The Washington times., 1913-03-06
What The Times Readers Think of the Police Situation
elEditor OF THE TIMES: /:

To the lEditor OF THE TINES:
Beirt a visitor to your city, would
like tb tell you what came under my
bserJetion during the Women's Suf-
frage barade. / was standing on the
sideEalk at Pennsylvania avenue and
Fifteenth street when the special
,/police came UP in automobiles and
stopped directly in front of us. Not
satisfied with being in the automo-
parade, they deliberately spread them
selves out, so that those standing
directly behind the polite police could
see nothing but the heads of the
I did wish he major Sylvester) had
visited New orleans before the Wash
ington suffragette parade. There the
police are accustomed to handling the
carnival crowds in an unselhsh, gen
flemanly way. Perhaps he would
have been a little more polished for
that grand occasion.
New Orleans. La.
To the Editor Of THE TIMES:
I desire to make an affidavit a. to
the condition of that portion Of the
Avenue from Peace Monument to Four
fragists' parade. As mounted aide
to the grand marshal was in a posi-
iion to see that the congestion began
q little west of Four-and-a-half street,
and was one unbroken mass of hui
manity to the Treasury Department.
When we swung into the Avenue at
Peace Monument We had space from
curb to curb to Four-and-a-half street,
and upon inquiry. learn that Captain
Mulhall and Lieutenant Duval. of the
Fifth precinct, and Captain Williams,
OF the Fourth precinct, with tneir men
were responsible for this splendid car
rying out Of the Congressional permit
1 feel It is but just that the officers
and Mon mentioned should not have to
share the obliquy which Is being heaped
rightfully upon the police force in gen
the day In question. Their inaction en-
couraged the ''Hooliganism" which was
indulged in. and which many of them
seemed to enjoy.
Sworn to and subscribed to before me
this 6th day of March. 1918.
CSeaD CHARLES r. NORRIS.
To the Editor Of THE TINES:
am not suffragist and until very
recently have known very little of the
cause, but I am a believer in fair play
and justice, and the strongest argu-
ment that I have ever had brought
to my knowledge is the treatment ac-
corded that body of representative
women of America on Monday after
noon.
Together with a party of out-of-town
friends l. watched the parade from a
window At Sixth street and Pennsyl-
vania avenue and as Washington is now
my home. was intensely mortified 90
have strangers get the impression they
undoubtedly did get, rs to the public
spirit OF Washington and her people:
had passed Fifth street there was no
attempt made to clear the Avenue at
sixth street, and even then the scat
tering bl6ecoatS were fearfully inade-
quate ~ to numbers, though they did
their best 20 Tar as we could deter
mine. The moment the police moved
a few feet up the Avenue the crowd
would close in between them and
that section of the parade they were
trying to protect, and render them
perfectly helpless against the surgtng
mass. The boy scouts did valiant
work and pressed against the crowd
with long poles provided for that pur-
pose, though often they were almost
swept on their feet and were roughly
handled by men twice their age I
saw men, and to their shame be 1t
added, women, repeatedly cross and
then Immediately re-cross the street
for the evident purpose Of confusing
the marchers. 1 saw young girls
accosted by cheap sports and mar
veled at their quiet dignity and beau
tiful poise with which they met these
insults.
To one brought up in the extreme
South where Comparatively little 10
heard of woman's rights, this demon
stration was especially significant.
and has placed the suffrage movement
on an entirely different plane in my
thoughts. In this / doubtless voice
the sentiment of hundreds of women
who viewed the disgraceful treatment
of the paraders on Monday.
Very sincerely.
A GEORGIA WOMAN.
Clarendon. Va, March s.
To the EAitor of The TIMES:
The women who marched in the suf-
fIage parade and the women who did
not march but who sympathized with
the objects of the parade. are grateful
rc The Times for its attitude toward the
disorder which spoiled the parade as
spectacle Opposition to the granting
Of the vote to women is respected by
all reasonable women; 1t is realized
that thy, opinion of thoughtful men can