WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS REGIMENT

Manawatu Times, Volume LXV, Issue 656, 4 March 1909, Page 3

WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS REGIMENT

o The French "Foreign Legion," about /vliieh so mueli is, being heard just now, 'ls probably the best-known regiment in any of the world's armies, Nevertheless, there is' a lot of misconception concerning it, due principally to Ouida, wiio drew an altogether fancy picture of it in "Under Two Flags." As a matter of fact, the life oi an ordinary private of the legion is about as, hard and monotonous a one as it is possible to conceive of. Discipline is enforced with pitiless severity, death being the only: punishment for most offences. Moreover, the officers are all Frenchmen, so that no "ranker" ever hope, to earn a commission, no matter.'how' much merit or bravery he shows, Although usually termed a regiment, it is really more in the nature of what we should call <% brigade,;for it numbers some 12,000 men of all'ranks. Ifyrc than half of these are Germans, deserters from the Kaiser's army, or natives of Alsacc-J/>rraine. The remainder is largely made up of t/lie riff-raff and offscourings oi Europe, with a sprinkling of weli-horn adventurers, who have enlisted into the legion "for the fun of the thing," and because they know they are sure of seeing some fighting. Amongst these latter arc usually to be found a small percentage oj Englishmen, one of whom, ftcorge Mannington by name, published in book form the best account in out language of the Legion from within. The force, it may be mentioned, dates back 110 further than the year 1831, when it was raised for service in the then newly-conquered colony of Algeria. —Home paper.