"PARIS IS AWFUL."

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1628, 3 May 1919, Page 11 (Supplement)

"PARIS IS AWFUL."

MURDER AM) VIOLENCE.

AMERICANS FILL TEMPORARY GAOLS.

TRUTH ABOUT REPORTED RUFFIANISM.

[Seven or eight weeks ago the cables reported an outbreak of American rowdyism—in London as well as in Paris. Believing that fact is less dangerous than fiction, one of the best known of the transatlantic correspondents tells a plain tale here about the trouble in France.]

In the United States we average 30 homicides a day. There are the New York and 'Frisco Chinatowns, with their quotas; the once Wild West, with its average; the South, with its records, and the big cities with their holdups and their gang killings. We are a mussy folk in the United States, from the gentler European viewpoint, when it comes to standing up for our individual rights or for the honour of our women. We kill quicker for our women than other men; and when, in our mixed peoples, men go into crime, they go m desperately, head first, with revolvers and knives, ready to kill, or be killed. We are not proud of this, but we do not apologise to the outside world for our vigour in this or in any other respect; we consider it our own concern; violence, though it is diminishing in the United States, is one attribute of your youth. But our bad name in this respect is finding its way into France. If it is enemy propaganda that is.doing this thing, then this particular job is one of the most thorough the Germans have done in all the war.

'_ Lies pass around Paris as to American killings. In the famous old Maxim's, for instance, so a recent rumour said, an American officer was murdered by another, at the bar. It was not a true story; they say at Maxim's that another restaurant keeper started the yarn to hurt Maxim's trade. It had that effect, indeed; Maxim's advertised in a leading newspaper that the story was not true. But the effect this lie had on Maxim's trade was nothing compared with the injury it did the prestige of American officers. Hostile Taxi-drivers.

The taxicab drivers of Paris are no friends of Americans. They began, with the arrival of Americans, to cheat them on prices and in giving change. Before long the American doughbov and the American officer learned to distrust- the taxi men. I became the custom to give the smallest possible tips to the drivers. Many officers from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, and other large towns where the custom of tipping taxi men is passing away declined to give any tips at all. And so the taxi men of Paris and the American troops here are at enmity, over finance. And the taxi men are lively tale bearers. The real figures as to crime; in Paris, attributed to American troops, have been made public by Brigadier-General W. W. Harts, commanding general, district of Paris. It was necessary to make a public statement in Paris because there had been printed here a report that, during the month of December alone there were 34 murders, 220 physical attacks, and 500 bloody fights by Americans in the Seine district. It was enough to make a French householder keep to his home o' nights. The real facts of December offences in Paris are these: Two cases of assault and battery, three cases of housebreaking, and seven cases of disorderly . conduct. Between taxi-driver propaganda and German propaganda, this record is increased to 34 murders and 720 bloody affairsPrison Full of Yanks. It is true, indeed—and this is one of the facts on; which much of the criticism against American troops in Paris is based—that there is an American prison in Paris which is, usually, more or less filled. But most of the - doughboys who find their way thereto are men who are absent without leave. They came to Paris on leave, with a little money. Paris is full of bars and soldier traps. It would be a godsend to these boys and to the good relations between France and the United States if these bars were closed to troops as they are at home. But they are not. The Paris bartenders are not only good drink mixers; they are excellent salesmen as well.

When the holiday is over and the soldier boy finds himself penniless arid absent beyond his leave, he falls into the hands of the American soldieY policemen who are stationed all about Paris. Off to the gaol he goes until he can be returned to his unit. Two Murders. Two Frenchmen have been murdered by Americans in the Paris district. They were policemen who attempted to prevent burglary of n freight car. The,men who wore the American uniform on that occasion must have been some of our bi< town gunmen; they killed in gunman style. But they occupy cells to-day awaiting trial. These two policemen are the only French victims of American violence. Another shooting was an accidental affair. A military policeman shot a gendarme, who immediately declared that it was an accident. And this is as black as we can be painted in France. In the towns outside Paris the stories of our violence do not circulate; in tho country towns our soldiers are beloved. Over 3500 orphan boys and girls have been adopted by American soldiers out in the clean country where booze orgies and soldier-traps are ununknown. "Thank Godl I'm on my way tc the clean, good country," said a doughboy at the railroad station as he started back to the wet, muddy front. "Paris is .awful." Paris will have one impression of us for years to come, perhaps. Tb/ Frenchman in- the country places will have another. He hasn't tried to'cheat us and hornswaggle us. He has seen us as we, naturally are, riot on holiday," not being treated like ; lot of lumberjacks just in from the, woods, or a lot of sailors just ashore after a spell at sea, hut busy at ouri day's work. '*:.•' Paris is a wise town, and wicked, in spots, like all great towns. Twenty thousand of our American boys are stationed here and 3000 pass I through here daily. Our record is extremely good. | "What a tragedy it would be," I heart! a moderate drinker in officer's 5 uniform, say, "to land in York the day after she goes dry. Let's have another drink." ';