The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-04-01
Secretary Daniels Demands
Cleanup of BrOthels
and BO0t-Leggers
POLICE PROTECTION
TO WOMEN ADMITTED
Liquor Is Easily Obtained by Men in
Service-Boot-L eggers Are Chiefly
Negroes and Unemployed Men-Street
Walkers Numerous.

/
Negroes and Unemployed Men-street
Walkers Numerous.
WASHINGTON, April 1.-Philadel-
phia S police force is fatty charged |
with corruption and partnership IN |
crime BY the commission on training |
camp activities, i'll a report which Sec |
retary Daniels has forwarded to the |
governor of Pennsylvania and the
mayor OF Philadelphia, with the urgent
request that they accept the eo-opera
ton OF the navy and marine corps,
for such cleaning up i'll Philadel-
phia as is imperatively demanded
Thousands of young men are in train
ing for the navy and marine corps in
Philadelphia and, according to the com
mission, no other city in the country
aas failed to meet the requirements of
the army and navy as to moral condi-
tions.
Lists Of alleged disorderly houses
with street addresses and other items
of specific information Aare given III
the training camp commission 5 report,
made public tonight 1t was submitted
10 Secretary Daniels by Chairman Ray
mond Fosdiek, after an extended in
vestigation.
! "Reports reaching this office from
every city in the country in the neigh
borhood of any army or navy camp,
says the report, "show that nowhere
d else are conditions so intolerable. Many
! attempts have been made in the past
! six months to secure action through
4 the local authorities. ] am convinced
+ that the fundamental reason for the
failure of these attempts is the fhti-
\ mate connection of responsible officials
with those who profit by the continued
d existence of vicious conditions. For
n this reason it seems to me TO be hope
less to expect any real improvement
until the navy department takes dras-
tfc 'hcti5ho To protect ftieh In Che .--svics
while on liberty in Philadelphia.
Our Investigations show that such
n houses are scattered all over the city.
4 Liquor is sold in a large majority Of
q them. Many admit men in uniform
n and most of the houses situated in
4 the Negro section OF South Philade-
phia eater almost exclusively TO sailors.
"These houses are run so openly and
l our Investigations have been SO com
4 prehensive and long attended, that |
can state without hesitation that they
/ enjoy police protection for which
money is paid 10 police officials
Literally hundreds of street walk
ers patrol Market street and the other
\ main thoroughfares of the city nightly
These women are entirely unmolested
by the police.
Liquor is easily obtained by mer
in the service. The licensed dealers
do not appear to make sales directly
but exercise practically no care in pre-
venting bootlegging. The bootlegger
are chiefly Negroes and unemployed
Hfmen who make practice of hanging
about the vicinity of saloons ant
IN + speak easies in the neighborhoods FIRE
=. quented by sailors. In spite of the et
~ forts of the department of justice, thi
illegal traffic is increasing. The loca
police make, no effort whatever t
stamp it ont. On the contrary thei
action IN many specific cases indicate
that they connive at the illegal trans
action and derive profit therefronr
As has been intimated above, til
\ local police force is not only inefficien
Il Is corrupt Three representatives ,
this commission have been investiga
ing conditions in Philadelphia for IL
past nine weeks in con junction wi,
the department of justice. Their dai
reports contain instance after instan,
of action on the part of police office
which has prevented the enforceme
Of the law against prostitution al
Bookkeeping
I'm practically every house of pre-
titution visited, our investigators we
Informed by the madames thereof tn
they paid weekly sums to the poll
for protection and that liquor cou
be purchased in the house Ma,
street walkers stated that the payne
of a weekly sum to the police was n,
essary i'll order that they might /
their trade unmolested.
"It would, of course, be possible
put Philadelphia out of bounds for m
on liberty. This step, however, wol
involve great hardship upon the m
- in the service, and we are unwilling
. recommend it for your eensiderati
if there is any possible aftermath
u However, unless the local authorit
{ Il assume theg Responsibility which is
galy theirs, and effectively rid the c
Of those who prey upon our men, I
, see no other way out of the difficulty