The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-20
PRESS ON BUTLER CLEANUP


 Nobody seems to know just why General Smedley D. Butler was put in charge of law enforcement in Phila- delphia. Perhaps it was because he is native of that once wicked city. Perhaps he is special friend of Mayor Hendricks, who therefore has confidence in him. Perhaps it is his record as an outstanding soldier, thorough and conscientious in all his duties, fearless and incapable of turn ing back defeat. Perhaps the new city administration is sincere in its purpose to enforce the laws and to purge the law-enf6rcement agencies ], of those elements that have served po- litical or private and not public in- terest. Hence to invite Marine. in IS tantamount to serving a death mo- tice upon all factors opposed to the Marines duty. Be that ss it may, General Butler closed nearly thou sand saloons in less than two weeks from the day he entered on his new functions, and has rid the force of many members who owed a private allegiance.
 Although viewing the experiment as the placing of dictator in an Amer ican city," the Houston Post seems taken with the idea and says: "Pkila- delphia is to be commended for fac ing the issues squarely. The experi- ment of putting an old, experienced army officer in command of the police and giving him wide powers of action will be watched by the whole country. which has watched the growing ascen- dency of crime. If General Butler can make Philadelphia a safe place to live in, he or, his methods will be in demand in other cities equally as badly menaced as Philadelphia has been." There is no denying that a dictatorship is fine form of govern ment-provided, the dictator is the right, kind of man. The Kansas City Times succinctly reduces the problem to this propositions: Policemen or bandits?" Then the Times goes on to say: General Butler said there were more policemen than bandits be- ing killed, and he proposed to reverse the order. It may be heroic for patrolman or officer to overpower re- slstlng criminals, take their weapons from them and bring them in alive and unhurt. But this should not be required. Why should. a man em ployed by the city to protect life and property, trained in the service, sub- Ject to many hazards quite beyond his control, risk his life unnecessarily to. save that of a murderer or crook who is doing his best to take his? Let's put the main hazard on the crook, not the police"
 As to the prospects of success in Philadelphia's experiment. the Nash ,Ville Banner remarks: Ut would be folly to underestimate the difficulties of The Fighting Quaker's' job, but at the same time there are few per- sons so pessimistic as to believe that the majesty Of the law cannot be made to prevail if an able, courageous man is given the proper forces and is actively supported by public senti- mert. General Butler will need the undivided support of Philadelphias s citizens and if he gets it, they will be able to notice change so great as to be classed as miraculous" Perhaps l T. ho tn General Butler himself, as repeated by the Louisville Courier-J Journal: 'ThiS city has become tired of the accusation that it is corrupt and con- tented and hes called, on Marine to make it clean and decent, and I pro- pose to go about it in Marines way. Every saloon and red-light place will ! he closed and closed tight" Then the f Courier-Journal comments: Spoken as Marine. General Butler added that if he could not find the men on the police force who would carry out I his orders, he knew of five thousand oX-Marines who would step into their places and do it for them. Philadel- phia will be cleaned up as Haiti was cleaned up, and as Belieau Wood more recently was cleaned up."
 All will not run so smoothly as a marriage bell, however, in the opin- ion of the Washington Post: "In Philadelphia General Buffers task is a heavy one. There is plain evidence of the prevalence of police protec- tion' for grafters. gamblers, bootleg gers and other lawbrcakere. These first suspensions from the force are but the first move in the process of correction. The accused men will have to be- given fair trial unless they confess dereliction. It is we'll as- sured that intense pressure will be brought to bear to reinsta+e them and to remit the extraordinary activities of the police admin 'stratioi. General Buffers troubles arc just hegirning, t~5t he is not autte", and difficul- ties are likely to sput him on to even ArAater and more 4cterinineI efforts.