The San Francisco call., 1908-04-14
Westenberg Tells Equal Suf-
frage League That Head of
Police Is Moral Coward
Missionaries Are Prevented
From Rescuing Girls on
the Barbary Coast
Steps to Be Taken Against Per-
SONS Who Own Property Used
for Immoral Purposes

Responding to an invitation to ad-
dress them on conditions in the ten
derloin, ]. c. Westenberg, superintend-
ent of the Whosoever Will rescue mis-
sion in Pacific street.. dropped mild
bombshell at meeting of the Equal
Suffrage league at 241e California street
yesterday afternoon, when he roundly
scored Chief of Police Biggy for his
method of regulating the Barbary
coast, and declared that he had shown
himself lacking in the moral courage
chief of police should have"
The meeting was called especially
to hear Westenberg's address. About
20 members OF the league were present.
with Mrs. Horace Coffin presiding.
Westenberg talked plainly to the la
dies, and did not mince his words. He
told of a conversation he said he had
had with the chief when he called to
protest at having been refused en-
trance to disorderly houses from which
he wished to rescue young girls. He
said that Biggy had persistently re-
fused to allow any missionary efforts
in the restricted district.
VICE IS NOT CHECKED
Conditions of open vice in San
Francisco" said Westenberg, In effect
ARE worse than they are in any other
city in the world. We are practically
20 years behind every other city In the
United States in that respect. The vice
down there that Is allowed to run unre-
stricted would shock you. Biggy is not
responsible for conditions in the first
place, for the city was open before he
became chief; but he has done nothing
to put a stop to them"
Westenberg was told by members of
the league that Biggy had said there
were no girls under 20 years of age
in houses along the coast.
IF Biggy said that he was wrong"
declared Westenberg, for there are
many girls in the tenderloin between
Is and 20 years of age. In my work
there 1 have even found girls as young
as IA years old. The police will not
allow us to try to rescue them from
the fearful vice that holds them.
Il believe that We have the right
sort of police commissioners. They
are doing everything they can to
bring about better state OF affairs"
Westenberg continued in effect. but
Chief of Police Biggy is a great dis
appointment. When he first became
rfi Of oh haf ho
man, and the right man for the place.
Biggy is a clean mani am certain
of that--but by his actions he has
shown that he lacks the moral cour-
age necessary for chief of police.
He lacks the moral courage to ac-
complish reforms.
BARS MISSIONARIES
"A few weeks ago 1 took a party
from the Women's Christian temper
ance union through the Barbary coast
When l started to take them through
one house we were put out by a spe-
cial policeman and at another house
we were not even allowed to enter.
I protested to the chief about It, He
said that we had no business to go
there and that people of the coast
hid rights which he was going to
protect. He said that as long as he
was chief he would order his police
men not to allow us to enter the
houses
In every other city in the coun-
try, in New York and in Chicago, the
police welcome the efforts of mis-
sionaries and do everything they can
to help them. But Biggy has taken
the position OF protecting prostitution
and vice. He will not allow US TO
try to raise these poor girls from the
awful position they are in. Bigg. is
himself a clean man, but he has made
himself just as liable to indictment
by protecting prostitution as were
Jerry Dinan and Mayor Schmitz.
"Biggy did good thing when he
the uptown districts, but he has no
right to herd them in another section
of the city.
I'm a short time steps will be taken
/ to secure the names of the higher
ups who own and rent property In
the Barbary coast-people of the Mob
hill district-and we will make them
| public, too. We are determined to
stamp out open vice in San Fran
cisco"
SENIORS DEDICATE BENCH
! BERKELEY, April 1s-The bench
/ for rrpDer c1asSmen at fbe uriversttx