The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-09-08
HISTORY
Of French Foreign Legion
Mentioned In The War
Dispatches

London, Sept. 4-The French "for-
eign legion" that interesting institu-
tion so frequently made to figure in
romance, is receiving almost daily
mention in the war dtsptches A his
tory of the legion and it's position in
International law isNall the more in
teresting at the present time, since
the recent enlistments include not on
ly Italians and those of other Euro
of Canadians and Americans who
were unable for one reason or anoth-
or to join the regular forcts of the AL
Hes.
The employment of foreign troops
is common episode in military his
tory, but the general term foreign
legion" which has come to be usually,
though rather loosely, applied to the
regiment strangers" in the French
service, has stood, not for troops sold
into foreign service as were the Hes
SLAMS who fought under the British
flag in the American revolution, but
for irregular volunteer bodies of for
eign sympathizers raised by states
at war"
Tht French foreign legion" is com.
posed of adventurous spirits of all
Notwithstanding most numer-
ously, however, the French them
selves-and its chief service hereto
fore has been in the French colonies.
It's present organization dates back to
law of 1881, passed for the purpose
of giving aid and a definite status to
foreign refugees on French soil, par
ticularly veteran soldiers left from
The fusion of numerous foreign regi.
ments created by Napoleon at the
time of his return from Elba.
After the war with Prussia in 1870
further reason was added, at least
from the French point of view, for
thO OAiobGllIC VA bhC hN
French could not make places in the
"egular national army for those in
nabitants of Alsace-Lorraine who re.
fused to serve the German flag, since
this was expressly prohibited in the
terms of the treaty of Frankfort. The
French held, however, that they had
a right to incorporate in the foreign
legion" deserters and Alsatians who
declined to submit to German rule.
in practice, up to the beginning OF
the present war, the foreign legion
has been recruited through voluntary
enlistments for five years, and re-en
listments for from one to five years
undertaken by foreigners, "or by
French serving under the title of for
eigners." No evidence has been re
quired of the recruit to show that he
is over eighteen and the system has
always been on the order of mo ques
tions asked" Under these terms q
force of nearly $1,000 men has been
easily maintained, the average enlist
ing amounting to about 1000
Because the foreign legion" has
been employed so much in the coloni
al service in recent years the idea has
become rather general that it was
purely colonial force. But this idea
is incorrect, since the legion has beer
employed in general warfare a mum
Der of times before the present con
liict in which it promises to play {
conspicuous part. In 1856 the two
foreign regiments conducted them
selves so brilliantly and bravely IL
the Crimea that the French citizen
ship was accorded at q stroke to al
who sought it. Again in 1859 the two
foreign regiments took part in the
bloody campaign which Napoleon III
waged against Austria in behalf o
Italy, And in the FrancoPrussiar
war the foreign troops, after having
supposedly eliminated the Germans
We're embarked for France, and a
Tours, when Paris mad been besieged
there was a reorganization of all for
eigners eager to fight under th'
| French flag. But it is said the Ger
mans were able to introduce spies in
to the organization, some of whom
the authorities at Tours were blinC
enough to commission as French OF
iicers.