The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-10-02
By Ex-ATTACHE.

~NfSTs NiSSp Win III iSou ItCoAuS oSius
vigorously excluded from the ranks,
countries where the law Of obligatory
military service for all is in force, are
confronted with the dilemma Of knowing
how to deal with recruits who are ex-
conViets.
Compulsory service in the army. and in
the navy. is not popular. especially with
the masses and any application or the
American doctrine that penal conviction
constitutes a disqualification from serv-
ing under the eountry's flag, would in
France. Germany. Austria, Italy, and
Russia. prove merely a temptation TO
crime
There are many who would prefer six
months In the penitentiary. 10 two or
three years arduous service in the army
or navy.
Criminals Enrolled.
In France. for instance, the number OF
men convicted Of ofenses against COM
mon law who are annually enrolled in
the army, exceed 10000.
So alarming is the growth OF the yearly
contingent Of jail-birds who present
themselves for service with the colors.
that the government has recently been
obliged to innaugurate radical trans
formation OF It's former methods OF deal
ing with this class or soldier. by increas-
ing the number or so-called disciplinary,
or "Biribf' regiments in Africa. MAZDA
gascar, and the other colonies. and BY
also augmenting the series OF military
penal settlements In the most remote pOr-
lions of France overseas dependencies.
Until a few months ago. the annual
draft OF men for the disciplinary regi-
merits IN the colonies. ala not exceed
100 men, which meant that al least
300 ex-convicts were enrolled each year
in the ordinary regiments Of the line.
a particularly atrOcious murder Of an
old lady. in a railroad carriage, between
Versailles and Paris. last winter. by a
couple OF soldiers. who turned out during
their trial 20 have been Paris Apaches
before enrolment in the army, served TO
call the attention Of the public 10 the evil
OF allowing men Of such character and
antecedents TO serve in regiments posses
ed of brilliant military traditions and
OF names figuring in letters Of gold in
the military annals Of the nation.
Apaches Bring Disgrace.
The presence Of former Apaches in
such corps was calculated so 1t was as
serted TO bring disgrace upon its flag.
and TO destroy its prestige in the eyes OF
the people. Moreover. citizens who in
trust their sons 10 the nation for service
in the army. protested loudly against the
idea OF their boys being relegated 20 the
communicating eOmpaniOnship Of Souten-
eurs and Of jaii-birds. while from other
sources came warnings as 70 the danger
Of such men betraying military secrets
in connection with ordnance. rifles, am
munition. and movement OF the troops
From now on. all who have suffered
sentences Of three r1onths in prison, on
who have been convicted Of that particu
lar form OF vagabondage known as Sou
tenage. will be mercilessly shipped of 10
the disciplinary regiments IN The colonies,
no matter how many thousand in number
and will only be allowed 10 return 10
France If they are able TO show years
wholly good conduct. or perform some
feat OF bravery which il they belonged
to an ordinary regiment would have won
for them special recognition in the form
of the Medaille Mllitaire. or the Cross OF
the Legion Of Honor.
Those who do not behave themselves
while members OF the disciplinary corps
will be Obliged 10 remain on indefinitely.
with their term Of service prolonged. and
in a number OF Instances. It Is prolong-
ed 10 keep the men In the colonies as
men, under surveillance
even after their discharge from the dis
eiplinary corps.
Before proceeding 10 describe quite
briefly the fate that awaits the Paris
Apaches in the disciplinary regiments of
Africa, and Of Madagascar. let me men
ton that although the problem is being
now in a measure solved as far as the
army is concerned. no satisfactory way
has been found of dealing with it in the
navy.
Navy a Problem.
It has been found impossible to pre-
vent the inclusion of seamen with crimi-
nal records. on any OF the larger French
men-of-war, where It is needless TO say
that they exercise a communicating IN
fuence.
There are one or two war ships or the
older type used for purposes OF coast
defense which are manned almost ex-
clusively by jail-birds of the worst type,
and despite the iron discipline exercised
bv the officers. the complaints OF the
81
that the French. government is now con-
sidering the proposal 10 bar the naval
service TO every offender against the
common law and TO draft those liable
thereto as hailing from the maritime dis
tricts into the disciplinary regiments Of
the army.
Indeed this VIII be the only manner
possible of Kidding the French navy of
its criminal element before the mast,
whose presence Is a source of humilia-
ton and disgrace to every self-respect-
ing Mathurin.
Life Counts for Little.
Naturally, in regiments such as the
Corps DiscipHnaires, the rank and file
OF which are composed exclusively of
iail-birds. the discipline is of the stern
est character. The punishments are as
frequent as they are terrible. A mans
life goes for nothing, since death means
but one criminal the less. and there is
but little pity on the part of the Off
oerN commissioned and noncommis-
stoned.
Thousands OF newspaper articles and
scores of books have been written about
the terrible hardships OF service in the
foreign legion of the French army. with
which the disciplinary regiments have
often been quite enormously COMPOUNDED
There is no connection between the two.
save this-that in the case of both their
service is confined to the eolonies.s
by means of voluntary enlistment. with
out any investigation of their nationality,