Evening star. [volume], November 03, 1912, Page 6, Image 58

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
THIRTEEN Thousand
People Inhabit Washing
ton's Alleys?Various Plans
to Convert the Unsightly Lo
cations Into Pretty Parks and
Streets?The Model Tene
ment 'idea Has Supporters?
What the Woman's Welfare
Department of the National
Civic Federation Is Doing?
"Alley Sunday" to Be Ob
served December i?Minis
ters of Every Denomination
Will Be Asked to Speak on
Washington's Alley Condi
tions.
O require the mov
ing into other
homes of the
people who inhabit
\V a s h i n g t on's
alleys: to convert
these unsightly and
insanitary places
of human abode
into minor streets
and parks or to
e n t i r ely abolish
them?this is the
object of a mam
noth crusade now being launched in the
nterest of making the National Capital
he model residential municipality of the
?orld
All of the forces engaged in promoting
i .? community's moral, social and phv
:<al development are expected to enlist
the undertakings, which contemplates
< petitioning of Congress to provide a
.nmittee which shall recommend legis
lation for the accomplishment of tho re
forms desired.
Instigated by the woman's welfare de
partment of the National Civic federa
tion. the Monday Evening Club and the
Associated Charities, plans for the civic
betterment now are in the hands of a
joint committee, the members of which
are Rev. John Van Schalck. jr.. Rev,
Wilbur V. Mallalieu, Dr. Thomas .Jesse
Jones, Walter S. Ufford and Mrs. Ernest
I*. Bicknell.
*
<C $ ? )
The crusade will be opened with an
"alley Sunday," to be observed Decem
ber 1. when Washington ministers of
every denomination will be asked to
speak on alley conditions. This will be
followed with a bi< mass meet ins: to he
held in January. Effort will be made to
interest Congress early during the com
ing session.
Alleys as travel ways are all right. but
as places for the habitations of human
beings they are all wrong: this is the
contention of the leaders of the movement,
who intend to employ every legitimate
means in urging Congress to make W ash
ington a city without slums or alley
dwellers While no fault is found wit'i
the work of the District of Columbia
board for the condemnation of insanitary
buildings, the campaign will he waged on
the theory that. In the interest of the
city'S heakh and morality, provision
should be made for a more rapid elim
ination of alleys than is possible under
existing law.
The organizations standing sponsor for
the movement individually have given
much attention to the problem in the
past, and they believe that the time is
now opportune for the uniting of prac
tically the entire citizenship of the can
ital in an effort to improve living condi
tions of the poorer classes by completely
eliminating the alley districts.
The Star's city-cleaning week of last
April brought out the fact that, while
Washington s alleys are superior to t lose
of many cities, there are slum areas 'ere
in which conditions are far from being
satisfactory. It was alx>ut this time that
the joint committee began quietly to for
mulate its plans. It is recognized that in
ENTRANCE TO A "COI RT."
"SVZ^ rS". fSV;
TYPE OF TWO-STORY APARTMENT HOUSES ALREADY REMOVED BY CONDEMNATION BOARD.
the working out of a satisfactory solution
of the problem innumerable difficulties
will be encountered. In fact, ther^ am
ttiose who take the position that it will
he impossible to completely eliminate alley
habitations, and that the board for the
condemnation of insanitary buildings is
following the only practical plan of meet
ing the situation.
Hut the joint committee is of a different
mind. It sees no excuse for the main
tenance of alleys as places of human re-'
id'-nce, and believes that legislation
should be enacted requiring t lie remov
al of all dwellings located on these small
travel ways.
The principal reasons urged for the
nlwi'.ishment of all inhabited alleys are
t! at these sections are insanitarv, pro
ducing ?*i high dratli rate, and, that, fre
quently being inclosed, they are calcu
lated to promote immorality and crime,
in addition, it is pointed out that the
? xistence of slums afl"ects the health of
the entire community.
m
* *
There are several types of alleys, ail of
which are to be found in one section or
another of the District of Columb a. The
straight and "T" alleys are the simplest
types and are conducive to better con
ditions than are generally found in tlie
"blind" and ramified alleys. The " blind"
a ley is so named because it has but one
entrance.
According to statistics recently obtain
rd. there are 2T."? of these interior courts
in the city. Thev contain 3.H37 houses
used for dwellings and approximately
in.ooo person*. Since the establishment
of the board for the condemnation of
insanitary buildings <'?>7 alley dwellings
have been examined and -J4J demolished,
while twenty-seven cases are now pend
ing. ?
-i"
The total number of persons required to
obtain quarters in other sections of the
city as a result of the board's activity
is 4.323. This is approximately one-third
of the size, of the present alley popula
tion.
On account of the ramifications of
many of the alleys the board has not
been able to follow a general plan of
providing for their improvement, but its
policy has been to recommend the con
version of alleys into minor streets
where practicable and the condemning of
interior of squares largely occupied with
alley dwellings.
*
* *
An instance of the latter is the taking
over by the District government of Wil
low Tree alley, in the southwest section
of the city, and the inclusion in the Dis
trict's estimates for the next fiscal year
of an item of S';sMsoO with which to con
vert this section into an interior park.
The principal difficulty encountered is
in the treatment of the smaller or in
closed alleys. The joint committee be
lieves that the only cure in this case is
complete elimination of the dwellings- It
has been suggested that the District gov
ernment might acquire the smaller alleys
and sell or lease the ground as sites for
stables or garages afier the dwellings
l ave been removed. Such a plan has been
followed by certain municipal govern
ments of Germany.
To provide by legislation for the im
mediate conversion into minor streets
and parks of the larger alleys and the
elimination of all dwellings on the small
er ones "Would mean that a large number
of the residents of the capital would
have to look for homes elsewhere. The
problem, therefore, resolves i'self into
the question of whether it would be pos
s'ble for these residents to find abodes
in other sections of the city. One of the
aims of the crusade to be launched next
month wiil be to show that it is possible
for the alley tenants to find better living
conditions in other parts of the District
at but little or 110 greater cost.
*
The alley death rate far exceeds the
street death rate, according to a report
issued by the health department of the
local government, and elimination of
the city's slums, it is believed, would be
speedily followed by improvement in the
health of the community as a whole. In
llKiH the death j-ate fur alley children un
der one year of age was 373.41). as com
pared with a death rate of 158.68 for
children residing on streets, computed on
a basis of 1,000 of population. During the
same period, the alley and street death
rates were 30X' and 10.75, respectively,
for children from one to four years of
age. For children from live to twenty
years the alley rate was 7.S4 and the
street rate 5.25. For persons over twenty
years of age the alley rate wa3 27.05 and
the street rate 18.08.
?
* *
Death rates for the current year have
not been computed, but it is stated that
the 1U0!> record Is a fair index of the
relative conditions of health obtaining
in the streets and alleys of the capita!.
Of the various sections of the city, ac
cording to statistics compiled by the
housing committee of the Monday Even
ing Club, the northwest section has -75
alleys and 3,337 dwellings; the south
west section, 161 alleys and 1,010 dwell
ings: the northeast section, 30 alleys and
336 dwellings, and the southeast section.
26 alleys and 350 dwellings.
*
* *
The unliealthful habitations abounding
in Washington are attributed by Dr.
George M. Kober to the fact that during
the civil war a large number of slaves
deserted the southern plantations to tind
refuge and liberty in the District of Co
lumbia, the only spot it that time in the
United .States that offered such a boon.
"The rapid inilux of a negro popula
tion," says Dr. Kober, "estimated at be
tween 30,000 and 40,000, imperatively de
manded immediate accommodation. In
consequence of this necessity, hovels of
every description arose as if by masic.
The result of this abnormal growth of a
class of people destitute of means and
education, ignorant of physical laws, at
a time of war and confusion, has been
the erection of cheap dwellings, much of
the material having been obtained from
abandoned army camps and hospitals."
In connection with the plan recom
mended for the abandonment <>f alley
houses, the suggestion lias l?een made
that these dwellings be replaced with
large sanitary flats at reasonable rental.
The practicability of such a remedy.
however, is questioned by Dr. Kober.
* ?
"The wisdom of such a measure is
doubtful," he declares. "The financial
success of large sanitary tenements de
pends upon the interest on the money in
vested, and the capitalist, unless he is
at the same time a philanthropist, would
feel obliged to order their construction on
cheap ground in undesirable parts <>f the
city, with a consequent concentration of
people under one roof and. possibly even
more effectually removed from elevating
environs than now."
That the plan of gradually improving
conditions in the alleys, which is being
followed by the board for the condemna
tion of insanitary buildings, is the only
practical one. is the belief of Morris
Hacker, building inspector of the Dis
trict of Columbia and a member of the
board.
*
* *
"It has been my duty as a member of
the board to become acquainted with al
ley conditions." says Mr. Hacker, "and
the situation is a matter of great diffi
culty of solution. The charge is fre
quently heard that the slums of Wash
ington are the worst in the country. This
not only is not true, but Washington,
when compared with other cities, may be
said to have no slums.
"The worst condition found is that
which might be called "had housekeep
ing." This is not going to be corrected by
legislation or through the appointing of
a congressional committee, but by actual
ly showing the tenants of these habita
tions how they may make their sur
roundings more sanitary.
"Many of th?-se dwellers are so igno
rant of hygiene as to be tenants not ac
ceptable for the model duellings erected
for the purpose of housing thr poor* ?
classes. Tiit* Phurchw can do no *..?? I
by decrying the evil conditions. but they
can do good by actuallv educating the in
dividual wliosf misfonun* it is to havo
to live in an alley as to how be may pro
vide more sanitary environs."
Whatever mav lw> the out.>me of t 'i*
crusade planned. the committee In ctuit
intends to leave no stone unturned in i:s
effort t<? bring about .t satisfactory so'u
tion of the alley problem It if ii<>\v pre
paring data pettinK forth the history of
the alley improvement movement here,
and will request M'tuhlnclon minister*
to present the information fully to their
congregations December 1.
*
The mass mecMmr to be held in .fanu
ary will be in the nature of a rally It
is planned to have the meeting addressed
by eminent speakers, inclu liir; memlx rs
of Congress.
It is apparent, according to the mem
bers of the joint committee, that one im
portant reason for the failure of past
efforts to eliminate Washington's system
of inhabited alleys has been the inability
of those Interested to agree upon
method of procedure and to work In
hearty accord
The proposal for which it is now hoped
to obtain united support is to petition
Congress to appoint a committee charred
with the duty of investigating this im
portant subject and recommending legis
lation which will accomplish the object
in view as rapidlv as practicable and
without injustice or serious hardship to
any legitimate interest.
A Diana of the Air.
THE athletic Eleanora Sears, at a
luncheon, said of aviation:
"I like the biplane well enough, and
the mohoplane I am simply head over
heels in love with."
To this remark one of Miss Sears' many
unsuccessful suitors answered reproach
fully:
"Ah. another case of man being sup
planted by tria :hinerv!"
V 1K\V OF A ROW OF BACK YARDS I\ OXE OP THE CITY'S "COURTS."
/Ov 4IK iT?V >?V\ ^=\ /^V >r^V 4VV >r^v A\ /^A, /A <=> ,0*. <*V V ^
w ^ vV Vr
St>f? -i;i 1 <.'urri spowlfim ?>f Th?? Star.
PARIS, October 'J2, 1012.
E is short, chubby,
jnW f^vF\ C ruddy, neat and
<dr J rr*1 \ smug, with a weak
looking little point
ed beard that does
most of the harm;
yet he only among
European -states
men had the cool
head.
What a differ
ence in pictur
es' lueness from
Richelieu ?>r even th?- Abbe Dubois! Yet
h" is a tr le successor of the great old
French tlr-t ministers.
"\\Y must keep ft.oir ?aid the news
jiai" organ of the German emperor.
"Diplomacy sometimes works miracles,**
filtered th< aged Emperor Francis Jo
seph
'If onlv M. Poincare < an s-ucceed!" said
i ? I. ndon Times.
? I am gla I that I came to l'aris?." said
M. Sazonoff. the Russian minister of
i >r< ign affair-.
Mid th< n?x t ?lay the Berlin paper said:
l"rar:<-?- takes th< credit of working a
miracle."
Y? s. oim*' again after so long a period
??f nullity. Franc? has a public man
\v ?!-, foi< . i- f. ? in Europe. It c^imo as
a central irprt.se. Raymond Poincare,
j.rnii? minist* r. not only had the clearest
i:< i l in ll.? excitement of the Balkan ex
plosion but h? was quite prepared for it
in ad\:tnc<.
? Mainly ti i- a long time since France
m any Frenchman has had a chance to
? ut- to' gr*-:tt power s or ev< n make the
^reat powers listen to hint. Not because
,M Poiin;?i< i> at the head of the, French
verr.mcnt did he become suddenly the
t: m . t> . hour. Hr took th? post be
i.iu-' h? is the man thai he is.
V . .ir? reading the picturesque Hal
i. in story in cable dispatches. This is
t ? rea.l> more uplifting tale of a quiet
k s nn?m? ntuut- coup. You may imag
i. it sta.e. yet it still prevents tin pic
t rr-que little war from bursting Into
i ? dreaded European con Ha* ration.
'I. . dangei was extreme when the four
iittl- Kakan states, suddenly mobilized
? v. r\ tig! ting man they had agaiij>r Tur
, The six gieat powers of Europe had
long lieen shy of the trouble, but, aston
i tin giy, the\ had not the slightest belief
t Bulgaria, Servia. Montenegro and
i. ?Which in ordinary- times cannot
endure one another?would suddenly
march togethei like one man.
Where was their secret service?
Only M. Poincare's secret service had
??.?ti awake, on the spot Once again a
French first minister is suddenly revealed
as the l>est-posted man in Europe. And
we see him quietly?while the others
v)e<p?exerting a new kind of power
which permits France?in the right hands
to probably even safeguard the general
peace of Europe.
Away hack in September M. Poincare.
French minister of foreign affairs as well
as prime minister?quite an unusual
double burden, the foreign affaire being
usually a suflicietit specialty for one man
?communicated with each of the great
powers through the French ambassadors,
to tell them that trouble was brewing in
M. POI\( ARK IOX THK RI(>HT> WO 11. SASOVOFF ION THK LKFTl
lien tiBli-f after >1. Poincare hml found n nay to "put
the M|Mit" on the Krrnt power*.
(Copyright by Stcrlinj; ih-ilig.i
the Balkans anil "would it not he well to
confer and prevent a sudden outbreak? '
whose date M. Poincare set for Octolwr 1.
All the great powers answered politely,
but nothing was done, because no une be
lieved that the four little Balkan states
could possibly unite.
M. Poineare knew that they could and
would.
Nowadays war requires enormous
money, and M. Poineare's secret service
told him that Bulgaria, which was lead
ing Servia. tJreece and Montenegro In the
secret enterprise, was boasting that she
had I'JMMNMHX* cash war fuYid ready in
hand. But she had not, and M. Poin
care, being also tirst minister in Paris,
the modern gold center, knew all about
the efforts of Bulgarian agents trying to
borrow that exact sum, $2l).0U0.U?iU, us a
loan on the Paris Stock Exchange, where
it would have been taken up as a good
tiling. All this was long before the war
scare, when Bulgarian credit was excel
lent.
Now, in France, the administration has
a practical control over the stock ex
change, the government can forbid a
loan, and so on. So M. Poincare quietly
said the word: "I forbid the loan to
Bulgaria!"
But also, in Paris, when you cannot
float a loan on the stock exchange you
can secure with good security a great
deal of money from the great banks,
which arc not regularly so much under
government control. Thus, the Bulgarian
agents went, very secretly, to all such,
asking lirst for ?'j),0<i0.00t?, then for *!?>,
0(10,000, and finally got down to $1,00<?.
0?X?. until at last one of them told the
Bulgarian agents, flatly: "M. Poincare
has advised us that, in the present state
of affairs, we shall not loan you Bul
garians a cent!"
All this, 1 repeat, was well before the
mobilization scare, while the agreement
between Bulgaria, Kervia, Montenegro
and Greece was a dead secret. As will
be seen in,a moment, the frantie efforts
to obtain gold were resumed and con
tinued, with a premium attachment, even
after the public explosion.
Secret service!
Secret power!
France has this new power of gold.
The marauding little states have not yet
got their big war fund?and where will
they get it outside France?
Again and again I have written you ar
ticles showing how French economy does
this miracle of drawing the gold of the
world to itself. 1 have shown you
French servant girls, peasant farmers,
blacksmiths and janitors, clerks, shop
keepers, young married couples, business
men and idlers on incomes; yes, a. 3 even
actresses, ballet dancers and professional
beauties follow equally the great com
mandment: "If you have 4 cents put
3 aside!"
They want steady and sure interest,
paid in gold. So they invest in foreign
loans. And so the gold is* drained to
France.
-I' %?'
Where will the little ones get it?
Money is tight in London. America is
moving the crops. Germany needs gold
badly. And, above all, capital is timid;
everywhere it wili follow France's re
fusal. like a flock of sheep. The Morgan
bank might, conceivably, loan X50,0*UhH
to Turkey, but not to the risking little
Balkans.
Bulgaria, Servia, Montenegro and
Greece moved against Turkey at the very
moment when Servia and Bulgaria were
desperately offering "J per cent and per
cent premium?above brokers' commis
sions and agents' rake-off?on any gold,
in any sums, and had Vienna banks try
ing to borrow it for them, underhand, in
Paris. And in the first week of hostili
ties it was said confidently t.'iat "the
present money of Bulgaria cannot hold
out longer than a month."
This was the preliminary work of M.
Poincare.
M. Sazonoff, the Russian minister of
foreign affairs, was in London.
Now, fear of a great European war
arising from Balkan troubles is derived
from the fact that Russia and Austria
Hungary have conflicting interests. To
push these interests would lead to the
division of the Turkish empire, with Rus
sia helping the Balkan states and march
ing on to Constantinople, while Austria,
with Germany following her, would strike
for the Mediterranean and a port at Sa
loniki. Certainly, Austria will never per
mit the Balkan states to block her way?
and Germany's?to the Mediterranean by
taking possession of a part of Turkey!
M. Sazonoff felt terrible responsibility.
Such a possible conflict of Austria and
Russia over the partition of Turkey is
tin- daily and hourly fear of Europe. And
here were the little Balkan states touch
ing the lighted match!
It would have been a job for the late
beloved Edward VII; but the present
King of England has not prestige or ex
perience for such delicate conciliations.
A
VIEW OF THE FRENCH FOREIGN OFFICE.
Oh (lie ((mil il'Orsii), I'urlN. I>e.?lde the Seine. Manj fumou* Aiiieriean* have pa"i?ed up and ilown t lie no Nlepn. uotably
during the Hering strait arbitration and the negotiation of the treaty with Spain.
Sir Edward Grey, the foreign minister,
was absent hunting. " Why did not Prime
Minister Asquith fiiul a way out? Why
not Kinderlen-Wachtor? Why not M.
Sazonoff himself'.' Idle speculations. Why
did not Sieves do as Napeoleon Bonaparte
did? M. Poineare had the presence of
mind, the subtlety and the nerve; and
whatever ftappens. it will be remembered
that he pulled the* lighted match away
from the ?powder.
At. Poineare induced Russia and Aus
tria to act together and "put the mark"
on each?the heavy and probably deter
ring odium of willfully breaking peace
and faith.
Yes, finding no cure in London, M.
Sazonoff hurried to Paris?and found M.
Poineare prepared to "go on with the
case." The legal slang is to the point,
In-cause M. Poineare\s real life occupa
tion lias been to build up the strongest
consulting law firm in Paris, very suc
cessful, in the great manner. Among re
publican statesmen, lawyers regularly
predominate; yet 1 think that it is piquant
to see the head of a great law lirm be
come suddenly prime minister, treat the
powers of Europe exactly like legal ad
versaries?like "the party of the other
side"?to compromise in favor of his
client, who happens to be the peace of
Europe!
"To prevent the great powers taking
sides," said At. Poineare, "we must force
tliem into the position of acting collec
tively on Turkey to keep the peace. We
know the pretext on which the little J'-a!
kati states are going to war-it is
Turkey's bad treatment of her Christian
subjects, .tf eir brethren and neighbors.
Let the powers act on Turkey to obtain
reforms demanded and the pretext of
the war will vanish."
"And who will act on the liitle Balkan
states?"' inquired Al. Sazonoff, "while
Turkey making the reforms?"'
"Austria and Russia, hand-in-hand, as
representatives of the great powers," said
M. Poineare.
M. Sazonoff saw light. It was a subtle
proposition. It put the spot on Austria
to work with Russia for peace; should
Austria refuse, she would be responsi
ble for war.
"And if Austria complains that her
vital interests are not being safeguard
ed," continued At. Poineare, "let it be
understood from the start that no terri
torial change whatever shall be made in
Turkey!"
M. Sazonoff made a grimace. This put
the spot on'Russia not to allow the little
Balkan states to make, a conquest of
Turkish real estate, which Russia had
been suspected of secretly abetting. It
reduced the case to its bare merits. No
power could refuse acquiescence without
confessing bad faith.
And all the powers did acquiesce,. the
representations being made through the
various French ambassadors. With At.
Sazonoff s consent for Russia, Austria
was approached first, and its adhesion
? ?Maine , the others followed, England
dragging along iast. Once again the Eu
ropean concert was sot up.
And, tiling in itself unprecedented. At.
Poineare and AI. Sazonoff called before
them together the diplomatic representa
tives of Bulgaria, Servia and Greece, and
obtained an engagement that their gov
ernments would take "as few irretrieva
ble steps as possible" before the Euro
pean concert could be heard from.
The European concert! The word had
scarcely been pronounced since Disraeli
and Bismarck! M. Poineare alone set it
up.
v
* ?
The music may be punctuated by can
nons between the Balkan states and Tur
key; but be sure that there has been less
fighting, narrowly localized, than if At.
Poineare had not "accepted the case."
He has made the fjreat conflagration
practically impossible.
He was born fifty-two years ago, in
French Lorraine. At the age of ten he
saw his land violently sundered by a war
of conquest, and he learned German from
the invading troops, quartered a year in
his father's house.
He did not "come of a rich family, but
of education and position, iiis father
was a government engineer <>f roa?ls an 1
bridges. as was Carnot before he went
into politics.
Raymond would be a lawyer. He too!,
his university baccalaureate at eighteen
and was admitted to tin- Paris bar at
twenty-one. His parents had supported
him during his studies, bin henceforth he
earned his own living. To ??arn a salary
li<- worked as secretary to a Paris bar
rister. laboriously looking up precedent
and laying the foundation of his great
consulting reputation.
There were times of difficulty. Once, to
earn more, he oecanic official secretary
to Jules Develle, minister of agriculture,
a Bar-le-Duc man and friend of the fam
ily. but instead of running to official ban
quets he tilled his head with trade mark
lore and fruit crop lor?. Develle advised
him to K' i known in Bar-le-Duc. so he
stood for the department council and
was elected. Later, his home deputy
dying, he became candidate and was sent
to congress, less as a politician than as
a serious young lawyer, who knew the
needs of the preserved strawberry indus
try.
For three years he never made a
speech. H?. was .working at his law. H<
ing named reporter of the finance com
mittee he mastered the subject astonish
ingly. and ?lis first speech as deputy was
to present his report.
Me risked becoming a politician. He
was elected deputy four successive terms,
became reporter of the budget commit
tee and wa*? even made minister of public
Instruction.
Was it to show himself? Law clients
were coming more and more, cases too
flattering to refuse. So Poincare, the
lawyer, perceived the titn. had come to
choose. He went out of politics.
The party knew his ability. After R:
bot's retirement every premier tried to
secure his services Poincare refused
everything and built up his law firm.
During tiie Dreyfus affair he was writ
ing opinions, winning cases. During the
nationalist fight and socialist experiment
he was studying the laws against adul
terating currant jelly and the copyright
of the name "Bar-le-Duc" in foreign
lands His grateful department nam- d
him senator, and he accepted it as an
honorable burden.
In !!*??? they persuaded him to take the
ministry of finances. He accepted it as
a duty. During six months he went
through the financial affairs of France
exactly as if the high-priced firm of
Poincare had been "called in." Finding
all in order he resigned. The fl2,00u min
isterial salary was no object.
Again, at the end of last year, when
tilings look-Mi black for France?she had
changed her government three times la
twelve months?when the Morocco trou
ble was growing more complicated, an
appeal was made to Poincare to help
save the country.
He "took the case."
Accepting to be premier, and also do
the work of foreign minister, lie chose a
cabinet which concentrated men of all
republican wings who were willing to
follow a policy of "appeasement" within
and without. The word is Rriand's.
They have done more?they have kept
the dignity of the republic. And yei
more?because, while cannons bellow In
the Halkans. Poincare has prevented
them from booming in Kurooe!
STERLING 1ILIL1G.