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Text Box: The Rev. George Stuart, whose researches into the history of Glen Echo were so valuable in the writing of the town history, has not lost his interest in the colorful events of the town’s past. While cruising on the Internet last month, he found the official opinion by the U.S. Attorney General, in the 1907 matter of Glen Echo Mayor John A. Garrett and Marshal Charles P. Collins fining drivers caught speeding on Conduit Road, now MacArthur Blvd. As described in “Glen Echo: The Remarkable Saga of a Very Small Town,” Marshal Collins would wait on his speedometer bicycle at the edge of the road, armed with a 38-caliber revolver, and arrest all motorists exceeding the speed limit of 12 mph or not having licenses on both front and back of their cars. They were quickly hauled to Mayor Garrett’s house and fined $20 on the spot. Those who had lawyers to claim that Conduit Road was owned by the U.S. Government and Glen Echo could have no jurisdiction, were thereupon fined $80. These procedures augmented the town coffers by more than $1,000. They also brought the town international notoriety and involved people at the highest level of the government. U.S. Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte, at the request of the Secretary of War William Howard Taft, in summer, 1907 issued the official opinion of the Department of Justice on the matter. The whole episode was lampooned by The Washington Post on July 11, 1907 in an article titled: GLEN ECHO GETS A BLOW: The quarrel between those fell and mighty opposites, Glen Echo and the United States, has take a new phase by the entrance into the arena of another champion of Federal aggrandizement, namely, Attorney General Bonaparte. Although a resident of Maryland nearly all of the time, Mr. Bonaparte has taken occasion during official hours to run over to Washington to throw the influence of the Department of Justice against the contention of his own State and in favor of the War Department. His opinion is of extreme length and profundity, surveying the laws of Glen Echo, Congress, and Maryland with equal industry. The gist of the opinion is that the Conduit road is not under the jurisdiction of Maryland, and therefore is not subject to the domination of Glen Echo or its mayor. Mr. Bonaparte believes that the Conduit road is not only under the jurisdiction of the War Department, but that the Secretary of War possesses the power to call out the United States army, if necessary, to carry into effect any regulations he may make as to the use or abuse of the road. The conclusion that may be drawn from this opinion is that Glen Echo, its mayor, and its marshal are severally on the Conduit road by sufferance only, and may be treated like automobiles or other trespassers whenever the Secretary of War may care to put on the screws. More brutally stated, the

Text Box: Attorney General advises Secretary Taft that he, and not Marshal Collins, is the big chief of the Conduit, and that he can squelch Glen Echo. Collins, automobiles, and everybody else whenever he likes by throwing them off the road and closing it to all comers except the army mule. If that is not enough to keep Glen Echo busy for a while, there are other shots in the locker, and other gunners, too. Mayor Garrett may strut about in the glory of a little brief authority, but the United States is no feeble antagonist. This statement may have the appearance of jingoism, but let it go. If Glen Echo is not satisfied with the broadside delivered by Attorney General Bonaparte, there are other departments which may be brought into action. The Post-office Department may be induced to close the Glen Echo post-office. The Potomac is navigable to naval craft adjacent to Glen Echo, and the fleet would as soon tackle Glen Echo as Japan, with such a daredevil as Bob Evans in command. The Interstate Commerce Commission is a formidable weapon of publicity. The Secretary of Agriculture is a dangerous antagonist when American highways and the rights of the American hen thereon are involved. Does Glen Echo attack these rights? Then let it prepare to make good! This is a hasty and meager survey of the resources of the United States in defending itself against Glen Echo. There are other latent possibilities in the Constitution. If Glen Echo is not foolishly stubborn in its belief that it has some rights, it will gracefully surrender. (Articles made available to The Echo by Rev. George Stuart)