BRITAINS AFRICAN RESERVES

Evening Star, Issue 16347, 13 February 1917, Page 9

BRITAINS AFRICAN RESERVES

[By Frederick Stubbs, F.R.G.S.]

The fact that General Botha, the Prime Minister of South Africa, strongly advocates the despatch of native troops to -Europe ought to compel the British Government and people to immediate serious consideration of the question. It is not a negligible question; it is not one that can safely bo put off. It is certain that a man with General Botha’s experience and responsibilities would not have advocated the employment of African troops without good reason. And he does not stand alone. The very highest authorities on African affairs, such as Sir H. H. Johnston, Sir Alfred Baker. Sir Godfrey Lagden, General Smuts, Commander Wedgwood, M.P.. advocate it. So do the Committee of the House of Commons ; so do many responsible journals. My own opinion on the subject is, o: course, worth little; still, one hopes it is worth something. I have at least seen a good deal of native races and native troops, and have hoard from those who know them intimately what they are capable of. Let me put the question as it presents itself io my own mind. —Britain's Need.— W T e are engaged, then, in a tremendous struggle for our national existence. The invention of the submarine and airship have to a large extent deprived us of the advantage of insularity. Wo are thus compelled against our will to become a military nation, and must henceforth bo prepared to put armies in the field commensurate with those of other groat Powers. It may be replied that we can rely on Allies, and so I trust ws may, but history teaches us that the nation whoso safety depends upon its Allies is doomed. We must be prepared to defend ourselves, and we can only do this so long as we can put vast numbers of properly trained and equipped men in the field. But the British people throughout the world number little more than 60,000,000. whilst the Germans alone number 67.000,000, and 'increase far more rapidly than ourselves One might very reasonably add the 51,00-3,C00 of Austro-Hungarians who, as far as the-;;-foreign and military policy is concerned, count as Germans. In that actually existing case we have 118,000.000 Austro-Germans as against some 60,000,000 British, and when the war is over wc shall have to bo prepared to hold cur own not only against 118.000.000 Germans, but against any other nations that, may threaten vital interests. Such nations may at present be friendly, but have we any guarantee that they well always remain so? In any case, if our national existence and ideals are to be preserved, wc must bo in a position to defend them against the encroachments of any other Power whatsoever. How, then, can wo 60,000,000 British people do this? We cannot do this miles; we are prepared to utilise the services of our colored fellowsubjects in India, Africa, and elsewhere Wc have 380,000.000 of these, but hitherto our color prejudice and our self-conceit have prevented us, except to a very' limited ex tent, accepting their service. —Color Prejudice.—

Now, I venture to say that this irrational and stupid prejudice against cur colored fellow-subjects must go. I don’t say that, wo must recognise them as in nil respects equal to the white man. but wo must learn to recognise and respect and utilise the splend.d qualities many of them possess, and their capacity for improvement. Let me state the case in greater detail. I will leave out India with its 325,000,000 people; also the West Indies and o her sraail dependencies, and consider the case of Africa alone as a recruiting ground. Mv distinguished fel-low-member in the R-ova! Geographical Society, Sir H. H. Johnston, who so career I have watched with the greatest interest and admiration for the past 30 years, and who, in my judgment, is the greatest of all living authorities on the natives of Africa, savs that it would bo possible to obtain 1.000,000 first-class thoroughly reliable soldiers from that continent alone. Anyone who has seen as I have, the splendid physique and cheerful activity of many of ihese African natives will not be surprised at this statement. When I was in Egypt, I lived for some weeks with an English officer from Khartoum, who told me that the Soudanese were amongst the keenest soldiers in the world, they were_ so keen that they actually employed their spare time in drilling one another to such an extent that the officers had to forbid it. Led by British officers, they were both brave and loyal. Well, Sir Harry Johnston thinks that we might °-et at least 200,000 picked troops from The Soudan. In South Africa there are some 6.000. natives—Zulus, Basutus. Kaffirs, Cape Boys, etc., all anxious to enlist! Sunny, then, a couple of hundred thousand mignt be raised in South Africa. Then there are the Yao people of Nyassaland, of whom Sir H. H. Johnston says that when he was fighting to put down the slave trade they were his toughest opponents, and that since their submission they have again and again proved their fighting value in British campaigns. In Ashanti. Somaliland, and Uganda they showed themselves to bo the best and bravest soldiers he ever had under his command. Commander Wedgwood also refers to the Ya.os in similar terms, cabin" them; 1 the best of all black soldiers." And the King’s African Rifles arc probably not one whit inferior to (he Yao?. General Smut?" who recently used them in his cam oaten in German East Africa, testifies to the excellent quality of these troops. They arc recruited from the negroes of that part of East and East Central Africa which lies between the Zambezi and Somaliland. “Anyone who has fought in East Africa ” sav= Commander Wedgwood, “will tel! you (hat our King a African Rifles are man .for man the equal (in i»iat country! of white troops. • .• • They never surrender; they always bring in their officers, dead or alive; they march like the guards." Then there are 20.000. people in Nigeria and the other \vcgfc Coast colonies; purely 250.000 men might be raised from these. One mid-d. mention also the Somalis, a troublesome people, but intelligent, brave soldiers (I once had a Somali a? a temporary servant mvsclf when in Africa, and found him most intelligent and faithful), and the famous Housa soldiers of Nigeria, who have been so highly praised by both British and French officers iu connection with the thoroughly successful Cameroon* campaign their bravery resourcefulness, loyal'y, and diseiplino bem* said to be almost beyond prako. It makes one feci as though one would like to command such troops oneself! And so one might go on enumerating the fine, brave native peoples that inhabit British Africa. —10,000,C00 British Africans.— Hero wc have under our rule 40.000,000 people; surely from those it should not be difficult to select at least 1.000,000 really first-class men fit to fight in Europe or anywhere else. If wc do not do so, it will bo an evidence that we are not fit to hold and govern a world-wide Empire. “ I have seen ” says Commander Wedgwood. ‘‘Peucgahvie drive back Turks with the bayonet; l" have seen Alrr'-rians fighting the" Germans In French Flanders; I have seen the English and German askaris fighting each other in Africa. I am on the Mesopotamia Commission. and can say tha: the record of the Indian troops in the Tigris stamps them as amongst (he best troops’in the world. . One can sorely say ihnt the German askaris can stand up under our shell-fire, retreat, and fight again ’’ —ami so on. —Conclusion.— Here. then, is the tes imony of men who knew our African fellow-subjects thoroughly, who have seen their conduct in actual w.Tr!are, and bandied (hem success‘‘ullv nari.-K.-t the Germans and against other" African troops. I he Gorman', who, with all ih dr brutalities, have at least a genius for war. were qiyck (o recognise the value of native levies indeed, their African campaigns have I> cii foiKrh nluios-t entirely by black men. and have given ns no end of trouble. What is the opinion of narrow-minded politicians and jealous labor unions worth compared hj the authorities I have quoted above? If our Empire ’s going to be preserved, wc must gci riil of this stupid. 'Suicidal prejudice against accepting the aid of our 380.000. colored feliow-subjects. They may not be white men; but they are men

and, in regard to some races, fire/as brave and strong and loyal os ourselves. They vastly outnumber us; they share in the security and other benefits of the Empire, and ought to be allowed to share in its defence, too. We ridicule the United States for being too proud to fight, but wo ourselves are too proud to allow our fellowsubjects to fight, for their own salvation and ours, by our side, simply because—exposed to tropical suns—-their skins are somewhat darker than our own! Everyone knows that had their skins been of a different color wo would have gladly welcomed their aid. We need their help; we -shall never be able to preserve our Empire without it; oven if wo do so now, what, about the future? It is not desirable on many grounds that only men of the British race should be killed in its defence. We want to preserve our race. My friend Mr John Harris, F.R.GjS., who has spent his life in the service of native races, says the colored men are simply begging to be -allowed to fight with us and for ns. In Mesopotamia, in' Egypt, and even in Europe they might render invaluable service. And they ought to have their chance. (I do not forget (he difficulties in the way—difficulties of transport and finance; tho risks encountered in teaching subject races the nso of arms, etc. But we may be quite sure that men like General Botha, Sir Harry Johnston, tho members of tho Honso of Commons Committee, etc., have fully considered these. In any case, you are not going to preserve and rule a great Empire unless you are prepared to meet and overcome difficulties, and those mentioned above are by no means insuperable.)