The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-12-04
HERE'S MORE ABOUT
CITY VICE
STARTS ON PAGE ONE

boo. Mr.. Hawkins went 10 hnnK ali
thesS women who are making . dc
cent living nowT
Now, as 20 Mr.. Hawkins specific
charges: lie nays Seattle IL tho most
wide open cssy In the United States
How many other elite. has no inves-
rgassay l am willing 10 bet money
that hs hasn't Investigated any OF
them.
-on the other hand i've lived In
other cities and seen vic. conditions
and Seattle Il q good deal cleaner
than most
4 have on my Desk nov . report
from tho navy department. which
pays a wonderful compliment 10 Sc
atti.. Navy Investigators found
there was no open gambling here. no
open prostitution. and no open drink
Ing. and that social disease coudi.
tons are just twice as bad In Los
Angeles and San Francisco
I'm Inclined 10 think that all
the Vice that Mr.. Hawkins Jaw
Was la his own eye. lie has gone
out when the lights were on and
put his own construction on
what he has scen. ] say 10 him:
Cast the mote out Of your own
eye 90 into your ciosss. knes
down and pray 10 God 10 try to
elevate your opinion Of human
iiy for you
mr.. Hawkins n the typs Of
man who thinks he can't do sny.
thing for this city without Sian
dcring n. II ne wants to tAhe
the matter any furthcv. I'm VIII
Ing 10 send q man with him 20
San Francisco. Los Angeles and
Portland, 10 sho,s him that vice
conditions there arc wosss than
they arc there
Il don't believe that Rsassis n the
most wide open town In the coun.
try" said Rev. Honor l.. wilhelm.
pastor Of the Ballard Presbyterian
church. -on tho other hand. I think
st'n ono Of tho cieaness cities I've
ever lived I'm. II q man wants 10 20
out and look for trouble he can
usually find tin any city. I don't
get around 20 such places myself
much. but feel sure that Mr.. Haw.
leins In esagEcrating whom he says
that Seattle 10 the worst city In the
country"
Il have been out OF town for the
last four days" said Chief OF Police
w. u. Ssveryns, $50 maybe I'm a
little behind the times. But II Sc
attic n tho most wide-open city In
tina country II has become no since
I left town last week--bccauze IL
certainly wasn't before that III
have 20 investigate.
Seriously. tho. the charge IL
ridiculous. Seattle IL one of the
cieanest. healthiest cities In the
country. II couldn't be ~ u were
as vice-ridden a. Mr.. Hawkins
would have us believe. Statistics
show that vice.ridden cities are
neither clean nor healthy.
II admit that there II . dance
hall problem. Hut what would
happen II we closed the dance
haIIsf II we didn't permit pub
lie dsncine--which we can regu.
iatc--there'd BE- private dancing
which we can't"
I'm not personally familiar with
the conditions which Mr.. Hawkins
discusses" said Rev. w. N. Bliss,
rector OF Trinity Parish church and
president Of the white Grows soci.
ETY.. Il would hate TO go on record
about conditions that I had not in
vestignted. But. while things Ger.
,ainiy are run pretty loosely here.
seattie's reputation In no worse
than that Of any other city OF its
size"
A sermon similar 20 the ono de-.
livered by Mr.. Hawkins was
preached Sunday morning In Co.
iumbia Congregational church by
Rev. George Mcclure. who has
been making personal survey OF
the dance halls.
The places ! visited" he said,
"are n sixteenth Of an inch
nearer 10 hell than ! have ever
been before. II these places are
decent for q working man or 5
woman 20 enter. then hell has
lace curtains and Brussels car
pets ON the floor and garbage
can II n decoration for the par.
lns NJ Au..y hnu.ou