The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-12-30

the case. I realized fully the gravity
 of the great war before l left the United
 States, but each day has merely served
 to deepen that viewpoint l know you are surfeited on war dope statistics. prophecies, etc.. and I thought you would
 be more interested in getting few ran-
 dom personal observations l have made since coming over here
 "As a matter of fact, practically all
 the reserve officers over here take the
 war deadly serious and all seem anxious
 to render the utmost service. Few are
 looking for soft jobs. As an example,
 only the other day there was need for a
 score of officers at once for certain work
 which would require tAem to do their
 war service in office buildings and ho-
 tels. It was requested that only those
 who feared that they were physically or
 temperamentally unable to undergo the
 hardships of the line should offer. Be it
 said to the credit of the officers here
 that very few volunteered and practi-
 cally all of those who did were probably
 physically incapable of a hard winter
 campaign in the trenches. And those who
 did not offer had no envy of the men
 who got the soft places.
 THE FOREIGN LEGION
 "Of course you have read much about
 the Foreign Legion of the French army.
 For sometime I have been near a camp where there are some or Jnen1-a com pany of recruits being trained. Out of pr obably 100 men I believe that not less than 25 different languages were spoken and probably as many nationalities rep resented. There were Chinamen, Japs, American negroes, various South Ameri- cans, Norwegians Swedes, Danes and a considerable number of American white men.
 'One man, however attracted my att Yd inv 1,; He was tall and slender, apparently co years of age, fair of complexion, with snow white hair, as erect as an Indian, an eye as keen as an eagle and with bearing as proud as that | of the noblest aristocrat The French | officer told me he was an American; came from Louisiana, had paid his way over to enlist after having been | rejected in the United States army on account of his age, and that he claimed l to be only 52, and that on the hard marches the old man, no matter how | he might feel, proudly boasted that | he could endure as much as the young | est man in the company and accord l iEgly refused to give up. The old fel- ] low, with whom I later had a talk, | is a wonderful conversationalist. He says he was formerly a state senator 1 in Louisiana and recounts many won | derful stories of his actions In that august assembly. With the uniform of | the foreign legion he reminds one of | tke old man in that painting of the | fife and drum corps of the revoIu : | tionary war. know you have seen it | on many calendars. That man of his age should travel from the United 1 States to France to enlist to fight the l Huns struck me as worthy of note. | He certainly cannot be accused of be- | ing a 'mercenary patriot as his pay Is only cents a day.
 l Well, have some work to do now, so will stop this long letter; it is al- ] ready too extended and rambling. am I of the opinion now that I won't re- l turn to the United States until the | war is over Give my regards to all I the men and women at the office I
 miss them. I wish you would have all | of them write me I would appreciate 1 it and I don't have much opportunity I to write often. In the future write me
 to the address below. Mail comes quicker that way With best wishes for | you and all my friends, am, sincerely yours, LEON c. BRADLEY, | First Lieut.. Inf, U. s. R., A. B. F., 1 B. C. M, Paris, France
 l "P. S.-No news of Birmingham and 1 Alabama people and things can be un- 1 interesting to me now. I enjoy 1t
 All. L. c. B."