New-York tribune., 1921-01-05
Does 1t Mean Whitewash?

Does Ii Mean Whitewash?
District Attorney Swami has be-
come suddenly and violently solci-
tous about the fair name of the City
and County of New York. This So
icitude is manifested not by any
superzeal in bringing long pigeon
holed indictments to trial, not by
concentrating all the forces Of his
powerful office upon stamping out
the crime wave, but in ordering be-
fore him the Senator and Assembly,
man who are asking an investiga-
tion of the city administration.
1t may be a coincidence, but it is
also fact, that this official, now so
careful of the reputation of a Tam
many administration, is himself a
Tammany man. And it is barely
possible that as a Tammany man
Mr.. Swami would prefer not to have
Tammany administration investi-
gated. Such things have happened
before. In fact, Mr.. Swami, when
his Office was threatened with an in
vestigation by the Almiral grand
jury, decided that the interests of
truth and justice would be far bet
ter served if he investigated it him.
self.
We do not presume to say what
Mr.. Swami expects to accomplish by
summoning Senator Robinson and
Assemblyman Steinberg before him.
These legislators have proposed an
investigation into the conduct of
New York affairs, which, in our
opinion, would do much to reestablish
that fair name which Mr.. Swami re-
CARDS as in his personal keeping.
He may, of course, only desire to
learn from them if it is really true
that graft has fourished in the city
for the last year or two and that
it is a fact that there are sew
eral burglars and sandbaggers and
murderers plying their respective
trades within its confines. Perhaps
il he obtains this information he
will zealously strive to put an end to
such deplorable state Of affairs.
On the other hand, it must be ap-
parent, even to Mr.. Swami, that his
belligerent attitude toward the in
vestigators is capable of misconstruc-
ton. What If people should say that
q. one Tammany man did not want to
have other Tammany men investi-
gated? What if they should hint
that it was his purpose either to
. block the investigation entirely or
10 shift it TO the hands Of Tam
,nany's friends?
1t. is not to be forgotten that Mr..
Swami has been District Attorney
during the life of the present admin
istration. The building ring con-
Quoted its operations while he was in
office. II was not Mr.. Swami, but
The Lockwood committee, that ex-
posed and punished it. The murders,
robberies. thefts and hold-ups which
nave baffled Mr.. Enright all oc-
Cured while Mr.. Swami was in of
ice. And at the hour of gong to
press they were still occurring with
clocklike regularity
1t might, we submit, be embarrass s.
ing to Mr.. Swami If legislative in
vestigation such as is contemplated
by the Robinson -Steinberg resolution
disclosed laxity in the whole admin
lstration, including the District At
. torneys Office.
1t is Just possible that he had this
in mind when he summoned the in
vestigators. In any event, as an in
vestigatee, he was hardly the man tc
put any sand into the investigation
gears.
There is a great deal that Dis.
trict Attorney can do to help stamr
out an epidemic of crime, but en-
deavoring to stop an investigation is
not among them.
The disease that New York Citv j,
suffering from needs probe, not 8
whitewash brush.
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