Evening star., 1927-12-04
.OOTY HELD DESPITE
ORDER TO FREE HIM
American .educed to Meal OF
Thin Soup on Freighter
Bound for France.
By the Associated Press

By the Associated Press
ORAN, AIgiers, December S.-Fhe
French Foreign Legion tonight stu
had Bennett J. Doty of Biloxi. Miss
under it's control, and he was stu
"Gilberr Glare" The name undef
which he enlisted, despite notification
of his release.
Regardless Of the technical release
given him at Sidi-Bel-Abbas yester-
day he was tonight aboard the tramp
freighter Tafna somewhere south or
the Balearic Islands. reduced TO the
regular ration of thin soup.
The French military authorities are
going to take him at his word tina
he wants to go home, and place MN
aboard New York bound liner at
Cherbourg or lie Havre. His colonei
told him he was free yesterday at
Sidi- -Bel-Abbas, but his sergeant told
him otherwise here. and he is being
chaperoned as far as Marseilies on
the way home.
Obey Economy Orders.
Doty had expected to sail in A nice
sunny cabin aboard the crack pas.
senger steamer Gouveneur General la
Ferriere, which his friends had re.
served foe him. Late last night. how
ever, there came an economy" order
from some one higher up that legion
naires being returned to France
should be shipped by the slow freighter
Tafna The regime ntal officers here,
having TO leeway. obeyed orders and
sent Doty with the rest, still virtually
as q prisoner, disregarding the fact
that Doty's passage would be paid by
friends IL he went on the liner, there
by saving the French government
any expense at all for his fare.
Doty will arrive at Marseilles about
noon Monday, and there he and the
others will report under military
escort at Fort st. Jean, where he en-.
listed. He may be held there for
two or three days, as military red
tape is slow IN untangIing.
Doty had not time to get some
"city clothes" he had planned TO buy
thus morning. When he left he was
still wearing the army's gift suit OF
civilian clothes, which is anything
but tailor-made in its appearance.
Came Near Rebellion.
The American member of the Legion
who won horrors I'm fights with Druse
rebels in Syria and faced with forti-
tuoe the prospect of a firing squad
for desertion, came close to rebellion
when on.commissiOned officer
aronsed him in his barracks this
morning and told him he must for.
sake for three days his newly gained
liberty.
Il won't 60" Doty shouted at the
sergeant, but his sense of discipline
instilled by 80 months OF service with
the hard boiled Foreign Legion asserted
itself. He got up, got himself ready
and went docilely down into the hold
of the freighter Tafna,
DESPITE strictness of discipline and
the presence of officers, Doty managed
to send note to the Associated Press
correspondent on the back OF an old
envelope, telling OF the sudden change
in orders.
They are shipping me aboard the
Tafna," said the note. please rush
down 10 the dock"
French officers here, however, said
they had to obey orders and could not
let Doty travel on passenger vessel.
The officers seemed to look upon
Doty's release AS bad precedent for
the Legion, where discipline is ex-
tremely severe.
1t had been understood that DOty
would be delivered to Alfred H. ElfOrd,
American consular agent here, who
had letter supposed to contain
money for Doty's passage home. The
changes in plans. however. prevented
Doty seeing Elford and the legion.
naire started without funds.