Evening star., 1932-10-20
Chief Quits Job
as Result of
Row.
GIVES UPPOST
AFTER PARLEY
Compromise Plan
Hurts Discipline,
He Says.


resigned today as major and su-
perintendent of the Metropolitan
;Police Department, in protest
,against refusal of the District
Commissioners to give him free
thand" in the selection and assign
;ment of his principal assistants.
His resignation was accepted by
the Commissioners at noon.
The resignation came as a dl-
rect outgrowth of the long stand
ing Burke controversy, which the
Commissioners thought had been
amicably settled at peace"
conference last night in the home
of Corporation Counsel William
w. Bride.
Gen. Glassford attended this
conference with Maj. Gen. Her
bert B. Crosby, commissioner in
charge of police, and Inspector
Frank S. W. Burke, chief OF de-
tectives, and an hour later went
to his Office at police headquar-
ters and typed his letter of resig-
nation. His action came as a
complete surprise to District
officials, although he confided in
friends several days ago that
unless the Commissioners ap-
proved his recommendations for
the reassignment of Inspector
Burke and the demotion OF In
spector o. T. Davis, he would
resign.
Row Three Weeks Old.
The controversy had its inception
about three weeks ago, when Gen.
Glassford announced his intention of
removing Inspector Burke as chief of
detectives and demoting Inspector Davis
to the rank of captain without first
having conferred with the Ccmmis-
sioners. Glassford was informed at
that time he had exceeded his author
ity. since he could not make admin
istrative transfers involving changes in
salary status without the approval OF
,the Commissioners. Gen. Glassford
then submitted to the Commissioners
formal recommendations for the trans
fer of Burke and the demotion of Davis.
During the conference in Brides home
Gen. Glassford said he was told the
Commissioners would not agree to the
removal of Inspector Burke as chief OF
detectives. neither would they approve
the demotion of Inspector Davis with
out trial board action. In addition, he
declared he was prevailed upon to with
draw his charges of lack of co-opera-
ton against Inspector Burke ito avoid
bringing dscredit upon an outstanding
officer of the police force"
After prolonged discussion" he said,
"these matters terminated in what was
admittedly a compromise, Upon re-
viewing the written terms of the COM
promise. it was evident that my author
ity could not be but diminished and
the entire discipline of the force
jeopardized.'
Reached Sudden Decision"
Gen. Glassford said several times dur
ing the conference he felt an impulse
to tell Gen Crosby he was through
but decided to go home and think 1t
over" /
After going to bed, Gen. Glassford
declared he reached sudden decision
to resign, dressed and went to his ONCE
about ! o'clock this morning. wrote the
letter of resignation and made special
trip to the Washington City Post once
to mail it SO the Commissioners would
receive it in the morning mail delivery.
In this letter Gen. Glassford reviewed
briefly his efforts to reorganlZe the de-
partment, while deprived of the essen
tial authority to discharge it without
fear and without favor" and said In
conclusion:
The abrogation OF my effort to or
ganize this department solely on the
basis of efficiency, without personal or
political favor, leaves me in an untenable
position in so far as any progress can
be made under my command. Conse-
quently 1 desire to submit my reslgna-
ton. effective at once
The three Commissioners met in a
hurriedly-summone conference in the
Treasury Department, where they were
attending a hearing on the District
budget, and decided to accept Gen.
Glassfords resignation. Corporation
Counsel William w. Bride, who had
prepared a statement for release by
Commissioner Crosby, called the three
Commissioners from the hearing and
they conferred for a half hour in a
room close to the Budget Bureau
After the meeting Bride announced
the resignation had been accepted and
then returned to the District Building,
where he instructed Daniel e. Garges,
secretary of the Board of Commission
ers. to notify Glassford his resignation
had been accepted.
The acceptance probably will be de-
livered by messenger this afternoon,
Garges said.
The so-called compromise plan
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