Riot Call Proves Police Faster than Soldiers

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 164, 16 July 1935, Page 10

Riot Call Proves Police Faster than Soldiers

NEW YORK MAYOR STAGES SPECIAL DEMONSTRATION

With dramatic suddenness the Mayor of New York, La Guardia, drove 'home one of his points in favour of making Government Island a landing field for commercial aeroplanes as well as a military (|epot. He staged his argument before a delegation of members of the Military Affairs Committee of the House of Representotives, headed by Representive John J. McSwain, its chairman.

Halting the group of motor-cars # in which they were riding at Broad and Street, the Mayor led the members of Congress to the sidewalk in front of the offices of J. P. Morgan and Co. “Gentlemen,” he said, pointing to the historic building at the head of Broad Street, “there is the Sub-Treas-ury. I’ll show you whether we need soldiers on Governors Island to protect it. It is now 10 minutes past four. Watch!’’

He turned to Deputy Police commissioner Haroid Fowler. “Commissioner Fowler,” he ordered, “turn in a riot call!” The commissioner ran to a telephone. Over the wire went the special “Treasury riot call.” The 12 visiting representatives, the mayor and other city officials went to the steps of the Morgan offices. In three minutes the distant wail of a siren was heard. The representatives, agog, like small boys at a fire, were craning their necks. The shriek of the siren grew and exactly three minutes and 30 seconds after the call had been sent the first green radio police car, bearing Inspector John Conway of the First Division, sped up Broad Street and then stopped opposite the Stock Exchange. From that moment there was a growing pandemonium of sirens and bells. Bewildered Saturday afternoon workers in the financial district were quickly herded to the sidewalks its emergency wagons, patrol wagons and radio cars roared into the district. In less than 10 minutes six emergency wagons, 10 patrol wagons, 30 radio cars, 75 motor-cyi le men and two troups of mounted police—so troopers—were on the scene. The wail of other pieces of apparatus could be heard in the distance when the mayor, who had been moving about, smiling and chatting with the amazed members of Congress, said to Chief Inspector John Sorry: 4 ‘All right, inspector, dismiss your men, with the thanks of the mayor.” The representatives, from a dozen States, watched the appearance of the armed protective forces with exclamations of wonder. ‘•Why, the soldiers woul<d still be waiting for the ferry,” said Representative J. Mark Wilcox, of Florida, who had heard army officers al Gov «*• nors Island, in an inspection of I hat