Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-04-01
Holiday for Mayor
Cutby Vice Charge


Iieutenants' Denial
Denial was made by I.ieutenants
I Hearnj of the Eleventh and Winter
streets station, and Lieutenant Lawson
OF the Tenth and Buttonwood streets
station, Of the charges in the report
Theytdeclared that only few DAYS ago
oflicbls Of the Philadelphia Navy Yard
toldithem they were well satisfied with
/ the arrangements made for keeping the
men out of the Tenderoin.
"A chief petty officers patrol has
! bqen established at every nook and cor
/ MFR OF the district" said Hearn. from
! Z O'Clock at night until in the morn
| hg, II is impossible for any men in
Uniform to enter the area between those
yhours Lawson said sailors do come in
his district In the day time. but they
ratronlze the boarding houses i'm the
district Lieutenant Hearn said that
500 arrests had been made in the dis
trict since last December
United States District Attorney Fran
els Fisher Kane said the Fosdick report
was true, and that state of infamy
existed in the Tenderloin district.
Asked II he had plans to abolish liquor
in Philadelphia, Mr. Kane said he had
certain plans but could not divulge them
! just now.
The statement Of the Federal Of
! fcials contains an intimation that un-
less the conditions complained of are
| Immediately remedied orders will be
issued which will have the effect of
closing Philadelphia to United States
soldiers and sailors. The statement
says:
The police force is not only in
ethcient; II is corrupt in a
tune like this it would seem that our
fighting forces are entitled to every
protection against vicious influences
which local authorities can provide.
That such protection acn be pro-
Nided has been demonstrated to be
| practicable in municipalities in every
part of the country. Philadelphia,
alone among the large cities of the
United States, has failed to meet the
requirements of the War and Navy
Departments in respect to this
matter.
Liquor is sold in a large majority
of them, Mr.. Fosdick continues in
the report Many admit men in
uniform, and most OF the houses sit
uated In the negro section of South
! Philadelphia cater almost eXclu-
sively to sailors. These houses are
run so openly and our Investigations
have been so comprehensive and
! long extended, that can state with.
out hesitation that they enjoy police
protection. for which money is paid
to police officers.
Moreover, the report continues,
women ply the main streets OF the
city in large numbers, and do so
! by permission of policemen. who
are accused of taking part of their
earnings for protection.
Virtually every one of these women
who walks the streets has upon her
list one or more cheap rooming
| houses. The housekeeper usually
collects a fee of 81 for the room.
} There Is no evidence to indicate
that the local police have made any
attempt to repress this evil.
II is charged in the report that the
police are in a financial conspiracy
/ with men who act as walking directo-
I ries for establishments. They are like.
/ wise accused of selling whisky to men
/ In uniform. and licensed liquor dealers
are alleged TO be indifferent to the
| traffic.
The local police, the statement
continues, make no effort to stamp
/ II out. In fact. their action in many
/ specific cases indicates that they
/ connive at the illegal transaction
/ and derive profit therefrom.
With reference TO efforts to eradicate
the conditions complained of the state
ment says
During the last month the United
/ St1teS Attorney has brought a large
| number Of prosecutions. In view, how
ever. of the limited number of men
] oh rfp Cf
make available for this repressive
work in Philadelphia, II is impossible
for it to police effectively all of the
parts of the city in which vicious con-
/ ditionS are rife. In time like this IL
would seem as if our fighting forces
are entitled to every protection against
! vicious influences which local authori-
ties can provide. That such protec-
tion can be provided has been demon
I strated to be practicable in munich
palities in every part of the country.
Philadelphia. alone among the large
cities of the United States has failed
to meet the requirements of the War
and Navy Departments in respect to
this matter.
Continuing his exposure of conditions
IN Philadelphia, Mr. Fosdick says tha
unless the city authorities assume the
responsibility which is legally theirs anC
effectively rid the city Of those who prey
upon our men" he can see no way out o.
the difficulty save TO put the city out o.
bounds for men on liberty.
This would mean that no sailor. or IL
case the War Department took similai
action. no soldier. would be permitted IL
the city OF Philadelphia except on orders
which took him there. To adopt sucl
measures against great city would b,
unprecedented.
The report by Mr.. Fosdick has beer
put up to Governor Brumbaugh and e
Mayor Smith by Secretary Daniels tC
whom il was addressed.
Significance is attached here to tn,
fact that Secretary Daniels saw At tC
address the facts to Governor Brum
baugh as well as to Mayor Smith
Under ordinary circumstances the Sec
retary, II he had any complaints e
make against conditions in city, would
communicate with the Mayor of the city
There is very little that Governor Brum
bargh can actually do to correct tn,
condition, 1t was said at the Navy De
pertinent today Of'course, he could senC
the State police into the city, but this
Is regarded as extremely unlikely
Unless the local authorities act, ther,
seems no alternative but for the Fed
eral Government to brand Philadelphia
as unsafe for an American soldier OF
sailor 10 enter while on liberty.
Following is Secretary Danielsi
statement prefacing the Fosdick re
port
The Secretary of the Navy has sent
to the Governor Of Pennsylvania and
TO the Mayor Of philadelphia copies
OF a report of the commission on
training~camp activities, which has
been carefully studying the conditions
in Philadelphia. where thousands OF
men are in training for the navy and