New-York tribune., 1921-10-31
Clark Debates
With Banton
In Synagogue
Republican Candidate for
District Attorney Assails
Swann's Regime as 'sFun-
damentally Dis h o nest"
$3.50 Indictments Wait
Democratic Candidate, in
Reply, Declines 10 Accept
Blame Before Jan. [, '2l

DldAuC Del orc .JAHs IL -
John Kirkland Clark, coalition cand-
date for District Attorney, in public
debate with Joab H. Banton, Acting
District Attorney and Democratic can
didate, at the Institutional Synagogue,
81 West 116th Street, last night, made
scathing attack upon District At
torncy Swanns administration. He
charged that during the last six years
the District Attorneys office had been
administered in AN "incompetent. in
efficient and fundamentally dishonest"
manner, and "to degree unknown in
the Office since the days when Asa
Bird Gardiner was removed"
Mr.. Clark insisted that indictments
for fclonies had been permitted to pile
up in the office until there arc to-day
$3.50 such cases pending, and that the
failure of tho District Attorneys Of
fec to keep UP with the work has been
due directly $40 the incompetency and
inefficcncy of staff chosen primarily,
If not solely, for political reasons"
Banton Disayows Blanc
Mr.. Banton. in reply, said he has
been In charge Of the Office as Acting
1921. and declined to be hold account
able for what took place in tho Office
before his advent. He dsavowcd all
responsibility for the acts Of District
Attorney Swami or his assistants be-
fore he WAS called in to take charge,
and insisted that since he came in the
Office has been conducted in business
like and efficient manner.
Ho admitted. however, that there
we're about 1900 indictments for fel-
onies pending in the Office, but blamed
it or the war. he compared this with
tho figure of $4,000 indictments which.
he said. were pending in the Federal
courts.
Mr.. Banton, in further reply to ques-
tions put by MIR. Clark, said it was un-
fair TO expect him to reply TO all OF
them III the short space Of ten minutes,
but took up a large part Of his time in
recounting various details OF his boy
hood days, and how he had been
brought up in tho company Of youths of
the Hebrew faith
Some Queries Unanswered
MIR. Clark had a list of thirty-fvc ducs-
tions which he put to Mr.. Banton re.
latng to the conduct of the District Al
torney's Office. Mr.. BAnton answered
about half Of them before his time was
up and accused Mr.. Clark Of unfairness
in not supplying him with copy Of the
list before the debate. Some of the
questions which he did not answer fol-
low:
"ls it not fact that, over and over
again, cases which have been heralded
with great headlines at the start have,
after indictments we're found, then per-
mitted to sleep, unnoticed, for years?
as it not fact that the so-called
Mitchell Slush Fund cases, which arose
nearly four years ago, have not yet
been brought on for trial?
1T is not fact that twelve persons
indicted for violation of the laws
against election frauds last year have
not yet been brought on for trial?
as it not fact that indictments
found against prominent State officials,
year ago, after being allowed to sleep
for year by your Office, have been dis
missed by Judge elected to the bench
by the Democrats, on the ground that
the indictments never should have been
found?
as it not 8 fact that during this
current month a Deputy Police Com
missioner has publicly announced that
the District Attorneys Office has failed
in its duty in preventing the release on
bail of men accused time and again of
felony and who are under successive in
dictments.
as it not fact that when group Of
financial pirates gained stock control Of
the assets Of the Washington Insuran ce
Company and of the Pittsburgh Life
and Trust Company, complaints were
lodged with your Office years ago, but
that no one was ever brought to trial
here, and that people interested in
Furnishing the wrongdoers had to go to
Pittsburgh, Pa, in order to procure
their punishment?
Governors Had To Act
"Is it not fact that the Governors
Of the State, during the last five and
ore-half years, have taken matters of
criminal prosecution out Of the hands
Of the District Attorney and placed
them in the hands Of the Attorney Cen
eral in larger number Of cases than
ever before in similar period?
as it not fact that when you took
Office you abolished the Bureau of Com
rlercial Frauds, and that one who now
makes r. charge that he has been
swindled out of money through a stock
jcbbing deal is forced to 60 around to
the Magistrates Court and consult with
the lowest paid members Of your staff
on duty there, who have no aid in the
wey Of stenographers or Investigators
to follow up the complaints?
''Is it not fact that larger numbers
OF automobiles are being stolen daily
to-day than ever before, and that no
efficient aid either to stop such thefts
or TO punish them has been rendered TO
the pnlicv nv TOur office?
us it not a fact that in the past Ave
years thousands Of children have been
killed on the streets by automobiles
and that in many cases drivers have
been criminally reckless, but that prac
tically none of them have peen success
fully prosecuted crin1inally by your
Office
Unsolved Killings
at is not a fact that there is u larger
number Of unsolved killings i'll New
York County on your record for the
past year. and for the past five years,
than ever before for the same length
of time?
as it not fact that tens of millions
Of dollars have been paid over by for
eign born residents OF New York City
for transmission to relatives and
friends in Russia and Germany, Poland
and Czecho- -Slovakia and in Austria
Hungary and in Italy, and that millions
and millions Of it have never been for
warded, and that no efficient prosecu-
tion for such criminality has been con-
Quoted by your Office
- ~ kat at-,