Seward daily gateway., 1925-02-26
PRIVILEGED MEN ADD CONFUSION
 WASH. TRAFFIC

WASHINGTON, D. C., Feb. 26.- Among the countless problems which center in the national capital there is one which, in contrast to weighty mat ters of diplomacy, state and govern ment, is peculiarly a Main Street" question. It is the traffic problem. It has attracted the attention of experts from many cities; special commit tees have wrestled with it, and now Congress has taken it in hand, hoping to solve it, but to all appearances it still remains problem.
 Those who have unspoiled recollec- tions of their national capital before the war, with it's wide, free avenues and inviting shady circles squares and parks which dotted the magnificent distances, would think if they were ot visit Washington today that it had been converted into a public garage.
 There are in Washington, city of 5OO,O0O, about 100000 automobiles, and those from the nearby suburbs in Virginia and Maryland swell that num- Der. There are so few garages, pub lie or private, that residential streets are cluttered at night with homeless motor cars. By day some thousands of cars are to be found in the streets downtown and in the parks.
 The motorcar owners in Washing ton may do what he may not do in New York, London or Paris or practi- cally any other large city. He may drive to business and leave his car in the street until his days work is done Of course, all-day parking is prohib- tied and occasionally a police drive against it nets some fines. Large de- partment stores run free busses for the patrons to the outskirts of the parking areas; others provide garage facilities and drivers for shoppers, but the problem remains. The death rate from motor accidents runs around one day, and the injured several.
 A special committee of the Cham Der of Commerce has denounced the Washington traffic regulations as as mine. They are voluminous and the police say the great majority of mo- tor drivers don't know them.
 There are, of course, many com plexities arising from privileged driv CTS. Motors belonging to the foreign diplomats are marked diplomatic" When a speed cop pulls up alongside one of these cars distinguished-look- ing gentleman sticks out his head and says, T am the ambassador from Bel gravia.' The cop knows that the car and occupant have diplomatic immun- ity. A pretty young woman breaks the speed limit into splinters and says Il am the daughter of the minister of Graustark.' In aggravated cases the State Department politely requests the embassy not to fracture the local ordinances.
 But there are other complicating special privileges which make diff cult strict enforcement of the laws. Congressmen have asked for and ob- tained practical blanket of immun- ity from punishment for traffic viola tions. The local government has SUD- piled their cars with tags marked Congressional" No policeman. ex- cept in rare cases, ever arrested a congressman if he knew who he was. but the immunity is now made doubly sure. A congressman may now park his car as long as he pleases while he IS transacting official business.
 There are probably more motor car drivers in Washington who are privi- legged, or who imagine themselves to De privileged than in any other place m the world. It is not strange that the policeman often wonders whom to arrest.