New-York tribune., 1911-01-05
LONDON REFLECTS ON
ANARCHIST BATTLE
Wide Criticism of Use of ATtil-
p. Iery and SharpShooters in
Police Work.
"WHY NOT USE WARSHlPS?'
Agitation Following Panic Fav.
ors Stricter Laws as to I'm
migration and the Sale
of Revolvers.

BY Cable 70 The Tribune
. London. Jan. 4.-Sir Robert Anderson.
formerly chief Of the criminal investiga-
zion department Of Scotland Yard and
an authority on the science Of dealing
with criminals. told me to-day that there
were two practical methods of minimiz-
ing the evils caused by the presence in
london of alien anarchists bent upon
deeds Of lawlessness such as those COM
mitted in the East End yesterday.
one was the enforcement OF the law
making II a punishable offence TO carry
firearms without license. II the police
were empowered TO arrest at sight and
search all persons suspected of having
dangerous weapons there would be an
invaluable safeguard for the community.
especially when alien criminals were
armed with automatic revolvers. The
mere fact that men have such weapons
should be evidence of criminal intent
suffcient to cause arrest and imprison-
Inent.
Would Shut Out UndesrabIes.
Tho second safeguard would be- the
any more anarchists by the rigorous in
spection Of aliens by competent de-
tectives.
The present aliens law might be In
operative against dangerous criminals
from the Continent, but it could easily
he strengthened and rendered effective
without prejudice TO the useful and in
nocent bodies Of foreigners in East Lon
don and elsewhere.
Sir Robert Anderson declined to say
what he would have done if he had been
IN STR Melville Macnaghten's place dur
ing the extraordinary scenes in White
chapel but he emphatically declared
that II he had been Home Secretary he
would not have considered it wise to be
On the ground. but only to know all that
was going on.
Cautious officials are disposed to-day
70 regret that so much was made of
what ought TO have been easy police
duty and that the anarchists were not
drawn out by stratagem. They smile
grimly when asked why battleships were
not anchored in the Thames as we'll as
the battery of artillery which was or
dered to reinforce the gunners from the
Tower Of London. The police are
chsgrined over employment of soldiers
rs sharpshooters. when they themselves
are excellent marksmen.
The Home Secretary. Winston Spencer
Churchill having been in charge Of op-
erations, will have awkward questions
10 answer in Parliament, and the gov
ernment will have a considerable bill Of
damages TO settle for the burned build
ing and the losses to tenants.
one acrid critic asserts that while life
was saved by the Home Secretary's plan
of operations. it was impossible to capt
ure the desperadoes without setting fire
- the building. and they should have
been smoked out earlier in the morning.
Will Encourage Anarchists.
Experienced members Of the police
force declare that the roughness and
drastic nature of the operations in
whitechapel instead Of frightening an
archists away may bring them over in
swsrms from the Continent as the cor
onarion approaches
The direct identification Of the bodies
recovered from the ruins Of the house in
Sidney street is held 10 be an impossi-
hlity The police appear 10 he con-
WINGED that Dutch Fritz" for whom
they have been searching, was one Of
rle men in the building, bat the evidence
that the second man was Peter the
Painter" is far from satisfactory. Two
bodies only have been found. They were
terribly burned.
Thanks to the action Of Mr.. Churchill
I'm not allowing the fire brigade TO play
ON the flames until an hour after its ar
rival at the scene. all that is left Of one
oF the bodies is contained i'm handker-
chief
The authorities are beginning 10 real
ize that il was Of the utmost importance
that the desperadoes should have been
captured alive 1t is feared now that
the fun story Of the anarchist plot will
rr-,r- no mad known