BLACKS v. WHITES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 20, 6 January 1912, Page 8

BLACKS v. WHITES.

FRANCE BUILDING UP ARMY OF AFRICANS. TO PARTICIPATE IN EUROPEAN ; WAR. “Would you use black troops against white in tlio event of a European war?” This question was put to Colonel Mangin, the French officer who is training the Republican black troops in Africa. Seme Exatrplts. “Of course wo should,” ho answered, “and wo should not be the first nation to do so. J)o not forget that it was with the help of their black troops that the Mussulmans conquered North Africa, and that it was with their help that they conquered Spain. Remember, too, that William Prince of Orange had black troops with him when lie landed in England, and that Maurice do Saxe had black troops at Fontenoy—-in-fantry and cavalry both. A battalion of black men went through Napoleon’s Russian campaign under Murat, and France kept Cnadeloupe thanks to her black troops, who fought very well against the English.” “lint,” said the interviewer, “to preserve authority over your black troops you must imbue them with fear of the white man. Are you not afraid that if you use them against white men and they are successful they may turn against their masters afterwards ?” “Not in the least,” said Colonel Mangin. “The black man neither loves nor fears the white man just because be is white. He loves and fears bis own white man—the man who is in authority over him. The black man is a child, simple-minded, fearless, and affectionate. He must be treated as a child, that is to say, with absolute firmness, but without unreasoning brutality. If so treated lie will do anything for the white man, whom he looks upon very literally as his father. Eager to Attack Highlanders. “'They would fight even hotter j against white men than against other i blacks for very pride of being allowed Ito do so. 1 wdi give \ou proof of i this—an eye-witness’s proof. We were in a big square enclosure at Easlmda. When Kitchener arrived there lie thought it advisable to show ! us that his numbers were enormously : superior to ours, and ordered a marchpast of the troops under his com- I maud. They were about thirty toll one of us. W e officers looked at ji the numbers. Uur black troops did'i

lot worry about that. they watehcl the big Highlanders and othoi vliito men, and they begged us to at them see what they could do gainst them.

“I don’t suppose ninny of tnem .onlcl Jinve been left nlivo if it had ome to a light, and they knew that s well as we did. .Death counts ioi othing to the black who can die fightag. and death in a fight witli a "'Jute mu is a tiling to he prayed for. “That is all very well, hut in a European war with new quick-firing buns, which are quite new to them, i-oukk not the black troops lose their leads?” “The perfected gun and most ol he perfections in modern warfare will >0 quite, new experiences to white European troops as well,” said ,’oloncl Mangin. “There has heen o trial, of them yet. But our black roops arc pluck itsoli, and no enemy ias ever frightened them. Ith nk hey could he trusted to behave as veil as white soldiers, and oven better.”

No Black Officers. “Have you any black officers at all?” . v “Very few. There arc seven heu:enants and live suo-lieutenants. As i general rule we iind that the black ,nen work best with white office! s over diem. They have absolute confidence .n a white officer, and do not trust die powers of a man of their own colon-. The forethought and organising power of the white man are god-like mysteries to them, and they trust die of implicitly for that reason. Of •ours'o, there are groat differences among' the black troops from our different colonies. The negroes from .he coast and from the torcsts are the least warlike. Our best men are die men of the plains, and it is from, diem that wo are taking our soldiers, they iare a proof of the survival of the fittest, for they have fought other .ribes for centuries, and have always, .r nearly always, lieon victorious, or they would not lie there.”

‘•J3i.it arc you not afraid that when you’ve organised’ a big black army it may turn against the hand that'taught'it? Supposing your black troops, after a big success against white men in a European war, were to rise aginst the French?” “We are not the least afraid of chat,” said Colonel Mangin. “In fact, I’m inclined to the opinion that what you suggest is impossible, and 1 will tell you why. Our whole system of colonisation is making our black men into loving sons of France. Our men have their wives and homes with them in a rather near barracks, and when i hey have done their military service they go hack with them to their mines, and we encourage them to do s 0; We give them every encouragement iii our power, they return as ■non having authority, and they teach slaveholders that thg greatest hing in iiie is to know how to serve France; and to serve her well. The system works splendidly, and we lind that the men wo get from the villages are better and more useful every year because of the training they have had from the old soldiers.” England leaves a certain amount'of authority to the native , chiefs woo wchvin' authority before. Her systoni ! df colonisation is a system, of protectorate. We work .jdiilovently. We < ptefer to a substitute, . onr ' direct authority, and we hud that wo become more intimate with the blacks in consequence. We know what the black men. think at home. We arc always with them and among them, and we treat them as they should he treated, that is to say, like grown-up children.

Black Onslaught. “I ‘am not - by any means in niy : Opinion of t/he iiscs and ; the possibilities of a- black army for France. Geri'eritl Langlois, one ,of the finest soldiers we have, was convinced that our/ 1 colonies ■ in West Africa would i arid could furnish 50,000 black men at least whom we can use in any climate.' General Bonnal is of my opinion, too. ‘We would put,.’ he said, ‘our nine ‘Algerian divisions in the front in the next European war. The savagery and impetuosity of their rush with the bayonet would be of immense value at the beginning of die war, and the black troops would have//no rivals in trie final shock. Home, when her own resources began to fail, dominated the world for several centuries owing to her black troops. The example is worth following. And it should not bo 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 field with comparative ease.” ,

“I agree with General Bonnal,” said Colonel Mangin, “that black troops officered by Frenchmen will be the first troops in the world. General Bonnal wrote in an official document of last December that ho estimated that a division of 10,000 blacks could make a breach in a German lino of battle of two to three miles, and cmild .piish them back, scattering infantry, artillery, and cavalry, after the way had been prepared for thorn ■by’ French troops. “We are raising six regiments of four battal ons 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 throe battalions, and in Morocco a complete brigade. In four years, and perhaps before that—-very likely before that—this great black army will be in actual being.”