The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-07-19
BIG. BILL IS
TOO Good TO
Be PRESIDENT
Thompson Admits He's Best
Mayor Chicago Ever Had
or Will Have.
BY MAURICE MERMEY
limited Press staff Correspondent

BY MAURICE MERMEY
United Press staff Correspondent
CHICAGO, July 19.-"I don't
want to be President Of the United
States because I'm too good an
American" William Hale T'homp-
son, mayor of Chicago.
The gentleman who amused and
amazed the whole country by get
ting himself elected as Chlcagos
chief executive, despite record in
that office which was worse than
his logic, has been mayor OF Chi
cago for three months and the
questioning folk of this community
are beginning to ask: How about
those promises, Bill?"
The United Press interviewed him
on many subjects.
IF were President" big Bill"
said, do you think I would let
England tell me how many cruisers
J gould build; say, you've got an
,saHsr guess coming"
Thompson on Thompson
A4ere's a few paragraphs distilled
Afrom the interview, all quotes cred
tied to Thompson:
("I'm going to kick out McAndrew,
superintendent of schools, because
he's lackey OF England.
IT hammer away at America first
because people are trying to make
the United States colony of Eng
land.
Look into the sky and Old Glory
as you march to the polls in the flu
ture.
what if the Negroes are coming
here? They make good citizens.
Since I became mayor we have
reduced crime IS per cent. The
other cities now are getting back the
crooks who gravitated into Chicago
when wasn't mayor.
Some Building Coming
eyes, we're going to build the big
gest and best subway in the work.
Chicago is building at amazing
speed. Since I became mayor one
concern alone has given out $780,
100000 in building loans. Two
weeks before I was elected the banks
we're charging per cent for build
ing loans; now the rate is 3A per
cent. The sky is our limit; we've
fa ~
greatest city in the world.
prohibition was put over on the
people as war measure. Well, the
wars over.
Seaport for World
I'm January, 1929, you'll hear in
Chicago the whistle of boat that's
come up from New Orleans; then
we'll be a seaport for the world, and
Chicago will have to build like hell
, to keep up with itself. All you need
is vision to see our plan for increas-
ing Chicagos property valuation by
a billion dollars.
I'm Big Bill, the builder, make
no mistake about that.
1.-THE school histories are UNI
American, tainted with the propa-
ganda designed to throw the yoke of
England on our shoulders" ad infin1-
tun.
That gives you a cross-section of
Thompson's point of view.
Factor in Politics
big Bill is going to be fac
tor in national politics, even
though he doesn't belong as Presi-
dent.
A formidable boom is developing
in the Middle West for Frank o.
Lowden, former Governor of Illi-
nois. He's got some strong farm
backing. But he hasn't got his own
State yet. Bill is his bitterest enemy.
"LoWden?" he calculated. why,
I wouldn't vote for that man if he
we're the last man on earth to vote
for"
And, although he didn't say 1t
outright, Thompson undoubtedly
will back Mr.. Coolidge. II believe
the President will obligate the entire
Mississippi valley to him for the
manner in which he will handle
foodSrelief," he said.
Thompson called the Chicago
flood control conference one of the
biggest things he's done politically.
Chicago's Best Mayor
Local and State politics are i'm
portant, from the national point of
view. If, by chance, States At
torney Grove, who backed Bill, were
TO find himself on the outside look
ing in, there has been a rumor that
such will happen, Chicago would see
another outbreak of criminality, in
the opinion of competent observers
the like of which it has not before
experienced. And Chicago { was
known as the country's crime
capital.
Thompson will be one of the big
factors in the Illinois delegation to
the 1928 Republican national con-
vention.
Thompson believes big Bill" is
the best mayor Chicago ever had, OF
will have. He thinks he is keeping
oil elecfioy, ,>rop,ieaS