Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-10-18
FAIR
ENOUGH
BY Westbrook
PeeIer

IN THE evening OF Sept. %,
" following President Roose.
velt's grafton to Dan Tobin's
Transfers in the Hotel Statler
in Washington, two young
naval officers. with good war
records, were ganged and
beaten by an overwhelming
number of persons unknown
whose conduct strongly indi.
Gated that they had been
members of Mr.. Roosevelt's
audience.
The officers were quickly
identified and exonerated Of
misconduct. Had they been
drunk or had they provoked
the fight, they undoubtedly
would have been tried by court.
martial.
The fact that no charges
were made against them by
either the navy or the civil au-
thorities of Washington vindi-
Gates them completely and
indicts the hoodlums who at
tackled them.
The victims said the gang
went TO work on them when
they refused to promise to vote
for Roosevelt in the election.
THIS case presented the sim.
l. plest kind of police prob
lem. A bunch of hoodlums got
drunk and. when the President
had finished his speech, went
out looking for trouble.
Feeling that the President
had endorsed the brutality for
which they are notorious and
which the Supreme Court sol
emnly approved in the disgrace
full Byrnes opinion, they per-
mitted themselves to be de-
ceived by the young and slight
appearance of the two officers.
Ali goons are yellow as they
have repeatedly demonstrated
in waylaying unsuspecting and
defenseless wagon drivers in
Chicago and beating their
brains out with the ballbats and
in mobbing individual workers
trying to go TO their jobs in
Seattle.
These particular gorillas OBJ
viously did not realize that
some men have courage even
against gangs and, from all
published accounts. 1t appears
that the naval officers kicked
their ears off in rousing
rough and tumble.
Undoubtedly Tobin's influence
quickly reached the White
House and III A,ubtedly there is
White House Ctnnivance In the
mishandling of the police work
by which the F'BI is placed In
the absurd position Of being un-
able TO pick up half a dozen
disorderly DRINKS whose names
undoubtedly are known TO Mr..
Hoover and TO Steve Early, the
Presidents secretary.
A Senate committee has been
making absurd passes at the
case. with political motives di.
recting both the inquiry and OBJ
struction of the inquiry. but
this is no proper business OF a
congressional investigation. II IS
a straight police case In which
nothing has been done because
the gorillas were members OF
the following OF Mr.. Tobin and
the President.
MORE than that, the navy
Nl even tried. for political mo-
tives, 10 prevent news OF the
gang attack from reaching naval
ships and stations in the war
zones, although. by now. thou
sands of relatives and friends
of individual bluejackets and Of
fcers will have mailed them
clippings telling Of the brawl. |
In this connection, you might
he interested 10 learn that old
Tobin. himself, is so fearful OF
violence 10 his own royal person
that he and the rest OF the
ruling caste Of the teamsters'
union. are protected by a spe-
cial constitutional provision. An
assault on a general officer"
meaning Tobin or any member
of his cabinet. by prosecuted
rank and file member. comes in
special criminal egory
under union law. ANY member
so charged must stand trial be-
fore the ruling clique. itself, in
which case. the complaining
witness sits as Judge and prose-
cutor, as well, and may suffer
any discipline" which the
board. of which Tobin is chair.
man. DEGREES.
Now that / have begun to
delve into the true character OF
Old Man Tobin and his union,
shall develop the story from
time 10 time so as to reveal
more fully the leering mockery
of Mr.. Roosevelt's selection OF
this organization as the prime
audience for an address to the
American people in the midst OF
war.