POLITICS IN AMERICA

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 325, 10 April 1928, Page 8

POLITICS IN AMERICA

THAT there is no exaggeration in cabled accounts of the political atmosphere of the United States is vouched for by Mr. Albert Russell, a New Zealander, who was in Chicago at the time of the mayoral election a year ago, and saw the fantastic and lawless doings of “notabilities” such as “Big Bill” Thompson. Thousands of women paraded the city, hurling insults at their opponents, and the “gangsters” were only kept in check by their leader being shot dead by the police. The deceased “leader” was buried with great pomp, in a £9,000 coffin, smothered with £5,000 worth of hothouse flowers!

“Big Bill,” who is now leading one of the armies in the Illinois primary election, was entertained at a cabaret when Mr. Russell was in Chicago, and when the hero who hates King George arrived; the hand played “Hail, Hail, the Gang’s All Here!” —a striking tribute to the gang’s chief, now the Mayor of Chicago. “Big- Bill” addressed his admirers, punctuating his remarks with “nips” from a -whisky-flask, which he took from his pocket. With such a nice man as “Big Bill” in charge of the city of Chicago, one might imagine an election to be entertaining—especially when the fight resolves itself into a struggle as to which of the rival gangs shall seize the £20,000,000 “graft” money provided by the liquor and gambling thugs. In this primary election, all the gunmen are out and “wholesale murder is confidently predicted on both sides”—with the odds on the Thompson gang shooting or stabbing the most opponents, because it is slightly better organised. Apart from election killings, the underworld of Chicago is willing to accept any side employment offering, and the latest Chicago cables inform us that “the murder of any ordinary person can be arranged at a fee of £lO, and there is considerable competition as to who shall secure the contracts.” Generally, however, there is much perplexity, owing to wheels running within -wheels, and it is “a knotty problem for the honest gunman to know just whom to shoot for his employer.” Obviously, to the outsider, the best solution of the problem would be for the “honest gunman” to shoot his employer, and then shoot himself. But they do not see things in the same light in Chicago. If the state of affairs is as related in a mere primary eleetion, what it will become when the great general battle for the Presidency develops can only be conjectured. Meanwhile it is comforting to know that, according to well-informed opinion, there is no possibility of “Big Bill” Thompson and his gunmen and bootleggers being dragged into tl*? White Hpuse at the lieels of his anti-British donkey.