161 - [AUTOGRAPH]. HARRY (Myriam). AUTOGRAPH MANUSCRIPT SIGNED “Myriam Harry,” TITLED “OFFICIERS DE BATT. D'AF.” [OFFICERS OF THE AFRICAN BATTALIONS]. No place or date. Five handwritten pages in violet ink, numbered 2 through 5 after the first page, on sheets of graph paper (34.5 × 22 cm), with numerous erasures, corrections, and interlinear additions. Yellowed paper, with a horizontal fold down the center, small tears, and marginal losses; old repairs and traces of browned adhesive tape, which affect the text in places but do not prevent it from being read. A VIBRANT PLEA ON BEHALF OF THE YOUNG OFFICERS OF THE AFRICAN BATTALIONS. Taking as her starting point the reports of mistreatment inflicted upon the “Joyeux,” the writer and novelist Myriam HARRY (1869–1958) seeks to draw attention to their young lieutenants, who are also subjected to isolation, the harsh climate, and a grueling garrison life. She contrasts the aspirations of these officers—who had come to Africa seeking adventure or a career—with the monotony of their existence and their disillusionment. The text describes the loneliness, debt, alcohol, and “melancholy” that weigh them down, culminating in this question: “What had they known of life? What joy, what pride? None.” The writer concludes by appealing to the Minister of War to come to the aid of this “heroic youth.” A HEAVILY EDITED WORKING MANUSCRIPT of a journalistic text. Its significance lies in the emphasis placed on the psychological suffering of the young officers and the perspective it offers on the military institution in North Africa.