Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-21
Mavor Walkers Defense.


Mayor James J. Walker of New York
has submitted a twenty thousand word
reply to the charges made against him
by the City Affairs Committee. His
statement denying the charges in toto,
is in the hands of Gov. Roosevelt,
and eventually the Governor must
make his decision. The Governor, II
he follows the demand of the City
Affairs Committee, will dismiss the
MAYOR from Office. If he follows the
demand of Mayor Walker he will dis
miss the charges. A third course would
be the appointment of commissioner
to make an investigation of the charges
and a report thereon. and still fourth
would be TO turn the matter over to
the Legislative Committee, which Is
Just starting out upon thorough and
what promises TO be painstaklng IN
yestigation of the whole city govern
ment of New York. Unless the Gov
ernor is thoroughly convinced that the
charges should or should not be dis
missed and acts accordingly, the sub
mission of the charges to the Legisla-
tive Committee would appear the most
reasonable course This committee OF
Investigation, though voted by Re-
publican Legislature, has accepted as
its chief counsel Judge Samuel Sea-
bury, an independent Democrat of the
highest character, and has turned over
to Judge Seabury the conduct of the
inquiry.
Mayor walkers reply to the City Al
fairs Committee is a document OF much
interest. He takes up the ten charges
and replies to them specifically ana
categorically. From the various heads
of departments of the city government
attacked in the charges he quotes lib
orally. And the mayor gives, in addi-
ton to his denial of the charges,
a graphic description of the reforms and
improvements in the city government
which he insists have been undertaken
under his administration, many Of them
upon his own suggestion. His reply is
an effective document. 1t Is made IN
answer to charges which in the main
were general and not specific, and there
fore is all the more appealing. How
ever, the City Affairs Committee, before
it submitted its charges, had seen the
evidences Of corruption, graft and worse
revealed in the public press OF New YORK
and in the cases brought against mag
istrates. police and other city officials.
The mayor now states that guilty Of
ficials have been punished and that
those who are not guilty have been ac-
quilted. His claim is that the govern
ment OF New York is the cleanest city
government in the world.
Apparently Mayor walker believes
In attack as the best means Of defense.
He has undertaken to belittle and be-
smirch his attackers, the chairman and
vice-chairman Of the City Affairs Com
mittee, DR.. John Haynes Holmes and
Rabbi Stephen S. Wise. He charges
first that they and their organization
are adiuncts of the Socialist party. DR..
Holmes. he says, is a paciflst and
thizers. AS for Rabbi Wise, Mayor
Walker goes back TO a letter which he
says was written by the late Mayor
Gaynor, in which Rabbi Wise is de-
scribed as ALI sufficient, insufficient,
self-suficient, Rabbi Wise! He thinks
he is pious, but he is only bilious"
The character of these personal at
tacks upon his accusers is not likely
to aid the cause of Mayor Walker.
Furthermore, even a Socialist may be
considered TO have the right TO COM
plain Of rotten city government. With
the city government investigation by
the Legislative Committee and in the
hands of Judge Seabury now opening
no matter what happens TO the charges
brought by the City Affairs Commit
tee, Mayor Walker Is likely to have his
hands fulI for long time TO come.