Memoirs of the Foreign Legion by Maurice Magnus

NEXT morning I put on my civilian clothes. What a relief to get rid of those dirty heavy soldiers' clothes, and not to have to wind the putties round one's legs! I had been warned not to wear civilian clothes, as it was against the _règlement_ and likely to be punished with imprisonment. However, I had plans of my own, and Grothé was not the one to object or find fault or squeal. A feeling of potency came over me when I was well-shod and wore clothes that fitted. Before leaving Bel-Abbès I had been asked by several petty officers, "Are you going in uniform to Algiers?" I had answered, "Certainly," knowing full well that it was a trap. Probably they felt that I wasn't at all proud of my shabby uniform, and was anxious to get into civilian clothes. Grothé, who had remained in uniform, took my military permission to the "Commandant" to be signed, so that I was relieved of that duty.

I started out, and whenever I met an officer quite involuntarily my hand went up just ready to salute when I remembered that I was a free man if only for a few hours. What a privilege to go into a bar and order any kind of a drink and not be refused or be told "militaire is not served here!" I was walking on air. I sped to the American Consul and told him what sort of a place was Bel-Abbès, and that I could not and would not stay under any circumstances, and asked if he could help me, or at least advise me what I was to do. He was a charming man--I had met him years ago when he was Vice-Consul in Berlin. He listened attentively and then said: "I do not think the American Embassy will help you; they do not care to interfere with the interior workings of the French Army. More or less you are out of their jurisdiction when you enter the French Army, although by rights you have not given up your American citizenship. There is some talk that the U.S. Government wants to make some changes, and that an American who enters a foreign army is going to lose his citizenship."