The Washington herald., 1908-07-28

And now the United States government
has put its stamp Of disapproval upon
vice in the city Of Washington The end
IS not yet The word has gone forth that
the hand Of the President has been raised
against certain forms OF evil and that
the wicked ones must go back 10 the
lands that gave them birth.
There Is a law in the District OF Co
lumbia which has special application TO
women This law may be on the statute
books OF other cities and in the states. but
suffice 10 say just now that It Is IN force
in this neck OF the woods.
Officials OF the government who are di-
rectly responsible for arrests made yes
terday afternoon DO not at present care
70 enter into a discussion Of the law OF
the cases al issue They say they had
hoped that the news Of the arrests would
not be published until they were ready to
make all the details known.
A Mysterious Caption.
But the arrests were made. and the
prisoners are held under the police blot
ter caption. Held for Commerce and
labor" a rather uninteIligIble phrase for
the casual observer. Back OF the caption.
however. lies a story-a story which has
10 do with the residence in this country
Of women up TO and including a PERIOD
Of three years.
The white slave traffic in the United
States has been the subject OF much
newspaper comment Sensational stories
from all parts Of the country have been
told and retoId. and the government de-
-Sed 10 end the custom Of bringing
young girls here from other countries 10
indulge In evil vocat.ons 10 enrich the
purses Of unscruE Eulols villains For days I
in the city OF Washington an agent Of I
the Bureau Of Immigration. actins. under /
Instructions from the Department OF /
Commerce and Labor. has been investi- I
eating affairs in the section below the
avenue
Three women. all aliens. who came IN
der the ban OF the Federal law, living
between Eleventh and Fourteenth streets. !
were arrested By Inspector George Bald I
win. Of the Bureau of Immigration. What
TIC charge against the women viii be 4
when brought into court this morning is
unknown. but It is said they are Illegally 4
here. and that under. a clause Of the law
they viii be deporred 10 their native 4
countries
Further evidence OF the governments
hand in the vice crusade is evidenced by
the long list Of alien women in the Dis
t--ct. who. il is said. VIII be arrested and
the same charges preferred against them
IN custody
The Presidents Hand.
u is said that President Roosevelt has
had the idea Of Cleaning up the territory
south Of Pennsylvania avenue and border
irg on the Mall in his mind for several
months. and when Mai. Sylvester issued
his edict 10 the Washington police a Few
days ago, the President Immediately got
in communication with the chief Of the
Immigration Bureau and directed that
worthy official TO get some OF his best
on the Job.
COMMISSIONS Sargent showed his good
judgment when he selected George Bald
win for the work. for It was ha who
-aH't-aa@ ~ eAAaHft=1au =NEM A0ahs anu San
Francisco. and it was rumored around
police headquarters last night that Bald
win made he local sleuths look Ike a
slow moving ice wagon when he Jumped
n, and in less than two hours had three
arrests made and got the names Of sew
eral others whose arrest 4 is expected he
VII have made to-day.
Private Mcpherson. Of the First 7re-
slnct, made the arrests for Inspector
Baldwin. and when he was asked TO 20
with the inspector, it is rumored. he
opened his eyes IN a bewildered manner /
Il was but short time before that, so
he story goes, that Mcpherson heard z
nan from the Department Of Commerce
md Labor was going 10 take I'D the
work
The women arrested were Anna Gore
iclt twenty-four years old. OF Spain.
5eorgia LOrrigoi. twenty years old. Of
Canada, and Irene Stiglitz twenty-four
years old, OF Hungary They viii be
given hearing this morning in Police 1
Court. and Inspector Baldwin viii be or {
land to urge their conviction.
AIr- Baldwin declined last night 10 saw
lrythiug about the arrests.
The law under which the arrests were
made provides that in the event Of de- {
'o-tati1n- the convicted women NAV he !
ent back 10 their native countries at the &
Expense Of the steamship companies that {
lroUght them 10 the American shore. In
his connection an effort viii be mad. TO ! =
scertain the names Of the compa1ies :
which landed the women in the United
states II the endeavor proves rnsuc-
essful the women win be deported AT 2
he expense Of the Federal government. [
Under the Ban.
The district under the ban comes up
Eainst the white marble District Build
ag- Orders have been given the police
o clear the streets and keep them clear.
len are not permitted 10 pass through
hem at night ANY one attempting so
D do IS driven OF with a warning. Ger ;
ain streets are as much closed as II
hey were guarded by fire lines.
Some heated protests have been made.
Ut they were unavailing- There are
ONE warehouses and mills on the south Z
de which may be reached BY a short
VI through the district