The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-05-29
PrOhibitiOniSt Charges
Traffic in White
Girls.
BlameS President and
Will Ask for an
Inquiry.

NEW YORK, May 29.-Plans are
rapidly being perfected to bring be-
fore President Roosevelt, and later
before Congress, the condition of
morals on tho isthmus of Panama.
The Rev. William =. F. Ferguson,
editor of the Defender, the Prohibi-
tion organ, is at the head of the
movement to arouse the Govern
ment TO cleanse 'the moral sink
hole which he declares the entire
isthmus has become.
Mr.. Ferguson says: eve are prov
ing in the building of the canal that
we are a great people. We are also
writing big for the reading of the
world that we are Il wicked people.
1t is of that wickednesS that / pro-
pose TO tell-to tell until, please
God, even the wielder of the Big
stick must understand that Ameri-
can honor must not be stamped in
the mud of vice in Panama"
Some of the things which were
seen on the isthmus by Mr.. Fer
gusOn are almost past belief, and
are utterly beyond the telling in
print.
Traffic in Girls Charged.
lie makes the direct charge that there
is a regular slave trade in young
American girls from the States and
gives one instance where he saw two
young girls not more than seventeen
years, who had been brought in shortly
before. one Of them was from Jones'
boro, Ark, and the other from Mem
phis, Tenn. Three weeks later he saw
them physical, mental and moral
wrecks.
Mr.. Ferguson says.
L have talked with the surgeon in
charge of just one OF the numerous
hospitals Of the zone and he had told
me thaJ in just one department Of his
hospital there are sixty-one American
boys suffering from an infamous dis
ease.
Il have seen two little American girls.
practically slaves i'm a vice den. lying
drunk ana almost nude. a show for
native boys and men,
Charges of Graft.
He makes this explicit charge:
4 want to put on record here the
statement that the government OF Colon
is a mass of graft and fraud: public
service SO far as there IS any. is man
aged for practical robbery; its social
ed courts of justice are simply extor-
tiOn mills.
'In the plumber that comes from this
leading Americans share; the govern
ment Of the zone looks on in silence
for that reason"
lie has. he says. proofs of the state
ncnts that American officials are ut
least in some instances interested in
these Infamous places. He says:
within fifteen feet Of the pOStOtiice at
Colon and COmmiSSaryS store in plain
sight Of both, to the common knowledge
Of thousands, huge building owned by
an emplcye Of the United States is Op-
Grated, not only as a saloon, but as
vice den"
As to the responsibility for the condi-
uOns in the isthmus, Mr.. Ferguson feels
no doubt. He says:
The zone CpToper) is absolutely and
without question under the authority.
government and control Of the people of
the United States
rThe cities of Panama and Colon. sit
uated within the actual limits OF the
zone, but to an extent OStenSibly eN-
cmpt from United States control, are in
point OF fact, under the practical control
of the United States.
IF vice and the liquor traffic are III
power and accomplishing their ac-
cursed work. they do so because Theo-
dore Roosevelt either wills that they
should or does not care enough about
them to exercise his fully sufficient
authority for their suppression and the
Protection Of their victims