Evening star., 1924-01-08

If Smedley Butler can get away"
with his new job. which he assumed
yesterday, when the new city admin
istration took over the reins IN Phil
adeIphia- there is likely to be wide
men as heads OF police departments
everywhere. 1t Is admitted that But
Ter will find his task of commissioner
Of safety in the Quaker city fully
as strenuous as any he had in the Ma
rine Corps. There will be no oppor-
tunfty there Of winning the coveted
congressional medal of honor, which
his bravery twice secured for him.
Butler has started of by donning the
uniform OF a plain cop He has let
1T be known he and his men will exc
cute the laws and ordinances as they
appear on the book, regardless of
their justice. And he also says graft
Is to be ended for all time.
Maybe SOL" the papers say. Mean
while we will watch"
"Smedley Darling Butler is," az tho
philadelphia North American agrees,
"a big man for a big Job and taking
office under auspices incomparabiy
more favorable than did any OF his
predecessor He holds confidence OF
the public to an exceptional degree
and will have the unqualified support
of the mayor. His record inspires
wholesome respect in the forces he Is
to combat" That statement about
sums up the general estimate Of the
man by nearly every newspaper In
the country which discusses MS ap
lpointment. There is. however, note
Of doubt whether strict military tac
tics will serve in the view or az ieas y
half of these same editors; This Is
emphasized probably most clearly py
the Roanoke Times. which ieeis
imilitarized police force Is neither Hec-
essary nor advisable" aitho tne
Pines suggests Gen. Butter oSr sar
10 go in the matter of applying 10
the Philadelphia police situation tac-
tics which have proven highly emca-
Icious at Quantico."
In most cities tho police depart
ment makes tho biggest problems
the Albany Knickerbocker Presi
noints out, the great perpiexities
coming from the human element
that Is, the police officer either IL
himself on terms OF personal ac-
ouaintance with whom he must deal
or some Of his friends are. It could
not we'll be otherwise and 1t is no
disbursement of men in the polict
service to say they have the quality
Of being human. The experiment
J With Gen. Butler will be watched
with great. interest. He can ap-
proach his task from Imposition OF
a soldier, a martne-and the marines
done" His Job also will be com
picked with many problems that dc
not confront the military executive
and leader" the New Orleans Times
Pioayune suggests. In the Army
the spy and the the gueIilia .,,sS are sin, few.
marily. The police force fights ar
enemy which wears the garb and
speaks the language Of the people
the force Is paid to defend. The Spy
and the guerrilla prowl on their
fanks always: S;,an ne tSa aVe ner, rnnnns s,us
| sycophancy of tho professional poll
, tician are common tools of betrayal
If Gen. Butler is to succeed he mus
retain the absolutely free hand
promised, and the lower criminal
courts Of Philadelphia, that dea
with commercialized vice and the so.
called petty crime that is always
, commercialized, must be clean and
competent"
Butler will win, the Nashville
Banner feels. because "the marines
have a habit Of doing what they Sc,
out to accomplish" although the
Detroit Free Press believes that te
do 30 ''he must mix a little tact with
his autocracy and then he may pos
sibly score Success Yet. II he I,
News emphasizes, ..he must over.
come many obstacles and be pre-.
pared to < ignore ediscouragement.
] without number. Practical polite,