Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1916-12-09
WITH THE FRENCH
FOREIGN LEGION.
Interesting Story Of the Spirit Which
Dominates This Organization Dur
ing Some of the Wars Thrilling
Events.
(special to The Bulletin.)

Nop6Cld1 10 NE oultcLih.I
Washington, D. c., Dec. S.-An in
innate study of the spirit which dunni-
mates the famous French Foreign Le-
giou in the present world-war is given
by Lieutenant Zinovi Pechlzoff in a
communication to the National Geo.
graphic Society, part Of which was
released today by the Society as bull
letin of its war geography series.
Lieut.. Pechkoff, who was one Of the
first volunteers to profer his services
to France at the outbreak Of the war
in August, 1914, is a Russian subject
who was unable to return TO his own
country from Italy in the first few
days of the great struggle. He Joined
the Foreign Legion as private and
after taking part in three thrilling
bayonet charges was promoted 10 the
rank of Lieutenant, in which capacity
he was leading a platoon against an
entrenched machine gun position when
he received a wound which cost him
his right arm. For his exploit in this
charge, which resulted in the capture
of four lines of German trenches in
the space of AT minutes-the General
Staff had estimated that it would re-
quire two and q half hours-Lieuten-
ant Pechkoff received the War Cross
with palms (the highest of the four
classes of this order) and the Military
Medal for Valour.
The Society's bulletin. based on
lieutenant LGCnkOll
follows:
The romance and the adventurous
exploits associated with the name of
| the Foreigr-Legion of France consti-
| tute some of the most picturesque and
thrilling episodes in the history cf that
| nation during a period extending over
| the greater portion of the nineteenth
century. 1t is not surprising therefore,
| that when the hour of Frances great
est trial arrived in August. 1914, this
| notable organization. then in service
| in Morocco and Algeria, should have
beer among the first bodies CT troops
! to be rushed to the front, nor is it to
| be wondered at that the Legion should
| have formed the nucleus to which
| gravitated thousands OF eager spirits
of other nationalities who felt that the
| cause of France and French liberties
| was their own cause.
| "The French government was quick
| to realize the potency in the appeal OF
| the glorious past achievements of the
| Foreign Legion, and each battalion OF
| the four regiments was made the CEN
| trail unit. of a new volunteer regiment
1t should be explained to American
laymen that tie French regiment is a
much larger unit than the regiment OF
| the American army. In France the
| strength of a company is go men
there are four companies to the bat
| TALON, four nattaliOnS to the regiment
So, with each battalion of tie foul
regiments as q recruiting center fol
a new regiment, the strength of the
| Foreign Legion when its IL regiments
we've completed reached a total in ex
cess of $4,000 men.
when the Legionaries first reached
the firing line trench warfare was in
it's infancy No one could then imag-
inc into what it would develop. Ir
the early days of September those lines
| which afterWard grew into the vast
labyrinth Of bitches, and oonrlunicat-
ing galleries. were nothing more tear
shallow individual holes in which eacf
soldier sought to secure some protec-
ton from bursting shrapncl and the
hail of steel messengers of disiigure-
ment and death. But when the on
rushing tide Of the German invasion
was finally stemmed, and the process:
Of rolling it back again then this rev
oluntionary evolution of what IS, nov
known as trench. warfare was accom-.
plished.
Il have been asked many times since
clme to America, whether or not the
life in the trenches is Honotonous
how the men can stand the strain o.
living constantly in an atmosphere
surcharged with danger: how the
fighting men can endure the suspense
of the expected attack every hour il
|; the twenty four; how the soldier car
scohol himself to undergo the torture
of awaiting calmly the order to charge
the enemy, whom he knows to be ONLY
a few yards in front of him; how h
can adjust himself to the hardship!
and the inconveniences of living for
month at a time between earthen wall:
that suggest nothing more forcefull!
, than the sides of a pridisious gray,
which he has had to dig for his owl
body?
, ITO all these rational questions i