Evening star., 1928-12-31

Grover Whalen, newly selected Police
Commissioner of New York, draws the
eyes of the country to the spectacle of a
successful business executive tackling
the Nations biggest police job. If Mr..
Whalen is successful it is predicted that
other cities will be following New York S
example
"Mr. Whalen has shaken up his de-
partment from top to bottom" says the
Brooklyn Daily Eagle in summary OF
the new commissioner initial activities.
His reorganization methods in respect
of the higher officials have occasioned
some criticism and inspired some doubts,
but what he has done IN the way OF de-
motion and promotion will be sustained
by public opinion, if criminals, whether
operating in gangs or individually, are
checked and discouraged. Crime creates
terrorism in the community 1t ah1ictS.
The one immediate way to halt crime Is
to apply to it the terrorism of an active
force and cooperating prosecuting OFF,
GERS and courts"
"He may not be able to clean up New
York." comedies the Charlotte News, as
it observes that the city "is large and at
tracts many criminals" while mo place
is quite clean: even village has its bad
characters" The North Carolina paper
concludes, however, that although New
York will always have a bad element,
one determined man at the top may
make them live hard" The Columbus
Evening Dispatch holds that "the one
absorbing question in the minds of New
York bootleggers now will be, is this
temporary squirt, which will end If we
can duck for a short time, or is 1t a
sincere declaration of permanent
policy?' And decent, law-abiding cltl-
zens of New York are asking themselves
the same question"
X X X
A matter of record is mentioned by
the Worcester Telegram, with the COM
ment: more than three years ago
James j. Walker, shortly before his elec-
ton as mayor, made the following state
ment: If I am elected mayor, - New
York City will be the best, cleanest,
most wholesome and most orderly city
in America I pledge to you that when
YOU or your children leave home, not
only will the streets be clean, but the
very atmosphere of those streets will be
clean That pledge has not been full
filed. of course. Perhaps Mr.. Whalen
will do something toward its fulf1llment.
An open mind is disclosed by the
Montgomery Advertiser in offering the
suggestion: ''Very often it takes
shake-up to produce results. But re-
suits obtained by such means are not
always lasting. After time things fall
back into the old order: 1t remains 70
be seen whether the Shake-up in the
New York Police Department will con-
tinue to have the desired effect"
"a vigorous campaign against the
gangs of the metropolis would be
splendid example for the rest of the
United States" says the Nashville Ban
ner. and the Detroit News is convinced
that "if Mr. Whalen can accomplish
the results at which he aims, he will do
a great deal to make the police more
efficient throughout the country, for his
methods will be copied" The Oklahoma
City Times believes that, as to ''riddlng
the city of its breeding places of crime"
Mr.. Whalen probably will not succeed,
but if he reduces the number of speak
easieS, gambling resorts and disorderly
places, he will succeed in reducing
crime" The New orleans Item takes
the position: If the new commissioner
can enforce his orders even so per cent
he will do more than his predecessors.
But one man cannot enforce them. He
will need help"
"Just raising a ruction," in the judg-
menC or the DeS MONIES IrlDune-Cdp-
ital. sis something of a start. This is
probably the first time in years that the
SNUG equanimity of New York's crook
dom has been much disturbed. If per-
manent results amount to anything, the
already beginning talk about Whalen as
a political possibility for higher places
may amount to something"
Comparing his selection for the police
task with the similar choice of Lord
Byng of Vimy for the London depart
ment, the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel
remarks: New York chose a popular
and successful merchant to head its po-
ice activities. London chose trained
soldier. familiar with organized force
and its employment to produce the de-
sired results. We are not justified in |
that the merchant will not be |
an efficient director of police activities. |
It is not certain that the trained soldier |
Will succeed as well as he hopes or as