Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-01
Casualties of Gangland War
Turn Attention to Detroit

The recall Of It's mayor, Charles
assassination of Gerald Z. Buckley.
radio announcer, centers comment
upon murder as a factor in politics.
This appears to be q matter Of greater
concern to the country than the effec-
tive use of the recall in the largest city
in which it has been employed. AS the
repudiated mayor automatically be-
comes q candidate in the election to
follow, much interest Is displayed in
the future course Of Michtgan's me-
tropolis.
murders In Detroit, including the dar-
ing assassination OF Buckley, an enec.
tive foe of the local gangsters and OF
their political allies" declares tine
Chicago Daily News, persons at dis
lance naturally are inclined to suspect
that Detroiters did not repudiate their
mayor and his administration too soon.
1t is to be hoped that their stern action
will prove of marked benefit to their
community. There is necessarily some
theoretical doubt as to the net results
of the recall device, since, admittedly,
foes Of good government may utilize IL
as well as advocates OF sound admin
istration and public order. Where
however the recall Is PROVIDED 1or ny
law. decent and upright voters would
be ren1iss if they failed to avail them
selves of the privilege of getting rid OF
demonstrabiy unworthy ohncias.
Jerry Buckley died" according to
the Detroit Free Press, because the
government Of the city of Detroit
failed TO maintain decent check on
banditry and gunner, but allowed
them to think that the town Is wide
open and easy His blood cries from
the ground for vengeance; and his death
is a solemn warning to the municipal
authorities and to the city.
some OF the most despicable devices
of incompetent police to hide tner oe-
ftciency in the presence of murder
mystery" charges the Pittsburgh POSI-
Gazette, lis to mint that the VicCm
committed suicide. Lately. in the epl-
demic of gang killings. the tenoency o.
such officers is to assume, wltnouG tne
least investigation, that every xic'ii,
racket" The Post-Gazette points to
the weakness of the Detroit inslnua-
tions and concludes: There can De
no excuse for irresponsible talk on the
part of a police officer, much less lor
an unsubstantiated report OF MANURE
to reflect upon the dead
"FIoW much a community may come
tn depend on radio publicity and be m
fluenced by it, and also the lmpersonal
quality of the service" says the 81;
louis Globe Democrat, were evldenceo
bv honors paid to Buckley. II Is Salo
that more than 10000 persons passed
while his body lay in state MOST OF
them had never seen him, but aIteI
listening so often to his voice they 1elt
a close acquaintance with him, even
warm friendship"
"'It is terrible, terrible says Mayor
Bowles, when informed OF the raoio
snnouncer's death" quotes the Birming-
ham News, with the comment, SO 1t
is-far more terrible than was the
charge against Bowles himself. That
paper asks, Has respect for law ana
for its enforcement completely broken
centarsP" The Battle Greek Moon
journal predicts: THE murder OF
Buckley u bound to have .repercassioils
ia the Impending municipal election, to
select q successor to Mayor Bowles. IL
ALREADY has stirred civic ORGANIZATIONS
to demand that the police break up the
war,ks, ana drive out the gunner VINO
nave recently operated IN Detroit Is
openly and brazenly as In Chicago.
1.-THE Detroit police cannot, by at
tempting to impugn Buckleys CHAR
acter," warns the San Francisco enron
icle, "exonerate themselves or avoid the
obligation to run down and punish his
assaSsins. Nor would proof of their
own intimations that he had private
relations with the underworld exculpate
the authorities. That organized Grim
inal underworld exists only because it
is tolerated by the police through po-
litical pressure. Wherever organized
crime has a free hand to kill within It's
own ranks 1t Ia encouraged in the belief
that 1t ran get away with murder and