New Britain herald., 1928-04-06
THE WAR IN CHICAGO

Chicago. That has it's own war, bitter strife between clements in its population tat want the right to break the laws in peace and arc willing 10 fight with bombs, ma chine guns and pisto to attain this conception Of liberty.
 Mayor Thompson has repeatedly told the world that Chicago is q law abiding city. What he means by 1t needs charts and blue prints. If It were not for prohibition, he added on several occasions, there would not be the kind of laNhreaking that thriyes in the city-which is perfect ly true, if there were no laws against broken. and 1T there were no laws against any Of the other concomit- ants of a wide open city" there would be no smashing of the laws in this direction, either. IL all de- ponds upon the viewpoint. Bill Thompson's ideas depend too much upon the word If in front Of every other sentence he utters.
 The underworld in Chicago. linked up with its political world, likes things just about the way they are. A barrel Of beer, hauled before a saloon from one Of the accredited beer making syndicates, costs s55, of which S goes for the "fix'-which is by way of saying S goes for pro- lection, The saloonist is pleased with a system which guarantees, after he pays his $55. he is certain to be let alone. Such security is good for bus mess. It is only when some indc- pendent Der syndicate starts oper- ating and refuses to abide by the ldlu No" II uy lllC SIlSlo in the busiress-who are likewise the bosses n the undcrw orld-that trouble starts. When rival beer syn dicates start fighting the means cm- ployed arc not pretty.
 The police force is not to blame. It's main business for some weeks has been to protect the homes of politicians who are by way of be- ing intimated by the underworld gentry and thus shown on which side of the fence their safety lies. While the police are officiating as official bodyguards for sundry politicians they cannot be much bothered with minor circumstances. As for control ling the beer ,00O of them-and keeping an eye on the gambling houses and other places where giudy mentalties gather that is something that doesn't concern t1fcm at all. Wasn't it Big Bill him. self who promised that if he were elected everybody could have good time?
 The advent Of federal officials into the maelstrom has had a bad effect locally. It looked as if the mayors influence down in Washington was not as great as it had been cracked up to be. It was Big Bill, it will be remembered. who supped with Pres ident Coolidge at the White House recently. How comes it then, that just at time when federal officials are not wanted they should enter the arena and queer the political situa- ton by making arrests and lining their victims up in front of federal judges, instead of in the local courts. where things arc safer for the boys?
 Senator Dencen, no doubt, has had q hand m this situation. He is a strong foe of the Thompson fna- chine and has been intent upon showing it up. It was the senator, so Bill Thompson says. who brought the federal agents to town, causing warfare 10 break out between the agents and the Chicago police force. The function Of the police force and the federal agents is similar in that hoth are supposed to battle with law ,iolators; but not in Chicago. The agents started their operations by killing q court baliff and the police naturally began looking around for inc agents, but every time they found on. he was armed with some kind of 3 federal writ W hich effect lively dissIpstcd all the efforts Of the police department.
 And thus we hear that President Coolidge has gen a hand and has "rccretted' that the federal officials began interfering" ln the local po- Iticai campaign in Chicago. That ought 10 please th" mayor quitc cX- 'cnsiveiv. The visit to the White House, II soms, had not been in vain.
 NORTH or OPINIONS
 The first legal opinion Chauucey NJ. bcppN gave nottod him S1.15. The