New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-03-12
AS OTHERS SEE EW-YORK
A WORD IN FAVOR OF THIS CITY BY
ONE OF ITS FOREIGN RESIDENTS.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir New-York ct the present moment is being
held up to the obloquy of all Europe the most
wicked city OF the universe in a series Of arti-
Giles that appearing In the various Continen-
tai newspapers. especially in the Berlin 'Tage-
blatt" based upon Matthew Breen's Thirty
Years of NetC-Y York Politics." Frank Moss's THE
American Mefrop0is-Netr- York City and All Its
Various Phases" William Steads scarlet bound
"Sdfdns Rule In NeiC- York" and some essays re-
Gently published in THE Philadelphia Evening
Post" by Frank Moss. The impression OF the
Empire City Of the United States conveyed by
these articles is appalling. 1t is hardly neces-
sary to say that the good is ignored, while to
everything that can be construed as evil is ac-
corded the utmost prominence The "Tageblatt'
goes so far to intimate the authority of
Mr. Moss that the Tammany Administration Of
New-York not merely tolerates but actually
supports a school for pickoockets OF the Fagin
type, the director OF the institution being high
in the counses of the Wgwam; declares that
the Miller Syndicate swindle was carried on
with the knowledge and for the benefit OF some
or the principal city officials, and finally COM
pares the rule exercised by Tammany Man
haitian Island to that of the Malta in Sicily
and of the Camorra in Naples. the inference be-
Ing that Tammany is far and away the most
criminal OF the three associations.
Ine time mas, therefore, come TO say word
in behalf of the metropolis which Mr.. Moss de-
nounces as "a sink of iniquity, and as the most
lawless and shameless city on the face of the
globe" and it may possibly command attention,
IL not in this country at any rate in Europe.
from the fact that it comes from a travelled
foreigner, who is now making his home in New
York, and who. standing altogether aloof from
local politics and prejudices. is in position to
form views on the subject with degree of i'm
Partially that would be out of the question in
the case of an American. True, the Judgment
Of strangers in the gate" like myself is confined
to the surface. We do not venture behind the
scenes for the purpose of discovering whether
the Democrats the Republicans control any
particular branch of municipal or State admin
istration. We do not endeavor to unravel the
intricacies Of New-York politics. which are alto
gether beyond the comprehension of any one
who is not American born citizen-or an
1rishman. We can only Judge as foreigners by
what We see; that is, by the results obtained. l
may add that it has been my lot TO make pro-
longed stays-far longer than those of an ordi-
nary visitor-in Paris, Vienna Berlin, Rome
Madrid and Toxic, and have now spent much
Of my time during the last ten years in New
York
''SINGULARLY FORTUNATE'' IN TAMMANY
GOVERNMENT
am therefore, in a position to establish a
comparison, and this comparison is all in favor
of this city. Instead of being as is charged by
Mr. Moss and his friends, one of the very worst
cities of its size on the face of the globe it is
among the best. I do not Of course. for one
moment pretend to assert that it is wholly with
out some dark sides. which call for a remedy.
But what L do allege is that the Empire City has
lighter shadows. less crime, a lower and above
all less onerous, tax rate, and is morally and
materially cleaner s we'll as more law abiding
than most, If not ALL the capitals of the Old
World. Indeed. from my point of view and
from that of many other travelled foreigners
who have enjoyed similar opportunities of OBJ
servation. NEWCOMERS are singularly fortunate
In their local government, no matter whether it
be Republican Democratic.
Particularly are the people of New-York to be
congratulated on their police force, which. ac-
cording to Mr.. Moss's widely quoted assertion
is ito a great extent composed of the associates
and confederates of criminals, while the balance
of the corps consists of imbeciles," for New
York well polced metropolis compares very
favorably with the capitals of Europe This is
all the more to the credit of the buecoats of this
city, as they confronted by altogether ex-
cepuonai difficulties 1t must never be forgot
ten that New York is, so to speak, the trysting
place of the most dangerous criminals of the
universe AS soon as ever Europe becomes too
inconveniently hot for any eVildoer he straight
way turns his face in the direction of the New
World. New-York is the principal gateway and
entrance to the latter and if all these great for
eign criminals of international celebrity do not
prolong their sojourn in Manhattan the i'm
mense aggomeration of wealth of which offers
such brilliant and tempting field for their in
telligent operations, it is solely and entirely
due to the efficiency of the New-York police
There is probably not a single well known and
habitual criminal of England, Germany, France.
Italy or Spain who has not during the course
Of his career honored New-York with one or
more visits, and on each occasion he has realized
that there was nothing to be done here and
that NETWORKS watchdogs were too many for
him. To those who may be disposed to question
this assertion / would merely point out that
there are no cases On record of any sensational
robberies or outrages at the expense Of property
and life being perpetrated in New-York by
foreign criminals. who quick to appreciate
the difficulties and dangers by which they are
confronted here; whereas in Paris, London
Vienna and Berlin large proportion of the
crimes with which the police are called upon To
deal is the work of foreigners
Further evidence to the excellence Of the
so unJustly decried NewYork police force is TO
be found in its numerical inferiority TO that of
almost every other metropolitan police corps in
the Old World. This too, in spite Of the fact
that Manhattan is an exceptionally difficult
place to police by reason of it's being surrounded
by water which offers so many means of ac-
cess and escape to criminals. In Paris. for in
stance, when offender wishes to get awav
from the metropolis to seek refuge either in the
city by one of the railroad terminals or else past
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