Evening star., 1951-02-16
Eisenhower Troops
Offend French With
Drunken Rowdyism
By Lionel Shopiro


PARIS, Feb. 16. If one may
Judge by the incidents which have
occurred in Paris streets and cafes
since the buildup of Gen. Eisen-
hower's headquarters at the
Astoria Hotel here, American mill
tary authorities face grim prob
lem Of disciplining their own
troops.
Only comparatively few troops,
mostly on temporary duty from
German bases, have arrived in
Paris. But the graph of police
reported incidents is already ris-
ing to point which indicates a
future problem of some gravity in
the relationship between American
soldiers and French civilians.
In the post-liberation period
six years ago. Gen. Eisenhower
had Indifferent success in his
earnest efforts to curb troop
rowdyism. Today, according to
a French police official (who de-
clined to be quoted by name), the
advance guard of American troops
is displaying a rough arrogance
which is accomplishing more for
the Go home Eisenhower" cam
paign of the Communists than all
OF their newspaper propaganda.
During the last two evenings
this correspondent witnessed in
cidents which illustrate the Off
cials remarks.
Restaurant Incident Cited.
In a huge brasserie, coffee
house with musical entertain
ment, a woman singer was inter-
rupted by shouts of Get hot!"I
and Take it off" from half al
dozen American soldiers, obviously
drunk. The singer finally was
forced to retire from the micro
phone, and the eyes of some 300
middle-class Parisians who were
being entertained became fixed on
the Americans.
The latter thereupon got to
their feet. glared about the room,
and challenged any of the "yel-
low Frenchmen" to come out and
fight. After period of tense
silence. the Americans broke into
paroxysms of laughter and frol-
licked out of the place.
A more serious incident occurred
in restaurant just off the
Champs Elysees. Two voluble |
American soldiers. who claimed
in their more amiable moments
that they were in Paris on tempo
rary duty from the military police
detachment in Frankfurt, set
themselves up at the mead of the
bar and accosted every woman
who entered the restaurant,
whether accompanied or not, as
a streetwalker. It so happened
that an American Air Force cap
tain in uniform entered with his
wife.
Disturbance Leads to Fight.
The soldiers, one PFC and the |
other a corporal. maintained their
gutter commentary in such loud
voices and in terms so execrable,
that several diners called for
their bills and left the restaurant.
When the owner of the restaurant
interceded, he was told if he
wasn't so old he would get his
head knocked off.
Finally the Air Force captain
and his wife proceeded to leave
the restaurant. The latter, fight
ing back tears Of chagrin and en-
barrassment. said to the soldiers
as she passed them, You're dis
grace to America" One of the
soldiers took hold of her arm and
twisted it in the best Hollywood
tough-guy fashion. In a moment
the French people in the res
taurant witnessed vicious fist
fight between two American en-
listed men and an American cap
tain.
When the police arrived, the
captain and his wife took advan-
tage of the confusion to get away
After some scuff1ing, the police
pinned the two enlisted men, who
kept shouting that they belonged
to Gen. Eisenhower's headquar-
ters. They were released, and
scuttled down the street laughing
and shouting, leaving behind an
empty restaurant.
Partisan police claim that the
attitude of American soldiers who
have arrived thus far is much
more troublesome than in the