El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-03-01
ROUSES A TALK
ON HOME PRICES
Col. Lewis, on Relations of
Soldier and Civilian
Starts Something.

weekly luncheon Friday noon at the
Modern cafe, on the relation of the
soldier and the civilian, precipitated
q heated discussion on the charge
often heard from soldiers that FL
Paso merchants make them pay higher
prices than are exacted of civilians.
The discussion ended in J. ". Kirk
patrick saying that the matter would
be taken up in the chamber Of COM
merce and that reward would be Of
Tered for evidence on such a trausac-
ton, and. Mr. Kirkpatrick added. I
bet anybody a $50 suit of clothes we
will never have to pay it"
Deals With Social Evil
Col. Lewis's main talk dealt with
the soldiers relation to the social evil
He said that when ne first came here.
p years ago. the garrison was small
and the town was small and men in
the army knew all the civilians. but
large metropolitan city
The only difference between
civilian and a soldier is that there are
additional duties imposed on the
soldier. This is particularly true in
Texas, where soldiers, along with
Indians and insanes, are not allowed
70 vote" he said
SAYS War Creates Emotion.
War creates great emotion in every I
one, particularly women, Col Lewis /
said. He explained that in 1898, when 1
soldiers came TO san Francisco all 4
the. people of the city welcomed them
The same patriotic emotion that
prompted the good women of the Red
Cross society 70 welcome the soldiers,
he said prompted the women Of the
demimonde TO offer themselves TO
soldiers. free, and the same thing is
r1nuv rrnfunr on in 81 PaEn-
says This Produces Evil.
Then, too, the colonel explained, the
soldier gets small pay and, after he
has made his Liberty loan payment
and settled for his insurance, he has
a small amount left He is then en-
ahled to meet only the poorer girls
who work in factories. stores and the
like, and whose homes consist gener-
ally OF a bedroom He has to meet
them either II the street or in the
bedroom and, when the latter place
is chosen, the whole environment
coupled with the woman's war emo
ton, produces the social evil com
Suggests Remedy.
Men and women will associate the
colonel said, and the only remedy TO 1
the evil in question that I see is that
Ell Paso provide places Of amusement
where soldiers can meet good men and
good women"
At the conclusion Of Col. Lewis's
talk, G. p. Putnam asked a question
that started the argument I want
10 ask" Mr. Putnam said, what is
the sentiment Of soldiers here in FL
Paso2 Do they know the civilians
feel kindly toward them? ?"
How Soldier Forms Opinion.
THAT is a question that does ont
call for any rambling" Col Lewis
replied, "and I want 10 say that one
bad dog gives the name TO the pack
Now when a soldier knows that he
has paid dollars for haircuts, and a
dollar for q meal that civilians had
TOR so cents, when he knows about
these things, he forms general =
opinion The soldier would object to Z
being Judged by the worst of his s
opinion Of Ell PasO that way" q"
Coles Doubts OFereharge Story. &
Otis c. Coles. president OF the S
chamber Of commerce, who, by the .
lay and did so by inviting all -
ikiEanians not already members Of
the chamber to join, then arose TO -
discuss the oVercharge question I ;
house in FL Paso that will overcharge n
soldiers" he said The chamber Of e
commerce makes every effort to 10 Z
ate any places that might do SO, and s
We are ready on report Of any over I
.harge to make the proper 1nVestiga- Z
Says Soldier Backs Out. A
Mr.. Coles then recited how in a Il
with a soldier in street
ar, when Mr.. Coles represented him.
self as a stranger in the city and was {
.rying TO ascertain the soldiers opin-
on of FL Paso, the army man said
hat he had paid 81 for pair Of shoes
hat civilian bought for IS. 7 told
lin then who I was and that wanted
lin TO come with me and show me
he store, so that We could take the A
proper steps in the matter. He i'm y
nediately became very busy and b
would not come with me-" 4
May Not Be Fact. c
Col Lewis then said that It was
true that the majority of a
heb stories of overeharge heard by p
oldiers may not be founded on abso- 0
ute fact. g
8Ir. Kirkpatrick declared that I'VE il
ave tried hard to run down COM o
laints OF this kind, and we always
ind that the complainant is simply z
arning. Now, IL there is an officer
r enlisted man at Fort Bliss that ;
his has happened to and he hasn't the :
ackbone to come up and make a
omplaint then we Oughtn't to be II
famed" \
Gets n $50 Suit. h
Some one suggested from the floor Il
hat the chamber of commerce make Il