New-York tribune., 1921-03-06
American Sailors
Say Constantinople
Is "Wickedest City,
Also the Costliest, Accord
ing to The Far East, a
Newspaper Publish e d
Regularly by Blueiackets

CONSTANTINOPLE, Feb. 10 (By
Mail D.-The American sailors on board
the vessels of the United States naval
detachment in Turkish waters are pub
fishing regularly newspaper of their
ing events and to keep UP the spirit of
comradeship and enliven life in and
about Constantinople. The paper is
called The Far East. Its price is s
piasters, and it is creditably illustrated
with half-tone cuts and comics.
Although the men generally vote
Constantinople rather a dull place, all
things said, one Of the recent numbers
Of The Far East shows that the Amer
lean bluejackets are able to provide
their own entertainment.
Among the events recorded Is Nep--
tune party, composed of members Of
the company of the Scorpion, which is
described as "a regular pirate band
running wild in the Bosporus." 1t
was headed by'"King Neptune" and in
cluded "Neptune's wife" and 'Neptune's
baby" The party visited number of
other vessels of the detachment, and
was entertained by Admiral de Bon, on
board the French flagship Lorraine.
'"Wickedest City in World"
Other activities which the paper de-
scribes were q visit of the sailors to
the Near East Hospital, carrying gifts
to the children, blowout" on board
the Gilmer, whaleboat and dingy
races, baseball games, boxing bout
and camoufage ball at Constanti-
nople hotel, the latter attended by Ad-
miral Bristol, commander of the de-
tachment, and Mrs. Bristol.
Ships listed as composing the de-
tachment we're the Scorpion, St. Louis,
Chattanooga, Barker, Borie, Fox, Gill
mer. Humphries, John D. Edwards,
Overton, Smith Thompson. Tracy,
Whipple, submarine chasers 96 and
338, the Alameda and the collier Mars.
They were scattered from Constanti-
nople to Smyrna, Batum, Varna, Sam
SCUM, Constanza and Beirut.
One of the contributors to The Far
East paid his tribute to the city of
Constantinople by describing it as "the
costliest, wickedest city in the world"
Since the armistice, he wrote, the city
had been filled with the soldiers of all
nations, spies, thieves, murderers, poll
ticians, Russian refugees, Bolshevik
agents and opium eaters.
Atmosphere Feverish'
'In spite of all this life in Constanti-
AoPAN 40 Oo&A anu tilCAC ID HCtlC lL rlc
way Of entertainment" he added. 'If
one is diligent few good restaurants
may be discovered, but except for the
moving picture houses no first class
theaters can be found. In fact., at 10
o'clock in the evening the place is as
quiet as Annapolis on Sunday.
"'However. inside the beer halls,
cabarets and coffee houses habitues of
these places attempt fallacious
gayety. 1t is here that the bejeweled,
richly adorned and painted women Of
the Occident and Orient brazenly stare
at the motley throng drinking a low
quality Of refreshment served them at
robbers prices.
"At the one good hotel the spies Of
the whole Orient carry on their
intrigues. The whole atmosphere of
the city Is one of feverish and artificial
excitement. A real American, unless
he takes interest in and feels this at
mosphere. finds life dull in this, the
wickedest city of the world"