The Senate's Army

The cold war has spawned many rumors in Europe. One of the most persistent: that the U.S. would enroll a Foreign Legion.

Last week's Senate approval of a proposal to enlist 25,000 selected D.P.s in the U.S. Army called for no Legion, but for enlistment in regular Army organizations. It did provide for citizenship after five years, and it brought a new flood of applications to U.S. embassies from Copenhagen to Rome. Said a Frankfurt student: "Deutschland ist kaputt. I'll take any chance to get out." In Rome, mechanics, priests, ex-soldiers tried to join up. Beetle-browed, thickset Luigi Fortunati stated bluntly: "I don't have a job and don't see any opportunity ahead. I want to become an American." An ex-French Foreign Legionnaire wrote: "Only reason of request is to evade this life of a clerk which I live with much intolerance."

U.S. embassy officials hurriedly explained there would be no, recruiting, at least until the Senate-approved measure becomes law. A young Pole in London had an answer to that. He offered to serve in the "Senate Army," just in case the House of Representatives didn't want one.

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