Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-02-09
A soldier OF the Legion
Lay dying in Algiers.


GO THE poem has 1t. The Legion
~ dEtrangers, that hodge-podge Of inter
national castoffs, most of whom left their ma
tive lands because they had to-that con-
glomeraton of humans whose hope of social
reinstatement has died, and who seek glory
on the field of battle to square accounts with
the civilization they offended-that $500 is
back in the fray and on French soil!
Composed of Alsatians, French, Germans,
Eurasans, Levantines, Russians, Greeks,
Swiss Austrians and-yes Americans
minus perhaps the Germans and Austrians, it
is battling for its adopted land, France. And
such superb soldiers as these drifters, these
outcasts, make! Even as the Mohammedan
seeks Paradise through death on the field of
battle; as the Japanese seeks the Samurai
heaven; as the Norsemen and Vikings sought
Valhalla, so the legionnaire asks death in
the hell of shot and shell, in the roar of guns
and the screeching of whortling bombs.
And II they die thus, they will simply up
hold the traditions of their corps, They will
fall even as their comrades in arms fell be-
fore them, for a more honorable military rec
ord than that of the Legion it would be diff
cult to resurrect from the musty pages of his
tory. lEighty-four years ago last Thursday
the Foreign Legion-popuarly so called-was
organized by France. Since then its mem
bers have won enough glory, have shed
enough blood, have suffered enough to
deem any and all pasts they may have
sought to forget and live down.
One French general after another was sent
to Algiers to subdue Add ell Kader One after
another returned to La Belle France in dis
grace. At last came Bugeaud Making the
Foreign Legion nucleus, he collected con-
siderable army for those days, and after sew
eral campaigns crushed Kader, captured him
and sent him to exile in Smyrna, where he
died in 1883.
But 1t is not only in the years-nay. gem
erations-of struggles with the Arabs. that the
legionnaires most distinguished themselves
Wherever they fought, there glory was theirs.
Queen Isabella rented the Legion to help
subdue the Carlist revolt in Spain, where 1t
lent tremendous aid to the hard-pressed, Mar
shall O'Donnel In the CrImea its members
fought and bled. In the days of the ill-fated
Macmillan in Mexico they upheld the honor
of France.
At Sidi-bel-Abbes in the hInterland of
oran are the barracks of the Legion baked
in the heat Of the desert sun, cooled by the
evening breezes, redoent with spice and laden
with the perfume OF date palm groves-often
overwhelmed by terrific sandstorms from be-
yond the GASES. There live the main forces of
the leglonnaires. There they "heel-balI" their
black belts; there they clean their aceoutre-
ments. And when leave OF absence comes
they drift into oran. into the gambling hells
and resorts which abound there, seeking for
getfulness OF the past.
For among them are men OF many sorts
professors. physicians, bankers, writers, aye,
even princes. Carefree they are SO far as re-
sponslbllities are concerned although their
pay is only II centimes (sM cents) a day.
The Legion Marches Forth
And when the call comes they march forth.
arrayed in loose red trousers, blue blouses.
double breasted black tunics with red fac
ings, wearing rsd-fringed green epaulettes,
with blue woolen eummerbund around the
waist. On their heads rests red kepis on
which mare the ssyen-named grenade, the
honorsd badge OF the Legion. CRrbines, short
swords and vicious knives are their arma-
ment. They carry their aocoutrement, their
small tents. their cooking utensils on their
backs
The terms Of enlistment are not surrounded
by red tape. No questions are asked. Real
names are seldom furnished-they are lost In
the past Physical conditions being up 10
the standard, they are mustered in. and the
Legion has gained new recruits. It Is al 40
simple. this entering the Legion OF Lost
Hopes and Undying Memories. this enaclng
ones self from civilization.
In time Of peace the life OF the iegionnairs
Of today Is not onsrouz He Is fairly we'll
fed fairly well treated. But L was different
IN fhe days gene by. He vas an abiect
slave % his oaiQera treated a0rne than the
pEoysrblsl esE beaten. epnea. ossFeozked