I wonder if any trials of these alleged rapes by Moroccan troops ever
occurred? Given the racisim at the time, it seems to me that the diligent
historian could dig through the court records of the various cities (or at
least the miliatry tribunals) and find some evidence.
My point is that I am reminded of the wartinme propaganda spread by
the U.S. military in France during World War I. The object of
villification was African American soldiers. The specter of rape was
raised (along with other bogeys) to dissuade the French population
from associating with the black liberators. A special envoy was even
sent to them (I believe it was Ralph Bunche but I may be in gross
error). At any rate, according to a special order from General
Pershing's headquarters dated August 17, 1918, the French as well as
the white Americans had to "Make a point of keeping the native
cantonment population from 'spoiling' the Negroes...Americans become
greatley incensed at any public expression of intimacy betweeen
white women and black men."
I wonder if the research on this should be contextualized in the
whole controversy of the image of the black rapists used so
effectively in the U.S. and if there was a French colonial version of
it that has a history as long as that used in the United States?