The New York herald., 1921-12-25
DUE TO ROBBERY WAVE
Prompted by 265 Marines
Guarding Post Offices
and Mail Trucks.
BARRACKS IN HoBoKEN
Police Oh Manhattan Island
for Half a Century Have Re-
fused Outside Aid.

The announcement last week by the
National Surety Company that 1t rs
asking bids for a $4,000 arnored car
to use in the safe transfer OF securi-
ties through the streets was followed
yesterday by word Of the organization
Of the Armored Service Corporation,
with offices at 1876 Pearl street, which
proposes to operate a feet Of trucks
armored with bullet proof glass. each
manned by four armed guards. AL
though It Is expected that this guard
will prove adequate, the hackers OF
the concern have provided also FOR
signal and alarm equipment on the
trucks to summon the police.
Interested In the new concern are
Harry ". Hadley Of the United States
Mortgage and Trust Company; Joseph
4. Stephens, assistant cashier OF the
Nassau National Bank, and It. p.
Duerk, treasurer OF the Doehler Die
Casting Company.
While the National Surety Company's
armored car is to be devoted chiefly to
transporting the securities OF It's pa
irons, the fleet OF the Armored Ser
vice Corporation will be ut the call OF
banks and brokerage firms and Indus
trial concerns, and will give special
consideration to the safe delivery OF
payrolls expeditiously to the place to
which the payrolls should go.
Inspired by Big Robbery.
These efforts to foil the bandits were
whetted by the 100000 mail truck rob-
berry, and. no doubt. by the sight Of
armed United States marines sitting
beside the drivers Of mall trucks. The
invasion OF arms to safeguard money
now appears to be movement which
has attracted general favor. Allied with
Il Is the elimination Of messenger boys
who have lost startling sums between
their home offices and the points of
delivery. The addition of motive
arsenals to the financial district will
add one more point of peculiar interest
to the casual visitor from upstate
whose experience with holdup men Is
a matter of newspaper information and
not as the Manhattanitc views 1t, q
matter Of daily routine.
All of the cash and valuables car
ried by the Armored Service Corpora
ton trucks will bc covered by insur-
ance, and the plan is to have the
policies deposited with the United States
Mortgage and Trust Company. All OF
tho operations will be carried on under
bond. The capitalization Is $4,000. IT
was announced that the business will
be started ''in a modest way and the
number OF trucks increased as the bust-
ness requires.
When the National Surety Company
announced It's plan to buy an armored
car It was said that millions OF dollars
worth of securities are taken annually
through the financial district without
loss, and theft or loss Is proportionately
small. The National Surety Company
often handles sl.0o0.00o at a time.
The presence Of the marine guard
maintained at the post offices and on
trucks signalizes the first time In nearly
half a century that soldiers. either Fed
eral or State, have been called upon TO
do police work on Manhattan Island.
That the business concerns are taking
I'D armed protection is pointed indi-
cation that they arc unwilling to risk
their fortunes with police protection
only.
Police Refuse TO Ask Help.
Back In the '7os when there were
orangemen's riots, the municipal gov
ernment was compelled TO call on the
Federal Government for troops. Even IN
the great car strike of 1898, when the
city was In a turmoil, the Police De-
partment boasted there was no need oi
outside help.
other cities have had the habit OF
Hal o. fI.ge- 49,
disturbance, but not so New York. II
has been this citys claim for moro than
a generation that its Police Department
was capable of caring for its needs
whatever the crisis. and New York has
witnessed some bad strikes without cry
ing for help. With the arrival OF ma
rines in uniform IN the city's streets
with pistols In hand the old New YORKER
has rubbed his eyes and asked what was
the matter.
There are 265 marines IN New Yori
on duty every day in this work. They
are a detachment OF the sea soldiers
whose only duty is guarding the mails
Major Thomas Is. Barber is command
.rg " a modern Jesse James tries an
other Leonard street holoup there J!
sure 10 be a popping OF automatic AS.
Tie marines are quartercd In bar
racks improvised on pler in Itoken
The postal authorities havo, Established
definite routes for all trueks carrying
valuables. These routes as we'll as th'
trucks are being guarded. The station
terminals arc under the sweep OF th'
marines guns. From the mo.ner, the
mail pouch. with RS gold and securities
leaves the post Office until Il Is plscet
behind bars IN railroad Cur Il is pro
tected by marine pistols.
The Government also has assigned
marines TO guard baggage cars carry
ing valuable consignments from New
York 10 Boston. Washington, Pitts
ourgh. Syracuse and points west. Thi
also is the first time In many years tha
the Government has assigned a.Tne<
soldiers to guard railroad cars ieayinl