New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-04-01
Daniels Attacks
Vice Conditions
In Philadelphia
Report Charges Police Az
Corrupt and Aid
immortality
Menace to Sailor.
Liquor Easily Obtainable !,
Resorts; Drastic Reform
Advocated
Menace to Sailor.
[Stof Co77.espondencel

lStGU Correspondence
WASHINGTON, March 3I.-Secra.
tary Daniels made public to-day re-.
port Of the Committee on Training
Camp Activities on vice conditions IN
Philadelphia which declares that in M
tons so intolerable." and furt iu,s
charges that the "int:nate connection
OF responsible officials with those who
profit by the continuance of viciops
cohdltloAs' has thus far blocked sey.
eral attempts TO obtain remedial action
through the local authorities. Copiss
OF TIE report have been sent to The
governor OF Pennsylvania and the
Mayor OF Philadelphia
After stating that immortality f1onr.
lshes in the Quaker City and giving a
list of commercialized vice establish.
ments In proof of this assertion. the
report declares that men in the SER
wee encounter no difficulty in obtain.
ing liquor. 1t further states:
Chairman Fosdick's report to the Sec.
rotary CT the Navy reads, in part:
81 am submitting herewith an outline
of conditions IN Philadelphia concern.
ing immortality and illegal liquor traf.
tic. Reports reaching this Office from
every city in the country in the neigh.
porhood OF any army or navy camp
show that nowhere else are conditions
so intolerable. Many attempts have
been made in the last six months to OBJ
tam action through the local authori
ties. | am convinced that the funda-
mental reason for the failure of these
attempts is the intimate connection of
responsible officials with those who
profit by the continued existence Of
VICIOUS conditions. For this reason it
seems to me to be hopeless to expect
any real Improvement until the NAVY
Department takes drastic action to pro.
tect men in the service while on liberty
in Philadelphia.
Literally hundreds of women patrol
Market Street and the other main thor
oughfares Of the city nightly. These
women are entirely unmolested bv the
local police. Negro women in South
Philadelphia are especially brazen.
Liquor is easily obtained by men in
the service The licensed dealers do
not appear to make sales directly. but
exercise practically no care in prevent
ing bootlegging. The bootleggers are
chiefly negroes and unemployed men
who make practice of hanging about
the vicinity of saloons and speak.
easles' IN neighborhoods frequented BIZ
sailors. In spite OF the efforts OF the
department Of Justice this illegal traf-
nc is increasing. The local police make
no effort whatever to stamp it out. On
the contrary, their action in MANY spe
cific sases indicates that they connive at
the Illegal transaction and derive profit
therefrom"
The local police force is not only
inefficient, it is corrupt. Three repre.
sentatlves of this commission have been
investigating conditions in PHILADELPHIA
Tor the last nine weeks in conjunction
with the Department of Justice. Their
daily reports contain instance after in.
stance OF action on the part of police
officers which has prevented the en-
forcement of the laws against vice and
bootlegglng: In practically every place
VISITED our investigators were informed
by women that -hey paid weekly sums
TO the poilce for protection and tina.
lquor could be purchased in the house
Many strete women said the payment OF
a weekly sum to the police was neces
sary in order that they might ply their
trade unmolested.
During the last month the United
States Attorney has brought large
rumber OF prosecutions under both Sec.
lions II and 10 of the selective service
law. In view, however. of the limited
number Of men which the Department
OF Justice can make available Tor the
represslve work in Philadelphia. it is
impossible for it to police effectively
all OF the parts of the city in which
VICIOUS conditions are rife. Nor is it
possible tor the naval patrol to do So
indeed. the Navy Department and .he
Department OF Justice ought NOT TO be
called upon for work of this kind.
particularly in a time like this it
would seem as if our fighting forces
are entitled to every protection against
VICIOUS influences which local authori-
tles can provide. That such protection
can be provided has been demonstrated
TO be practicable in municipalities in
every part of the country Philadel-
phla, 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
1T would, of course, be possible to
put Philadelphia out Of bounds for men
on liberty. This step. however, would
involve great hardship upon the men in
the service, and we are unwilling to
recommend it for your consideration if
there is any possible alternative. How.
ever, unless the local authorities as.
sumo the responsibility which is legally
theirs and effectively rid the city Of
those VINO prey upon our men, I can
see no other way out of the difficulty"