Our Soldiers in Spain.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 November 1921, Page 4

Our Soldiers in Spain.

LI FK TN Til F, FOREIGN LEGION. My a Spanish Legionary. A! ADMIT). Certain sections of the Spanish public are displaying more than envy of the fighting fame gained by the Foreign Legion in the “little war” in Morocco and arc demanding the elimination of the appellation “foreign.” To some extent they are justified, for the Legion is composed of an overwhelming proportion of Spaniards who, attracted by the promise of adventure accompanied by higher pay ami prospects of rapid promotion, transferred from the Regular Spanish regiments, or* in some instances, joined in order to escape from the inquisitive* jxdicc. Foreigners, however, are to he found in the Legion t«> the extent of about f» l>er cent, of its total strength of approximately ft.ooo men. This siu-dl Imdv of real foreigners c* composed of subjects of most of tie* Furopean nations, (be strongest contingents being Furnished bv Mermans. Russians. and British, of whom the latter number just over forty. All legionaries are treated alike e v eept in the matter of/ promotion, the regulations having been made that no foreigner may go beyond the rank of sergeant. Two former British -officers - a captain and a lieutenant— who came recently to ask for commissions were informed of this regulation, hut decided, nevertheless, to join up and were made sergeants on the spot. Those recruits who join in the ordic ary way are confronted with' many disappointments after they have signed on for tho tire years’ engagement. They find tlie promised bounty of (jt.K) pesetas *£'22 10s) offered in the Spanish GoviTiimeiit's proclamation* is not forthcoming and arc informed they must wait until the Spanish drill sergeant lias pronounced them proficient before they arc entitled to the bounty. The surprise of Germans or British who have in many cases gone throo«d* more than four years of the' Groat War often vents itself in strong language. This, however, becomes even stronger, when tin* firsf pay day comes round four days after they have begun recruit. drill in (Vuta. Instead of tin* 1 pesetas daily promised in the proclamation, they are presented with 5 pesetas for the four days’ pay. Protests bring the reply that the remainder is deducted for cost of rations and uniform as is usual in the Spanish Army, while deferred pay at the rate of a (peseta a day’s service will he paid to them on the completion, of their engagement if they are nlivoj or to their families if they have died on service. There is nothing else to do hut put up with this, for the recruit is now under martial law. This, however, does not complete the list of disillusions. Discipline is of the strictest kind, and flu* slightest offence brings with it n» fine of four days’ pay. so that a man who does not- on : oy the favour of the non-enmmissinned or commissioned officer often goes for weeks without drawing anything at jdl . especially if he has been put down for extra articles of clothing, which arc charged for at exorbitant rates. The British veterans are not kept together as a unit in the Legion, small squads of eight or ten men being assigned to the various companies. There, as far as is possible, considering their general lack of knowledge of Spanish, they hobnob with Spaniards, with a former Russian prince who lost his all in Russia, with; an (jx-officer of d’Annunzio’s army, or even with their former German enemies. Two of the latter, ex-officers, were immediately posted non-commissioned officers on joining