Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1919-01-29
UGLY REPORTS FROM PARIS.
Reputation Of American Army Suf.
fers ut Hands OF Rowdics.

IarlS, Jan 2i.--Thirty-fOur mr.
ders, 220 day and night assaults and
nearly 500 serious fights due to
American soldiers occurred IN tho
Department Of the Seine during the
month of December, says the Matin
to-day in reverting to the subject of
the reorganization Of the American
police in Paris. The reinforcement
OF the police contingent had been de-
manded by Brig. Gen. William w.
Harts, the newspaper asserts, and
with the new organizat ton effected
police operations have been carried
out on Wholesale scale, especially
In the MOntmarte section, resulting
IN the arrest OF many American de-
serters.
Not Strong Enough.
The American police in Paris had
previously been chiefly recruited, the
Matin points out, among American
officers and soldiers who had been
wounded. Their main duty was to
give information to American SOL
diers in the streets and to regulate
trifting offenses, and carry out night
patrols. The majority Of the men,
bers OF this force, however, were not
capable of dealing with serious
crimes, adds the newspaper, which
cites the December statistics as prov
ing the inefficiency Of such policing.
JeweIry Stores Robbed.
Another Of the Paris newspapers,
the lntransigeant, welcomes the re-
1nforcements of the American police
service in these days when, it says.
| attacks by armed men were becom-
ing over-common and jewelry stores
We're being robbed in full daylight
on the main streets.
For 1t must be said" says the In
transigeant, and our friends of the
United States deplore the fact like
ourselves, that the audacity Of some
OF their bad lots has grown mar
Velously since the armistice."
The lntransigeant adds that the
bar Of Naxtm's has been closed to
ofhcers-American, French and 9TH
ers'-because, according to tho pre-
| fecture of police, Of violations Of the
|liquorA selling regulations, anu not,
owing to widely rumored Incl
dents" These rumors, the news
paper adds, were to the effect that
fight occurred in the bar in which
! American officers took part, some
OF the reports having it that one Of
| the participants was killed, another
that French officer had been killed,
| while another version was that two
Americans had been killel.
Automobile Theft.
The recent theft OF an automobile
| added to long list of such thefts is
| attributed by the Intransigeant to
| two Americans who are making a
| specially Of this kind of crime, driv-
ing an automobile Of their own and
taking in tow any car whose owner
had left 1t alone with the ignition
out, the gasoline tank closed and the
magnetic isolated
VIII Seek Information.
Washington, Jan. 27.-Omcial in
formation will be sought by the War
Department concerning reports in
Paris newspapers that American SOL
ciers have been involved in crime
| wave. Secretary Baker said to-day
the situation pictured in the papers
seemed incredible" and that Off
cial reports from France made no
| mention Of the matter.
The American Expeditionary Force
has maintained in Paris, since tho
American troops began to appear in
| that city, on leave or otherwise, q
provost guard of military police to
aid the French police in handling
| incidents in which American troops
were involved
1t was said at the department that
disturbances of minor character
were to be expected where many
men feed for the moment from close
military restraint, but since the fig
ures given by the French papers in
dicated most serious situation, a
detailed report probably would be
asked OF Gen. Pershing
Officers here said that if the sit
! uation was in fact as grave as the
Paris papers Indicated, undoubtedly
lie American officials in Paris were
fully advised, and had already ex-
erted themselves to correct it.