The Washington times., 1913-05-30
NOBODY IN PARTICULAR TO BLAME.

That is particularly characteristic document, IN
which tine special Senate committee reports the con-
clusions of its investigations of the suffrage parade
on March 8. The thing was bad, but nobody in par
ticular is exactly to blame.
Some of the uniformed and more of the special
police were Indifferent; but the committee can't tell
who with enough confidence to make punishment OF
them possible. Some general conclusions are:
The Avenue ought to have been closed to traffic
earlier than it was; but nobody could do this except
Congress. 1t wasn't done.
When it became evident that there was going to
be difficult situation to handle, the police authori-
ties ought to have notified the Commissioners, who
ought to have asked Congress to grant wider author
ity 1t wasn't done.
The managers of the parade ought to have taken
this matter up with the police and the Commis-
sioners, with view to getting Congress to grant the
RULER authority. This also was not DONE
The Commissioners ought to have general au-
thoriy to stop traffic circumstances may suggest
on such occasions. But they haven't.
The crowds ought to have behaved better than
they did; but they didn't.
So the rabbit, chased at last into a hole, pulls
the hole in after him and disappears. The whole
situation was generally bad but nobody was suffi-
ciently at fault to be punished.
%, yes; there is one exception. Says the report:
No conditions existed and none threatened that
War Department went the limit Of its authority, If
1t did exceed it. in detailing troop of cavalry from
Fort Myer.
So if anybody is deserving of censure, it is the
military authority that rushed troops to the scene
at time when almost everybody except the Senate
committee believes they were absolutely necessary
to keep the bad situation from getting worse!
mo conditions existed and none were threat
ened," etc., says the committee. Yet little way
farther in its report it completely contradics this
statement by showing that, days in advance, the
astute and far-seeing Major Sylvester realized the
menace and, realizing it, tried to dssuade the ladies
from having their parade at that time or place. All
this effort to get the arrangements changed in order
to avoid trouble which he foresaw, is imputed to the
Superintendent of Police as proof Of efficiency and
wisdom.
The head of the Police Department was wise
enough to foresee all this, yet he himself left the
management of the parade in the hands of SUBJ
ordinates and personally took charge Of the police
reception of the President-elect
Either conditions were bad, or they were not bad.
If they we're bad, Major Sylvester's anticipations
were justified, and his failure to be on the job in
person, and to have made correspondingly rigorous
arrangements for dealing with the situation was de-
serving of censure.
If they we're not bad, the majors judgment that
they would be bad erroneous.
This whole affair illustrates how hopeless it is
to get effective administration when responsibility
is divided as it is here. Congress ought-but didn't
The Commissioners ought-but didn't. The Super
intendent of Police ought-but didn't The suffrage
leaders ought-but didn't. The crowd oughtn't-
but it did! That's about the story.
Some animadversions on the general disciplinary
conditions of the Police Department would have
been interesting In their absence we get the kindly
assurance of the committee that I'VE regret that the
parade was not fully protected"
Some days ago The Times believed it had dis
covered the superative of futility. 1t was wrong.
This investigation has raised the limit.