The Washington times., 1915-05-18
Mrs. Alice S. Wells, of Los
Angeles, Declares Every
City Will See Necessity
for Treating Mistaken
Girls as Human Beings.
Baltimore Conference of
Charities and Corrections
Brings to Front Nation
Wide Move for Humane
Treatment of Unfortunate
By FLORENCE f. YODER.

r. I'VE years ago in September.
r the first policewoman ever
J. appointed received her COM
mission in Los Angeles, scrv-
ing Just as any other private on
the force, and subject to the author
ity Of the sergeant.
Her name was Mrs. Alice Steb-
bins Wells, and her appointment
proval. disapproval cant. chatter,
and comment all over the country.
But despite ridlcule and comment,
the public woke up one day to the
fact that there was another police
woman IN another town. and ap-
pointed just about for the same rea-
sons and in the same manner. Then
there was another and another one.
until this particular species Of
guardian of the peace has almost
ceased to be Il Joke.
Today. at the Charit es and cOrrec-
tiuns convention at Baltimore there
Is a special policewoman confer
cnce. and Mrs. Wells, who makes
an ADDRESS on "The PolCewoman."
made tho statement in an inter
view that every city should have
the next few years would sec the'r
installation In every city in the
Union. The policcwoman Is IA sue
cess, and has come to stay. judg-
ing by the word "f Mrs. Wells, and
the fact that in five years thirty
them. and have appointed them.
Chicago has th!rty-six. and Los
Angeles FIVE. Put perhaps 1t would
be far better to let Mrs. Wells tell
Eer own story. She Is small. nut
dynamic. with wide. clear fore
ing. Her hair is parted in the middle
and her eyes are wide set and keen.
Shock to Pessimists.
If the pessimists who stuck out
their tongues. and put their fingers
aside Of their noses, and shook their
heads, and chuCkled at the jokes in
the magazines and papers about the
policewoman, half male. half fe-
male. and utterly lacking in the quail
itics which would make her human
being. could tie faced. one at a time
with Mrs. Alice Stebbins Wells, the
first flesh and blood woman to wear
, police badge, to be Classed as a
pOliCewoman with the same rank as
policeman. and really arrest folks
they would receive the shock of their
lives.
Mrs. Wells. you see, doesn't look big
or formidable enough to arrest a
kitten. and was almost swallowed
up by the big lounge upon which
she sat. She knows her subject and
her work. however just as If she
were six feet tall and as rough and
ready in proportion as was pre-
dicted she would be. In fact. she
gave out so very many interesting
bits of gossip that 1t was with diff
ficultY that we left one for the con-
temptation of the other.
why did become police
woman?' she repeated after me.
with a crooked little smile. why
! Just couldn't stand seeing and
knowing how much women needed
women to look after them, 1t is
nothing short OF criminal for women
to have to submit to verbal exami-
nation by men. OF course. there
are police matrons, but no one can
deal with a woman or with a young
girl as efficiently as another wom-
an. In every instance It is more
successful. and far better for the
girl. that she be handled by women.
The idea that the moment a woman
laws herself liable to arrest and Is
caught, she Is Immediately shriven