The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-04-09
ITALIANS ARREST YANKEES
TROOPS RESENT
F|UME TROUBLE
Soldier Defends Croat Girl;
Starts Fight
ny HERBERT COREY

BN HERBERT COREY
FiuME. March i5.--By Mail
why II the American government
supporting the Italians In their un.
Just claims7' the officers Of the 33sd
regiment were asked on their arrival
In Fiumc- They said the American
government was doing no such thing
But the Italians tell ua 30. Haid
the Humans. They say you have
como here 20 help them occupy our
country and that your troops are "a
part OF their army"
The American Officers explained
that away. 30 far aa they could n
In true that the 3s2d regiment han
been "A part Of the Italian army and
under an Italian command. aitho
Gen. Treat has had the nominal com.
mi,nd of the so-called expcditionary
force To laiy. But the Americans
said they had not come 20 Fiumo 20
back up any Italian claims 10 terri
tory.
\ Question Of Flags
Then why Ia tho American flag
hanging under the Italian flag on
the palace
That was something Col. W. g.
Everson wanted TO know. too. when
it WAS called to HIS attention. think
] have said that he In a fighting par
sou from Cincinnati suburb lie
does not smoke, or drink. or swear.
but he has a lot OF small Anglo san.
on Hyilablen IN his vocabulary. lie
asked the Italians WHY"
Tie vas sent from this man 10 that
man. with smiles and shoulder ahrlR.
ging. until IL became evident tina;
he would get no satisfaction.
Take that fiag down" Col. Ever
son said al last There isn't a flag
In Europe fine enough 10 float over
the American flag"
Tho Italian officers smiled a, him.
but no one said that the American
flag would bc taken down. /, was
good sport batting the Americans
They are crude. raw people. the
Americans. who have not too many
L
hind them. They are stiii dangerous.
Policy Of Petty Irrit!asions
N that flsg IL not down by noon.
said Col. Everson. "I'll march my
battalion down this street and III
take u down myself"
OF course IN. flag came down.
But then a policy Of petty irri,a.
tons began. The Italians had form.
cd the habit OF tearing the crosi
Insignia Off the breasts OF girls and
women Who wore " on the streets.
One day an American sergeant was
walking With a Croat girl when an
Italian Arditi---Ardi,i are first line
troops -yanked the little croat flag
from her breast. shortly after he
Was picking himself up from the
other aide OF the street. Witnesses
said the sergeant used a hook II
was almost AN upper cut. but not
quite.
Psrs<l~d In Open Canpion
Then chaos began 10 rspcn. There
was a grand little fight between the
three Americans who were there
and a number Of Italians. At las;
the Italian carabsniert came up and
the Americans surrendered 10 au.
thority. The carabinicri assumed
that the Americans were in the
wrong and draped them with chains
and paradsd them thru Fumes
streets In an open canton. II was
good deal like "a circus parade. The
1 -
popuiace that the Americans were
the undcr,iog. Italian soldiers lined
the streets and laughed.
Don't you over do tina, again"
said Preacher Colonel Everson, try.
ing TO think OF words permissible In
the Norwood Baptist church which
would clearly convey his thought
Don't YOU ever put chains on an.
other American and parade him
thru the streets. Also. want an
explanation for this affair"
Colonel Got Explanation
II was hard TO get. that explana.
ton. But Evcrson was grim and de.
termined. Eventually an EXPLAIN.
ton was made that ''Thc Americans
'"''N AAAftN'0 ~ INV AHfiH AlVttf INV
crowd''--which accustomed ribaid
mirth on the part of the three cul.
prits--but II was admitted that the
lieutenant who had chained them
had gone too far. He was confined
to barracks for Is days.
Gen. Treat was not at all In &c.
cord with Col. Everson on these mat
tcrr. He criticised Everson for fore.
ing the Italians to remove the Amer.
lean flag from its subordinate posi-.
ton beneath the Italian flag on the
palace. and for his action In protest.
ing against the parading of chained
Americans thru the streets.
Another fight took place between
the Americans and Italians for the
same old reason. An Italian had
slapped n pretty Croat girl and
hrutaiiy torn her little fling from her
breast. An American had slapped
tho italian-plenty. An Italian of.
ficer nearby hit the American soldier
over the place intended by nature to
be hit. He used his little walking
stick. The smarting American
whirlcd;
s'you dirty Davo'' said he