Evening star., 1914-10-02
EAST INDIANS EAGER.
TO ENGAGE IN WAR
Landing Of Troops at Mar
seiIIe, France, Described by
British Correspondent.
GREETED UPON ARRIVAL
BY MESSAGE FROM KING
English Sovereign Welcomes the
Trained Orientals to the Defense
of His Empire.

LONDON. October 2. s:20 a.m.-The
correspondent of the Daily Mail at
Marseille. in a dispatch dated last Sat
urday. but which was delayed by the
censor. describes the landing of the
Indian troops. who. he says, are all
ardent for the cause for which the
king and his allies are fighting. He
says:
ITO see fully score of transports
glide from the bay into the dock and
moor at their appointed stations was
an imposing sight and at, tho same
time a splendid tribute to the psrfec-
tion Of British organization. But the
grand spectacle was yet to come. In
almost as short a space of time as It
takes to tell it the decks of this won
derful fleet of ships were alive with
soldiers. and in a matter of a few
hours the trying work of disembarka-
tion had been completed without slip
or accident.
The French officers were amazed at
the remarkable smoothness with which
the operations proceeded, and were
not slow In their expressions Of pro-
found admiration.
'"The voyage from India had been
made under excellent conditions, and
the troops, who literally leaped ashore.
were fighting men to the last ounce,
hard, mt and ready. Had the word of
from the quay to the fighting line they
were ready to go.
1.-the, Black-Bearded Giants.
Not few of the Sikhs, 1.-THE. black
bearded giants. were deeply concerned
to know If 1 thought the war would
be over before they could get to grips
with the common enemy, and 1t was a
burden Off their minds when I assured
them there was absolutely no likeu-
hood Of anything of the kind coming
to pass.
Never has the port of Marseille,
used as 1t is to cosm opolitan crowds
and the multi-colored habilimenta of
Aarnca' saaG' Witnessed a scene SO kaleido-
scopic as that presented today by the
dehling thousands after thousands of
soldiers down seemingly numberiess
gangways and along quays lit up by
brilliant sunshine.
All the troops are in khaki. with
very Httie-perhaps a green or white
interwoven band in the headdress-to
distinguish one regiment, or rather
one caste. from another. The stun is
ilghter In texture and color than that
army. and imparts a smarter appear
ance to the wearer.
Officers Of High Type.
The white officers who are in COM
mand are of the highest type of SOL
dier. and there was something noble
and delightful in the officers walking
through Marseille with their troops, en-
route to the rest camps, when they
| might we'll have ridden.
one very important fact that must
not be lost sight of is that this great
expeditlonary force from the orient is
thoroughly trained, according to the
most modern ideas. and equipped with
hrst-class machinery of war Every
thing has been brought from India
| cannon, rifles. intrenchment imple-
| ments, sleeping rugs, tents and the
hundred and one necessaries Of an
Indian army, even down to the praying
mat.
The scene in town when the troops
marched through to the different camp
ing grounds was unforgettable. Every
man. woman and child in Marseille
turned out, and their number were
swellcd by people who had rushed in
In fact, the street were seething
masses of highly excited humanity.
'The excitement of the highstrung
Latins rapidly spread to the Indians,
and it was a unique experience to. see
hundreds of martial warriors, beard
ed men. whose hair was shot with
gray, and beardless youths. jump a
women fought with the men for the
honor of shaking hands with the
bronzed soldiers, and young girls threw
smelling flowers in their path or pin
ned pink roses on their tunics and
turbans, and even stuck them into the