Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1914-10-03
INDIAN TROOPS
REACH FRANCE
British Subjects from Asia Glad to
Have Opportunity to Serve
y Their King.
LANDING is MOST IMPRESSIVE
Inhabitants OF MnrseiIIes Greet the
swRrthy Soldiers who Come
from India 60 Defend In
vnsion Of France.

LONDON. oct. 1.-The correspondent Of
the Daily Mail at Marseilles in a dispatch
dated last Saturday. but which was de-
layed 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 a score OF transports glide
from the bay into the dock and moor at
their appointed stations was an imposing
sight and at the same time a splendid
tribute to the perfection of British or
ganiEatlon. 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 wonderful fleet OF ships were alive
with soldiers and in a matter OF a few
hours the trying work of Decentralization
had been completed without slip or ac-
cident.
The French officers were amazed at
the remarkable smoothness with which
the operations proceeded and were not
slow in their expressions OF profound
admiration.
The voyage from India had been made
under excellent conditions and the troops.
who literally leaped ashore. were fighting
men TO the las, ounce. hard. fit and
ready, Had the word of command been
given to march straight from the quay
to the fighting line they were ready
to go.
Not few of the Slkhs, 1.-THE, black
bearded giants are deeply concerned to
know II I thought that the war would
be over before they could get to grips
with the common enemy and It was a
burden off their minds whom 1 assured
them there was absolutely no likelihood
of anything of the kind coming to pass.
Kaleidoscope Scene.
Never has the port OF Marseilles, used
as 1t is to cosmopolitan crowds and the
lnulucolored habiliments of Africa, wit
! messed scene SO Kaleidoscope as that
| presented today by the defiling of thous-
ands after thousands of soldiers down
seemingly numberless gangways and
along quays lit up by brilliant sunshine.
All the troops are In khaki with very
little-perhaps green or white Inter-
woven band in the head dress-to distin-
| guish one regiment or rather one caste
| from another Tho stuff is lighter in tex
\ ture and color than that used in the
equipment of the home army and imparts
smarter appearance to the wearer.
THE white officers who are in COM
mand are of the highest type of soldier
and there was something noble and de-
hghuul In the officers walking through
Marseilles with their troops, enroute to
the rest camps, when they might well
! have ridden
"One very important fact which must
not be lost sight of is that this great
! expedltlonary force from the Orient is
thoroughly trained according to the most
modern ideas and equipped with first
class machinery of war. Everything has
been brought from India, cannon, rifles.
entrenching implements, sleeping rugs,
tents and hundred and one necessaries
G m Indian army down to the PRAYING
| mat
Picture IN ImpressiOnnble.
The scene in town when the troops
marched through to the different camp-
ing grounds were unforgettable. Every
man, woman and child in Marseilles
turned out and their Numbers were
swelled by people who had rushed in from
the surrounding country districts. In
fact the streets we're seathing massea or
highly excited humanity.
THE excitement of the high-strunR
Latins rapidly spread to the Indians. and
|
dreds of martial warriors bearded men
whose hair was shot with gray. and
beardless youths, jump yard high in the
air for sheer joy. Old women fought with
| the men for the honor of shaking hands
with the bronzed soldiers and young girls
threw sweet smelling flowers in their
path or pinned pink roses on their TUNES
and turbans and even stuck them into the
Indians long hair In response the dark
eastern eyes beamed their great content
and rows of white teeth flashed from
laughing mouths.
by evening they were all encamped
In the picturesque park with rocky
heights, reminiscent of their faraway
hills, around them. and in the moonlight
groups of Marseillaise stood on all ada
cent roads. watching with unflagging in
terest the strange eastern rites of these
magnificent fighting men from Britains
great dominion"