The Washington times., 1913-05-29
SENATORS CLEAR
MAJOR SYLVESTER
Mildly Reprove All Concerned
yin Suffrage Parade Crush in
I, Report, However.
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1yerlooked by his superiors- On :he
contrary, all the officers who testified
aid. In substance, that they fully dn-
ierstood that all orders issued We're to
ie obeyed literally and that anyone
neslectine his duty was alone person
lily responsible therefor.
IAN reasonable precautions were
takenin issuing proper orders and In
detailing and assigning the police along
the Avenue, considering the number
available for duty.
Traffic Stop At Noon.
THE resolution of Congress should
nave been SO drawn as to authorize the
department to stop all traffic on the
Avenue between the curb lines as early
az, II not before. u o'clock noon.
sWhsn the Superintendent Of Police
found that the cars could not be
stopped from running on the Avenue
without action by Congress, he should
nave suggested to the Commissioners
the wisdom Of having the necessary
legislation and the Commissioners
should have made the request of Con-
gress for the necessary authority.
Those who were interested in pro-
noting the parade when they found
that there was no authority to stop
the cars should have brought this
TACT TO the attention of their friends
IA Congress earlier, SO that the reso-
luton could have had ample consid-
efaaion and an earlier hour fixed for
stopping traffic.
.No conditions existed and none
we're threatened that warranted q re-
guest for United States troops, and
the War Department went to the lin
Il Of its authority, If IL did not ex-
ceed It. in detailing a troop OF Cav
airy from Fort Myer.
Congress giving the Commissioners
of the District full authority to stop
an traffic and travel on any street
alone which 9 permit may be given
TO do go. in ample time to insure
proper protection for such parade.
After q review OF the testimony UP to
The point of issue of the general orders
Of Major Sylvester, the committee says:
Because Major sylvester tried to per-
suade some OF the ladies who called on
aim with reference to this parade not to
hold Il on the Sd of March. or. IL so. 'to
hold II on Sixteenth street, some have
charged that he was unfriendly to the
gause represented by those taking part
n the parade. and that he neglected to
do his duty regarding it. We do no;
think this criticism is justified.
BY virtue OF his position he knew
better than almost anyone else the dif.
fculties that would attend the protec.
ton Of q parade held under the circum.
sances and the 'indignfties to which the
parAders might be subjected. He had a
good conception of the size of the
crowd that would be present. its char.
acter. and its disposition. He had had
xx-ff ipa NJ iOr
crowds. ana knew that with 10000 oil
s0Qooo people collected from all over tn,
coontry OF all classes, and some OF then
our for good time, this crowd woult
b very difficult to control He knew
the environments along Pennsylvani;
the crowd who would congregate there
We are satisfied that he made thes,
sueeestions to these ladies not becaus,
Of any unfriendliness to them or thei
caube. but In the best of faith and on
of respect for them and those whit
would take part In the parade and hi
motives should be commended rathe
thkn condemned in the absence of an,
proof that he failed to do his duty a.
public official.
Precautions Taken.
almost identically the same order,
were issued to the police force to con
troll and direct their conduct on tn,
ID Of March as for the 4th.''
After quoting general orders 1
to the police. the report proceeds:
The testimony of the individual Do
lice officers is all TO the effect that the,
understood that these orders were {,
De obeyed literally, and any failure {,
DO 20 IN any particular was the faul
alone of the Individual policeman.
Eight hundred and forty men were de
iaiied for duty in connection with tn
parade Of March 4 On the day of tn
third. from the Peace Monument to Fif
teenth street, on Pennsylvania avenue
there were detailed for duty 2s5 regu
lars and $50 specials. or a total Of 575
Excluding four captains. one lieutenant
Twelve sergeants. performing a super
vbory duty. the police escort. and thos
In the automobiles, this force IL place,
equidistant on each side of the stree
would have placed a policeman ever,
thirty or thfrty-two feet. On March 1
for duty in the same territory. Their
were detailed fI6 regulars and 191 spe
cial or a total of 367. 1t would seen
that there was no neglect in this re
spect. and that practically all the avail
aDle force of the District was used II
connection with this parade. Ever,
police officer who testified said that ri
as necessary to insure good order IN
protection to the parade were taken
ana no one suggested any criticism @
their superiors in this respect.
In addition, to. the. printed order,
Ma3or sylvester traversed the Avenu
from the Peace Monument to the Trea.
ury between 1:30 and 2:3o D. m. an
zsve verbal directions to many of til
Otfcers In command to proceed to clea
ne Avenue. No one suggested to hir
inat this could not be done, and
Vas Of the opinion that the force wa
sufhcient to do the work. We are sati,
ned that In assigning and directing tn
police force for the protection of tn
.rerade all precautions under existin
laws were taken that could have bee
foreeeen TO be reasonably necessary.
No special complaint has been mad
concerning conditions about the forms
ton and disbandment of the parade NO
of conditions south Of the Treasur
fhe testimony clearly shows tina
condttions were good from the Peac
Monument to about Four-and-a-hal
sfHeet. The crowd was kept well bac
toward the curb line and ample spac
waa maintained for the marchers. Tn
crowd was probably not so large her
a. farther up the street. and the office
IN charge. Lieutenant Duvall. seems I
nave been very earnest and active, an
20 nave had his men well in hand II
b4gAn 10 clear the Avenue before "a
The street cars did not discharge :
many passengers In this section and
waa not DO difficult to clear.
The conditions from about Four-and
a.hAlf street to Fifteenth street wer
very unsatisfactory. On much of rhi
part Of the Avenue there was no pass
sge for the parade through the crowd
An attempt was made to clear II D.
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