Imperial Valley press., 1918-08-10
SURPASSES
D'ARTAGNAN REROlSM

Correspondence of Associated Press)
Paris, Juiy l5,-The heroic exploits
and hairbreath escapes of D'Aragnan,
as narrated by Dumas in The Three
Musketcers," fade into comparative
iasignificance when compared with the
achievements of Rene Bertrand, as
toIi by himself.
Minus an arm and a leg, with nine
medals elittering on his breast, and
asserting that his body bore more
than bullet and bayonet wounds,
"Private Rene Bertrand of the French
Colonial infantry" posed in Paris as
the greatest hero Of the war.
Now he has been arrested as per
haps one of the Wa's greatest faklrS'
aad the pu.icc authorities declare he
lost his LEG and arm in railway ac
cident. and that five imprisonments.
instead Of five citations, compose his
record. 1t was the publication OF
Bertrand's photograph in Frenct
newspaper that led to his undoing.
Meantime, while reveling in the
fruits of his own romance, Bertrand
enioved the confidence of army Off
GERS and the credit of the leading
Paris cafes One famous and fearless /
aviator made Private Bertrand M ;
godson and "adorted' him for th' !
balance Of the war.
The medals he wore included th' |
cYoss of the Legion of Honor, the Mil |
itary medal, the War Cross with sevel.
palms and five stars, the British mll
tarv cross. the Belgian war cross, the
Colonial medal, the Medal of Morocco, I
and the medal for saving life ana tht !
medal for wounds. In addition, he /
wore the "fouragere" of the Legion
of Honor.
Where he got them has not beet
disclosed, but to account for then
Bertrand constructed Il story of Won
derful incidents. According to this
tale. he won the military medal b.. 4
saving the lives of two officers an
was himself wounded in the thigi
when surrounded by natives Will
fighting with the French Territorial.
Forces in Morocco in 1913.
Then. according to his own story
Bertrand won the War Cross in pa
no exploit in the present war, when .
after his companions were killed, +, /
caplured q whole German cooking out
fit at Loan. having killed most of tn,
cooks. Next, fighting with the Brit
ish on the Somme, lie Won the Milital:
Cross by capturing twelve German
single handed. Meantime ne had be-
captured five times by the German.
but always managed to escape.
In the next chapter Of his biograph /
Bertrand appears in the fight arOur |
Monastir on the Macedonian from. !
where he simultaneously operated fou
machine guns and wroakcd such u
awful havoc with the enemy thu
heir attack was beaten off. At tt |
Battle Of Monastir he essayed to re
cue an officer who lay wounded i Il
No. Mans Land and was himsel
wounded in the abdomen. Despite hi
Pain, he dragged lie officer back t2I
safety and went out again to rescu'
wounded nurse. In the last trip HI
arm was shattered by a bullet an
later was amputated.
Next we find Bertrand a passenger
on board ship bound for France. TIE
torpedo which hit the vessel shattered
one of Bertrand's legs. Calmly am
putating it with his knife, Bertran
bound up the stump, dragged himself
to the rail, threw himself overheard,
paused long enough to rescue the cap
tain and swan to piece Of driftwood,
where ne lived for three days and three
nights before being rescued by Span
ish vessel. For this Bertrand said he
received the Medal of the Legion of
Honor.
Numerous stars and leaves of palms
that Bertrand wore upon his war
cross had been acquired, according to
his tale, by twelve distinct acts of
heroism worthy IF the coveted cross,
but the details of these incidents have
not vet been giYen 70 the public.