Evening star., 1918-04-11
Character of Legion Changes.

Character of Legion Changes.
Such was the foreign legion when the
war with Germany and her allies broke
out. II is very different today. Upon
the outbreak Of hostilities there were,
In many neutral lands, young. enthu-
siastic men, with high ideals OF honor
and patriotism, who could not brook
death struggle between Teutonic au-
tocracy, based on Prussian militarism,
and the ideals of liberty and democracy.
Thus there flocked many nne young
fellows of all nationalities to the
French flag. These men of high ideals
and lofty spirit were incorporated into
the foreign legion. Americans whose
blood boiled at the seeming indifference
Of the United States government to the
wanton violation of treaty to which
repeated insults to the beloved nag,
came in goodly numbers. Spaniards
having lived the free life Of the noun
tains. and unaffected by German propa,
themselves under the tri-color. to
strike q blow for that freedom which
they almost instinctively felt w44 in
danger. And so, too. with the liberty
loving Swiss. realizing that switzer-
tion, could not take part in the war.
sacrificing everything, they took their
stand for the liberty they loved so well.
Very different in education, In feel
ing and in every way to the old legion
these men changed the complexion of
the corps. They lie by the hundred
and thousand on every battlefield of
France. They have never assfmilated
will There is, I regret to say. GER
tain amount of bad feeling between
them. This has worn OF to a certain
extent. owing to the dangers and diff
culties shared and overcome in COM
mon. but 1t is still there. The old le-
gionnaire looks upon the volunteer for
the duration of the war" as an upstart
and no soldier. The volunteer regards
the old legionnaire as a mere merce-
nary. Both are in error.
Old Legionnaire Is Loyal.
II would be the greatest injustice to
the old legionnaire to believe him with
out patriotism. As have said before,
France IL his mother-his only mother
and he loves her and respects her as any
Frenchman does. Years Of hard service
IN every climate Of the tricolor has on
and her nag. Then, the reader may say:
There II very little difference between
the two" but there he would be wrong;
there Is great difference. The old le-
gionnaire would tight for France to the
last ditch, right or wrong. He does not
what the object of the war may bet
IL sufficient for him that France calls
II ia for him to obey that call If the
roles had been reversed and France had
been the aggressor. the old legionnaire
would have cheerfully marched over
PROSTATE Belgium as he cheerfully de-
fends her today.
The volunteer" on the contrary
would not be foundJin the French ranks,
were France in the wrong. He would
have remained at home or found a way
to defend the right in the other army.
For him 1t Is question of principle and
ideal. He loves France because she is
in the van of those who strike for free
dom and liberty and has suffered much
and heroically in that great cause. He
Is ready to give his life-and has given
1t, alas-in thousands, and his all for
what he believes right. He cares little
or nothing at all for the cents he
gets per day or for the little extra pay
he receives in the trenches. He would
be there II he got no pay at all. Not so
our old legionnaire. He would mind
very much ind eed and would go away II
he did not get his pay.