The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-08-13

Warrington, D. c., Aug. lo.-Ths
visitor to New York II always
warned against the hazards OF
crossing . street without the per
sonal assistance OF . policeman, yet
the records show = greater number
Of accidents per capita in Waning
ton than in perilous New York.
From the beginning OF its his
tory, the national capital has al
ways held the reputation Of being
q collection Of parks and marble
buildings, the whole EMBODIED in .
languid southern atmosphere. For
over q hundred years this descrip-
ton was more or less accurate.
Then, suddenly, war tore some
100000 stenographers and newly
made officers from their peaceful
homes and landed them in the thick
of the battle at the administrative
front. Tho onrush Of volunteers
from New York, Pittsburgh. and all
points west, damned the capital to
its utmost capacity, and the city be-
gan to know what heavy .trafhc
really was. BY the time suitable
traffic regulations were worked out
and put into effect the shooting was
about over. Since then Washing
ton has recovered . little Of it, old
time tranquility, but it will never
be the same.
Washington as the war left It Is
full of traffic cops, street signs.
parking regulations, and rules for
crossing street. 1t has Q crowded
business section. and its circles,
which Major L'Enfant laid out to
be emergency forts, have become
modified race tracks around which
automobiles scoot in rapid success
sion, while pedestrians await q
slack moment on the curb, or run
the gauntlet by hopping in and out
among the vehicles. A new idea
for making life on the street safer
is put across every few weeks. Yet
pedestrians continue to be jay
walkers, many autoists fail to stop
at points where passengers are
leaving street cars, and accidents
mount.
Tourists are Careless.
The city's traffic troubles are
largely due to the character Of its
population. Flocks of tourists are
perpetually wandering about with
their eyes lifted to the dome Of the
capitol, and their brains buzzing
with plans for meeting a favorite
statesman.
Then there is official Washington
the ambassadors, cabinet officers,
congressman and political figures.
These people with their families are
always coming and going. Traffic
rules are fairly similar all over the
country. and in the larger foreign
cities, but Washington has local pc
culiarities which some dignitaries
never learn until they are about to
leave it. Infractions of the law
committed by foreign diplomatic
representatives are called to the at
tention Of the state department.
Only home grown officials are sub
ject to the laws.
Publicity is given to accidents as
a warning to the people, and the
police department has started q
campaign to teach the children eau
ton. In the office Of Captain AL
bert Headley, of the city traffic de-
partment, there is a map of the city
all dotted over with numerous col
ored pins. The map is the captains
own idea, and each pin shows where
a street accident occurred. A red
pin means the death of an automo-
bile passenger or driver; a pink
pin means a pedestrian killed. yell
low means injury to the driver;
white, injury to pedestrian; green,
damaged property; and black, no
serious consequences.
These pins show traffic acct
dents only for the past four
MONTHS" Captain Headley ex-
planned. From the map we can
tell where accidents are most fire.
-Quent. Then we study the cause
and try to remove it
Turn 10 the Right.
Washington has SO many acute
angles, due to avenues that run