Evening star., 1940-11-30
Policeman AbsoIves
Early Of Blame in
New York Incident
Letter Describes 'Kneeinq
As Accident Void
OF All Malice

Stephen T. Ear1y, press secretary
to President Roosevelt, made public
today letter from James M. Sloan,
New York police officer, expressing
regret and describing as IAN acci-
dent that happened void of all
malice" the incident in which the
patrolman complained of being in
jured while Mr.. Early was attempt
ing to pass White House party
through police lines to the presiden-
tial train in Pennsylvania Station.
New York, on the night of Octo-
ber %.
Mr.. Early subsequently extended
an apology to the policeman, who is
colored, and to Police Commits
sioner Valentine "for having had
any part in this regrettable affair. &"
In the letter released today, dated
November %, Officer Sloan accepted
the apology and referred to the
incident as a misunderstanding that
was not your fault nor was it ours. I"
Officers Letter.
The Sloan letter follows in full:
Il have purposely delayed answer
ing your letter of October 81 last so
that any answer of mine might not
be seized upon for purely political
purposes. 1t was, of course, clear
to me that concern on my behalf
was of no Importance to those who
sought to make use of me for party
politics.
Nov that the political campaign
is over, I write you.
II regretted as much as you did
the incident at the Pennsylvania
Station when you were seeking to
join your chief, the President of the
United States, as it was your duty
to do. On the other hand, the SER
geant of the New York police, under
whose direction I was performing
my duty, had orders which left him
and his men, among the latter, me,
no discretion. The misunderstanding
was not your fault nor was it ours.
In the jostling which ensued I am
sure I would not have been hurt, as
I was, but for the operation which
I had undergone only a compare
lively little while ago.
Il have, of course, heard a great
deal more about you than I ever
had before the incident. And all
have heard makes me know, first,
that you would not have knowingly
inflicted any injury upon me, and,
second, that your manly apology,
sent to me with your letter Of Oc-
tober 81, is just the sort of thing that
those who know you would expect
you to do.
"As you as Christian gentleman
have apologized for the injury I re-
ceived during the scuff1e, want to as
a Christian gentleman accept your
apology, and cast all thoughts of the
affair into the sea of forgetfulness
in the midst of the joy that has
come to me and my family over the
reelection of President Roosevelt,
and count the whole thing as an ac-
cident that happened void of all
malice"
Became Political Issue.
Occurring the night of President
Roosevelt's campaign address in
Madison Square Garden, New York
the incident Immediately became q
political issue, with Republican
spokesmen, including Heavyweight
Boxing Champion Joe Louis, making
several references to 1t during cam
paign appearances in Harlem and
other centers of colored population
Officer Sloan was hospitalizeo
| briefly, but during the political agi-
tation he announced publicly that
he favored the reelection of Presi-
dent Roosevelt and that he would
vote for him.
| In the face of the controversy ovel
whether Mr.. Early had been at fault
Editor and Publisher, newspaper
trade magazine, printed an article
quoting eyewitness accounts from
reporters who were in the party ane
concluding that the White House
official had been made a victim oi
political exigencies while performing
q requested service for the press ir
attempting to get them to theil
train.
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