New-York tribune., 1919-02-11
Army Increases
Crime Instinct.
Says Porter
New Police Deputy in Dis
pute With Colonel |
McAndrews on Subject
Saws ''Firewater'' Helps
CoH's Successor Is Asked
Where Men in Uniform
Get lntoxicants Here

Augustus Drum Porter, Third Deputy
Police Commissioner, who replaced
John W. Golf. jr.. last week, declared
yesterday to members of the Recon
struction Commission of New York that
men who had tendencies to break the
law before they entered the army came
out of the army better fitted to follow
those tendencies than when they went
in.
Colonel J. B. McAndrews, present as
representative of The General Staff of
the United States Army. took imme-
diate exception to the Commissioners
statement.
''In my opinion" he said, "men of
the lower grades of life have been i'm
proved by association in the army with
men of higher character and standards.
The association and the companions
ships formed have been of great bene-
fit. They have been shown higher ideals
Of action and living, and one tyne has
acquainted the other with q kind of
man they did not know existed. 1t has
been of benefit to both"
Commissioner Porters statement was
made at meeting OF the sub-commit-
ices OF the commission on demobliza-
tion and unemployment held to hear
suggestions from representatives of
the state employment service, the Gen
eral staff of the army and the New
York Police Department.
From the police point of view he
said ''there is a very grave and seri-
Gus danger in the men discharged from
the army and now congregating in New
York without employment. do not
wish to reflect upon the army, but it is
fact that some of those drafted into
the army We're not Of the better class
They did net 90 into the army of their
own accord they were drafted Men
who had tendencies toward breaking
the law before they went into the army
are likely TO have the same tendencies
afterward and Will be better equipped
10 follow them. They have been made
acquainted with firearms, they have
seen force and bloodshed and if they
determine to break the law they are
better equipped for msvauding by rea-
son of their handling of weapons.
Their experience in the army has not
removed tendencies to disorder in
those who had them before. 1t has
been tco brief for that
Will Be Careful. Says McAndrews
Colonel J b. McAndrews objected
that familiarity WITH weapons gained
in the army would not make men more
prone to use them than they were be
fore going into the service, but rather
more careful of doing So
Commissioner Porter replied that the
discharged men who presented difficult
problems to TIE police were not neces-
sarily criminal. but reckless and full
Of life.
MANY of them start out merely to
have good time he said "but when
they get full Of 'frewater' they are
difficult problem to handle "He
was interrupted by half dozen quer-
les from the members of the commis
sion and army representatives, who
shouted How do men in uniform get
'firewater' in New York? ?"
From lawbreakers; bootleggers,
answered Colonel Porter. That is
what makes the problem so difficult
to handle. The police themselves are
and the crowd always sides with the
soldier That is why the police of
New York requested that the War De
partment increase the provost guard
so that soldiers might be handled by
soldiers. The War Department should
lend aid to get these men cut Of
New YORK.
Colonel McAndreWs sand lnfractlons
Of the civil law were severely punished
in the army and the men strongly
warned against committing them.
Army Doesn't Eradicate Lawlessness
In answer to questions, Commis-
'sioner Porter said he did not wish to
be understood as stating that army life
and service had instillcd lawless ideas
or tendencies into the men. but only
that it had not eradcated those ten
denotes from those who previously had
them. He advocated that the men be
discharged at the points where they
entered the service, through the local
draft boards which had registered and
nducted them
DR.. George Kirchway, Federal Direc-
tor of Employment for the state, advo-
Gated similar remedy for the conges-
ticn of unemployed men discharged
from the army at camps near New
York. Fifty-seven per cent of the
great industrial centres of the coun-
try, he said, reported a surplus OF
labor, while only II per cent reported
a deficit.
$50 great IS the attraction Of New
York City," he declared, chat there is
sure to be greater congestion of un-
employed here than in any other area.
We have not much to fear from fur
ther rehabilitation Of war industries.
do not think it would be wise to .e-