The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1917-12-27
FAKE WAR HEROES
GET COMMISSIONS
Newspaper Correspondent Says
Americans Are Taken in
by Impostors.
LATEST confidence GAME
Fraudulent "Warriors" Exploit War
Fever in United States by Imper-
scnating Real Heroes of FOREIGN
Legion and Flying Corps.

IdTlS.-One OF the latest and mos
successful confidence games' in tn
United States today, judging from let
tiers and newspaper reports, is the as
sertfon of nondescripts that they ar,
returned American "heroes" of the
French foreign legion, or of the Lafay
cite escadrille. Almost daily the lie
g1onaries and aviators at the from,
send me clippings from American pa.
pers which tell of the valorous exploits
of certain man "back from the war;
whose deeds and ofteN whose name
are unknown on the battle front 1t is
at the request of many of the brave
Americans who are really fighting that
l write word of warning against the
fraudulent warriors" who are exploit
ing the war fever in the United States,
writes Paul Ayres Rockwell in the
Chicago News.
Some Never Reach Europe.
Some Of the impostors have never
been in Europe at all some came over
/ and enlisted in the allied ranks, then
managed by one means or another,
even by downright desertion, to return
to America before ever viewing the
firing line.
Others impersonate the men who are
in France offering their lives in the
| fight against the Germans. Sergt.
| Frederick linn of Battle Creek, Mich,
the famous aviator-observer, recently
received a copy of the Hood River
(Ore.) News for July II, 1917, contain
ing story beginning: "Frederick w.
linn, an American who has seen active
service in the aviation corps of the al
lied armies in France, spent several
days last week in Hood River, and
those who met him were thrilled by his
stories of aerial combat in the war
zone. Mr.. linn came west to find a
b. Z brother and sister, from whom he
hs become separated since he went |
to Europe. He traced them to Port |
land, and was told there that they had |
been adopted by Hood River family"
The article goes on at length and
gives some personal details about Ser
geant linn which the impostor prob
ably cleaned from news reports. The
real Sergeant linn has no half broth
ers or sisters. He returned to France
|
March.
Another clipping from Pasadena,
CAL. tells Of Richard l.. Bryner, who
Is referred to as a lieutenant and the
youngest member Of the Lafayette
escadrille, who "has been very success
full in battling against German war
planes. Several of his heroic deeds are
The name of Bryner has I
never appeared on the roll call of the
Lafayette flying unit.
I have before me the official steno-
graphic report of the interrogation by
he senate's committee on military af-
airs of two Americans who have worn
he French aviation uniform. Senator
Sheppard asked: "Have you record
# the number of battles in which you
lave participated?"
Army Adopts Impostors.
One Of the men replied that he had
'een in II different engagements. Yet F
lie has never once flown over the front.
The other claimed to have had thirty
r thirty-fve air battles. The truth is
hat he spent seven months with the
lafayette escadrille, and during all
hat time had only about five hours Of
light and not one aerial duel. He has
cen made a first lieutenant in the
United States army on the strength
his assertions.
A man who deserted from the French
Walton corps after France had spent
yer $1,000 teaching him how to fly is
)day a lieutenant and chief pilot at
n American aviation school. He never :
ew at the front and was never under L,
re, although he has given out many
lterviews describing his heroic ex-
lofts while fighting the Germans.
number of other Americans who
llisted in the French aviation corps
nd were trained as flyers at the ex- ~
ense of the already overburdened
rench nation went to the United
Eates directly after being brevetted,
ithout ever having gone to the front,
Id have not yet returned to face the
erman foe in battle. Some of these :
en- are so shamelessly lacking in n,
)nOr that even in the training camp
ey announced to their American COM
des that they had not enlisted with
e intention of fighting, but to learn
lying occupation, so as to return to =
nerica and make money.