Evening star., 1925-12-27
BUTLER SUSPECTED
KENDR|CK EARLY
Says First Conference Made
Him Doubt Sincerity
of Mayor.
By Consolidated Press.

PHILADELPHIA, December 2G.--
Brig. Gen. Smedley d. Butler, the IN
conquerable Marine, whose tunic bears
medals attesting his galiantry on
many sanCuinary battlefield. this
week took the first licking" Of his
career-and his vanqusher was that
doughty warrior, old John Barleycorn.
The first jam that Gen. Butler got
into when he made his spectacular
entry into Philadelphia AS a crusading
police chief two years ago was over
the demon rum. The last lam that
ne got into before he was handed his
summary dismissal by Mayor Ken
drick was over the same subject. And
all IN between times, practically every
one of the jams that he got into at
the City Hall resulted from his atti
tude toward the liquor question.
There was little protest when But
Ter. newly installed, sent his battle AK
squadron into the vice belt to ash
and crash questionable resorts into
submission. There was less protest
when he sent his flying squadrons out
in swift automobiles, with riot guns.
To shoot bandits on sight.
Suspected Kendrick.
But there was plenty Of protest
when Butler set out to dry up tho
CITY. .rom the sIums TO the gilden
whether or not he was right about
il. Butler got the idea that Mayor
.kendriCk was seeking to protect
certain wet" interests. From then
! on. the issue between them was
Joined. Beneath an outward ap-
pea rance of cordia lity-which IL must
he admitted rubbed pretty thin at
times-Gen. Butler was forever
prodding at the mayor to adopt his
4, n. .;,,r
view was that the law was the law
and that il should he enforced all the
way up the line. even if il meant
clappinC "A paddock on every hotel.
| restaurant and cafe in the city. ana
cartinC the elite of the citizenry off
to Jail.
Meantime. intense pressure was
| being brought to bear on the mayor
| by personal friends as well as by
politicians, to put curb on Butler :
! literal interpreta ton of the Ian.
| Every other city in the country and
| even the Federal Government. he
was reminded. was using a little
| common sense" in prohibition on
! fore cement.
Butler Has evidence"
! Butler has no document from tho
mayor directing him to lay off of any
| dence" of a sort. consisting Of
/ diary which he kept throughout
! his two hectic years, in which
! he recorded each day what the
| mayor said to him. particularly on the
! question of prohibition enforcement.
Il began to suspect the mayors sin
! cerity the day ! took office" Gen. But
| Ter told the writer an hour after he
| had taken his departure from City
| Hall. THAT very day bunch of poll
! tiCians came to me and ordered me To
| lay off of seven saloons in which they
were interested. | told them to go To
/ hell. and went to the mayor. asking
1 him if he was going to protect me
! from the politicians and give me
! free hand as he had promised.
The mayor scratched his head.
hemmed and hawed little, and said:
We'll, now, we'll have to adjust
that
From that time on | kept record
of every conference | had with him.
! And I've got plenty of evidence"
Publishes Part of Evidence
! Butler released part of his "evi-
| denCe' as parting shot at the mayor
an hour after his dismissal. 1t con
sisted chiefly of unanswered letters
he had written the mayor. urging sup
z
/ Carlton Hotel for alleged failure to
| enforce the prohibition law on its
/ premises. and to revoke the dance
| hall licenses of the Bellevue STRAIT
! ford and the Walton for the same
! alleged reasons. The rest of the
/ broadside consisted of records of con
| versa tionS with the mayor in which
! he attributed to Mr.. kendrick such
remarks as these:
WnIIl1 a
| these big investments Ghe hotels) and
have the police on the streets. there
would be less robberies.' You have
| got to lay off these big places. There
| is a difference between a Seven-milion
dollar investment and cheap places
who blackmail people
Explanations Differ.
/ Gen Butler attributes his dismissal
| directly to his insistence on proceed
| ing against the big hotels and to his
intimation to the mayor that if he
could not get support from him he
would take the matter to the State
attorney general.
Mayor Kendrck attributes it to Cen.
Buffers lack of respect" and his lack
of harmony" both of which charges
seem pretty we'll substa Initiated by the
record of the past two years.
But hack of both explanations
stands the smiling. rubcund figure Of
John rleycorn-battered and buffet
ed by Sma shinG Smedley, but still un-
bowed.
Can prohibition be enforced?" the
writer asked Gen. Butler The gen
eral laughed a loud but mirthless
laugh and replied:
ASK the mayor