The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-05-12
U. $, SOLDIERS ARE CHARGED
 WITH LOOPING

Paris. May 12 - American officers and soldiers were guilty of wholesale footing in American supply camps, after they had been sold to the French Government following the arrnistice, Deputy Charles Vavasseur charged in lengthy speech in the Chamber of Deputies on the American Stocks Scandal"
 vavasseur alleged that s7.s4E of the 72.15S automobiles sold States Government mysteriously dis appeared before they were turned over and that of 20,970 motorcycles France purchased, only 2.987 were found when the American troops had gone away. One American officer he as serted, shipped home l, 300 motor cars and tons of other merchandise and other soldiers carried away truck French supervisors
 Vavasseur demanded that the French Government make immediate representations to Washington and ask for a reduction of the purchase price. s4O0. 900.
 ''I do not want to call in question the good faith of the Washington Government or the honesty of the American people, he said. when sev- era1 deputies protested against his ac cusadons against American soldiers,
 but l do want to point out the mis- deeds of a few individuals and call at tention at the same time to the laxity of French officials
 Agreement Broken.
 When the French Government en- tered into conversations with the United States for the purchase of American supplies left in France. Judge Parker. representing the Amer ican Government, agreed in writing that from April g.. 1919, on, the United States would dispose of no more of the supplies without the con sent of the French Government De- I,.t never ceased selling in wholesale and in retail lots.
 The French government accepted the American inventory as scrupu lously exact and without confirming it The contract was signed August 1. 1919. In the months intervening the Americans continued to dispose of the supplies.
 t+In this contract the Americans reserved the right to remove material they had sold before August l. as well material for the sale of which negotiations were in progress when the contract was signed. They also reserved the right to use any ma terial they needed during the remain der of their stay in France and to take any goods needed by the troops in departing for America.
 "But when the first French agents arrived about the 7th of August they were unable to take inventories Ger tain subordinate American officers re- 1uSeQ bO permit mem to examine the stocks and compelled them, if they desired to remain in the camps, to live in certain barracks and to obtain special permits before going out
 Disorder Basis of Trouble.
 Furthermore, they found the | greatest disorder, goods of all kinds 1 and in such enormous quantities that l one might have thought the Ameri- 1 cans came to France to start a gigantic | commercial enterprise. So great was i the disorder that when the French ] government finally took charge and l began to sell, buyers who thought 1 they were purchasing typewrIers 1 often received boxes labelled type l writer's but actually containing bars l of chocolate
 "Alt the camp of Saint Suplice, a | regular robbery was carried on. 1 Every day merchandise in enormous l quantities passed out and when one l of the French representatives object 1 ed the American officers pointed to l the reserves made by the American l government in the contract. At the | Gievres camp things were in such a | mess that it took more than a year 1 for us to complete an inventory.
 At this juncture another deputy in- terjected:
 Tt was a sort of Ali Ba,ba's cave, wasn't it?"
 'tNo," replied NJ. Vavasseur. There were only forty thieves in Ali Baba's