Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-08-20
failing Good Fighters
.(By william v. stephens, Formerl,

(By William v. Stephens. Formerly
Of the 18th Engineers, U. 8. Al
Much u being written about "hard-
boiled guys lately. AS the methods Of
enforcing discipline in the American
expeditionary force are being brought
to light, and the public is obtaining
q glimpse into the shameful interiors
ity of Paris, q divergence 'of opinion
ts manifest as to Just who were the
"hard-boiled guys" Was it the men.
Of turbulent disposition or this ones
who actually conducted the AFFAIRS OF
the jails who deserved this appella-
Every enlisted man has been ia
mtliar for q long time with prison con-
ditions, in and about Paris especially.
Some one was always coming along
with an interesting tale Of barbarity.
We did not pay Q great deal of atten-
ton to these stories ~ q rule, because
most Of us had plenty Of troubles Of
our own, and II = mar vas put in the
"clink" it was all part Of the days
work. and not q matter Of great i'm
p%ortance.
It has been stated that "the men
who got into trouble in Paris were the
insubordinate and drunken element"
This was far from being the case. It
q rather the unsophisticated who
fell into the tolls. The other type,
which properly should be called "hard
boiled" was mostly toe wise to get
Into Jail. Wherever they were they
p. military police), or else they were
able to, cover themselves with a fake
pass or some plausible excuse.
When these men reached q town
their first inquiry was about the troops
billeted in the ne~ighborhQod, the name
and number Of the unit. Pay books
were altered to conform to local re-
any questions by some curious M. P.
the pay books were pretty good proof
that one belonged in that vicinity. The
"hard-boiled guys" were picked UP
very often. They would be absent
without official leave, drifting around
until their money gave out, and then
would return to their regiment, where
they would be court-martialed and
sentenced.
Penalizing Innocence.
In the prisons Of Paris the most in
nocent and we'll behaved sQmetimee
found themselves, and received the
same treatment az might be given tc
a cut-throat. One man in my owr
company; who is a school teacher ir
New York city. says he was sick and
unable to catch h train out Of Paris
" NA VAA - DIV bhSS ShSu
bio he reported to the army proves
marshal, who did not like his stor,
and had him m to Jail. The man IL
question, after some narrowing ex
periences, was sem back to his regi
ment and all charges against him dis
missed. This happened while he wa!
returning from AK les Baines, wher,
he had been on leave for the first TIM
in almost eighteen months Of arduou
service.
Paris had it's allurementa It was
hard place to get away, from as lon,
as the money held out. No doubt man,
men stayed too long and deserved t
get picked up. But these boys were en-
titled to a square deal. Most of then
were combat troops. They had playe>
square with their country when Their
was fighting to be done and it was NJ
more than right that their countr,
should play. square with them whe,
there was playing to be done.
We had to build up a military sys
tenn almost owe night, and in orde
that it might he effective it had to b
the ssence Of %autocracy. Under tn
system the enlisted man. who whe,