The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1919-09-24
Soldier of Fortune Is Menace
to Peace, Now Being
a Discomfort
PICTURESQUE NO MORE
BUT GENERAL NUISANCE
Jobless Officers Have Only the
Sword by Which to Make
Their Living
By Percy M. Sarl. s.

der of fortune" once regarded as
such a picturesque tigure-a dare
devil who organized revolutions in
Central and South America, the Bal
kans, and the wilds of Turkestan-
is at a discount. There are too many
of him, and far from being considered
picturesque, he is now voted a gen
eral nuisance The SUNDAY Tx
press recently went farther, and
voted him "a renegade, an enemy OF
civilization, and an international
criminal deserving of short shrift
and no ceremony in suppression.
Is Grave Danger.
Thoughtful statesmen and leaders
of public opinion recognize that one
of the greatest dangers to the pre-
servation of world peace is the vast
horde of adventures turned loose on
d world trying to turn from destruc-
ton to reconstruction. The break
up of the Central Empires, and the
compulsory reduction of their huge
armies, has flooded Europe with an
army Of jobless officers whose only
profession is that of the sword.
Russia, Germany and Austria are the
principal contributors, but England
France, Italy, Turkey, and the Bal
kan states, now officially demobiliz-
ing, may also be held guilty OF con
tributory negligence
What are these soldiers of fortune
to do? If they were numbered in
tens they could probably get con-
genial job in Mexico. But even the
French Foreign Legion could not
take faction of their number. As
it is they are carrying on" and are
more largely responsible than states
men and policies for the continuance
of the three-and-twenty or so wars
still raging in Europe.
From Every Cline.
The recent real war naturally at
tracted all the original soldiers OF
fortune from all parts of the world
You can't legislate born adventur-
er to the fireside and when the arms
tice was signed last November, many
of these enthusiasts found another
opening in the extraordinary crop OF
campaigns being waged in Russia
and the Baltic provinces. When the
British war office called for volun.
teers to rescue the marooned Ar
changed and Murmansk forces, it
easily obtained all the men it want
ed. The number of officers and ex-
officers applying was remarkable.
They were of the old adventure1
type, and were so determined to get
back to war that they resigned COM
missions wholesale and enlisted in
the ranks. All the units of the re.
lief force had punches of privates
who had commanded battalions, bat.
teries and companies in France and
elsewhere.
Abhor Routine.
Were they content to stay in such
units there would not be too much
harm done, and they could doubtless
obtain their fill of fighting, but the
soldier of fortune abhors routine, and
the ex-officer hungers for command
He usually obtains it in native
levies'' who can be brought to eff
cheney by his experience and methods
Of instruction. The new nations,
like the Esthonians, Let's, Lithuan-
ians, Czecho-Slovaks, Jugo-Slavs,
Silesians, Ukrainians and others who
had not hitherto had much Opportun-
ity of fighting as Independent peo-
pies, were flattered by the invasion
Of military instructors, men who had
won fame on the field Of Arranged
don, and once the soldier of fortune
obtained footing, he soon found
openings for men of his own kidney.
Field Overcrowded.
But the profession has become
overcrowded, and already the world
tired of war, is objecting. In the
Australian parliament recently, mem
bers protested against the presence
of Austrian soldiers in the British
North Russian force, and the Min
lister of Defence had to promise to
endeavor to secure their return. The
London DAILY Herald" protested
against the attempt of the Lithuan.
ian Military Mission in Paris to re.
cruit brigade of 5000 Americans
for service against Germans and Boil
shevists alike Incidentally the Lith.
uanians are said to have secured
many American and British volun.
teers, but there is strong movement
afoot for International action to pre-.
vent this armed Intervention in the
affairs of other nations by interna-
tional would-be Napoleons.
Are IRRESPONSIBLE.
The SUNDAY Express" said ''These
individuals are irresponsible, thei1
own native countries have no control
or authority over them, and they are
a perpetual menace to the mainten.
ance Of peace. They are the enemies
of civilization, and civilization will
have to concert measures to deal
with the adventurer as an interna-
tional criminal"
There is a fine chance for the
league Of nations to draw up new
and drastic list Of penalties for vic.
1aters of an international "Foreign
Enlistment Law"