Omaha daily bee., 1917-06-21
DANIELS IS
WAGING WAR
ON RESORTS
Executive Asked to Put Lid On
at Newport, Where SeCre-
tary Says Immoral Re-
sorts Are Wide Open.

Washington, June 2O.-Charges that
naval recruits at the Newport, r. l..
training station are exposed to oper
gambling houses, immoral resorts and
illegal sales of liquor were made by
Secretary Daniels today in announc-
ing that he had appealed to Cover
nor Beeckman.
In response to a preliminary COM
plant the mayor OF Newport made a
general denial and declared there was
no unusual degree of immortality III
the fashionable city.
The Navy department. with the as
sistance of agents OF the Department
OF Justice, thereupon made sepa-
rate investigation and as result Sec
retary Daniels renewed his complaint
to. the governor.
Gives List OF Illegal Resorts.
Secretary Daniels said today in an
nouncing his action
II have just sent to the governor
OF Rhode Island list in detail Of
some OF the most notorious houses
OF prostitution and open gambling
houses i'll Newport, also calling his
attention to the extent and methods Of
illegal sale OF liquor to sailors and
naval reserve recruits and informing
him that the department is ready to
furnish him with further specific evil
dence if the state S own officers do
not produce it.
AT Newport aud other places are
gathered several thousands of the fin
est youth OF the lad who have Of
fered their lives for the service Of
their country at time when this
sacrifice is no figure OF speech. Most
of them have come from carefully
guarded homes and their parents have
given them TO their country in sacred
trust that the government will safe
guard them from unnecessary pcrils.
Duty of State Officials.
Il am charged with the duty OF
training these young men for service
in the navy. State and local officers
are charged with the duty of see
ing that the laws of their states and
OF the United States are safely exc"
cuted. There lies upon us morally
to degree fa" outreaching any tech
ncal responsibility the duty of leav-
ing nothing undone to protect these
young men from that contamination
OF their bodies, which will not only
impair their military efficiency, but
blast their Ii. es for the future and
return them to their homes source
of danger to their families and to
the community at large.
Temptations are Multiplied.
"Those dangers are bad enough in
ordinary times; in time of war when
great bodies Of men are necessarily
gathered together away from the
restraints of home and under the
stress Of emotion. whose reactions
inevitably tend to dislodge the stand
ards of normal life, they are multi
piled manifold and the harpies of
the underworld flock to make profit
out of the opportunity. If we tail
in vigilance under these conditions
the mothers and fathers of these
lads and the country generally will
rightly hold us responsible.
Government May Act.
II feel confidence that the gov
ernor of Rhode Island and the local
officers responsible to him, and the
civil authorities at other places
where the navy has gathered large
numbers of men enlisted for service,
will appreciate the vital importance
of this matter and will take such
steps as will make unnecessary any
further steps by the government OF
the United States. | am determined
that so far as this department is con-
cerned, nothing shall be left undone
that is possible to discharge the
duty OF protecting these lads who
have been committed to our care"