The Washington herald., 1922-08-01
The Gambling Evil.

The Gambling Evl.
x"HE revelation that the District of Columbia
is encircied by ring of gambling houses
probably will surprise many Washngtonans
as well as many good folks in adjacent neighbor-
hoods.
These clubs. within whose revolver-guarded
interiors thousands of dollars Of Washington money
have changed hands. apparently have been con-
Quoted with a commendabe lack of disorder and
a proper amount of secrecy. But now that the
attention of Virginia and Maryland authorities has
Seen directed to their activities it is to be pre-
Rumed they will be closed at once.
8 1t is almost impossible to stop gambling of one
non or another Adam, Eve Cain, Abel and the
Hest, We suppose. INDUCED in games of chance in
ahe Ga>den of Eden. The practice has continued
,aTetty steadily since. There is not a ham,
Ist in .tBnoUnited States which has not its poker
devotees. Gambling afflcts all classes of society
4om the ragged boys and girls who shoot marbles
society kad1s who play bridge whist for re-
ypectabSos 1NsAthe good church who
duct rsidkLo the building fund, to the gen.
Hemen who risk "a thousand on the turn of card
,Sith raake Jsn&bsaaeGs Z
-. This is vice. fear, which it will be i'm
possible eveIto eradicate. 1t is harmful enough in
aself. II ~ enough trouble when crowd
III elerEee9S ssva clearinghouse room with
pme among them ssSteR to lose their weekly
.Hsses--s&4 iAsSqsa fstSHsl the money is won or
lost within limited circle. The loser has chance
10 get his money bark.-fhere are countless in
Stanees in EHSNg,on. we . pss.ums, where Young
Ind w.l&s VnMsoina5ushe hundreds several
nights each week. Htte 4sstHy do thise Simply
hecauseies smonsg.shzsfs sesHSands with reasonable
regularity and it all remains in the same crowd.
. AmericaR< dOag ghboys in France shot dice for
$Ioo tb9waQe,Pay of less than $40 month
.8ut thsSe GEes eSDshsssi involved in the trans
Rrs of cash. An arni9i bSshket served as the gam
hs tahh@dssaf GkslI& lsandle the only source
pf light The doughboy would be rich day and
hoor the nfN@he was assured that the mathe-
rs., Ss's k. 's, s. ;,ss',::: iii. ss.t
would nfss1gaP hs SPn 9sek sometime before the war
. All this, of course, is harmful and wrong. But
compared w gambling houses conducted as bus-
afss prs,efdshs it is almost innocent. The samb-
ling sy<tb6 used in these Virginia and Maryland
club houses calculated carefully SO that the per-
eentager always is the side of the proprietors
here is possibility that these will lose in the
tSng There is no possibility that the patrons
will win IN the long
Money in these dens does not change hands
naturally. 1t changes hands according to skill
fully devised system-a system by which the club
owners certain to reap harvest of gold and
the players certain to lose everything if they
continue long enough. Men do not invest money
IN expensive buildings and fixtures on the chance
OF fair winnings at Dice poker any Of the other
numerous games of chance.
X The District, it seems, must depend on Vir-
ginia and Maryland police to close these houses
and it is to be hoped these authorities certainly
will not hesitate to do their duty.
Washington is in unfortunate position in this
respect, However clean it may keep its own hands
"a is nevertheless dependent its neighbors to an
unusua extent The country police naturally not
anxious to interfere in affairs which concern only
Districrlof Columbia people. But they have taken
oaths to enforce the law. They might not search
very strenuousy for violations but when these vio
letons are caede 10 their attention we may expect
that they will take action
s 1: is well enough to say that only fools will
patronize such places. The fact is that no small
Percentage of the population of any city is made up
Of tools far as prospects of easy money are con-
cerned- -and these men need to be protected from
their own weakness 10 bl