Evening star., 1924-03-23
BLANTON REPEATS
ATTACK ON SHELBY
Demands District Police In
Spector Enforce Prohibition
or Resign His Job.


democrat, of Texas, yesterday replied to
Inspector w. S. Shelby, administra-
tive assistant to the superintendent
of the metropolitan police force, both
in a letter and on the floor of the
House.
About a week ago Mr.. Blanton at
tackled Inspector Shelby in a speech
on the floor of the House. Inspector
Shelby then wrote Representative
Blanton demanding a retraction. The
action yesterday was Mr. Blanton's re-
sponse. His letter is as follows:
Your letter of Yesterday, marked
personal, and broadcast by you in
every newspaper in Washington, is
received
Il never made any statement in
Congress that I won't repeat to any
mans face on the outside. l stand
behind every statement 1 have made
about you in the House or to you in
committees.
y" hen we passed the salary in
creases for police, j assured Congress-
man Larsen and others opposing il
that we had been promised the best
police force in the nation and that
If You didn't make good on strict law
enforcement l would be the first to
ask that your salary be abolished.
Quotes From Papers.
The Herald on March II, quoted
Mr.. Tinkham as saying that: Wash
ington is 500 per cent more drunken
than Paris and has 1000 per cent
Y-1A hnt Il (~1s
shocked, because ] believe our splen-
did metropolitan police to be against
both drinking and murder.
The Times on March IS said: Rep
reSent NATIVE Tfnknams attack OH The
morals of Washington was supported
by Inspector William S. Shelby, act
ing superintendent of police yestcr-
day. and quoted you as saying: There
than ever before. Liquor laws Will
never be enforced The Times then
said that you blamed prohibit IN for
it and said Shelby favors a provisi on
for the sale of light wines and beer
and the disposal of strong intoXicants
under government supervision
II hoped that you would repudiate
the press report. When you didn't.
then made my just comment in the
House on March 19, which 1 now back
up 100 per cent.
Gave Stale Statistics.
NitcStllCl sou SpChI oCNCia ioui >
before our committee on salary in
creases. The stale statistics you per-
sisted in reading in full had no appli-
cation whatever to this bill. / then
called your attention to complaints sent
me that the unnumbered establishment
on HI street northeast, which should be
No. 406, as it is just between No. 404
and No. 40S, was alleged to be dispens-
ing intoxicating liquor daily, notwith-
standing that il had been raided three
OF int hy ihif n
officers. it being reopened Immediately
after each arrest and deposit of bond.
asked if you couldn't stop such con-
tinuous violations. L watched you care
fully and noticed that you didn't even
take down the address and that you
evidenced no interest whatever in the
information.
Then when our subcommittee on the
Rathbone resolution met you presump-
tuouSly insisted that the committee not
jnterrogate any Of the eye witnesses to
the shooting of Senator Greene other
then. and tell you that you should not
presume to dictate to committee of
Congress. And when YOU then insisted
on again reading in full your big file of
stale statistics and offered your gratu-
itouS opinion that prohibition was the
cause of crimes in Washington, / took
issue with you again and told you that
policemen couldn't enforce unless their
superior officer believed in strict enforce
lnent
Admitted No Action.
"And then I asked you what you had
done about the complaint against No.
406 H street northeast, and you adj
rnitted no arrest had been made, and
that the place had not been closed up. 1
told you then that complaints alleged
that numerous boys went in and out
of there every evening and night, and |
again noticed that you made no nota-
ton whatever of the address. 1 also then
read you a letter giving the number of
the property and street, the name Of the
owner and his description near the
House Office building, where liquor was
said to be sold regularly. and I noticed
again that you didn't seem interested
and didn't take down the name or ad-
dress.
Il noted also that at the time pro-
posed my amendment to grant all
police and firemen a day off each
week. in lieu Of sunday. you raised
opposition and I had to force it into
the bill, over your suggestion. This
made me think that you didn't have
properly at heart the interest of the
900 brave men under you, whether in
rain, sleet, snow, danger and hot sun
performing their arduous duties.
Mr. Shelby, you must make good
the law and give us the best police
force in the nation. i pledged that
promise to my colleagues when they
withdrew opposition to the salary
bill. for If you don't make good I
shall ask that your salary be abolish
ed.
Blames Views for Lawlessness.
But can YOU wonder that a
United States senator. peacefully
walking with his wife on the main
street of Washington. within four
blocks of the nations Capitol. is
shot down by bootleggers, who had
loaded into their car there a still
SO large that they had to raise the
car top and in choosing an avenue
of escape drove down historic Penn
sylyania after the shooting without
policeman interfering, when you.
the (acting) inspector Of the police
: department publish in all Washing
Ton newspapers that you are for
wine and beer, and that liquor laws
will never be enforced, and that you
support Mr.. Tinkham in asserting
that Washington is 300 per cent
more drunken than Paris and 1000
more murderous than London? Can
you wonder, | ask you, that boot
leggers become SO bold with their
stills and murderous assaults with
in four blocks of the Capitol?
Is Il am sure that you are against
murder. Then why not strictly en-
force the laws against it? Even
though you permit the Times to pub
and beer. why don't you strictly en-
force the prohibition laws?
IF Washington Is so terribly
drunken and murderous, as Mr.. Tink-
ham and you assert, why don't you
clean 1t up, as Gen. Smedley Butler
is doing in Philad elphia? You seem
to be in charge of law enforcement,
or, at least, the statistical end Of it.
why don't you enforce? But to do
1t you will have to learn to take
down addresses when given to you.
Il commend you for your rapid
promote since your army expert
to fnfo Tnr ,.