The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-01-09
Why Britain Lacks
Gunner
ny MILTON BnONNER


London, Jan. 0.-(NEA)-Rcturn.
ing again to London after a brief va.
cation visit to the United States. tn.
~transplantcd American Is moved to
number Of somewhat melancholy re.
Elections.
These reflections revolvc upon thu
contrast between certain things thai
happen in the United States and GER
tain things that happen in Great Brt.
tain.
They r melancholy-for an Amer.
ican-becausc. undeniably, they shee
rather more lustre upon the British
way Of doing things than on ths
American.
. Returning to London, where there
are no gunner, racketeers or boot
leggers. where it's all right to &C
down any dark street at night, where
the law is the law, and everybody re-
spects 1t, one remembers some Amer
lean experiences.
For instance. the Chicago friend
who. hearing that I was going to walk
six blocks from my hotel to the rail.
road station, begged me to take a tax
least I be held up, n route by foot.
pads.
For instance. the story my friend,
in New York told me of a friendl,
poker game they had N night in {
big office building in the heart of TIT
city. They looked up to see two men
guns in their hands, in the doorway
One Of the two said. "Stick 'em ur
and keep 'em up" and presently the
two departed, carrying all the money
that had been in the game.
For instance, a walk along Broad
way, contemplating the many, many
well-dressed young men who seemed
to have nothing to do but loaf around
the bright lights. And the hard eyes
and evil mouths of these young men,
And the wonder. whether they were
dope peddlers. b~ootleggers or cheap
killers.
For instance. a stroll along one Of
Cleveland,s main streets. A van that
looks like an armored a drives UP
to a bank to discharge some specie
A hard bitten cx-coporal In the ma
rines stands by. a huge revolver
strapped in his hip-looking out fol
possible gunner. The sight is com
mon in any American city: yet ir
London an ordinary sedan carries thu
money, and it is handed by a clerk
to q bank porter. in broad daylight
and no one is armed with anything
more serious than q lead pencil.
Those are a few Of the contrasts
They are American incidents tina
simply are not duplicated in Great
Britain. And they set the American
a bordering.
Perhaps the Americans are a long
suffering and a patient people. Per-
haps, in many towns. the police art
corrupt or inefficient because they
are adjuncts Of a political machine
Perhaps Dur judges are too often dom
mated by political machines, as arr
the prosecutors. SO that pull" still
counts for altogether too much. Per
haps our juries are lax or cowardly.
Perhaps. At any rate. I would likt
to bet q thousand dollars to a coua'
terfe:t penny that I could clean W
New York, Chicago, Philadelphia o.
any other American city Of its gun.
men and crooks, provided
That I could. by some miracle
transport Scotland Yard. a few Eng.
lish Judges and prosecutors. and q sci
Of English jurors to the scene.
You see. the English police are moi
and never have been in politics. Tit
Judges and prosecutors r named fol
life by the crown. The jurors have .
certain dislike for crime and Grim
inalS.
And the judges have a habit o.
telling a willing jury not to pay. an,
attention to the tears Of criminals
who arc caught or to the maudlir
pleas OF their lawyers. The re-ul'
1, that London has no gunner. and
her streets are safe at night.