Your obedient servant,
BAINBRIDGE COLBY.
[Telegram from American Ambassador at Paris, Jan. 29, 1921.]
The total number of troops in the French Army of occupation was 86,000
in December; 16,386 of this number were Moroccans and Algerians and
3,224 were Malgaches. The remainder were white. The figures for January
are approximately the same.
Properly speaking, there are no black troops. The Moroccans and
Algerians are Arabs of the Mussulman religion and are entirely distinct
from the Negro race. The Malagaches are Malays from Madagascar.
Incidents occurring between these colored troops and the natives of the
occupied district, and which have been investigated by French military
authorities, have been in the proportion of 1 to 1,594 men. About
one-fourth of such cases have resulted in condemnations of from 30 days
to 10 years’ imprisonment, according to the gravity of the charge.
The remaining cases have been dismissed on account of inability to
substantiate charges or because of a lack of good faith on the part of
German authorities who brought charges.
The French Government has made no attempt to officially disprove the
accusations concerning the behavior of the troops. It has, however,
unofficially supplied facts and figures through its press agencies
to various countries. So far as I am able to ascertain, the recent
behavior of these troops has been on an average with the conditions
above reported.
The delay on the part of the foreign office in supplying this
information after several requests was not due to lack of interest, but
to difficulty in obtaining figures. That office has promised further
information within a few days, which I shall forward as soon as it is
received.