The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-10-20

messman. The legionaries however, seem to be the hardest drinkers, and take ab- sinthe until they work themselves into the "cafard," or cockroach stage, as M. D' 'Espar bes describes 1t. The symbolic oafard creeps into the absinthe drinker brain and makes him alternately erotic, quarrelsonae, mutinous and stupid The oafard also excites them to desert, as in the cases of the two former officers of the Austrian army who. after drinking bout, tried to escape to Morocco, but were caught by the Eendarmes.
 Each Soldier a Mystery.
 Of the officers M. DEsparbes gives good account Many of them are, oI as their men Their isolated life makes them studious and they are not above taking lessons from legionaries possess ing more erudition or technical knowl- edge than themselves. They nave ap- pointed as one of their lecturers cor porai who had been a Colonel of Engi- nears in the Austrian army. Although the legionaries do not read many news them from time to time and they occa:: sionally call each other by the names of men famous in the world beyond Sidl- pe-A6bss Thus ss1I1 Gsrmannsds'the nas1ed the sirdar, in allusion to the post formerly held in Egypt by the present English commander-in-chief in South Africa.
 One of the most noteworthy chapters written by the author is that headed Les MysterieuX." Those mysterious men or the legion enter it one fine day and as soon as they are clothed in uniform se- dulously endeavor to forget their pasts. They never speak of themseives and they die as they lived In the legion-human enigmas. Nothing can ever be known about them or their antecedents. A few have been identified or found out by the officers. One, for instance, has been a leading tenor in the opera house of a great European capital. A Prussian who was killed in Tonquin was found to be a genuine Count and the son of high mil itAPy official. In 1897 one Albrecht Fried rich joined the Second Battlaion of the legion. He was about 25. of distinguished past Ho died at Fort Geryville. Algeria: and three days afterwards a party of German official persons came for his body which they took away with them on Hamburg. According to the author. the dead leedonary was cousin of the Elm peror William of Germany.
 Always Ready-to Fight.
 M DEsparbes suggests that some fine soldiers could be obtained from Poland and Ireland for the Foreign Legion and with these could be incorporated the men of AIsace and Lorraine. whe join for the purpose of serving France. In this man ner "corps d'elite" could be formed, the more objectionable men being kept fin the older battalions. Service in the Foreign Legion Is. however, hard and 1t can only he very few persons who remain long in 1t through sheer love of soldering There are many young Belgians and others who are annually enticed by the notice affixed to the recruiting depot in Paris to the effect that "those who aspire to the hon or of serving France can do SD in the Foreign Legion" The aspirants enlist and soon after their landing in Algeria they find that to be soldier of the le- zion means hard work fin hot climate. iron discipline. small pay. scant rations and the post of greatest peril in battle.
 All. however. who have had any expe- rience of the legionariNs 7ttest that there can be no question of their bravery They are always ready and wiling to fight and they gladly forget their sorrows. troubles and privations amid the din of battle and when the bullets are flying which send 80 many of them to the rOughlY made grave wherein their crimes and their fol- lies are buried with them forever.