Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-02-04
sLANDER AGAINST AMERICANS
Associated Press Finds Exasgeratior
in Stories From Paris.

| in Stories From Paris.
Paris, Jan. 30.-By the Associated
Press-That Apaches of all nationali-
ties dressed in American uniforms
were mainly responsible for the acts Of
violence which have caused broadcast
publicity to be given to an alleged
Ame -ican crime wave in Paris was
shown by an investigation conducted
by the Associated Press today.
1t was further ascertained that as
saults and holdups are infnitesimal
las compared with the published fig
ures, exclusively in the vivid imagina-
ton of sensational local newspapers.
An opportunity was presented to
verify at police headquarters the fig
ures respecting crimes during last De-
cember: Thirty-four murders charged
to Americans is discredited and
dwindled to two; 244 holdups and as
saults were reduced 80 per cent.
There have been numerous fistic
encounters, however, but thcy were
mostly between Americans, old fash
ioned rough and tumble brawls, in
which arrests are rarely made in
American cities where for the most
part the pugnacious individuals would
be merely requested by the police to go
home, or a humorous policeman would
| advise them:
IF you want to fight go to Europe"
Brig. Gen. VIM. w. Harts Of the
United States army, in statement
given out today says:
1.-THE reports concerning the large
number Of murders by American SOL
diers In Paris are untrue. They are
greatly exaggerated. The number of
military police in Paris has been in
creased merely because Of the greater
can coldiers are maintaining their high
number Of soldiers passing through
he city, not because Of unusual dis
order. The report shows the Ameri-
can soldiers are maintaining their high
standard Of discipline in every detail,
wherever they may be-"
The Paris chief Of police, M Mouton,
said he was greatly pleased at the CO.
operation Of the American detectives
who have recently arrived.
We have established a liason be-
tween the officers of the American
provost marshal and police headquar-
ters" he added. "The French and
American police are working in har-
fnony."
Chief Mouton refused to make a
statement on the extent Of the crime.
but said that outside Of some thefts Of
automobiles, to the prejudice of the
American army, American soldiers did
not deserve the hard reputation which
had gone abroad through various re-
ports.
A high official at police headquar-
ters referring to the departments re-
cords previously mentioned and the
treet brawls said:
+ Not all of these may be charged to
Americans as there have been many
iascs In which, the similarity Of the
|<>sA3t 31s4--4t
unffornls OF AustraFans and Amer
icans has led to the Americans being
blamed for fights and holdups in which
the Australians were engaged or COM
mitted. There have been some ar.
rests by the British military police Of
Australians, where at first Americans
were thought to be guilty. There were
also many men, who engaged labor at
the various American departments, re-
cruited from among workingmen of all
nationalities and who were discharged
after the armistice. They were wear
ing discarded American uniforms and
in several cases they have been found
guilty to holdups.
ALSO our own Apaches. strong In
the belief Of immunity through the
popularity of the American uniform
have obtained by hook or crook some
of these uniforms and have gone about
their work in earnest.
Surely there are some real Amerf-
'~ans guilty but the percentage Is
not nearly as great as that published