Stricter Control Of U.S. Troops’ Behaviour

Northern Advocate, 3 October 1944, Page 3

Stricter Control Of U.S. Troops’ Behaviour

SYDNEY, This Day. The United States Army is tightening up regulations governing the behaviour of soldiers on leave and on base duty in Sydney. Servicemen are ordered not, to walk in the street with their arms around girls, not to hold girls hands in the street, not to carry girls' handbags, stand in shop doorways or sit on the grass in parks at night. American soldiers have also been instructed not to rush for taxis ahead of civilians, not to demand dishes in restaurants if these were unavailable to civilians, and not to be conspicuous when carrying liquor through the streets.

All personnel on base duty in Sydney, including high ranking officers, must be at work by 8 a.m. Many men have been required to give up living in private apartments and live in camps to which they must return by 6 p.m. unless on special leave. Appealing to Australians to cease buying black-market cigarettes and other comforts intended for United States service men and women, the Sydney base commander (Colonel F. L. Burns) said the Joss of American services’ property being sent to troops in forward areas was one of the most serious problems confronting the American authorities in the South-West Pacific. Civilians were paying up to 30/- on the black market for a carton of 200 cigarettes. Many thousands of cartons were being stolen to feed this black market. Arms, clothing, canned food, tyres, petrol, wrist watches and other goods had also been stolen. Last month 16 people were convicted on charges of pilfering goods belonging to the United States Army.