The Daily Alaska empire., 1945-04-03
Curfew
Washington PoSt)


 Evidence is rapidl accommodating that MT Byrnes curfew edct is giving rise to more evils than those it is designed to correct Certainly this seems to be the case in New York City, where the principal con- comitants of the curfew said to be an increase in prostitution, promiscuity and clandestine drinking after midnight That least sensational of newspapers the New York Times of its reporters to make survey of the situation This reporter MT Alexander Feinberg after series of personal inspections and of interviews with military poice and naval shore patrol officials anight restauranteurs and service men on leave, wrote that among the more readily visible effects of the curfew are
 drunken brawls induced by unpaced drinking before midnight with eye
 the clock, flask and bottle totng, the sur
 reptitious "spikng" of coffee and soft drinks
 at all-night restaurants, cafeterias, coffee-pots
 and diners, drinking and "necking" in dark
 halways and soldiers and sailors pacing the
 streets looking for pickup
 Further, they report that "house parties"
 are becoming standard business in hotel,
 apartment, flat and rooming houses; that the
 "steerer" who knows good place" to get
 drink after hours is being followed out of
 tavern at midnight by many youths in uni
 form. The good place." often as not, turns
 out to be one where uke-box phonograph
 sis going with dim lights shoddy women and
 scotch" and rye" that may have serious
 effects on the drinker. These places reputedly
 are as dangerous the "clip joints of pro-
 hibton days where life cheap and money
 meant to be stolen, and infinitely worse
 than the ordinary speakeasy of that era.
 Some of these consequences readily fore seen by the New York police, who in an effort to keep the situation under control. undertook series raids on clandesne and illicit drinking places al the curfew went into effect. With this idea of dscouraging patronage of such places the police have been arresting proprietors and guests alike Magistrates have been threatening to send speakeasy patrons to jail It is unlikely however, that many soldiers and sailors search of entertain excitement would be deterred by such threats this method of proceeding against speakeasies has serious disadvantage. In case of brawling or robbery the proprietor will not, if he can possibly avoid it. invoke assistance from either the police the military According to the Times reporter the military and naval authorities previously worried about the dangerous possibilities implicit in the whole situation, but are prevented from making open and public statements on a matter that might suggest discredit to another agency of the Government.
 What seems now to be happening in New York in consequence of the curfew is possible in some degree in any large city which has considerable half world underworld populations and which is ln proximity large military and naval centers. This would of course, include Washington, but, as far as we know no comparable situation has developed here But the danger is nevertheless implicit and the ex- perence of New York is affordng yet another example the futility of executive regulations legislative enactments, seeking drastcay to modify the habits of large numbers of persons, without careful prior inquiry into problems or consequences of enforcing them