The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-02-22

Sundays. a similar question pro- pounded to a police official of high rank was greeted with a stare of amazement. 'Preposterous!' he ex- claimed The entire German army could not enforce such a regula- tion.'''
 These illustrations are not intend ed as an argument for open saloons on Sunday. That is a separate ques- tion to be determined on the basis both of national habits and local con- ditions. The point is that a police department cannot be used to enforce standards of conduct which are wide ly disapproved or to regulate the private habits of a population con- trary to it's wishes Attempts to en- force laws of this type which are not representative of public opinion in- variably breed corruption.
 s'The European police department is, on the whole, an excellent piece Of machinery To it's construction a high order of creative intelligence has been devoted: in it's operation an equally high order of intelligence is constantly employed. In the last resort, the police problems of 9 mod ern city make a. large demand upon intelligence, and Europe has succeed ed in formulating and solving its po- lice problem because discarding all inferior persons and agencies, it has utilized in this work a, superior type of intelligence
 Beneath all the variations which we have from time to time comment ed on, there are certain common prin- cip1es on the basis of which the eff ciency of the European police de- partment can be explained. First the police are not called upon te compel conformity to moral stan dards which do not meet with gen. eral public approval. They are moi l asked to enforce laws which from the ! standpoint of accepted public habit ot taste are fundamentally unenforcea,- b1e."
 Second. control is centered where resp ponsibi1ity can be definitely fixed in a single official. This official thoroughly trained for his work and chosen with painstaking deliberation is clothed with independent author ity. Secure in his position and free
 from external interference, he en- joys the widest powers in dealing witE his subordinates. Perhaps the most striking fact in connection with the European police commissioner is not only the absence of checks and bal
 ances by which a possible abuse o1 power may be curbed or rninimized but the sustained faith of the people that power will be wisely employed. 5
 Finally, the rank and file of the European police forces are selected and trained with the same care and attention shown in the case of their superior officers. Indeed, in all ranks the character of the personnel is the essential constant factor of eff ciency On this and on no other
 basis is it possible to secure effec- tive organization Other featres can | indeed produce better conditions, but without these fundamental human values there can be no real or per rnanent efficiency.'
 | [ MT. Fosdick's book is the third o1 a series issued under the auspices o1 | the Bureau of Social Hygiene o1 | which MT. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. l is chairman. The two former books were Comm ercialized Prostitution 1T | New York City, by George w. Knee
 land and ''Prostitution in Europe" b3 l Abraham F1exner. While the Bureau l of Social Hygiene is concerned witF the problem of commercialized vice