Evening star., 1923-10-07
D. c. MOTOR CORPS
!, PUT ON RESERVE
Members of Civilian Force
| Asked to Return Official
! insignia.

The Home Defense League and its
subsidiary. the Motor Corps of the
Metropolitan Police Department, have
duty by the Commissioners of the
District OF Columbia. This action was
taken following a conference be-
tween the directors Of the league and
Major Daniel Sullivan.
Motor Corps members are request
ed to remove the insignia of the
order from their cars at once and
either store them in their homes for
future emergencies or return them to
Howard S. Fisk. 909 12th street north
west, an Inspector of the organiza-
tion. =
The entire Home Defense League
will keep its same officers while on
the reserve list. 1t is understood, and
the membership has been advised that
st should consider itself reserve of
the police department, to be called
on when needed.
Must Return Flags.
Tho official orders to Motor Corps
men follow:
Members or officers having in their
possession large Motor Corps flags
loaned to them when on active duty
are requested to Immediately. return
ters. District Building.
Effective this date no member of
the Motor Corps sE all attempt to per-
form any active duty in the name of
"The roster Of the body will be
kept on file at police headquarters,
and should the need arise the organi-
ration will again he called to active
duty"
In a letter of appreciation to the
horS nf hn
Commander w. Pearce Raynor COM
nents on tie work Of the citizen body
md calls attention to its many serv-
ices to the District.
Tho Motor Corps never failed in
sn emergency" said Mr., Rayner.
Loyal members of the organization
were on duty night and day at the
Shrine convention, and did yeoman
service at the knickerbocker tragedy;
one Motor Corps ambulance alone
making nineteen trips to hospitals in
three hours.
To Continue Reports.
Hundreds of cases OF reckless
driving have been reported to the
police department by Motor Corps
members. WI o will continue to make
these reports as private citizens di-
rect to the traffic bureau.
Had the Commissioners deemed ii
wise, or had they been able to secure
an act of Congress permitting them
10 extend police power, limited to
traffic cases only, an effective control
Of reckless driving would have been
established. Without police author
ity the insignia means nothing, so
that / agree that it is wise to remove
the plates from all cars. After a
reasonable time police will be in
structed to stop all automobiles with
Motor Corps insignia on them.
Every effort was made by the Of
hcers of the Motor Corps to urge the
Commissioners to secure power to
train and commission citizens with
police power in advance of an emer-
gency, instead of the present plan,
necessary under the law. of waiting
until an emergency arises and then
comforting police power wholesale on
absolutely unframed men and sending
them out to make blunders and pos
sibly lose their lives, as happened
during the race riots four years ago.
These efforts, unfortunately, have
been unsuccessful.
although It has not been possible
fer the Commissioners to extend the
cooperation they may have wished
TO give to the organization, we have
been loyal to our duty as voteless
citizens, and members of the Motor
Corps are urged to give at all times
the best cooperation to the police de-
partment and the police in perform
Ance of their duties"