Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-04-22


umbus is in danger of losing Camp
| Benning, because of non-enforce-
ment Of the vice and liquor laws, is
word which has come from Wash
| :ngton and has served to stir the
community as nothing else for long
time. According to telegram to
James B. Key, chairman of the camp
| activities committee, published by the
Enquirer-Sun, higher officers have
become extremely dissatisfied with
conditions, and only the most heroic
local efforts to change matters can
result in the camp being retained.
Blame is lad by the papers of the
city on the City court, which has been
imposing minimum penalties on law
violators, instead of deterrent sen
tences, thus encouraging instead of
| discouraging lawlessness as complain,
ed of. The Ledger, which derlores
! the adverse advertising the city is
getting through the publicity, sug
gests that probably "a mighty good
remedy would perhaps be found in a
resignation from the bench in tn
interest of greater Columbus" City
| Court Judge G. Y. Tignor is not nam
ed personally in the references.
The Telegram
The telegram from Washington,
which the Enquirer-Sun says comes
from the very highest and most
authoritative source, follows:
Washington, D. c., April 90. Hon
James B. Key, Chairman, Columbus,
Ga:
Extreme dissatisfaction among
higher officers in student body as well
as among various visiting officers, ac-
count horrible bootlegging traffic and
further fact that camp now ranks
| highest IN army for venereal dis ase,
is creating strong sentiment ii. IA
vor of removing infantry school alto
| gether, that unless you demonstrate
! by the most heroic measures your
ability to check both evils, doubt if
any forces will be able to stem tide
| for removal.
Believe that this situation is rap,
| idly becoming so grave that it war
rants any extraordinary effort which
you might make to arouse city and
| county governments, as well as mer-
| chants and citizens at large.
Conditions demand immediate at
| tention, and heroic treatment, and
all interested parties, including of
ficers and students should be fully ap-
prised of the extent of your effort"
In connection with the receipt of
the telegram the Enquirer-Sun says:
''For obvious reasons, the En-
! quirer-Sun does not dwell uron IT,
situation as presented by the above
! telegram, and yet all those in closest
| touch with the situation-those who
| have worked hardest to secure and
hold Camp Benning for Columbus
| frankly recognize the fact that It is
situation which cannot be ignored
| but which will have to be met face to
face.
Didn't Clean Up
mo doubt many were complacent
ly laboring under the impression that
the situation referred to had been
met and solved to the satisfaction of
the army, or, at least, was in process
of solution, but it is now very evi-
| dent that this is not the case.
"And, yet, it is only fair to relate
in this connection. that the people of
, Columbus recently decided that il
licit liquor traffic in this community
should cease forthwith.
The very best citizens were be.
hind the movement. The military au-
| thorities at Camp Benning, advised
the -mavor and the town council that
the evil must be eliminated, other
wise they would be compelled to take
drastic action, which incidentally ev-
ervone knows would be exceedingly
injurious to the best interests of the
community.
"The business men and every
straight-thinking person endorsed the
action Of the commanding officer.
The town council met. 1t was clear
that nothing was needed in the cam.
paign except the will of the commun-
ity to terminate the evil and the
execution of the law by those charg
ed with its execution.
'The police commissioner. greatly
increased his activities. Still in large
numbers were raided and destroyed
Arrests were nearly doubled, disor-
ders decreased and all the evils asso-
ciate with the traffic in intoxicants
were in process of elimination.
'The people had every reason to
feel that satisfactory progress was
being made in their fight to stamp out
the illicit liquor traffic and put an
end to intolerable vice conditions. But
alas
Fight Falls Down
"The word comes from Washing
ton-and it is a hurry CALI as any
one may see who reads the above
startling telegram-that unless you
demonstrate by the most heroic meas
ures your ability to check both evils,
doubt IS any forces will be able to
stem the tide for removal Of Camp
Benning.
This can mean but one thing; that
as the army sees it, the peoples fight
which fight the police, led by Chair
man Bentley Chapel. have, it must
be admitted. waged most vigorously
of late-has fallen down somewhere
! and somehow.
"The concensus of opinion among
those who have brought the situation
| - 4Lo E,or,;ra,, C,,,,r o4+aptio,--iYl