Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-29
RECEIVED BY TAFT
Prison Congress Delegates
Call on President.
ADDRESS BY EXECUTIVE
Says Better Administration of Grim
inal Laws Is Great Problem.
VISITORS GO SIGHTSEEING
Convention of American Association
Opens This Evening-Interna-
tional Body Meets Monday.
VISITORS GO SIGHTSEEING

| nations, assembled In the east room OF
the White House at 2:3O o'clock and
heard with delight the Presidents words
| of encouragement.
More than 400 men and women leaders
in the movement to improve the penal
| system and uplift the prisoner, are now
in Washington to participate In the
| three conventions which will be devoted
! to this subject.
Before shaking hands with the visitors
| the chief executive made a brief ad-
dress. in which he reiterated his state
ment that the question of improving
the methods of administration of crimi-
nal law is the greatest problem before
| the American people,"
The advance guard of the visitors, which
arrived last night consisted of seventy
| five foreign and one hundred American
| delegates. Two hundred more reached
| the city today; Including many foreign
ers. who will unofficially take part in the
discussions of the American Prison Asso-
citation, which opens its convention this
evening.
This morning the visitors were the guests
| of the Washington committee on a sight
seeing tour of the city. Many of the dele
gates made visits to the various govern
ment departments, the Department of
Justice being the mecca for most of the
foreigners.
Have Toured Country.
For the last nine days the foreign rep
resentatives. accompanied by one hun
dred of the American criminologists, have
been touring the country visiting the
largest touring the country visiting the
at the Willard these delegates were en-
thusastic in their praise Of American
methods and the advanced thought of our
sociologists in providing suitable en-
ployment for discharged prisoners.
John John Edison, chairman of the local
the American Prison Association to order
tonight at o'clock and the address of
welcome will be delivered by Engineer
commissioned Judson. Amos w. Butler.
president of the organization, will follow
with his annual address
On behalf OF the committee on dis
charged prisoners, F. A. Whittier will
submit report which will be discussed
6y 1t: Rev Samuel Fallows Of Chicago.
J. T. Gilmour. Toronto; Rev. e. A. Ere
denhagen, Kansas City. Mo-, and John e.
Hoyle. San Quentin, Cal.
Tomorrow morning the auxiliary as
sociations will meet at the Willard The
program for the day follows:
Business session, $50 am: report of
standing committee on reformatory work
and parole, by James A. Leonard. chair
man. superintendent state reformatory,
Mansfield, Ohio, 10 o'clock. Discussion
opened by Alex. Johnson general secre-
tary national conference Of charities and
correction. Fort Wayne, Ind; Mrs. D. A.
OSullivan, superintendent Andrew Mercer
reformatory, Toronto, Can; Henry Mel
vile, New York city, president board Of
managers Now York state reformatory:
general discussion,
In the evening at o'clock Mr. Butler.
president, presiding, the report Of stand
Ing committee on criminal law reform
Albert H. Hall, chairman. Minneapolis.
Minn., will be made. The discussion will
be opened by Attorney General Wicker
sham, Prof John H. Wigmore. Chicago
and Maj. r. w. McClaughry, Leaven-
worth, Kan.
An Interesting Delegate.
One Of the most interesting delegates
to the international congress, which
opens Monday at the Bureau Of American
Republics Is Frederick o. A. Woxen Of
Norway. Discussing the subject Of prison
reform, he said:
I'm Norway we are much interested In
studying American reformatory systems.
We adopted the cell system from Ameri-
ca fifty years ago. The death penalty
was abolished in 1902 In fact, there has
not been an execution in Norway since
1876. The indeterminate sentence has
been introduced in some cases. but 1t has
not yet demonstrated its practical value"
Euenne de Khrouleff, chief of the ad-
ministration Of prisons Of Russia, who
arrived last evening, does not resemble
the hydra-headed parsonage that some
Of the international muckrakers picture
as controlling the destinies of the IN
mates of the 800 jails in Russia and ST.
beria. He is q tall man with benevo-
lent expression and courteous manner.
Yes, this is the first time that such
a terrible person as the chief Of the
Russian prisons has ever been In the
United States." said NJ. de khroulefr.
Il hope to gain much first hand informa-
ton over here. The prison system of
America and her reformatories are known
theoretically in Russia. but now we shall
be able to get at them In practical way.
We shall be able to learn much.
Largest Russian Prisons.
Our largest prisons are at Moscow
and st. Petersburg They are of the
cellular system. Our prison arrangements
change every year with the building of
new structures and the rearrangement of
the old. We are trying to improve We
cannot assert that we are SO remarkable
in what we have accomplished as the
United States.
I'VE wish to get some idea how the
indeterminate sentence works over here
and Of course do not as yet feel qualified
to pass upon 1t. That l am permitted to
be away from my duties long enough to
spend q month over here Is proof Of the
great interest We take in Russia in your
prison and reformatory methods.
We are planning to establish houses of
correction for young criminals and we
are dealing with the problem Of enforced
hard labor. In dealing with the enforced
labor penalty we are aiming at nothing
short of the abolishment of deportation
to Siberia, which has always constituted
an integral part of such punishment"
Another conference that will practically
be held simultaneously with the American
Prison Association meeting and the inter-
national congress is the convention OF
the American Institute of Criminal Law
and Criminology, which takes place to-
morrow and Saturday at George
Washington University. Maj Richard
sylvester is the District delegate to this
convention.
A movement has been started by a
citizens committee to raise fund of $500
for the entertainment Of the visitors The
committee to receive subscriptions Is COM
posed Of William NJ. Shusser chairman:
Continued on Thirteerth Page.)