Evening star., 1925-11-12
ARRESTS TSORDERED
FOR GLARE-L|GHTS
Warning Practice Discard
ed by Police Head as Time
Comes for Action.
BY WILLIAM ULLMAN,

BY WILLIAM ULLMAN,
Automobile Editor OF The Star)
There still are thousands OF motor
lists travelling nightly upon the
streets and highways of the District
Of Columbia with glaring and daZ-
zling headlights. This is in viola
ton of the law The members Of
the Metropolitan Police Department
are law enforcement officers. The
time has come to make arrests.
That. in substance, was what Maj.
Edwin B. Hesse. superintendent of
police, told approximately 200 of his
men in a lecture room at the Bureau
of Standards last night, following a
course in headlight construction,
function. adjustment and evils con
Quoted by Government experts.
Last nights gathering at Uncle
Sans great scientific institution
marked the Inauguration of another
important move as result OF The
Stars recent campaign against the
menace to human life that blLzes in
the misdirected beams or out -offocus
Readlig hts.
Time for Arrests.
Some OF the outsta nding features
or this meeting were addresses by
Traffic Director Eldridge, Judges Gus
A. Schuldt and George H. Macdon-
aid Of Police Court, and Inspector
W. s. Brown. head of the Traffic
Bureau. in addition to the plea by
Maj. Hesse for complete enforcement
Of the regulation banning the glaring
headlamps.
The traffic director declared that po-
lice and traffic authorities are deter
mined to rid the streets of the Ma
tional Capital of the hazards created
by out-of-focus automobile lamps, and
told the policemen that. while they
had been following the practice of
warning motorists. the time has come
TO Use severity toward offenders who
continue TO fout the law by halting
them into court and settling the mat
ter there. This declaration was round
ly applauded by the bluecoats
AS further warning to car owners
Director Eldridge stated that after
January l no one will be permitted to
register an automobile which is not
equipped with approved lighting de-
vices.
The Washington AutomOtive Trade
Association was praised for it's help
ful cooperation with the traffic
authorities in making it easy for
motorists to have their lights teste>
and adjusted.
Advised on Presenting Cases.
The policemen We're told by Judge
Schuldt that the men judicially re
sponsible for enforcement of the
trafhc law are deeply interested in
that portion which pertains to prop
erly adjusted headlights Advising
The men how to present their cases
In court. the judge asked them to
present the facts briefly and ac-
curately as possible. covering time,
place and circumstances
A lively interest was DISPLAYED by
the men who are TO enforce the traf-
nc regulations in the eXpla ma tions
given by Maj. r. F.. Carlson. the
Bureau of Standards authority on
motor car headlights. They not ONLY
gave their closest attention to his out
line oil the methods of detecting de-
fective lamps and adjusting them. but
theE questioned him constantly. Their
requests for further information dur
Ing the lecture evoked the com.
mendation of Maj. Hesse. and made It
clear that the application Of the data
presented to their duty as law en-
rorcement officers was uppermost in
their minds.
The gathering amounted TO a round
table discussion OF how to achieve
genuine enforcement OF the reguIs
tlons governing lighting equipment
Which mas been contributing factor
10 the ma zards OF driving at night and
the accidents which have occurred AT
that time. That the captain of every
police precinct in the city was present
with picked squad of his men was
in itself a declarat ton of war on those
motorists who continue to endanper
Others who drive as well as pedestri.
ans by neglecting the removal of the
troublesome and menacing glare from
their headlamps.
Warnings Are Over.
Maj. Hesse appealed to every mem
Der OF the Metropolitan police force
present 10 make very attempt to have
the anti-glare regula tions effective.
The time has come when we muss
nave complete enforcement of the
regulations regarding automobile
ilghting equipment" Maj Hesse told
his men. Warning can be depend
ed upon no longer. 1t has come tn
the point where offenders must be
taken into Traffic Court. That Is
the place to settle such cases
Il am strongly in favor of the full
est enforcement of the law We are
not concerned with anything but the
! enforcement OF the law, and If we
results.
Learn all YOU can about the
methods of determining what are
glarlng lights and then go OUT and
give motorists all that is coming TO
them II they continue to disregard
the law. This is the only way to
make some drivers sit ND and take
notice of the regulations in effect
and 1t is the only way to make this
town safe after nightfall, which isn't
the case at present"
Too Many DINNERS.
Director Eldridge. outlining the
development of the regulation. termed
the decision to use bright lights In
the District departure from the
practice In many other cities.
because the use of headlights
here is little bit different from what
IL Is In other States and cities it is a II
the more necessary for us to insist on
lghts that are properly adjusted" de.
ciared the traffic director. There
still Is too much driving in the streets
! of Washington with DINNERS. II is
the duty of every policeman to ston a
motorlst and make him turn on his
headlights. We expect 100 per cent
enforcement Of the regulations which
prescribe adequate lights. but ones
that are correctly focused"
Maj. Carlson gave a detailed ex.
plana ton of the construction. opera
tion and function of automobile head.
lamps and demonstrated methods OF
determining proper focus. as well as
~tt,rt L L.