Evening star., 1932-04-01
Parade-stopping Technique.

The newspaper accounts were i'm
rnensely exaggerated" the Commits
sioners have informed the American
! Civil Liberties Union, answering that
organizations protest against "the use
of excessive violence" in quelling the
demonstration at the Japanese en-
bassy. There were no women struck
There were no heads broken. No one
was knocked unconscious. The one
woman was knocked to the ground be-
cause while struggling with Sergt.
Langley another rioter jumped on
Seret. Langley's back and he lest his
balance and fell over the girl. News
paper photographers insisted that she
remain in prene position while
photograph was made, yelling, Hold
1t; don't get up"
What constitutes excessive violence"
is a matter of opinion. and. in this case,
something that must be settled between
the Civil Liberties Union and the police.
But the Commissioners, one fears, resort
to technicalities when they attempt to
hold the Immensely exaggerated" &C
counts by the newspapers to blame
for the public's impression of what
took place In front OF the Japanese
embassy. Whether the woman was
knocked to the ground when Sergt.
Langley unfortunately lost his balance,
or whether, as tersely described by
photographer, she was kicking police
man who then "clocked her" is OF no
great moment. Certainly nothing Is
demonstrated by the fact that some
photographer yelled Hold 1t; don't get
upl" Photographers yell Hold it,!
under all conditions. 1t is the battle
cry Of tie clan.
1t Is more interesting here to examine
the technique of the police in stopping
this demonstration. Capt. Kelly, with
some eighteen policemen and possibly
twenty plain clothesmen lined up along
the curb, first asked the leaders Of the
parade if they had a permit, warning
lIcIu IIldI hlLIiOuJ pei IAACJ NOuA4
not parade. Capt. Kelly, having de-
livefed this ultimatum, then stood aside.
The paraders were allowed to proceed
twenty feet-twenty feet, apparently,
marking the difference between a pa
rade and non-pafade. At a signal, the
eighteen policemen and the score OF
plain clothesmen then waded in and
began snatching banners and banner
bearers Reporters say the policemen
used their fists and their nightsticks,
and that the sound of the tattoo CT
nightsticks vas a most impressive
sound. They may have exaggerated.
But at another signal fifty policemen,
cleverly hidden in the basement of the
japanese embassy, emerged from tenn
porary seclusion and arrived on the
scene in manner reminiscent Of
Blucher at Waterloo. They Joined the
peaceful but persistent efforts Of the
old guard-the original eighteen police
men and twenty plain clothesmen-in
upholdins Law and order
The reporters, 1t Is true, may have
exaggerated the details But with the
spectacle before them of bobbing night
sticks, bloody noses, flying fists and
some 90 policemen mixing it with q
crowd OF 200 demonstrators. thes must
not be blamed too severely If such
terms as broken heads" and Knocked
Unconscious" crept into their accounts
And the lady, prone on the pavement.
wss rather convincing photograph
evidence thst somebody got violent, re-
gardless of whether she was holding
it" as a pose. There lay the lady.
But it is believed that next time it
would be better not to hide the shock
troops in the basement While 1t is
good military strategy to have reserves
always on hand, the duty Of the police
should be TO prevent pitched battles,
not to stage them A proper show Of
strength in the beginning. and less EN-
ptasis on twenty-foot ultimatums might
help.