Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-02-24
Not Probable That Congress
Will Create Rank Of Vice
Admiral For Bob"
NAVY AND CONGRESS AT OUTS
Law Makers Disposed to "Trip Up" the
Department Instead of Aiding 1t -
Crime Wave Hits Neutrality-suspicious.
hbitionists and Suffrasists Making
Trouble

Washington. Feb "a Friends oi
Rear Admiral Bob" Evans have about
abandoned hope that he will be raised
to the rank of vice admiral before ne
president is anxious to give Evans this
promotion but cannot do so unless con
rank of vice admiral. There now seems
little likelihood that congress will pass
the necessary legislation
When the battlcship feet started on
its cruise to the Pacific there was
strong sentiment in favor of making
Evans vice admiral in order that he
might be on q better footing when
ties with the admirals and vice admir-
ais of Latin America That argument
is now without weight, as the social
calls at South American ports are
nearly completed and it has been deter
mined that Evans will not be in COM
nand OF the fleet on its homeWard
journey by the eastern route. Much OF
the embarrassment that would have
resulted from his low rank has been
avoided by Evans convenient illness,
" hich has made 1t unnecessary that he
should pay first calls upon some of the
admirals commanding South American
s,mboat navies 1t has been suggested
that the prospect of paying these
somewhat humliating first calls may
have had something TO do with bring
ing on Evans attack of rheumatic
govt, but the harboring Of such
thoughts is hardly a kindness to the
gallant old sea dog.
If Evans is not to be the beneficiary
of the act, there is little prospect that
the rank of vice admiral will be re-
vived at this session. The navy is not
exactly in the good graces of congress
Just now. In the first place, naval Of
fcers are asking an increase of pay
which congress is reluctant to grant
Then the row between the line and
staff has had a bad effect. as have
also the criticisms of battleship con-
struction. That congress is more dis
posed to rip up" the navy than to
gran, it favors is evidenced by Sena-
tor Hales plan to investigate the eff
fciency of the present system of bu
reau organization as Well as its the
cries of battleship construction The
persistency OF the administration in
urging four battleship naval program
While congress is reluctant to author
iZe more than two has also irritated
the feeling of antagonism.
There no longer is any serious dis
position In congress to criticize the
sending Of the battleships to the Pa
cific. There has been generous recog
milton Of the presidents right and duty
to send the ships wherever his judg-
ment tells him they ought to go. but
as congress is responsible to the peo-
pie for the expenditure of public mon
ey. the national legislature are deter
decision as to how many $4,000. 900
shall be built. The pros
poet Of a treasury deficit is not a hap
DIV one for those statesmen who must
go before their constituents this year
asking recollection.
For several months Washington has
been in the tnroeS of a crime wave, the
Epidemic taking it's most common form
n pocketbook snatching and assaults
IN women for the purposes of robbery.
Negroes are blamed for the majority
If these offenses. Washington has the
Loft Of oft in,
and there is large idle and
ion.
The situation has become SO serious
hat congress has taken up the s-,es
ion of Kidding the capital OF Nlese
criminal negroes, and various remedies
lave been proposed, The one that
meets with most popular favor is a
stringent vagrancy bill introduced in
he house by Representative Humph-
eys, of Mississippi, and based upon
he Mississippi vagrancy law. The
MEASURE provides heavy worllhouse
sentences for the idle and vicious, and
hould it pass Washington would lose
much of its attractiveness for a large
clement of it's population.
A fact that has attracted much at
ention from sociologists is that Wash
ngton affords examples of the highest
ype of negro development and exam
lies of the lowest form of negro de-
,raVity. There are negroes here who
ide out in their own carriages with
oachmen and footmen in livery, and
n some of the alleys and courts
well negroes in a scale of living a
hundred times lower than the race
yer endured in slavery. The social
.u!f between these alley jewellers and