Evening star., 1925-09-13
CITIZENS FORSOOK
HIM, BUTLER SAYS
Marine Shows How Crime in
Philadelphia Was Cut in
His Regime.
Special Dispatch to The star.


l2-Director Butler has reached the
conclusion that liquor law enforce
ment In this city Is virtually at n
/ stHndStlll
Ihe director put his record before
the people OF this country today after
asserting there is no chance he VIII
! remain here after December 81.
lie condemned the laXIty of maeis
! trates and citizens in backing up his
! night against lawlessness and said
! that Ia win the fight against crime
! the people Of large cities must stop
playing The game of enforce the
law against others. hut not against
me"
Quotes Statistics.
In support of his statement on
! liquor enforcement and his fight on
criminals and vice in this city, Gen
| Butler pointed out that the percent
age OF convictions for LIQUOR law in
fringements as compared with the
number Of arrests is almost not
worth noting The fact that of
$3.50 persons arrested in saloons and
spealtea sizes this year only 2I2 We're
convicted. proves that liquor-law en-
forCement in this city is virtually
stopped, said Director Butler
Ills conclusion was based upon a
comparative statement Of arrests and
convictions for the first eight months
or l925. prepared by the police at
his order and released Yesterday.
The result" said the director.
clearly shows that enforcement
! hasn't amounted To row Of pins
I after the arrests were made"
{ Director Butler reiterated his state
ment that he would return to the
Marine Corps on January
MY leave from the Marine Corps
expires on December 81" he said
l am 10 he ssigned at once to make
an inspection OF Marine posts around
the world. That announcement was
made several weeks ago by my COM
handing officer. Maj. Gen. John A.
Lejeune. at Washington.
None Regret Leaving.
since that time out of the > 600 GG0
residents OF this city one person ONLY
has expressed any regret that | am
TO go. That one person is Mayor Ken.
driCk
mo other person. institution or or
ganization has raised any voice I'm pro-
test. nor expressed TO me any regret
Either | am unpopular or the en-.
torcement of the liquor laws Is un.
popular IN this city.
Law enforcement on an absolutely
even basis has not had the support Of
the people of Philadelphia and does
not have It now
We had good fight: a mighty
good fight. and | still have three and
nan months OF mighty good fighting
left TO me.
mere is no question about my 60
ing. | am military officer. Nv leave
expires December 81 and I am under
orders to report for duty. II | should
not do so ! would automatically be
come deserter-and l am not going
TO leave the Marine Corps"
Gen. Butler picked up the report
! showing the results of the activities of
the Police Department against speak
easies and saloons in three years.
Only 2l2 Convictions.
He pointed out that in 1929 the DO
/ lice made .9l3 arrests in Iiquor cases.
in 1924, 5,701, and so far this year,
| $3.50. In 1929 there were 595 con.
victions; in 1924 there were 1850. and
this year only PIP.
The figures can explain them
selves. Gen. Butler said They are
given ont so the public ca draw anv
conclusions it wishes
Recalling the situa ton that seemed
to exist in Philadelphia when l first
came here, and in the light of what
mas happened since, Philadelphia
man who went hunting for a specialist
to cure him
But when the specialist told him
TO cut out liquor and too fast living,
the old gentleman demurred and said:
, This Is not what / want. | want TO
keep on al my present speedy pace
and drink all the booze l want. and
| want you to cure me without inter
fering with them "
Little Crime in City.
With a united and determined pub
lie opinion behind him, Gen. Butler
insisted. magnificent results would
have been attained in this city. As
it is" he said. citizens have been so
much improved that Phila deIphia has
the smallest amount OF crime per cap
ita OF any large city in the country.
And. mind YOU. the population has
| been increas sed about 100 900 and 40
/ 600 more houses have been added
since | took office Add to that the
fact there are 100 less effective police
men on duty now than there were at
the beginning of 1924
"As matter of fact the results at
tanned In this city, in spite Of the in
difference OF the public. have been
stflking. and these have been attained
by approximately 25O trusted men.
| been blocked by powerful influences.
! by legal machinery that should have
been an aid, and by the invocation of
technicalities, but in spite of IL crime
has been reduced one half in some
cases.
Hold-tps Reduced.
Take the key crimes-highway
robberies and hold-ups In the first
eight months of 1928, the year before
| became director OF public safety
there were 565 highway robberies and
hold-ups. This year there have been
217.
"Other figures for the first eight
month period in each of the wears
named follow the same lines.
Representations were at one time
made TO me from various quarters
that ! ought not to attempt to dis
turb vice and gambling. but devote
my entire attention to fighting crime.
I'm asked if Phila delphia is really
dry ! don't know, but / do know
the arrests for drunk and disorderIy'
have dropped one-third
"All this is fine. Ii shows what can
be done. But you can't have law en-
forcement without having all law en-
forced.
when the people of Philadelphia
or any other city stop playing the
game of enforce the law against
others but not against me- they will
begin TO win the fight against lawless-
ness. Not before"