Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-09
VICE NEAR CAPITOL
Underworld Conditions Reveal
ed at Senate Hearing.
SITUATION Is CENSURED
Talk Of Segregation Would Make
Devil Smile, Says Crafts.
KENYON BILL. SUPPORTED
Immediate Legislation Declared
Necessary-Woman Mission
Worker Gives Data.

That there are in Washington pest
| houses of vice. worse than in other
cities and that the night before an inau-
guration day is carnival of vice" be-
| cause Of conditions existing under the
| shadow of the Capitol dome and Of the
Municipal building, were the declarations
| OF speakers before a subcommittee of the
Senate District committee today. They
| were urging the passage by Congress Of
| the Kenyon bill. aimed to wipe out the
| underworld districts Of Washington.
At the opening Of the hearing the sena-
| tors declared they wanted information
regarding conditions in Washington that
showed the need for the passage of the
| proposed law. They got an abundance
| of such information and it was to the
| erect that conditions on the streets and
| In some residential sections of the city
| demanded immediate legislation.
No Segregation Now.
All the speakers agreed that there was
no segregation Of the underworld in
Washington.
1.-The talk Of segregation would make a
devil SMILE" shouted Wilbur F.. Crafts,
superintendent of the International re-
form bureau.
the Senate District committee and was
attended by about half hundred per-
sons. women predominating. Among the
organizations an. represented were the
reform bureau. the Women's Christian
temperance Union, the. Gospel Mission
ano Ine churches generally. Senator Cur
us, Kenyon and Pomerene heard the plea
0CfA Iot frv,
Henry M. Pringle, assistant superin-
tendent of the international reform
bureau. was the first speaker.
what ! have to show Of the condi-
result Of an extended investigation, but
or one hours inquiry" he began.
on Delaware avenue. near it's crossing
with the Pennsylvania railroad. he said.
up a red light" district He also de-
scrfbed a visit to a hotel which, he said,
was used for improper purposes.
How far is that from the Capitol?'
asked Senator Kenyon.
About five minutes walk" replied Mr..
Pringle.
Ordinary legislation, the speaker said.
mas proved unsuccessful in closing up
houses that are used for improper pur-
poses. Raids have been made and pro-
prletors convicted, he said. but the places
have simply been continued under other
proprietors. He cited illustrations from
What We are chiefly interested in"
remarked Senator Kenyon. ARE the con-
dftions in Washington and the effective
ness of the legislation now on the stat
ute books"
Mr.. Pringle said he had not been in
Washington long enough to reply in de-
| tail.
Woman Answers Query.
Mrs. H. +. Munroe Of the Gospel Mis-
sion was then introduced to answer
Senator Kenyon's query.
Although not in neighborhood that
would have automobiles. she said, it was
frequent to see automobiles standing in
front of certain houses in the locality
of the mission.
These belong to the rich mems sons.
who bring the daughters Of the poor to
| those improper houses" she declared
Mrs. Munroe was asked as to the ex-
| tent OF improper houses in the city
There are. and within one block of
the White House." she said, reading
from notes. fourteen in the same block
almost surround the District building,
| thirty one being near it; ten are within
stones throw of the House Office
building"
That would indicate that there is
no segregation of these houses" sug-
gested Senator Kenyon.
They are not segregated" replied
Mrs. MunrOe.
Gospel Mission. described the particu-
lar sections of the city considered to
be red light" districts
II have been in the slums of Chicago.
of Buffalo. and of other Cities" he
said. land I have never seen anything
to equal the row of pest houses south
of Pennsylvania avenue and bordering
the Botanic Gardens"
How far is that from the Capitol?'
asked Senator Kenyon.
Not more than three minutes walk"
replied Mr.. Kline.
why is that section OF Washington
| worse than similar sections in other
cities?" the speaker was asked.
Loosely Controlled.
ut has a lower class Of inhabitants"
was the reply. ''It is more loosely con-
trolled. 1t is badly lighted"
Mr.. Kline was particularly strenuous in
his criticism of lack of proper police
patrol of the streets in this city, particu-
larly In the "red light Districts
Recently, I walked around a block
near AZ street and Pennsylvania avenue
for forty-five minutes without seeing
policeman" he declared.
do you mean there are not sufficient
policemen or not the right kind of police
men?' asked Senator Pomerene.
Il believe it is because there are not
| sufficient policemen" he replied.
James H. Patten. chairman of the
Worlds Purity Federation. urged the in
| effectiveness of present efforts at segre-
cation as showing the need for such laws
as the Kenyon measure in the District
| He emphasized the commercialism be-
hind 'red-light" districts.
Ownership of Houses.
Big corporations. he asserted. own
houses in Washington used for improper
purposes.
Have you the means of verifying that
| statement" asked Senator Pomerene
| II have not" replied Mr.. Patten, "but
| l think 1t could be verified easily"
DR.. Wilbur F.. Crafts. the closing
speaker. urged the Kenyon bill as an eff
fective remedy for the conditions which
the previous speakers had described.
| 1T has nearly cleaned Iowa of red light
districts" he declared.
| But he asked that the legislation be
made effective Immediately instead of
| ninety days after it's passage by Con-
gress, as the bill in it's present form pro-
vides
/ l,no 81