Evening star., 1925-09-12
Twenty Already Recorded
Here This Year, With Sea-
son Not Over.
COOLIDGE PLEDGES HELP
TO OBTAIN EARLY RELIEF
White House Says Executive VIII
Back Request to Congress
for Appropriation.

Providing suitable bathing beaches
for a city of the size of Washington
is no longer supplying a luxury, but
an actual necessity.
This fact, backed by convincing sta.
tistics on drownings in the Potomac,
is expected TO be brought to the at.
tention of the Budget Bureau and laid
before Congress, when the time comes
for consideration of Col. Sherrill's re-
quest for 100000 with which to con-
struct two safe beaches in the Po-
tomac and Anacostia Rivers, next
Summer.
Figures on drownings, compiled by
the Police Department show that
there was an increase of more than
so per cent in such fatalities in the
eight and a half months Of this year
over the entire y months OF 1924.
This year the city went through the
Summer without bathing facilities of
any kind to replace those taken away
at the Tidal Basin.
Twenty Lives Lost.
Thus far this year 20 lives have
been lost in the Potomac and its tribu-
taries, swimmers and others seeking
water being the victims. Last year
there were only II drownings report
ed, while the year before there
were IA
Officials of the Police Department
expressed the hope today that the
last of the Potomac's victims for this
year has been taken. But records OF
other years show that this is a slen-
der hope. Drownings are not usually
ended until mid October, for swim
ming here through the Fall is en-
tirely practical. If only two more
deaths from drowning are brought
about this year, the increase over
last years figures will reach the
startling total of 100 per cent, q con-
vincing argument for the necessity
for providing Washington's popula-
tion with safely guarded and pa
troled bathing beaches.
Lack of Beaches Fatal.
1t was recalled today that many
of the deaths from drownings took
place in the first warm spell of the
Summer, showing that they were the
direct result of the lack of properly
supervised bathing places. Wash
ington's population, which has en-
joyed for several years the facilities
at the Tidal Basin-a location never
deemed appropriate for bathing
beaches-sought the river this year
as the logical place for recreational
bathing. There We're virtually no
safeguards thrown out. The police
did what they could, but that was
little, for there have never been
organized police patrols along the
river to protect bathers. Organization
of such patrols, naturally, would have
to be on a large and intricate scale.
for bathing places along the river
are widely scattered.
Coolidge Backs Plan.
While the Commissioners Advisdy
Council which took an active part
last Spring in advocating the need
for bathing beaches, is expected to
take some action soon in renewing its
Endorsement of Col. Sherrills pro-
posals, President Coolidge yesterday
Joined the ranks of those who will
work for the beaches in time for next
Summers bathing.
AS recorded in yesterdays final
edition of The Star, President Cool
idge, through a White House spokes-
man, was represented as promising
his support when the time comes to
ask Congress for the necessary ap-
preparations. The President, it was
said. expressed an unusual interest in
the question of Washington's recrea-
tional bathing facilities, and recalled
that last year he had indorsed the
proposal to build another bathing
beach at Tidal Basin, which Congress
approved, before deciding later that
Tidal Basin was never intended as a
site for bathing beaches.
President Coolidge is willing to ask
Congress for an appropriation suffi-
cient to insure adequate bathing
beaches, the spokesman said, and add
ed that the President has been watch
ing carefully the latest discussion of
! this need.
The President is understood to have
pointed out that Washington offers
peculiar difficulties in the matter Of
! bathing beach facilities, since the
Tidal Basin was not intended to be
used for bathing purposes and the
Potomac River is said to offer other
difficulties in his mind. He is keep
ing in touch with the plans of Col.
Sheriff., however. and is undoubtedly
anxious to give all the support he can
to any logical solution of the problem.