Evening star., 1920-10-31

Post. American Legion, to Sterling Heilig.
/<T HERE are 1000 American
deserters in Paris and
5000 in France since armi-
stice. France is full OF
American ex-soldiers. some without
papers, some without money; and
among the deserters are some pretty
desperate charactefs. The prefect of
police has stated. in friendly way,
that half the automobiles stolen in
Paris are stolen by them. The D.
C. I. are afraid of them. They let
them alone. Or they would be d. c.
1 M-missing."
Such is the talk of the boulevard
American ex-soldier talk-Paris be-
ing full of good and excellent Amer
lean ex-soldiers also. The lad who
was talking had roll of 5000 francs,
which he is going to take right back
home. and only his youth and the
brilliance of his work makes the case
little notable among many others
Jameson, l will call him, student of
the Massachusetts Tech, came over
line for electrical work. Demobilized
In France, he went with a French
foundry near Nantes. In the states
he had learned a lot about making
S'SSA
harder than by any process known to
these Nantes people. Working with
them for French wages. but with
sense enough not to show them how
and told his boss that he was going
10 cult The Frenchmen were con-
sternated. They had built up a repu-
tation for this steel and did not know
how to make it
The Kid is only twenty three years
old" explains his buddy. and. being
fool. he sold his process to the French
for these 5000 francs He might as
well have had 100000 francs"
Not Murphy" interrupted the
~kid." Murphy fears no deserter.'
{1magine crowd of us at the Grand Cafe
clinging together in foreign land. vast
ing our time to be together, and glad of
1t. Any American looks good to us.
Some tear themselves away; newcomers
greeted. Hello. the Cloth king,"-sad
faced lad of twenty-four, trying to sell
Engineer of the Danube" anxious pal
of ripper years. say thirty, who puts in
new recommendation. daily. to get a job
with the reparation service-)
Not Murphy" takes up the chorus,
Murphy packs a gun on each hip.
says They're all afraid of me, in
had that row in the Champs Elysees
Murphy was the plain-clothes man
who got shot up He is an honorably
discharged soldier. but two-gun
two parties talking low: Look out
for that man. Murphy one said. Hes
hard-boiled one.@i ran across him
at the Cafe de la Paix. He says: I'm
Murphy"
The D. c. l. department of criminal
tnvestigation) was the only machinery
(and quite inadequate) left behind in
France when the A. E. F. withdrew
to clean up the situation of the de-
serters. They wear no uniform. and
must not be confounded with the good
old NJ. SIS (militafy police).
They could land Dud Meekins
without riskin' their lives" speaks
up another. Lots of those A. w. o. L.
Der Dud went joy-ridin' in car that
he was drivin' for the army. Like
everybody did. after armistice He
busted it to smithereens: got scared
time. reported a deserter. Now he
drives laundry van into Paris from
the suburbs twice a week. You don't
class Dud with the crooks, do you?
discharge. lost his pay, lost-his fare
back. which ws fellows got and
spent. and he's SCARED sti6 every time
asi e ecmss Those tG , thin a,a
dar'sn't quit them. He can,t-Eo- -hume
to the states without papers, and the
French will nab. him here. some day.
because he hasn't got en-
1t is astonishing how many have
been getting along without any pa
pers. They live in some secluded place
and are not bothered.
Il know an A w. o. L. who struck
II rich On a country road. he met. a
French boy, on shiny bike Hello.
American soldier! he sings out. I'm
going to America to be cowboy. and
I've got 300 francs. You carry itr
Runaway kid, sure; and this A. w. O.
L lad was tempted. That's right. He
took care of the money, and they
slept in a hay rick. Next morning
when he was thinking how to shake
the kid. big blue tourin' car comes
rushing down upon 'em. A. W. O. L.
does quick thinkin'! Please don't tell
them that / dubbed (wept, or shed
tears) last night" the kid begged
Leave it all to me- he answered: and
when the kids folks jumped out, he
laughs good laugh. Here we are,
o. K, all homeward bound" and
winks to the mother. confidential.
Here's our money he says to her
later. you. madame. had better keep
1t. till we start off for America again,
some day By gosh. they took him
nome with them: He's with them yet.
Teaches the kid to box and talk
United States-one of the family! In
q chateau"
Others have forged or stolen papers
But. of late. their situation is more
precerious. complicated, as it is, by
the problem of Coblenz.
Paris is full of D. C. rs. hanging
about the cafes and looking for big
ger game. You see. lot of men come
over here from Coblenz, and there
Is big quantity of American gov
eminent property stolen or destroyed
The natives put them up to it, and
every officer and soldier who gets
away from Coblenz makes for Paris
{the just or the unjust. equality,
thinking he can do here what he likes
because he will not be in the juris-
diction of Gen. Allen And it's so
They're the D. c. rs game. But to
the French police. who help the D
c. is. all deserters look alike to
them. including the old ones"
Are they afraid of the legion?'
ask
Many have been bothered by their
consclences and made up their minds
to get it over They go to the legion.
Sure. the legion wouldn't hunt them,
Quite few have gone in and sur
rendered
1t makes me laugh" continued the
orator. those fellows who side
stepped the A. e. F.. after armistice.
because it was monotonous and moth
In doin'. If they were looking for ex-
c1tement they've got it. Scared to
register in a hotel when they have
money. and. for the most part scared
and hungry. And the only American
Job they can get. without papers, and
enjoy little peace and protection-$1s0