Show THE FRENCH FOREIGN LEGION E MAU PASSANT describing an officer said that just to look at him made one feel martial he did not eay warlike or bellicose the idea he wished to convey was much more subtle in the presence of this officer one assumed the military attitude of mind and body this is a phenomenon that escapes the attention of most people women however observe it practically every man at the sight 0 a well set up fully soldier instinctively assumes something of a military bearing and when the drums roll and a marching column of soldiers flashes into view the civilian involuntarily throws back his shoulders and steps out with a tense measured tread and as with civilians so with soldiers the ordinary regiment becomes more military in the pros ence ot the crack regiment the crack regiment itself gains something more when in proximity to a detachment of troops 0 heroic almost legendary fame such as the foreign legion the legionaries Legion aries handle campaigns ot their own and probably no body ot troops has ever done such constant and arduous campaigning but france over and over again has used them also as leaven among other troops they stiffen the mass and men emulate their actions the legion was sent out to the crimea and got no special credit for covering itself with glory as that had been expected ot it but did reflect great credit on the judgment of those who had sent it out to help to inspire a whole army the queen of spain 80 years ago was in a hard fix with a civil war on her hands the Carlls ts whom she was fighting were just as good soldiers as her own if not a shade better then the queen s generals bad an inspiration of genius it they could only get the french foreign legion into their army they felt the shade 0 advantage would move over to their side so the queen bought the foreign legion from the then king of france and tor tour years the legion belonged to spain in the present war part ot the french legion has been sent to the trenches ot france and flanders and alsace and to the dardanelles Darda nelles part ot it remains in africa its normal doing some mighty vigorous campaigning in the moroccan part ot france s wonderful new african empire the americans and other foreigners who are enrolled as volunteers in the french army are put in contact with the legionaries Legion aries and this while giving them scope for their fighting qualities and assuring them an opportunity tor genuine campaigning la the highest measure of protection tor them it guaran tees them against foolish rashness as well as against being led into traps or losing their head in critical moments fighting Is routine work with the legionary just as sailing a yacht Is to the expert mariner the winds may be different on each trip and the craft la never handled twice in the same way but the expert knowledge of the technique of bis trade makes the legionary and the skipper each acquit himself of his task in finished fashion officially the foreign legion Is composed ot eight thousand men in reality it Is understood it has nearly double that number and the legion becomes readily a whole army corps with the addition ot some ot frances colonial troops france tor hundreds ot years had regiments of german english irish scotch swiss italians and other foreigners enrolled in her armies but the present foreign legion may be considered as dating from 1831 one brief rule in its constitution says that the enlisting colonel may accept a man even though be does not present a birth certificate or identification papers wherefore the names of the english and american legionaries Legion aries have been smith brown and jones of germans muller Sch and of the italians and grossl of tha french legrand am leclarce Le clarc and so on the recruiting officer reads the candidate warning lecture don t you know what the legion Is monsieur surely there la something better you can do severe campaigning in africa or in china for a sou a day or a few sous as you begin to advance Is no bed of roses you had better think it over a day or two not you already are amaret very well mon cher enfant and bis tone changes as he now speaks as a colonel to his soldier there Is a glorious career down there for the right kind it you are a good and faithful soldier you may go far good luck the recruiting colonel can generally tell at a glance what army the candidate has served in and if he has been a sergeant or an officer in the latter case he Is discreetly questioned on the point and t Is suggested for his own benefit that be confidentially inform his colonel when he arrives at the raining quarters in africa one who has been an obber in a european army is usually taken into the orp orala class and may be advanced within a couple of aars to be a sergeant of the lesion A jac t ja AU f |