The sun., 1919-02-05
JONAS TURNS GUNS
ON MAYOR HYLAN
Understands Why City Is Ex-
periencing ats Most Incom-
petent Government"
REBUFFED HIS ADVANCES
Refused to Join Campaign
Committee and to Con-
tribute to Fund.

Mr. Hearst. or perhaps having In mind q
combination shot, Nathan S. Jonas. late
chairman OF the Brooklyn Victory Cele'
bration Committee. drove his very lively
cue ball straight at Mayor Hylan yes
terday. II Is now clear. says Mr.. Jonas
why New York IN now experiencing
what in my opinion is the most incompe-
tent and irresponsible government in It's
history"
Mr.. Jonas's remarks we're called forth
by the Mayors assertion. as published
in the Brooklyn Eagle on Sunday, that
the Brooklyn banker wanted to get up
a big Hylan mass meeting In the Mayor
atty campaign and that he. Judge Hylan,
'let Mr.. Jonas know that there was
nothing doing"
Loaned Him His office Boy.
Hylan has known me as long as | have
known him. When he opened his first
law ONCE II was adjacent to my Office,
and did him such little favors as let
ting him use my telephone, loaning him
my ONCE boy and various other things
which should make him recollect me very
we'll.
In fact, l knew the Mayor so much
better than he knew me that IL took
a long while for me to make up my
mind to vote for him, which now very
much regret to say finally did 1t is
something that my conscience bothers me
about quite often. Speaking OF the la st
city election. after the Judge had been
In tod lo1 40, .h4
telephone that she was Judge Hylan's
secretary asked for permission to use
my name on his campaign committee.
which permission / declined.
Following that the then Judge
Hylans Intimate friend. David Hirsh-
neld. whom I shall speak Of again at a
later date Mr.. Hirshfield is now Com
missioner of Accountsl asked me for
campaign contribution in support Of
Judge Hylan, which I declined to give
stating that whatever contribution
would make would be made to the Kings
County Democratic Committee
Mr.. Hirshfield also asked me to come
out openly in support OF Judge Hylan,
which ! said I would have to take under
consideration. subsequently pressure was
brought to bear upon me by adherents
OF both Mayor Mitchell and Judge Hylan
Some OF Judge Hylans friends went so
far In their zeal for him as to indicate
that 1t was my duty to come out openly
for him because 1 had been a member
or the finance committee Of the Demo
cratic party OF Kings county.
Letter Pushed Hylan.
was asked TO come out In a state.
ment for publication for Judge Hylan
to onset the statement Of some nrop,i
In nhoy
eating the cause Of Mayor Mitchell
Knowing Judge Hylan as we'll as I did.
although I had made up my mind to
vote for him as the lesser evil, I could
rot bring myself to write a letter with
out qualifications. ! therefore finally
on October 30, 1917. wrote a letter to
Judge Hylan's home"
The letter said in part: 1T is a pity
that campaign for the highest ONCE
IN our great city should sink to such
low levels that whichever way one
looks the choice is not the pleasantest
However, my preference being
Tor responsible party government. hav-
ing known you since Iou opened your
hrst law once, and believing az | do
in your rugged honesty and sincerity o.
purpose. which more than Offset lack of
executive experience which time and re-
sponsioility should remedy. have de-
Siueo W support your candDfaCN."
Mr.. Jonas said that Judge Hylan
showed this letter to friends, stating
that could not understand why l had
sent him such a letter
1T Is so deliciously humorous for him
to speak OF my having offered TO ar
range mass meeting for him" Mr.
Jonas added. that wanted to be sure
he had been correctly quoted before
answering The Mayors lapse
OF memory and forgetfulness make per
fectly clear TO me why the city Of New
York Is now experiencing what in nv
opinion Is the most incompetent and ir-
responsible government in its history
and why the Mayor and his present
sympath izers and advisers no longer
crttictse the invisible government which
they formerly found so much fault with
when they claimed it was practised by
Hall.