The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-03-27
President Taft Backs Move
ment to fave Theater Man.
ayers Respect Fighting Men
in Service Suits.
A STATUTE DRAFTED
AND WILL BE PASSED
Secretary of the Navy Meyer
Speaks Out Against Unpa-
triotic Actions One Man
Has Been Punished.
BY Jonathan WinfieId)
<A.soo AYnvrxc Corxy3naN

BY Jonathan WjnfieId)
(American News Service)
Washington, March 26.-President
Taft as was President Roosevelt, is be-
hind the awakening of the movement
to compel theatre managers to respect
the uniform of United States soldiers
and sailors and not exclude them ow-
ing to their service clothes.
Congress has been called upon to en-
act a law making 1t misdemeanor for
theatre or amusement managers to ex-
clude well behaved soldiers or sailors
owing to their dress. The measure,
drafted by the law officers of the War
and Navy departments, provides fine
or Imprisonment or both, in the discre-
ton of the court, where the law is
violated.
This measure has already passed the
Senate and will undoubtedly go
through the House. 1t will prevent
enlisted men from being Disseminated
against in the District of Columbia or
the territories; Congress having no
jurisdiction in this respect in the sep
arate states.
It Must Be Respected.
"The uniform of enlisted men is not
conspicuous, and must be respected,
and just because a man is sailor or
States, he is not to be denied admis-
sion to theatres after his ticket has
been purchased, and theatre managers
must not be permitted to refuse to sell
uniformed enlisted men tickets. 1t is
an unjust discrimination and one that
does little credit to the patriotic SEN
timents of this country" said Secre-
tary of the Navy Meyer. Secretary Of
War Dickinson has similar views.
Two years ago public attention was
attracted to the refusal of the manage
ment of the fashionable casino at New
port, r. l., to permit enlisted men OF
the navy to enter. President Roose-
welt learning of the matter and finding
that the government was powerless to
compel the management to admit mar
ines and sailors in uniform subscribed
one hundred dollars to a fund raised
by naval officers to bring civil suit for
damages on behalf of the sailors who
had been excluded. The suit, unfor-
tunately. was lost.
Women Take Hand.
The issue came to life recently when
two sailors, holding tickets for a To-
cal vaudeville theatre, we're stopped at
the entrance, denied admission and
given their money back. Several wo-
men, interested in patriotic societies.
were witnesses of the incident and re-
ported to Assistant Secretary of the
Navy Beekman Winthrop. An investi-
CATION followed. The two sailors who
had been Inundated by being turned
down on account of their uniform told
their story. The management frankly
admitted that sailors in uniform would
not be allowed to occupy seats. Two
other sailors were sent to the play
house to purchase tickets. This they
did. but were also refused admittance.
The manager of the playhouse was
called to the navy department for ex-
PLANTATION. He admitted the practice
and was SO extreme in his views that
he told the Assistant Secretary he
would refuse admittance to President
Taft II he appeared at the entrance
dressed in his walking clothes, heavy
shoes and bulky grey sweater.
A careful search of the law books
disclosed the fact that the government
was powerless to force the manager to
admit uniformed sailors and soldiers.
The only recourse of the men who had
been Inundated was a cicil suit. This,
with the Newport experience still
fresh in mind. was thought to be use
less. A bill was drafted, Senator
Chamberlin took up the cudgel and
promised to have a law enacted that
would cover the case.
Won't Drop the Matter.
There Is no disposition on the part
OF Navy Department officials to let the
matter rest where it is, particularly so
far as the local vaudeville house mana
ger is concerned. 1t Is the intention
to compel him to vacate the theatre he
now occupies when the title to the
land which the government recently
acquired as the site for the new de-
partment of state building. is proven.
This will be some weeks hence. Under
normal conditions the government
would have permitted the theatre to
remain where it is for at least several
years longer, renting the building by
the month. The manager has no suit
able building to remove his vaudeville
performance to. and hence will be out
of business for at least year or more.
The determination to make him leave
what soon will be government build
ing, is fixed. President Taft. it is said.
has been advised of the program and
Is for the carrying it out. without any
consideration being shown the man
ager.
ITO throw him out of the building
lust as soon as the title passes. mat
ter OF several weeks, will be the finest
kind Of an object lesson to people who
believe that a man wearing the uni
form Of the United States army or ma
w is an Interior declared Assistant
Secretary winthrop. The uniform
must be protected. 1t Is strange. too.
y -