Suffers Concussion in Fight with Italian Sailors 'Two British soldiers, one with severe concussion, were being detained in the British Military' Hospital on February 22, while two other Soldiers and three or four Italian navel men were injured In a fight late Sunday evening in the Rue Chupaosan between men of the Loyal "Regiment and nave ratings off the Italian gunboat Lepanto. The street in question, which 1s lined with cabarets frequented with service men, has been closed to men of both forces, The whole affair is still the subject. of an investigation by the authorities concerned, After sifting the various accounts of eye-witnesses and other Interested parties, however, it appears that the troutfle really started on Feb, 20, when an argument broke out between two British soldiers and some Italians, This was stopped by the Military Police.
On February 21, however, the Ktallan seamen apparently turned up in greater numbers. At about 10 barny a soldier of the Loyal Regie ment in the Charleston Cafe objected to the appropriation of "his glen" by an Ttalian naval rating," and an argument ensued, Blows were ox-changed and with men of both ser-viees rallying to the support of their respective men the fight became general.
number of chairs were broken In the melee that ensued, and bottles began to Ay about the place, while the cabaret girls fled; the manager and his assistants attempted to stop the ight, which soon spread into the roadway. The sounds of the trouble penetrated into the Frisco Cafe, at the corner on the opposite side of the road, and more men rushed into the fray. until observers estimate that about forty British soldiers and similar body of Hallans were en~ aged.
"Black-Jacks" Used?
Tt is alleged that the naval ratings, ready for trouble, had armed them: selves with "black-jacks" and pieces fof lead piping, similar to those used fu the Isis 'Theatre riot of the day before, and that as a result one British soldier was beaten so badly about the head that he suffered a concussion of the brain, French, British and allan military police and' shore patrols, reinforced by French police constables who are always on duty nearby, managed to separate: the combatants, and within five minutes or so the fight was over.
The injured men were taken to hospital, three of the soldiers being Inter released after treatment; what injuries were suffered by the Italian sailors could not be learned, The whole area was stibsequently declared "out of bounds."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.