The Washington times., 1920-11-30
POLICE HEAD ASKS
GREEN'|CH REFORM
N. Y. Commissioner Says N. Y.
Village Is Too Bad for
Him to Picture.

NEW YORK, Nov. s0.-The utter
reform OF bad spots In Greenwich
Village and their eventual respecta-
bility is predicted by commissioner
Richard Enright in his report OF the
operations OF the police department
Tor the year 1919.
The report is book oL 304 pages.
yet IL IL all too small. the commits
sIoncr says, for any pen TO convey
an adequate chronicle oi the many
Interesting incidents indelibly written
on the blottor Of the department,
"For year or two prior To Jan
uary !, 1915 the commissioner says
Oh page "a, "there had grown up In
Greenwich Village s1rics Of Bo-
4Smian restaurants which had at
tractcd 10 ii a host Of sightsecrs and
morbid minded persons with jaded
appetite for sensation. Among those
Who came were many Of the degen-
crate type Of both sexes, who partici,
patcd in the absurd diversions offered
at there places at high prices, and
danced to jazz music with all OF the
ridiculous and sometimes suggestive
and disgusting conduct which Is char
acteristic Of such resorts.
ACCL SEES OUTSIDE PEOPLE.
"a Chinese funeral or Iiopi Indian
snake dance would be far more inter-
csting and entertaining. but a certain
foolish and degenerate appetite for
the unusual OF sensational, mostly re-
cruited from outside New York, pro-
NOTED by sightseeing car Grattcrs ana
other parasites, kept these places
alive and proved that Barnum was
right regarding the mental capacity
OF some people.
-These conditions Immediately re-
ceived the attention OF this depart
ment, with the result that several Of
, them discontinued business. while
those that remained are obliged to
keep within the law. AS they are no
longer allowed to flout the law or 70
cater to the depraved tastes of their
regular clientele, this section VIII
soon become unattractive to the
sightscer and will be restored to it's
previous status OF a respectable resi-
Dental and business ncighborhood
Praise for the police force in it's
every activity. particularly in It's
handling of perplexing conditions IN
duced by the war. is generously dis
tributed by the commissioner.
long since proclaimed the highest
standard OF police efficiency along
these lines. have been fully sus-
stined," he says, land vice and gam
bling not only driven from the
streets and public places but pursued
to their haunts and hiding places.
wherever found. We are gaining
ground every day, and there is abun-
jant proof that the city is far CLEANER
and more wholesome in this respect
han ever before"
SAYS PRESS AIDS CRIMINALS
In several places the commissioner
complains of antagonism on the part
of the press. He says it published
exaggerated stories of crime and
lawlessness." which served only to
advertise the business of the cri ninal
and to attract criminals from far and
near" Speaking of the "extraordi-
nary resolution, energy and ef-
.iency" with which the department
met the difficulties of keep ng order
in New York at the end Of the war,
he says:
'Throughout this critical period.
fraught with evil potentialities, the
support OF the press and any other OF
the pseudo agcncis OF good govern
ment' were conspicuous by their alb.
sence These very agencies, con-
trary to all their generally under
stood principles, lost no op'
portunity TO mslisn. belittle and de-
crv the police department OF tn city.
although the tranquility Of the lat
,l r~.uained undisturbed and its citi-
zens and visitors transacted their af-
fairs in the same undisturbed fashion
that prevailed in the piping times OF
peace of 1916 and 1917"
Later he described the police de-
partment as the most thoroughly
discussed, the most generally ad-
nired and the most viciously assailed
of any department of public service
He fnds that libelous attacks on the
city by critics who depict II as "a
modern Sodom and Gomorrah' drives
many intending visitors and traders
to other places.