The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-11-11
Warning Nations Celebrate
 Festival of Soldier Saint

St. Martins Day, the eleventh Of November. will be observed with un- usual enthusiasm today, for this year marks the l60Oth anniversary of the birth of the Soldier Saint. The most impressive ceremonies to commemo- rate the event will be held in the cathedral of Tours, the French city where St. Martin had his seat as bishop; at Poitiers, where he founded the first monastery in France,>and in Hungary, where he was born. Al though Martin was a conscr1pt, ana engaged in military service from ne- cessity rather than choice and aban- doned it as soon as opportunity offer ed, he has been known through the centuries as the Soldier Saint, and the patron of warriors.
 Martin was the son of Roman tribune, who was stationed at Sabarla, in Hungary, at the time of the birth of his illustrious son in 3l6. It IS recorded that from early childhood Martin was noted for the mildness of his disposition. He became Chris tian catechumen against the wishes of his parents, but at IS he was forced by his father to enroll in the army. He served in the legions of Rome for several years, and it was while sta- toned at Amiens. not far from where the Allies and Teutons are now engag- ed on the Somne, that he performed the charitable deed which constitutes the principal legend connected with his name The young soldier was passing through one of the gates of Amiens when he saw by the roadside a poor negged beggar, almost frozen with cold. Having no money, Martin took his sword and cut his military cloak in two, giving half to the beggar.
 For centuries this half of a cloak, which was believed to have been mi raculously preserved, was the battle standard of France: and the most val ued relic in the possession of the French kings. When the mcnarchs went to war the cloak was always car- ried before them, as a sacred banner, in the belief that it insured certain victory. For nearly a century rival churchmen were engaged in a lawsuit over the possession of a sleeve of this cloak The Count Larochefoucalt at last settled the quarrel by consigning the fragment of cloth to the flames.
 The oratory in which this part of cloak or cape-in French, chape- was preserved, became known, in con- sequence, as the chapelle, and the keeper of the sacred relic as the chap elain. This was the origin of our English words chapel and chaplain.
 Among the legends developed. by the present war is that St. Martin, wearing a half of a military cloak, has appeared before the French soldiers -on the Somne when they were in des- perate straits, and have led them on to victory. That St. Martin is neutral is further indicated by the prevalence in Hungary of a pious belief that the Soldier Saint has also helped the Hun garian troops to achieve victoriesi
 The bones of St.. Martin were in- tered in Tours Cathedral, but in 1913 the Pope and the Bishop of Tours authorized their translation to Tours Cathedral, in Hungary, the great re- ligious edifice which marks the saints birthplace.
 For centuries St. Martins Day, or Martinmas as it is known in England, has been one of the great feast days of Europe, corresponding somewhat in the method of observance to the American Thanksgiving Day. Roast goose is always the feature of the Martinmas dinner. A fifteenth century poet, thus exalted the feast:
 To belly chear, yet once again,
 Doth Martin more incline,
 Whom all the people worshippeth
 With roasted geese and wine.