LONDON'S POLICE

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 46, 31 August 1928, Page 4

LONDON'S POLICE

[THE SAVIDGE INQUIRY ATTACK ON THE PRESS AN EAEL'S ATTITUDE (From "Thß Post's" Representative.) LONDON, 27th July. Tho verdict of the House of Commons upon the two reports of the tribunal arising out of tho Savidge case was that they agreed sufficiently to demonstrate that tho existing police methods wore wrong, and that the duty of the forthcoming Royal Commission ■would be to make invulnerablo tho liberty of the individual within tho law. j ■Mr. Johnston, Labour member for Dundeo, moved a reduction of the vote to the Metropolitan Police. A largo part of his speech,was taken up with an attack against tho Press, which he allegod to be in sinister communication with tho polico otherwise than through-the Press Bureau at Scotland yard. Orimlnological experts attached to newspapers, and furnished with large entertainment allowances, had regular daily meeting places with officers from Scotland Yard. The result was not only a leakage of information' that ought properly to be reserved for the House of Commons, but, as in the present case, an organised Press campaign to whitewash the police whenever their methods lea. tnem into difficulties. ■ 'He gave several instances oi now tne press'had anticipated several, decisions of high officers in the Police Force and of the Home Secretary himB°lt was not only the Press Bureau, j ■aid Mr. Johnston, but every organ m Fleet street, with, he thought, two, or •possibly three, exceptions, kept a-crime expert on their staffs gathering advance . information about crime "scoops." These men had ontcrtainment allowances, in addition to their salaries, of £3 to £10 per week He made no allegations about the Press Bureau' "slush/" but it was an open secret, and was openly talked about in Fleet Street, that there was a .close contact between these' crime exports and certain highly placed ■ detectives and policomen iri the various branch establishments in London. Not tar ■ from the House of Commons there were three places where there was regular contact outside the Press Bureau. It might be perfectly honest—it might be that there waa.no money passing—but he was assured on good authority that there was.'a place called "The Dive in St Stephen's terrace, opposito the House, tho saloon bar of the Ked Lion, Derby street, the basement of Messrs. Lyons in Whitehall, whore there-was recular daily "contact between highlyplaced officials at Scotland Yard and certain crime experts operating on behalf of the Press outside the1 Press Bureau. . NEWSPAPER'S "SCOOP." There was -'one matter which he would like to put specifically to the Home Secretary for him to answer. On Tuesday of this week the "Daily Mail" came out with an announcement that in future motorists were not to be prosecuted for the first offence, but that they were to be warned^ and subsequently prosecuted. That decision was taken in the highest quarters of Scotland Yard, but no other newspaper had the announcement until the iext morning. Would tho right honourable gentleman tell the House how that important announcement to every motorist in tho country, as'well as to' the general public, instead of being issued as' an official communiquo, was given eolely to the "Daliy-Mail," which had one day's start? Sir William Joynson-Hicks cleared himsolf of the charge of being a pompous busybody1 by explaining that tho Magistrate's dismissal of the Money ease had 'been tantamount to a charge of perjury against the police, and' by hintingj that, he had ascertained this to be.,the'Magistrate's view. / He had, therefore/, had no option in the matter!', Nor'could he control the insolent irifiltratio'n of the Press into circles ■where, as two great newspaper proprietors -had. explained to him, it was as much" iheir business to buy news as his to'prevent thorn; His view of the position: was that the House could not re-try tho'specific case already heard - by its own tribunal, but could order the Royal Commission to inquire into all tho surviving suspicions of the police system, including' the practices of the Director, of .Public Prosecutions. PROVISIONAL INSTRUCTIONS. Ho begged only that in anticipation of the ' Commission's report public prejudice should not be aroused against a force which had shown, itsolf more efficient in tho detection of crime than any other pol Ace in the world. During the last four years, for example, in only two or three cases had it failed to bring murderers to justice. He refused also unduly to -fetter the police in the making of inquiries which were absolutely essential to their success. For example, over 1000 persons had been interviewed in connection with the Gutteridge murder before over the case came into Court. Nevertheless, with the consent of tho Commission, he had issued provisioiial instructions which were' to govern inquiries. In all cases where a person's charactor or reputation was at issue, no inquiry was to take .place 'without reference to tho Central Department of Scotland Yard, which would issue detailed instructions aa to its form. Secondly, all young, ignorant, or inexperienced witnesses wero to bo warned of the 'possible consequences to themselves of malting a statement. ■ Thirdly, a policewoman or matron •was to be present whenever it was necessary for male officers to put to any ' woman questions of an intimate character, unless the person making the statement expressly, made a request to the contrary. j PLEA FOR CLEAR PERSPECTIVE. The Earl of Birkenhead, speaking in the Upper House, appealed for a clear perspective of the Savidge:case. He. accepted most absolutely the conclusion of the Magistrate that the two people in this case were innocent, of :the charge that was'brought against them, but, if an elderly man took a young girl 30 years younger than himself to lunch in a restaurant in Soho-Hi; girl not belonging ,to.;%e< ■ same class of life, and not sharing,' as one might eurmiae, his intellectual and economic interest—and sat-in close proximity; to her in Hydo Park, and if there took •place between theinVsonie : caress of a kind whicn was, distinguished by the young lady herself as being- a kiss but not a kiss of passion, had they any very groat ground of complaint if a policeman 40 or 50 yards away misinterpreted the precise character of the caress1? -It might be .very difficult; at a •distance to be ajuite. sure: of : was. taking place. , ' ... 'He (Lord Birkonhead) was not m the habit of frequenting Hyde. Park at disputable hours and was, therofore, not in a position to give their Lordships actual experience or advice, but he was informed that there was no park in Europe inr which' so "much" indecorum could bo witnessed or nightly observed as could b,o witnessed and observed.in Hyde Park. To the police was aasigiyjj^.the deli-, cato and 'difficult task of:correcting.lt, and, in-proper cases, bringing it before

the Magistrate; and, while fully accepting the vindication which the Magstrate had given in this particular case, why should he, or the House, or tho Press lash themselves into a stato of hysterical indignation because two people who placed thernsolves in a most oquivocal position were misunderstood by witnesses who were' entirely honest and doing their best? USE OP CHRISTIAN NAMES. Ho had derived the greatest pleasure throughout his lifo in soeing young people enjoy themselves, but when an acquaintance, though innocent, was maintained in these somewhat unusual and almost Bohomian circumstances, misunderstandings wore very ■ likely to arise and they could not be seriously complained of by those who wero affected. To do them justice, those who wore principally affected had not been very forward in making these complaints, and those who had made them had done those people no inconsiderable dissorvice. Ho agreed that it was a great mistake'that tho inquiry at Scotland Yard should have taken place in the absence of any woman friend or any woman polico officer, but tho very introduction of the now regulations proved that the Homo Office realised that tho inquiry had elements which ought not to bo repeated, and that was the public service which this mattor had rendered. Complaint' had been made that the young lady had been addrossed by her Christian name, but their Lordships could take it from him, with some small experience ■in these matters, that tho practice of calling young ladies by their Christian names had, sine, the war, become very common in all sections of society, and.there was nothing alarming about it. (Laughter.)