The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-07-18

tenn or non-loCaI government. SC large do these problems of loca' government loom in the congress sional scheme of things that every Monday in the House is designated as District Day. That day the rep rcsentatives corrugate their browc over problems that would be set- tied by a body no more august thar Q town council in any city of equal size. For sheer cumbersomeness this gives Washington not only the most unweildy, but also the most expen- sive teop government in the coun- try - 800 senators and representa- tives at $l0,000 a year each-wor- rying at times about such things as traffic regulation and local tax rates.
 NO SHORTAGE
 OF COPS
 Currently, the big worry is over the police problem. There are only six police forces in Washington now.
 There is the Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation of super-snooper G-men under J. Ed gar Hoover, which has It's head quarters in Washington but doesn't bother with local crimes.
 There is the National Park police force under Secretary of the h. terior Harold Ickes, which polices the great open spaces, and the Capitol police force of congressional patronage appointees, which stays around the halls of Congress to keep the tourists from taking the Capitol apart for souvenirs. There is the Public Buildings Administra- ton force, which guards the build ings the Capitol police don't, and finally, the District police force of more than l400 men.
 This list leaves out the postal inc spectors, the internal revenue agents, the border patrol, the cus- toms inspectors, the T-men of the treasury's narcotics and secret serv- ice counterfeiting divisions, the Marine Corps, the military police and the Army and Navy intelligence sections, but even without these you would think that Washington should be the best poiiced city in the world. On the contrary, 1t is sad to relate that your country's cap- ital has a police scandal as juicy as anything ever turned Up.
 It's the District police force that all the shouting is about, patricu- larly the detective force and the homicide squad which have had 7o violent death cases to deal with since June 1, including six mur- ders eliminating in the horrible at- tack on government worker Jessie Elizabeth streiff 6 few weeks ago.
 A subcommittee of the House District Committee is now conduct ing anr investigation in true con- gressional hearing fashion with the next result that the superintendent of District police, Major Ernest w. Brown, will probably be retired and the detective bureau will be up- heaved.
 Testimony before the investigat- ing committee, including admissions by the police officers themselves revealed a police organization as faulty as ever existed. The seven men on the homicide squad, one lieutenant and six sergeants, have regularly been called of their du- ties to do patrol duty in squad car, help guard the President, and do trafilc duty on parades. All the good men got out of the detective bur- eau because 1t offered no chance for advancement and was spied upon by an internal gestapo that wreck ed morale.
 HUEY LONG
 GANG BUSTER
 The man really responsible for lifting the lid off the Washington police scandal is one of the men largely responsible for lifting the lid on the Huey Long scandals in Louisiana. He is F Edward Hebert (pronounced aye-bear), a freshman in the house, and a member of the District committee.
 Two years ago Hebert was city editor of the New Orleans States under its fighting editor, Major James E. Crown, who turned up the now famous photograph of 8 Louis- jana state university truck deliver ing public materials to the private residence of a colonel on the staff of the Louisiana governor.
 All the energy which Hebert displayed in exposing the Louisiana mess have gone into his expose of Washington police. Demanding the investigation, Hebert has served on the special congressional sub-com- mittee, for time presiding. fiaying witness after witness, uncorking the whole unlovely mess, just as he did in Louisiana.
 WASHINGTON
 RED TAPE
 Neatest bucxpassing trick in Washington in a long time was played around the occupation of Iceland by U. s. naval forces, American newsmen asked for per- mission to go to Iceland to report the Yanks' arrival. Department of State unofticially let 1t be known that passports would be approved if the Navy gave permbission. Sec retary of the Navy Prank Knox aF- ranged with the British to have three U, s. press association men admitted to Iceland from England, and agreed to ask the Department of State to okay vlsas for men go- ing from the U. s. Then Acting Secretary Of State Sumner Welles baked on approving issuance Of the passports, making Secretary Knox'a approval worthless Then the BFit- ish announced from London khak permission for the U. S. neWgmen |. .I. 4.