Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-11-01
n IEANING- UP OF
CORPUS CHRISTI
~
Organized Effort Drove Out
Vicious Characters
From Town.
NOW IS SAFE FOR SOLDIERS
Men Leaving Camps There
Physically and Morally
Fit for the Ranks.
NOW is SAFE FOR SOLDIERS

WACHINGTON, oct. 3t.-hmcr-
,can soldiers refuse to admit that the
vort impossible has application to
,bsI- problems, Moved ny the same
.p,r., Amo r.cdns here at home hay"
stacked and solved certain prob
Tor. affecting the soldiers VIII ch
hitherto had been deemed Impossible
~ solution. once that spirit be-
cane manifest in the determination
NJ the war department commission
on training camp activities 10 safe
r,ari men in camps, both physically
and morally ways were found TO on
force Jaws before considered uncn-
torccablc. and to ahatc conditions
before accepted as permanent.
The case Of Corpus Christi, Texas.
"a narrated by Mayor Roy H. Miller.
Is tyI.rll Of what has been acCoInp-
s,bel In that direction. Two years
ago 'ntr COmmunitr. a ci'y Of $4,000
neither better nor worse than others
In IN. land. became the base of the
Texas brigade Of tho national guard
200 strong. just returned from a
soiourn in the mesquite along the
Mexican border. Though the city
was dry" bOotleGgcrs piled their
,-ade. gamblers found victims, and
the city fathers under charter pro-
visions maintained Segregated
district" 1t became apparent at
once to the officials that something
must be done for the men in uni
form. So an attempt to clean up"
was made, merchants were pledged
10 charge no more to soldiers than
20 regular civilian custom ers, the pO-
lice were instructed TO drive out the
ramhlcrs and the Illicit liquor deal
ers, the regulations affecting the
prostitutes were tightencd.
Moreover, the citizens undertook
n provide in their homes and
churches a certain amount Of social
life for the men Quartered in Corpus
Christi. But there was nothing re-
semblinG an organized program dl-
rpcted by cvpetts The results salts
fed the local officials and the army
authorities in the dlstrict.l
"But looking back now" declares
Mayor Miller. II can readily see that
the whole arrangement was merely
an invitation to the men to visit un-
desirable places"
Instructions Were Given.
Then in May. 1917, the secretaries
of war and the navy were ordered to
do everything by them deemed
necessary" to protect men in service
from prostitutes and liquor-sellers,
Barred zones were created and the
work Of enforcing the new regula-
tons was turned over to the commits
sons on training camp activities. The
resul. was the accomplishment of the
impossible.
"A certain regiment left for some
where in France n short time ago,
after being stationed for nearly
year," said Mayor. Miller. Its per
sonnel. both officers and enlisted
men, had become Il part OF the city's
life Indeed the attachment had
grown so strong that when they took
their departure It was like the separ-
alton Of members OF family. |
doubt very much II among the hun
dreds or thousands of American boys
who have gone >Over there there Is
an organization composed of men
better tit physically, mentally. NOR
tally or in any particular which goes
10 make n good fighting man That
the atmosphere in which they were
trained had much to do with this
fact. have no doubt. During the
time the regiment was stationed here
there was not a single death nor