The Washington herald., 1918-03-04
CANNOT STOP
BOOTLEGGING
:. IN BALTIMORE
Major Admits Inability to
Protect Soldiers from
Vice and Booze.
special to The Washington Herald.

special TO Ths Washington Herald.
Camp Meade, Admiral, Md, March
S.-Bootlegging and vice conditions in
Baltimore, where the red light dis
trict has been abolished. were admit
ted to be as bad as charged by Maj.
Gen. Joseph e. Kuhn. the cantonment
commander here. by Mayor James II.
Preston, of Baltimore, in a letter re-
ceiVed by Gen. Kuhn from the mayor
today.
Open solicitation Of soldiers from
the camp by women in the streets and
cafes of Baltimore has been steadily
increasing and obtaining Of liquor by
soldiers in the city is an easy matter
Gen. Kuhn charged recently.
Conditions Growing Worse.
Admitting that conditions steadily
were growing worse Mayor Preston
in his letter declared he was power
less to remedy them. Police authori-
ties are not under his authority. he
said. Although paid for entirely by
the city they are part OF State or
ganiZation.
State officials have been stirred to
action by the charges made by Gen.
Kuhn, however. and Gen. Lawrason
Riggs, president of the police board,
William Pepper Constable, president
Of the liquor license commissioners
and George L. Radcliffe, a member OF
the latter board, have been given let
ters of Introduction to Gen. Kuhn
from Governor Harrington.
They are expected to arrive here for
conferences on means to eliminate the
evils today. Their investigation will
go to the root of the charges they say
and strong measures will be taken to
remedy conditions.
1t has been charged that soldiers
are able to obtain liquor in Baltimore
with little or no trouble and large per
centage Of those who go into the city
on leave from the camp become drunk
and are often victimized by women of
the streets.
May Enact New Laws.
Attorney General Ritchie, OF Mary
lard. and member of the House OF
Delegates, were in conference yester-
day at the instigation of Governor
Harrington. Bills with sharp claws
to abolish vice and bootlegging prob
ably will be introduced into the House
and urged for immediate passage by
the legislature this week as a result
of the conferences.
Mayor Prcston's letter to Gen. Kuhn
follows:
Il beg to acknowledge receipt OF
your letter OF February %, calling my
attention to bootlegging. solicitation
by women in Baltimore. and calling
my attention to the increase in these
evils in. the city. and asking my as
sistance and cooperation in prevent
ing these evils.
Il appreciate the situation which
you detail in your letter and I very
earnestly regret that l have no pow
er IN correcting. remedying or pre-
venting these conditions.
Police Controlled by state.
In my judgment and to my knowl-
edge the situation is just as you de-
scribe it. as the police situation in
Baltimore is not at all satisfactory,
and while I regret to say 1t, l am
forced to admit that yeur statements
are entirely justified.
Our police force Is directly under
the control OF the Governor. 1t is a
state board, and the city has no rep
resentation whatever on this board
and no voice in its control Though
force is dominated by the State in
fiucnces.
II deeply regret that can be of no
assistance to you. Interference on my
part in this matter would. am sure.
have no effect whatever, and l az
afraid would add to your difficulties.