Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-11-09
WHO is TO BLAMEl


filled with drunken sailors. some OF
them mere boys, scarcely out of their
teens
Last night one of these little sail
or boys, who appeared to be scarcely
seventeen, was crying drunk, and was
led by an older man. Probably it was
his first drink.
For some time this condition of af-
fairs has been known to this paper,
but We have refrained from giving it
publication, hoping conditions might
better themselves. But they have not
Rather have they grown worse, for
night after night our streets are filled
with drunken sailors, staggering this
way and that, knocking against
pedestrians and becoming otherwise
Offensive.
Now, who's to blame? That's what
we'd like to know. The law forbids
selling liquor to sailors, marines, sol
diers, or any in uniform of the United
States service. We feel confident that
our restaurant keepers and saloon
men do not sell liquor to the men in
the service but some one must buy 1t
for them. There are stool pigeons"
somewhere about this town that
should be hunted down and brought
TO Justice
Secretary of the Navy Daniels ap-
pealed to the Mayor of this city, and
the Naval Academy authorities to see
to II that these men of the service did
not secure intoxicating liquors in An
napolis. Mayor Strange has been do
ing all he can to comply with Seere-
tary Daniels request. Recently he
appealed to the saloonkeepers in per-
son, and they promised him to re-
frain from selling liquor to men in
uniform. OF course, they cannot dis
criminate If men are in plain clothes.
AT a meeting in the State House
some days ago, Mayor Strange plead
cd with the citizens OF Annapolis to
cooperate with him in this matter of
reporting offenses of this kind, of CIV
ing him or the police information
leading to the arrest of those who Sc
cure liquor for sailors and soldiers.
Oftentimes these things are known to
individuals and not to the police
authorities.
Someone, or several Someone's"
unknown to the authorities or to the
local liquor dealers. is procuring
liquor night after night, day after
day. for these sailors in Annapolis
who are seen on the streets drunk.
II is a crying shame, an outrage
against this country to sell liquor to
men In the service. and 1t means sim
ply this, that il it doesn't stop. and
stop at once, the Secretary of the
Navy will appeal to Congress and the
government TO wipe out Annapolis as
naval training station. II has been
done before at other places. 1t WAS
done on the West Coast
Everybody knows what 1t would
mean for Annapolis to have the Naval
Academy eliminated Will you permit
it to be done just because of selling
drinks TO sailors?
Thousands of dollars every month
pass into the hands of merchants here
because this is a service town. Can
the merchants afford to lose this
trade for drink of whiskey or a bot.
tie of beer? AT this time there are
some three hundred young men of
the Naval Reserves training here.
Many of them are wealthy, all have
money, and spend it freely with our
merchants. who admit this Shall we
forego this enterprise, which would be
taken from us If Annapolis, because
of selling liquor to sailors. is put to
the discard by the Navy authorities.
which is sure to be done If drunken
ness continues TO prevail among the
sailors as it is now.
Who is to blame? Hunt the cul-
prits down. Are they buying votes or
political favors? Now is the time to
prosecute. The Grand Jury is con-
vened. Let the ak fall now Surely
there is some one. If not dozen peo-
pie in town. who know and must tell
who these stool pigeons are that buy
drinks for these sailors, some moth
er's sons far from home. thrown into
temptation here, in our dear home
city
Think of your own boys whom you
have given to the service. now in
other naval ports. would you want
them sold or given intoxicating
drinks. mere boys of nineteen and
twenty, or even older? Certainly not
Well then, hunt down those human
fiends in your own home town who are
responsible. 1t is your duty, your
patriotic duty, to find out "Who's To
Blame.
Honor prisoner escaped from Sing