Arizona republican., 1913-03-09
of Wash ington Police Admits His Judgment Wrong When He Thought Force Could Protect ParaderS
WOMEN SAY HE
 WAS INDIFFERENT
Had Been Urging for a Month that Adequate Force of Cavalry Be De tailed to Keep Avenue Open for Procession
ASSOCIATED PRESS pIsPATcHl

ASSOCIATED PRESS DIsPATcHl
 WASHINGTON, March S.--In stuffy overcrOwded committee rooms, leaders of the suffrage parade that was halted on Monday by disorder in the streets, today told the senate ub-committee Investigating the affair of their efforts to secure proper protection. Major Richard Sylvester superintendent of police, related his side of the story, de claring he believed he had placed a force on Pennsylvania avenue ample to handle the crowd and to protect the parade. Miss Alice Paul, chairman of the committee which arranged for the parade told the committee that for more than a month she and her asso- ciates "bombarded' Major Sylvester and the war department in efforts to secure proper protection for the parade.
 The district authorities would refer us to the war department, and the war department would tell us if there was any trouble. the fault would be with the district authorities she said. When the suffragists were urging Major Sylvester to grant them a permit to parade on Pennsylvania avenue. Miss Paul said. the superintendent of police endeavored to dissuade them by telling them that the huge inaugura- ton crowds would be disorderly and he 1 had too few men at his disposal to af- | ford them the proper protection. After ] the permit was finally granted, Miss 1 Paul said she reminded Sylvester of ! these statements and urged him to re- quest aid from the war department. ! h, I xl1 To +AI, h.n . rfff-raff of the south would be here for / the inauguration. when he opposed our marching. but after we had secured the permit and were working to insure 1 proper protection. he said "Oh that Il {, be all right" said Miss Paul.
 Mrs. s. q. MolIer and Miss Elsie HilI, of NOrwalk. Conn, and Mrs. Anna Jen- ness Walter of Washington, also told of efforts to secure policing of the line 1 of march by the federal troops, For mer Secretary of War Stimson had eX- | plained earlier. he had declined to or der the cavalry out because the law did not give him authority to do so except ! in emergencies. He had. he said, placed q troop of cavalry at the dis position of the local authorities.
 Jos. S. Carroll, who was in charge of the work of halting the trolley cars along the line of march and H. c. Han- man, a newspaper correspondent told
 of incidents in the streets.
 In reply to questions, Major Sylves- ter told the committee that prior to the time of the parade he did not think the federal troops were necessary. ''I believed the force placed on the avenue sufficient" he said.
 Then if the avenue was not prop
 erly cleared by o'clock on the day of the parade in your judgment the men
 and officers on duty there did not do
 their duty?" asked Chairman Jones.
 Yes. sir: that it is" answered Ma
 jor Sylvester.
 T was surprised and shocked when l reached PennSylVania avenue, after
 escorting President Elect Wilson to
 his hotel to find the crowd had over
 flowed into the street along the line
 instead of only at the point where the
 ropes were broken"
 Maio" Sylvester said he was at the
 Union station to meet President elect Wilson when he received word from police headquarters as to the condi- ton
 "I ordered the cavalry brought from Fort Mver The great crowds" Ma jor Sylvester said. could hardly have been kept on the side walks. but they could have been held back
 enough c aiicw the parade space to pass in an orderly manner" He outlined at length the disposi- tion Cf his men and his orders and
 declared there were more men on duty along the line of march for the { suffrage parade than for the inau- gural parade march. He said steps
 have already been taken for a thor | Ough investigation by the police de- l partmert. and that any breach of r duty will be punished. Major Syl- < vester saiC the hospital reports show f ed that only one person was injured ' in all, and there were eleven cases of Q exhaustion during the parade. The Q committee will continue it's hearings n next week