I never found out who the censor was, or who wrote
openedby military censor.
We had tolook very spick and span, and we
did.
I watched from the window how all the petitioners
were lined up,standing at attention.
The torture that a manof that stamp can invent is
incredible in its baseness and fiendishcruelty.
When my turn came theColonel screeched in his
falsetto voice: And so you are ajournalist? The Arab had been standing next to me
but one. The torture that a manof that stamp can invent is incredible in its
baseness and fiendishcruelty.
Finally he fell ill andwas sent to Bel-Abbès.
Helooked good natured, but later I found out that he was very vicious.
Some suffered more than others, but thesymptoms
were always the same.
He was clever and had a great deal of
charm,although he was without much moral courage.
Why have youwaited all this time to come to me? We
had tolook very spick and span, and we did. There were those who wished to
berepatriated and those who had private grievances.
He called it piffle and stupid sentimentality to
fight shy ofanything.
There were about thirty or forty of them. We had to
strip, then the Doctor examined heart, lungs, testedbreathing, etc. He did not see
the wrongside of what the Germans had been doing up to that time.
Many turned their back to it and scowled. Why have
you not made yourpetitions in the proper places with your own immediate superiors?
Inwardly I wept when I had been tried with onemovement so long that I could not do
it any more.
Inwardly I wept when I had been tried with
onemovement so long that I could not do it any more. Each one of our injections
wasregistered in our military books.
Each one of our injections wasregistered in our
military books.
The French-speaking negro was anenormously tall
fellow, whom the sergeant called the cigone. Some hadmade an appeal to be
transferred to regiments in France, and no answerhad come to that.
This was their opportunity; they would
speak.
The band played a funeralmarch and we proceeded
down the main street to the church.
He was right, but he did not knowthe
Legion.
They were administered to us at intervals of about
aweek or ten days. The sums paidwere called out loud enough to be heard at the other
end of thebarracks.
I never found out who the censor was, or who wrote
openedby military censor.
Some hadmade an appeal to be transferred to
regiments in France, and no answerhad come to that. How thiswould have worked with a
loaded gun, and when the time for shootingcame, is another matter. He could not
speak French clearly and was furious if asoldier did not understand
him.
Every one meetingthem in the street knew by the H.
All letters received and posted were subject to the censor of
theRegiment.
AfterI had been in the Legion a couple of weeks he
deigned to come up andspeak to me.