The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-01-12

statute. These investigators are at work
In every State in the Union east Of the
Mississippi River. save New York and
the New England States. They have
canvassed nearly every disorderly house
In this vast territory. and In many In
stances they have complete records OF
the inmates. So thoroughly and COM
plete are the lists gathered by the gov
ernment's investigators that in many
cases the police In the cities now seek
information on this subject from the
Federal bureau. Most Of the govern
ment's Investigators come from the COM
munities in which they are selected to
make their inquiries.
The white slave act has been on the
statute book since June, 1910.
The Attorney General Immediately after
the act was passed began to receive hum
dreds Of complaints, and n most cursory
investigation convinced him that there
were thousands OF people in all parts OF
the country who were violating this law.
The. Attorney General found Immediately
that the plan of investigation and prose-
cution was so comprehensive that II
could not be carried out with the avail
able forces under his control. He, there
fore, appointed Mr.. Finch for the purpose
Of organizing a force Of investigating
officers and supervising and directing
them in carrying out the campaign. Cen
trail Offices were established in the city of
Baltimore. rs
Want Law Amended.
This countrywide canvass was made by
the Investigators because they found that
It was the quickest and surest way OF
getting a line on the men who were prey
ing upon unfortunate women. They found
that in most instances these women were
willing to give full information to the
government investigators. In fact, they
have come to regard the Department OF
Justices bureau as protector.
Mr. Finch has said that he hoped to be
able to install the governments system
of special work in New York and the
New England States in January and to
have it in force throughout the entire
United States before the end of the
present fiscal year.
Since the act was passed the govern
ment had obtained s37 convictions. Only
IS have been acquitted. The jail anc
penitentiary sentences resulting from
such convictions aggregate more than 6O'
years.
Officials of the Department of Justice
contend, however. that even with the aid
of private philanthropy to help care for
unfortunate women there is great need
for a strengthening of the present law.
In this connection II has been learned
that an effort will be made probably at the
present session to have certain amend
ments adopted. These will include within
the condemnation of the law any attempt
to induce any woman or girl to travel
In interstate commerce for unlawful pur-
poses, or to detain or hold any woman
or girl against her will in connection
with ythe white slave traffic. The gov
eminent officials believe also that the
l,aG EFT. in 70
gard TO the use of the malls for white
slave purposes, and that the government
ought to be authorized to issue search
warrants for the purpose OF securing evil
dence, and furthermore that the law
ought TO be amended so as not only to
authorize a woman to testify against her
husband in a white slave case, but also
to enable the government to campel a
woman to give such testimony.