The Washington herald., 1917-08-26
Police GUARD Dive
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The Washington Herald that he has
already called moral conditions ex.
listing in South Washington directly
to the attention of the War Depart.
ment, with the opinion that unless
they are Immediately remedied, seri'
Gus results will follow.
Bertha B. Byrne. city missionary
for the mission, writes the following
account of what the vice agents Of
that church have seen in the estab.
lishment complained about in The
Herald:
On Four-and-a-haIf street many
places Of amusement and refresh
ment were open-we noticed one
especially-where near beer" was
sold. The room had a regulation
bar OF good length and lined up
before it was a molly crowd.
White soldiers, colored women and
colored men-drinking and smok-
ing; on the other side OF the room
sat colored women. some playing
stringed instruments, while beside
them stood or sat many white SOL
diers. There were in the room at
one time perhaps 100 persons. The
air was thick with tobacco smoke,
and filled with a medley of noises.
1t brought back scenes along the
Texas border as / remember them
in the splendid idle sos" when
soldiers and Mexican women con-
Eregated in beer halls, but / have
never seen il since, not even in the
Philippines and this is Washington.
A few nights later We went back
to Four-and-a-half street. Mrs.
Monroe stepped up to this house,
and pushing open the swinging
door. stood looking in. Her presence
Instantly had as quieting an effect
IS would the muzzle of a gun.
Nfter a short silence n sergeant of
marines stepped up to her-(where
he got his liquor l do not know for
he was in uniform-but he was rs
drunk as a lord and not from near
beer, e!ther)-"Say." he remarked.
laying an unsteady hand on her
arm, Say. I don't know who you
are-but any one-or any society
that tries TO deprive a man of his
drink has no right to exist" AS
we went down the street we
heard him continuing his unsteady
speech.
Going farther we again watched
the colored prostitutes-saw them
approach soldiers-men. boys-some
OF them-saw the boys hesitate,
wavhr-and' yield. -
Some of these boys were meeting
for the first time city temptations.
Father and mothers back home had
gwen them up for their country
s,but not for this. Heart sick we
turned away. There is but one
cure for sin. That cure we do
know-so Mr.. Kline went to the
superintendent Of police and got a
permit to hold gospel services on
the corner of G and Four-and-a-
half streets southwest. And there
three evenings OF each week we
have sung the old hymns-and told
the story. The old. old story Of the
cross.
The police take refuge in the state.
ment that the saloon in question is
permitted only to sell near beer" AS
far as the official status of the estab-
lishment is concerned, the statement
is correct. Nevertheless. 1t has been
come reeling from its open doors, Wis
ible evidence that they have con-
sumed what is not nonintoxicating.
CIean-Up Necessary.
Conditions in and about Four-and- "a
Half street call for remedy at once.
This relates not only to excise mat
ters but to moral affairs and things
that affect the healrh and the discip-
line of soldiers. Such is the opinion
of those who have personally observed
nightly happenings in and around
Four-an Half street. Secretary OF
the Navy Daniels, who has been active
in protecting moral conditions around
the training station at Newport would
speedily clean up South Washington
were he aware OF the moral dangers
confronting his uniformed men. &C
cording to those who are familiar with
conditions.
The publicity given to the situation
by The Herald has already served to
greatly improve conditions and the
licensed establishments were more
rigid than ever last night in enforcing
the law.
nm lit nlnInT M Inn