of colour, and for several years past it has always been an understood thing that the native troops should be used in the firing line on the outbreak of hostilities between France and her ancient foes. It was in If 09 that Colonel Mangin first started his schema for a Black Army, and today there are' something like 100,000 men in the rankß. He began with the natives of Senegal in West Africa, who provide the greater number of the recruits. There are very few black officers in the army, as it has been found that they work best with white leaders. "They have absolute confidence in a white offiear, and do not trust the powers of a man of their own colour," said the Colonel. "The forethought and organisation of the white man are go-like myqterieß to them, and they trust them implicitly for that reason. Of course, thore are great differences . among the black troops from cur different colonies. The negroes from the coast and from the forests are tha least warlike. Our best men are the men nt the plain?, and it is from them that we are taking our soldiers. They are a proof of the survival of the fittest, for they have fought other tribes for centuries, and have always, or nearly always, been victorious, or they would not be there. "Beside, the negro of the plains is not pure negro. His race iB mixed with tho Arabs and the Berberß, and the mixture gives an excellent result. We also have, and shall have, more good troops from the Soudan, and from Dahomey. The Congo blacks are good men, too. "One of the finest generals is convinced that our colonies in West Africa could and shoull furnish 50,000 black men at least, whom we could use in any climate. General Bonnal is of my opinion, too. 'We would put,' he said, 'our nyie Algerian divisions and our three Senegalese divisions in the front in the next European war. The savagery and impeuosity of their rush with the bayonet would be of immense value at the beginning of the war, and the black troops would have no rivals in the final shock. Rome, when her own resources began to fail, dominated the world for several centuries owing to her black troops. The example is worth following. Aiid it should

not be forgotten that with the big transport service which we and' our friends the English have at our disposal, we can put 120,000 men, Algerians and Senegalese, into the Held with comparative ea.se." "I agree with General Bonnal," said Colonel Mangin, "that black troops officered by Frenchmen will bo the first troops in the wiild, General Bunnnl recently wrote in an official document that he estimated that a division of 10,000 blacks would make a breach in a Gorman line of battle of two to three miles, and could push them back, scattering infantry, artillery and cavalry, after the way had been prepared for them by French troop?. "We are raising six regiments four buttalions each in Senegal; in the Soudan, French Guinea, and the Ivory Coast, three regiments of four battalions each; in Dahomey a regiment of two battalions; in Algeria and Tunis four regiments of three Cattalions; and in Morocco ajcomplete brigade."