The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-11-11
OF ORIGINAL 800
FEW AMERICANS
IN French ARMY
Many Have Met Death; Some
Joined Flying Corps.
Foreign Legion Decorated TOT
Bravery at SOmme.
40 NATIONS REPRESENTED
90 NATIONS REPRESENTED
Heterogeneous Military Organi-
cation All Foreigners.
q. S. Youth, 10, Wins Crolx de
Guerre in BayOnet Charge.

with the French Foreign Legion,
France Nov. light hundred ouu
Americans enlisted in the famous
French foreign legion in the early part
of the war.
The legion, which is one OF the
finest fighting regiments in France
has participated in nearly all Oh the
big offensives to date, and many OF
the American volunteers were killed
or DerrnanentIy wounded in these az
tions. The American contingent "a.
fered especially heavy during tne 80
French offensive in Champagne lase
September, where the resi ini'si Us
usilal covered itself with glory.
since then. fully fifty of the Amer
loan Dictionaries have been transferred
at their own request into the rance
American flying corps; others haNe se-
cured their discharge, whlle qulte
Gently the remaining ones nave man
ifested an ardent desire TO get lIlt - M
French regiments, which the trencn
government has finally permitted
them to do. . +;
The legion at the present moment Is
defending one of the more quiet sec
49, ~ The French front, where the
first line trenches run just IN front
of one of the most beautiful ana most
historic chateaus of France. me
chateau itself has been completely ue-
stroyed by the Germans, out the
grounds. in which the legion IS en-
camped. remain almost as beautl1ul as
Occupy Chateau Park
The transfer of the legion into this
ideal SPOT for a few weeks or quiet
trench fighting is in recompense Ior
the brilliant part played by 1t IN the
early part of the Somme OFFENSIVE
where it suffered heavy losses.
Almost the first man whom L met
in the legion. after the officers, was
a 19-year-old boy of St. LOUIS MO.
Altho 4 member of the legion for only
the past nine months, he is proudly
wearing the much coveted decoration
of the Croix de Guerre, which he won
in a brilliant bayonet charge on the
Somme.
tears who sailed from New York on
the Rochambeau August 4, 19l4 I'm :.
mediately following the Ceclaratlon OF
war. only four remain. These are
lieutenant of Seattle, who is UNDER
going special treatment az Paris FOR
a bullet thru the lungs; sergeant OF
New orleans: a private of San Fran
cisco and a private of New YORK.
France i'm Preference to Native Land.
In the Iegion's brilliant bayonet
oharges on the Somme three out of
the four battalion commanders were
killed. the remaining one, Command
ant WeddeI, an Englishman, having
been decorated with the Legion OF
Honor for his bravery.
Numerically. the legion has sur
fered heavily since the beginning D
the war, owing to the large NUMBER OF
I-oIunteers who have been released in
OF der to return home and fight with
their own armies. The Italians. Ior
example. returned home when Italy
declared war; the Greek a the mo-
ment of Greek mobilization, and the
Rumanians with their country en-
trance into the conflict.
Nevertheless. the legion sun mas
members from forty-eight different
nations. One of the few Greeks re
naming. told me he had come all the
wav from Jerusalem to fight for
France and had preferred to remain
IiiIe,rise a remaining italian, who had
lived all his life only two days "on
foot from Rome without ever e afavrn !
- continue fighting for France rath-
er than return to his native land.