Evening star., 1947-07-23
Mai. Callahan Will Be Buried
lin Arlington Cemetery Friday
Moss at St. Anthony's
Church to Follow
Services at Home

night at his home, 4018 Twenty
first street NE.
High mass will be sung at 10 am.
Friday in st. Anthony's Church,
Twelfth and Monroe streets NE,
following $50 services at the home.
The military services will begin at
the gates OF Fort Myer at 1880 am.
when the body is placed on caisson
for the professional to the grave.
The mass will be held at the church
Mai. Callahan had attended for
many years.
Active head of the police for only
year before taking sick leave Feb
ruary 3, Maj. Callahan had been
with the department II years, work
ing his way up from a precinct
patrolman. He retired on June 80.
At the bedside when death came
at II O'Clock last night were Mrs.
Callahan, their three daughters, Mrs.
Mary Schwartz, 26, of Silver Spring,
Md; Miss Patricia Callahan, "a, a
student at Catholic University, and
Miss Barbara Callahan, 20, clerk in
the Police Department, and Mrs.
Callahan's mother, Mrs. Elizabeth l..
Harrington.
The District Commissioners or
dered flags on District government
buildings flown at half-mast until
after the funeral.
Succeeded Col. Kelly.
Mai. Callahan's short tenure of
ofice as police superintendent began
on February !, 1916, when he was
sworn in as successor to the late
Col. Edward j. Kelly. Illness forced
him to take sick leave on February
3, 1s47, and he underwent numerous
operations from that time until his
retirement.
During the period he was on sick
leave, his retirement was the sub
ject Of many rumors. On May %
Maj. Callahan, not completely
aware of the seriousness of his ILL
ness, announced he expected to re-
turn to his desk about July l. The
statement came at time that Com
missioner John Russell Young had
called for the records Of some IS
high-ranking officers in the Police
Department being considered for
the No. 1 police post.
Less than a month later, on June
10, Maj. Callahan requested imme-
diate retirement. The request was
transmitted verbally to Mr. Young
by Mrs. Callahan during an inter-
view at the District Building.
Four days later Chief of Detec-
tives Barrett was named to the top
post and Maj. Callahan's retirement
was made effective on June 80. In
spector Barrett was sworn in as
major and superintendent of police
on July 1.
Three Sides TO Ability.
The men who knew Maj. Callahan
best-his associates in the war
against crime and his hunting and
fishing evaluate his worthful-
ness to the Police Department in
three parts: As Cd an ordnance
technician, (2) police instructor, and
80 executive officer.
All three of these abilities, they
say, stemmed from World War and
his experience as second lieutenant
in q field artillery outfit.
Summing up his qualifications for
the departments top command, one
friend said:
I'm another city. Maj Callahan
would have become one of the great
police chiefs of the country-but in
Washington, no man can be a real
chief of police.
Many Bosses.
"A strong Mayor sometimes lets a
police chief run the department
without interference. Here the police
chief has so many bosses his own
ideas seldom mature"
This was the reason Maj. Callahan
introduced no major improvements
during the short time he headed the
department after his appointment
February 1, 1916, the friend ex-
planned. But another policeman
who had watched Maj. Callahan's
ascendency in the ranks added:
II agree with that only in part.
think the major was a great chief
in spite of the handicaps."
So much of Maj. Callahan's
nearly 80 years Of police work were
spent in executive capacities that
his appearances in the public print
were comparatively few. But there
was q day in June, 1941, when he
appeared before a House District
Subcommittee investigating the p,o-
lice department and dropped a
bomb.
Critical Of Department.
Asked what he thought of the de-
partment, Maj. Callahan responded
with a lengthy, learned statement,
so frank and fortnight that only a
bold man could have faced the pos
sible repercussions. At that time he
was captain and commanding off,
Ger of the first precinct.
He told the committee the de-
partment was only rs per cent eff
cient and that a general shakeup
would be wholesome. He said there
was well-founded suspicion that
squad of stool pigeons within the
department was spying on other
members of the force. He deplored
politics" and "cliques" In the de-
partment. ..
Disputing evidence Of an acting
superintendent who preceded him
on the stand, Maj. Callahan said
distrust and suspicion existed be-
tween superiors and subordinates
and among men on the same Level
in all ranks. Solicitation of money
during fund-raising campaigns had
n