Perth May 2 2002Perth prostitutes were reeling from exhaustion following an influx of United States sailors stressed from a stint in a war zone, a well-known madam said today.Mary-Anne Kenworthy said she was forced to close the doors of her famous Langtrees brothel for only the third time ever yesterday because her prostitutes were so worn out they could no longer provide a quality service.When she realised the sex workers just couldn't cope any more she closed Langtrees doors for a day rather than risk the brothel's reputation."We're the biggest and the best, I'd rather take nothing than offer a poor service," Ms Kenworthy said.Langtrees did a week's business in just three days after 5,500 American sailors disembarked in Fremantle on Sunday, many of them stressed from their encounter with war, she said. Three US warships - the aircraft carrier USS John C Stennis, the guided missile cruiser USS Port Royal and the fast combat support ship USS Bridge - were returning from taking part in the war against terror."A lot of it was stress, they'd been in the war zone," Ms Kenworthy said."And they were a lot more agitated sexually because they'd been at sea too long.""All the sex workers in Perth would have been exhausted."Ms Kenworthy said she had to close the doors when she realised some sex workers were taking money when they were not up to the job."The girls were starting to refuse to have sex but still wanted money just for taking their clothes off."Ms Kenworthy said she wished the US sailors would arrive in smaller numbers."I just wish they could dribble-feed the Yanks in, fly a thousand off at a time," she said."We usually find the Yanks are hard work but lots of fun, this time they needed the company too."Ms Kenworthy said the last time she closed the brothel's doors was on December 31, 1999 - so the girls could party.
