Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-07
MAYOR GARRETT SPEAKS
CLAIMS HE HAS BEEN GROSSLY
MIsREPREsENTED
Plan for Identifying Automobiles
Owned by Diplomats Passing Along
the Conduit Road.

Mayor John A. Garrett Of Glen Echo
stated today that what he has had to say
concerning his recent conference with
United States District Attorney Rose In
Baltimore over Glen Echo automobile mat
tiers has in certain instances been grossly
misrepresented. I'm the first place." he
stated, there was absolutely no friction
between Mr.. Rose and myself. Our inter-
view was pleasant throughout, and both Of
us had but one object in view, and that
was to devise means which will render 1t
unnecessary to even hold up members Of
the diplomatic corps should any drive their
automobiles through Glen Echo in excess
of the legal rate of speed. AS a result of
our interview Mr.. Rose will suggest to the
State Department in his report of our con-
ference a plan which will, l think. make
the identification of diplomats an easy mat
ter, and | have no doubt that the Sugges-
ton will be adopted. The Glen Echo off,
Gals have no intention of doing anything
Illegal or diSCourteous, and are as anxious
for solution of the problem as is the State
Department. District Attorney Rose Will
suggest to the State Department that each
diplomat have upon his machine the coat
of arms of his country
Mayor Garrett says every machine
thought to be going at Illegal rate of
speed will be followed by the town mar
shall and If the occupants are found to
he representatives of foreign countries they
will. of course, not be molested. He adds
that the Glen Echo officials are more deter
mined than even that all others must re-
spect the law.
He denied that the Glen Echo town coun-
ell has any idea of changing the speed
limit from twelve to six miles an hour.
The mayor explains that such proposition
was informally discussed at meeting of
the board last evening. but it early devel-
oped that the sentiment of the members
was almost unanimously against any such
action.
Decline to Talk.
The officials of the State and War De-
partments decline to discuss the Glen Echo
affair in any of its phases. even to the ex-
tent of admitting denying the receipt of
communication from either the mayor of
the Maryland town or the United States
district attorney of Maryland giving the
result of the conference between the two
latter officials in Baltimore Wednesday re-
garding the treatment of members of the
diplomatic corps speeding their motor cars
on the Conduit road within the limits of
Glen Echo.
1t is generally conceded that the only
way in which members of the diplomatic
corps can be assured of absolute non-inter-
ference when they are speeding their cars
through Glen Echo. is by some system of
identifying their cars without interfering
with their IA . of progress. Mayor Car
rett of Glen l-Cho has promised, so 1t is
understood, not to interfere in any way
with the cars of diplomatists, provided
some plan is devised by which they can
be distinguished from the cars of citizens
subject to the police laws of the county.
No action has been taken by the War De-
partment on the proposition made by Capt.
Cosby, the engineer officer in charge of the
Washington aqueduct. that the Conduit
road be closed to public travel 1t is re-
garded as unlikely that any such radical
step will be seriously considered now that
the Glen Echo authorities and the federal
law officers have apparently reached an
agreement in the matter of the immunity
The grievance of the members of the dip
lomatic corps who have been held up by
Marshal Collins and Mayor Garrett, it is
stated, is not that they desire any special
privilege, but that they object to being
stopped and Inundated when, they con-
tend, they are not violating the speed laws.