Between Scylla and Charybdis

Abstract

During World War I, France and Great Britain recruited 140,000 Chinese laborers to toil behind the front lines in Europe where mobilization and casualties had created a severe shortage of labor. The Chinese performed all kinds of works related to the Allied war effort, such as digging trenches, laying railway lines, repairing roads, loading and unloading ships and trains. When the United States joined the war, the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) began to arrive in Europe and set up military camps in France. The AEF requested a supply of laborers from the French government to transport munitions, construct warehouses, and perform general labor duties. The French responded to this request by transferring 11,500 Chinese laborers to the AEF’s control. Initially recruited and employed by the French under certain obligations detailed in the written contracts approved by the Chinese government, the Chinese now suddenly fell under the control of the Americans who had their own view on how to manage this workforce. Although they were not soldiers, the Americans treated them as such. They came under military discipline and were often locked into camps surrounded by the wire working seven days a week. This situation became the source of major friction between the Americans, French, and Chinese. The general perception and image of the Chinese in the United States and French colonial views and theories seem to have a great impact on the dynamics of this triangular interaction. The present chapter will explore a wide range of questions that emerged as a result of this dual Franco-American control over the Chinese laborers during the war. By analyzing documents from the French and American archives, this chapter will examine the practices and policies adopted by the French and American officials in regard to Chinese labor during World War I and will discuss the contribution of the Chinese labor contingents to the American war effort in Europe.