The Washington times., 1932-11-30
SENATOR CITES
LACK Of FUNDS
IN CAPITAL
City Has No Way of Providing
For Needs Of "Red Army"
Doctor Explains =

Senator Royal S. Copeland, of
NeU York. eminent physician and
an authority on public health,
asked for his DietDpoint on the
conveTOin0 of groups of "hunOer
mGrcierS" on the National Capt.
tai, protests against the movement
as a menace to public tDslfGre in
the tolotOinO article.
BY SEN. ROYAL s. COPELAND
Written Expressly for and Copyrighted
BY International News Service. IO32)
NEW YORK, Nov. 80 UN.SD.
There can be no question that
each and every group of our
citizens possesses the constitu-
tional right Of petition. A "peti-
tion in boots" Is a lawful means
Of appeal to those in authority.
Unfortunately, mass movements
to washington have Signifi-
canoe beyond the moral and legal
right to assemble peaceably. The
question Of health enters into
the matter.
Washington is relatively small
city. It has its problem of
employment and human distress,
just as every other community
has it. It is more hampered in
its financial activities than other
communities are.
Washingtonians have no control
AOn1s fovofi0Oo 6ThAS1 hn1,n
money except such as is provided
by the act of Congress. The bud
get is made up once a year and
payments are made from the
general funds Of the United
States Treasury. The city has
no right to bond or to borrow. 1t
must depend absolutely on the
appropriations made by the Con-
greSS.
No Funds Available
If an army of unemployed
moved into Albany, or Cleveland,
or Kansas City, the city officials
could provide funds and food to
care for the visitors. That is
not the case in Washington.
In the next place, washington
has no open spaces appropriate
for temporary camps.
The AnacoStia flats, where the
Bonus Army encamped, is about
the worst place from sanitary
standpoint that could possibly
be chosen for such q purpose. It
Is too low to permit proper
drainage and sewerage, It Is
subject to flood in times Of high
water.
Sees Extreme Danger
Since the men and women who
make up these movements are
engaging in hem beca lse Of their
possible valIC to individuals and
to the public. it must be assumed
that they have an interest in in
dtvidual and public h-alth.
II this is tinf case. we have
merely to r0.nt out the dangers
to lead to a decision OF: their part
against eve4 such movement.
It will be seen at once that to
have 1,0OC or 10000 persons put
into temporary shacks or tens
in any one Il the narrow spaces
available in Washington must
create hazards dangerous in the
extreme.
If contaminated water or milk
should find its way into that
camp, no one can estimate what
the results might be.
One of the important functions
Of the Army engineers is to pro-
vide sanitary quarters for the
men, and even with the training
and experience of such experts,
the problem IS a difficult one.
Praise for B. E. F.
1t stands to reason that in a
mob Of people there would Re
few, if any, who know anything
about sanitation. It must be
said for the credit of the soldiers
who camped on Anacostia flats
that they did remarkably well in
guarding against disease. Their
army experience had taught these
men the Importance Of sanitation.
That could not be the case
with another group, and even
with Army-trained men, the "a
ci1itieS which they recognize as
important are not likely to be
available. It takes money and
equipment to provide any effec.
tive system of sanitation.
Menace, Nevertheless
I do wish to say, however, in
most emphatic terms, that re-
gard such an enterprise as q
menace to the publice welfare.
Knowing the municipal govern.
ment in Washington, knowing the
topography Of Washington, know
ing the menace Of crowds, know.
ing the dangers of encampmentS,
protest most solemnly against
these petitions in boots.
Even If they possessed any
value in the creation of senti.
ment and the gaining Of votes,
they are too dangerous to the
public health to be participated
in or to be encouraged by any
body.
Insult Indignant
. L NIL