The evening world., 1920-09-08
He Won High Honors in the
Foreign Legion and in U. S.
Army-Has'a as Many Deco
rationS as Scars and Plenty
of Both.

OF Both.
Marguerite MOOeFs Marshall.
TT was, ''Sweeny of the Foreign Lee
gion," 1t was ''Sweeny Of the
Tanlcs"-now the cables say it's
Brig. Gen. Sweeny OF the gallant
Polish Army. Just a year after one
of the flghtingest Americans of mod
ern times, a modern D'Artagnan,
sailed out OF New York for one more
scrap where the scrapping was good
--despite the fact. that in September.
1919, when he left us for the last
time, Sweeny probably was a vet
eran OF more wars, wounds and dec
orations than any ether living Ameri-
can. Fpr whatever else he Is, he's
always ''Sweeny of the U. s. A."
SolAebody ought to have warned
the Reds that Sweeny was coming
Just what he has helped the Polish
Army to do to them will doubtless be
told in detail when the history Of
Europe's latest war is written. But
even at cabfed rates, he is men
toned" in dispatches as 'one OF the
most gallant fighters in the Polish
forces" and the rank he has earned
in one years time is another indica-
ton that Sweeny has been running
true to form as soldier OF fortune
and of romance.
Like every best-selling hero OF
Richard Harding Davis, Anthony
Hope or Justin Harpy Mccarthy
Sweeny was born to the purple
which, according to the American
definition, means that he was born a
| millionaire's son. His father was
former President of the Federal
Smelling and Refining Company in
Spokane, Washington. But Harvard
and polo and a desk in fathers Office
were not good enough for Sweeny'
He insisted on being sent TO west
Point. =.
Then, after leaving. there wasn't
any war in these States. SO 1t was
over the Mexican border for Sweeny'
He threw himself CALAMITY into the
fight for the Inflated Madero. With
Lady Adventure still Turing him, ne
went on to Central and South Amer
lea, where some country Is alwa n
obliging with a tidy war. For The
side in which he believed, Sweeny
fought, and no wound could discour'
age him from looking for. more.
lIIE was one Of the first Americans
to enlist in the French Foreign
Legion at the beginning of the great
war. He was travelling in tho
French provinces in Africa at the
time, and-another spur II one were
needed-hls wife and the mother o.
his two attractive children was borr
n Belgian girl. He was the frs
American fighting for France to b'
promoted, being made a Lieutenan
and given the cross Of the Legion o
Honor when, single-handed, he cap
tured a machine gun and six Ger
mans and saved the litea or his com
manding officer. Later he won hi
Captain's commission - the onl,
American outside the Lafayette Es
cadrille to hold this rank with tn
French Army. His men adopted a
their battle cry "Suivez Sweeney"
In 1915 he wrote TO a friend: -
have been so wound up in bandage
I that writing was impossible. l re
ceived a bullet full in the ches'
piercing the right lung and comln
, out below the shoulder blade. de
cided No dying for mine and Wa
T better the next day"
"A But no better indication OF his 10
4 per cent. efficiency as soldler ca
be found than the fact that he wa
MT in charge Of sixteen tanks vine
his new and terrible method Of fight
ling was being developed. "sween
" the Tanks" he became torthwiti
And when America entered the wa
il was Ambassador Sharp hlmseI
1 who asked the French Government I
lcnd Sweeny to his own country al
ns conntry's armies.
u Then--thls Is the joke on Sween
= and an even bigger joke on SON
!. nnmeless red tape artist-thi
T. war-scarred. war- decorated vctera
70 actually was assigned 70 a trainin
% camN as rookie! However, u
II mistake was coon TemodiFd, and as
" Major in the United states Army :
taught officers trench fighting at Fo
y NFvor, Va. Assigned to the 80i
@. Division Ne arntn went overseas an
= won hiss promotion "a a Lieutenai
r. Colonel in the fighting in the Al
e Ennne,
5. aC WEFNY not only led his ov
r - bottalion," Z World man wrot
Is 'he saw that theObthers were up vii
his. His own duty was not enough
he helped pull everybody alon
Sometimes he seemed half dozt
~ mcn to the men under him. His In
!, crdew we're to so 20 a hospital
~ Parts and have n wound OF lar
2 Dimensions - his diaphragm attend
ID to-"
But wounds and war crosses--