The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-03-09
SlNKIHOLE OF EAST
TRANSFORMED into
REAL MODEL TOWN

Port Said Egypt, March 9.-When
the war broke out Port Said helo the
reputation, as indeed it had held from
time immemorial, of being the wick
eldest city from a moral STANDPOINT OF
any place on the face OF the gloDe.
Into this porth the flotsam ana JET
sam of the underworld drlfted from
all parts CT the universe. Here every
type of vice imaginable was repre-
sented But today, after thirty
months Of military rule, the Sink
hole of the East is we'll nigh mod
ell city, the iron hand of the army
having cleaned it up as no other pow
err could have done. Something OF the
transformation which has been
wrought was told to a correspondent
of The Associated Press who has been
| touring the East.
/ When the military first took hold
! Of affairs in Port Said gambling,
drinking, and vice Of all sorts was
rampant. Letters which were inter-
| cepted by the censor showed that
traffic in women was thriving.
Now most Of this has been stopped,
military law enabling the authorities
to deal with situations over which the
civil courts had no control That
street Of international nOtoriety, Rue
Babel, so named because of the many
languages spoke by it's inhabitants,
has ceased to thrive as the leader in
the worlds iniquity. Many Of it's vice
leaders have been sent away from the
country; certain forms Of vice which
:, could not be eliminated have been re-
stricted, and one can walk theh streets
without being beset by the denizens
of the underworld. Even drinking
! has been limited and it is impossible
now to procure intoxicating liquors
excepting betw cen the hours of 1 and
8 in the afternoon and 6 and nine in
the evening.
The cleaning up has been largely
! in the hands Of Lieutenant Colonel
p. G. Elgood acting under instruc-
lions from the Commander-in-chief,
General Sir Archibald Murray.
Floggingl is one Of the most effec-
tive punishments used to meet the
situation in Port Said, and it is no
nursery chastisement that is melted
out by the military authorities. What
less vigorous punishment would the
average father, mother, brother or
sister Of the world sugg est, asks Col
onel Elgood.
AS a result Of the measures institu-
ted crime has decreased fifty per
cent, and disease has dropped at
least forty per cent, according to the
latest figures available. One Of the
most effective regulations put into
force has been that relating to drink
By virtually eliminating drunkenness
a great stride was made toward the
suppression of crime and vice, much
Of which was the direct result of in
toxication. There was a time early
in the war when the authorities hesi-
tated to let soldiers take their leave
in Port Said, as much trouble result
ed. Now, however, hundreds of Tom
mics are about the city on holiday all
the time and are giving the officials
no cause for worry.
One Of the striking changes is in
the lighting Of the city, which is now
in total darkness at night. The re-
strictions on lighting were put into eff
feet because of the submarine men
ace, the lights Of the port having fur
nished a beacon for the underwater
boats. but the lack Of lights has great
ly assisted in the suppression of vice
as comparatively few people venture
out into the darkened streets.
Other cities in Egypt have been
cleaned up in the same manner as
Port Said-one of the good results Of
the war so far as this country is con-
cerned.