Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-08-30
SON Of VEAL THY
FATHE R CHOOSES
CAREER IN ARMY
Brig. Gen. Chas. Sweeney,
More Than a Millionaire in
His Own Right, is Fight
ina on Side of Poles.

~ MORNING. JOURNAL SPECIAL tGAscp WtRti
New York. Aug. 29.-War dis
patches making more than casual
mention of Brig. Gen. Charles
Sweeny have lent to the Polish
struggle more Tan an impersonal
interest to American army officers
at Governors island. who are well
acquainted with Sweeny-an
American soldier OF fortune with
both principle ana purse.
Men of no fortune at all who
fight in any old or young army for
the sake of excitement and pa!try
pay are common enough. But
Sweeny, u. S. A., is a notable eX-
ception. He is q millionaire's
son, his father having amassed
great wealth in the famous Couer
D'Alene mines of Washington and
Idaho, and the soldier is more than
a millionaire in his own right.
Three Years at West Point,
He put in three years at West
Point and then sought the life of
an active soldier. In Mexico, South
and Central America and Europe
he has struck blows in desperate
causes.
Sweeny, a former lieutenant col
onel in the United States army, at
tached to the general staff, was In
Paris during the spring of 1913, re-
covering from wounds suffered in
the Argonne offensive with the
American expeditionary forces
when he learned that Poland was
in need of officers for her new
armies. He consulted with the
then Premier Paderewski and Of
fered to recruit volunteers when
he returned to America to be mus
tered out of the service. In three
weeks he had selected 200 former
American army officers, all OF
whom had seen service In many
battles in France. Colonel Sweeny
sailed for Poland In September of
last year with the first of his Of
ficer contingent.
He was not long in getting into
the Pole-Red fight and in recog-
milton Of his splendid services Po-
land commissioned him a brigadier
general. Recent dispatches, say
that he has been marked out by
his gallantry and leadership.
"Baptised" in Mexico.
This Irish Polish gen.
eral for whom a soft life had held
no appeal. began his career on the
battlefield on leaving West Point
after he tried mining for a while.
He went to Mexico and got his
baptism of fire" and a wound in
the Madero affair. Upon recovery
Sweeny packed UP for South Amer
lea, where he took hand in sew
eral of the revolutions.
He got into the world war as a
private In the foreign legion. In
the first Champagne battle In Sep
TENDER. 1915, Sweeny was COM
missioned a lieutenant on the field
for conspicuous gallantry. He
severely wounded and gassed in
this battle. and on hospital cot
In Paris he was awarded the cross
of the Legion of Honor.
Two Other Decorations.
Two other important decorations
were bestowed on him in rapid sue
cession and he had a great repu-
tatien for bravery. Soon after be-
ing made a captain in the French
forces he was sent to the United
States upon advice OF Ambassador
Sharp, as an instructor in 1917. ~
Sweeny was commissioned ma
jor in the United States army and
helped to train the Eightieth divi-
sion at Camp Lee, Va. He went
overseas with this division, got
badly "shot up" in Nthe Argonne
and was promoted to lieutenant
colonency for gallantry before the
enemy. and assigned to the general
staff of the A. r. F..