El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-05-17


l. there Of the Baptist sanatoTum look sites for
which church committee months ago visited FL Paso
Albuquerque Las Cruces and Silver City among other places
IN the southwest No decision has yet been rendered Some
desirable sites shown the committee while If
Fl Paso and the usual courtees extended the vs
tors fund OF $4,000 was also raised to buy SITE but
there extraordinary effort TO influence the minds
Of the committee and certainly not BY the method Of sluT
Iing other towns which also were offering sites.
But Las Cruces is much in about the matter,
at least it would judging by the Las Cruces Cii
zen which st week devoted little more than tive columns
10 setting .orth the advantages Of Las Cruces and Incl
dentaly giving paragraph or two to welding the ham
mer upon FL Paso Albuquerque and Silver City also re-
seved knock but The Citizen heaped Of its abuse
upon FL Paso Under the subhesd Of moral atmospheric
The Citizen says:
Las Cruces the only Of the four candidates for
the sanatorum which has redght district Las Cruces
Is beyond comparison superior in purity Of moral surround
ings to the other three towns
The secretary Of is reported to have declared
Gently that 81 Paso Is the most immoral town in the
United States and the river from FL PasO in Juarz
Mexico Is 10 be found center o. immortality, gambling
horse racing and crime not TO be found elsewhere in North
America
Furthermore sick people are d people and the rela
tves Of those who would the sanatOrum would
scarcely rest easy their loved in FL Paso and
within gunshot distance Of trOublous Mexico
El Paso has had several tubercular sanatoriums not
Of which has ever been successful The community
spirit and congenaty Of small town cannot exist in
large place like FL Paso. It is great city but place
for sanatoum where rest peace Of mind and congenia
surroundings are the main considerations"
Ordinarily such silly twaddle as this would receive no
consideration in FL Paso but the whole subject matter and
general appearance Of the Citizens appeal to the Bapsts
for sanatoru indicate that the article has been lifted
bodily from pamphlet sent to the Baptist church
headquarters It therefore matter Of local
circulation where its falsity woId be Immediately reoog
uEed It goes to strangers who have little opportunity to
form conclusions by what they and hear There
fore It merits general and emphatic denial not much
because OF the sanatou, whether get It not but
because FL Paso does not want any organization, church
otherwise to get false impression Of this city and its
people.
Las Cruces is lot the only town Of the four which
Tedght district FL Paso has none and has had none
fer months, IS well known even IN Las Cruces
If secretary Of Baker made the sweeping
sertion that 81 Paso is the most immoral in the
United States this article reports, FL Paso would be
obliged for further details namely, to whom the secretary
Of the remark where and when Like many, If
not AL cities where large numbers Of troops stationed
Fl Paso urged TO make strenuous efforts to make the
moral atmosphere what It should be and vigorous anti
vice crusade followed resulting many arrests, convic
nearly and heavy penalties imposed for
conviction. Hotels, rOong houses and even what
apparently private dwellings raided by the purity
squads and efforts made to nd the city Of al in
moral Las Cruces has received similar warning
Our warnings al came months as the secretary OF
vel and officials connected with the
department have expressed their approval Of the work done
here. Mr.. Baker, finally, IS not given to making flat
charges which he could not prove without stacal 1uVe
gaon Of every city and town IN the United States and
the alleged quotation It appears IN the Las Cruces paper
sey may Be considered absolutely baseess uttered by
official with any knowledge Of facts and certainly not by
he secretary Of var.
Quite as ridiculous is the statement that Juarez Is the
center Of horse racing, since Las Cruces people well know
there has been racing uarsz since the winter Of 1916
while to say that Juarez IS the scene Of crime the like
Of which is not TO be found elsewhere in North America is
make another wild statement, difficult If not impossible
&c prove
The attempt to frghten the Baptists by telling them
hat e Paso is within gunshot distance Of "roublous
Mexico" is childish the rest Of the hammer-suf II