East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1912-05-15
TO MAKE DIRECTORY OF
THE UNDERWORLD
Federal Government Planning to Take
Nation-Wid Census of Immoral
Resorts and Keep Names of All In
mates UD to Date.

mates Up to Date.
Chicago, Ills Government officials
are preparing to make an exhaustive
list of all inmates of immoral resorts
in every city of the country with more
than 1000 inhabitants, and when this
is accomplished the fight against the
white slave traffic will be materially
advanced. Congress as been asked
to appropriate the sum of 100000 for
this work, and it is expected that the
money will be Forthcoming during the
present session.
Stanley w. Finch, who is chief of
the bureau of investigation of the de-
partment of justice, especially desig-
mated as commissioner for suppress
ion of the evil, was in Chicago for
few hours in company with members
of the American purity association,
who have just completed a tour of
the cities of Canada and the eastern
states, ending in Louisville Wednesday
night.
They made a careful investigation
of vice conditions in the larger cities
and conferred with the local police
and purity organizations with a view
of co-ordinating the work between
the different municipalities and thus
making the fight more uniform.
Confer With Wilkerson.
While here Mr.. Finch conferred
with United States Attorney j. H.
Wilkerson, as we'll as with members
of the local committee of fifteen of
the American Vigilance association,
newly organized under the federal
laws for the purpose of combating the
traffic in women for immoral purpos-
es. He told them of the conditions as
he found them in the cities he had
visited, while they in turn enligten-
ed i'm on ,vice conditions in Chicago.
Mr.. Finch asserted that the expert
ence of the government officials thus
far had convinced them that the only
feasible method of stamping out the
white slave traffic is to begin at the
root of the matter by making thor
ough inventory of all inmates of i'm
| moral houses. With this data as a
basis to operate from, those engaged
in the work could readily ascertain
when new recruits appeared in the
anks Of the underworld and could thus
| more easily trace the places whence
they came and the cause of their
downfall. He asserted that one Of
the most difficult problems with
which the officials have to deal is
that of finding and convicting the men
who make a business of trafficking
| in women.
ed him on vice conditions in Chicago.
Mr. Finch announced that a special
force of government agents will be
maintained in Chicago and that the
new plan of booking all disorderly
houses and their inmates will be in
augurated within the next month,
while in all other large cities of the
country. the work will be systematic
ally carried out by a force of more
than 1000 secet service men. In most
of the cities the police will actively
cooperate with the government
agents.
In Chicago. the department of JUS
tive will appoint ten extra government
agents to supplement the regular
workers of the department under di
rection of Charles f. DeWoody. A
complete diectory will be made, i'm
mediately, of all women of the leve'
t resorts and it is the intention to keel
this list up to. date at all times.
The committee of fifteen, operatin;
e against the white slave traffic in Chi
cago, has been especially active dur
ing the past few months and man,
d arrests have been made at their in
| stigation. Three plain clothes Off