The Washington times., 1920-10-16
Washers WAR
|NFULL SWING.
T Street, He-Flirts Delight, Kept
Clear Of Loiterers BY
Detail OF Police.
CORNER LOAFIHe is TABOO
Three Cops Needed to Keep
Crowds Moving at Thir-
teenth and F SITS.

Encouraged by the result of their
work last night when every police
man in town WAS kept busy enforc-
ing the anti-loitering law. In an ef-
fort to break up the street corner
flirting" In Washington, officers will
renew their campaign tonight with
redoubled vigor.
WILL WAR To END.
Acting under orders from Major
Harry l.. Gessford. who was Inspired
; by articles in The Times, that the
move on" law was to be strictly en-
forced, the police last night began
their active campaign against mash
ers," and will continue the campaign
until the promiscuous street corner
lettering and flirting has been ended,
according to those in authority.
Capt. c. E Flather, OF Precinct NO.
1, in which "F" street.-the mashers'
delights located, gave special In
structions to his officers before they
went on their beats last night that
no lettering was to be tolerated. The
result was that the usual crowds
which hang around the corner drug
stores and other buildings were miss
ing.
THREE OFFICERS NEEDED.
Three officers were necessary to
disperse the crown at Columbia road
and Fourteenth street, and to keep
/ them moving during the evening. The
= corner has long been one OF the
mashers' favorites.
Thirty-five officers, from Captain
Fathers precinct, which takes in
practically all of the entire down
town section. patrolled the streets
from 4 o'clock until midnight last
night and no lettering was allowed.
The change in schedule was especi-
: ally noticeable at Thirteenth and
streets-generally conceded to be the
principal hang out" of the mash
/ ers." Three officers were stationed
at this corner, and absolutely no
lettering was allowed.
WOMAN ASKS ADVICE.
A woman, holding copy of The
Times. carrying a story to the effect
that no lettering was to be allowed,
approached one Of the officers and
asked: "Are we not allowed to stand
on the street corners any more"' The
policeman smiled as he shook his
head, and answered: Don't you think
it looks much better to move on?'
The anti-mashing campaign, which
is being conducted through promoting
an anti-loitering campaign, and which
was brought about as the result OF
public opinion expressed by various
prominent Washington men and wom-
en- in interviews in The Times, Is
creating more interest than any cam
paign that has been waged in Wash
ington recently.
From all parts of the city-from
men and women-letters have come
to The Times, some commencing and
others deploring the campaign.
THE TIMES THANKED.
One woman, who signs herself "A
woman who wants the liberty of the
streets" commends The Times for
bringing the matter to the attention
of the police, declaring that as tax
payers and wage earners the women
of Washington should be allowed to
walk the streets at any time unes-
corted."
The majority of the letters are from
women, and take sides with Mrs.
Sarah ". Farling, Washington's first
policewoman who was the first to
come out in favor of an anti mashing
campaign, and Miss Gertrude McNally,
Of the Federal Employees Association,
who declares that It is not the girls
fault if men will hirt on street cor
ners. They deplore the attitude oil
Mrs! Nina c. Van Wrinkle, chief of
the Women's Bureau of the Metropoli-
tan Police, who has said that unes-
corted girls should not walk the
streets at night, and that the girls
are to blame for the general flirting
because of their immodest dress"
A TYPICAL "MAN" LETTER
A typical man" letter Is written
by David G. Hardy, of 906 Ninth
street.
His letter, in part, reads:
"Of course it's none of our business
and we have no right to interfere,
but IL you care to stop 1t there is only
one remedy, and that is to pass a
law whereby this stunning dress
thing can be curbed.
II have never heard tell of a mod
estly dressed woman being approach
ed when she conducted herself lady
like and minded her own business.
"All men are just alike Some will
tell you that man is no gentleman
who speaks to a strange woman, but
this same man does II himself
"I know of two towns where quite
a few of the female population were
arrested for not being properly
clothed
"A woman can dress to make her
self pretty and attractive without
leaving most of her clothes off, so
why do they do it7 There is only one