THE HARDEST JOB.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 96, 26 April 1933, Page 8

THE HARDEST JOB.

GUARDING THE PRINCE

HIS NEW YORK VISIT. POLICEMAN'S RECOIXECTIONS. (By WALTER TRUMBULL.) NEW YORK, March 15. Mr. Richard -E. Enright, the former New York police commissioner, says it is almost impossible to guard a President of the United States or visiting Royalty from the danger of an assassin's bullet when the person to be protected is in a public place and surrounded by a big crowd. It is too easy,for someone to fire a shot before anyone knows what he is- doing. "The hardest job I ever had as police commissioner," says Mr. Enright, "was to protect adequately the Prince of Wales when he came to New York on H.M.s. Renown in 1920. Under ordinary circumstances, nobody, with the exception of an anarchist or a crazy man, has any personal animosity against a President, but the Prince of Wales arrived at a time when the scars of the world were still fresh. There was agitation among certain Irish and German sympathisers, and the Soviet was active. "They asked me whether, if the Prince of Wales came to this city, I could guarantee protection. That was a tough question. I knew that the Prince was a shining mark. But I answered that I could guarantee all the protection humanly possible. If someone with a rifle and telescopic sight took a shot at him from a distance, or if somebody in a close pressed crowd fired a revolver before anybody could get to him, no police vigilance could stop it." Army of Guardians. Mr. Enright says at first the British authorities were not inclined to let the Prince take the chance, but finally all parties concerned made up their minds that, if the Prince of Wales was not safe in.New York, he would not be safe anywhere, and over he came.

"Then," says Mr. Enright, "my troubles began. The responsibility was mine. All I asked was that the Prince should keep to a schedule, that I shoujd be informed of his whereabouts at all . times, that I should be informed in advance of his plans, and that they should "not be changed without ample notice. This enabled me to take all possible precautions. . . ■ ■ "While the Prince was here there were, in addition to operatives from the U.S. Secret Service, a total of at least 1000 men of the police force engaged in his protection. Most of them were detectives. Others were police in plain clothes. And, of course, the uniformed force also was employed on such occasions when the Prince drove through the streets." Mr. Enright explains that there were always from 20 to 50 men around the Prince, on all public appearances, as a shield. And there were always many other plain-clothes men within a comparatively short radius. "Conditions were bad and we were covering him in every possible manner. When he went to the seventh regiment armoury, we had 100 plain-clothes men in the building. When he visited the City Hall, we had men with guns and field glasses on the surrounding roofs. Every time he was scheduled to stop w any street, we combed the neighbourhood and adjoining houses." "Did he ever get away from you! Mr. Enwright was asked. "Yes," he answered, smiling, "I shall have to. admit that once or twice he eluded us. I shall never forget the day he left. As the Renown sailed away, I sank into a rocking chair on the porch of the Columbia Yacht Club and took my first easy breath in many days. "Before he sailed I went on board, and the Prince thanked me for the care the police had taken, gave me an autographed photograph, and pinned on me the Victorian Order, a fourth class. "And," said Mr. Enright, "I felt I had earned it."—(N.A.N.A.)