The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1916-03-09


LONDON, Feb. "a. (by mail)--It Is
so dark in London at night nowadays
that it is hard to keep on the side
walks; so dark that collisions with
trees and lamp posts are frequent; SO
dark that passing pedestrians brush
coat sleeves without seeing each 9th
er; so dark that crossing busy street
is decidedly dangerous.
Yet there is no smuggling or robbing
people who are compelled to be
abroad after nightfall.
Imagine what would happen in New
York or Chicago or San Francisco or
any other American city under similar
circumstances.
There are several contributing
causes for this" Commissioner Basil
Thompson, Scotland Yards head, told
the United Press, in explanation Of
lessness.
THE chief cause" he continued,
sis that the criminals are out lighting
the nations battles.
Another reason is that there Is less
incentive for crime. The war is fur
nishing work that did not exist before.
Every man and woman who wants en-
ployment can find it in munitions
works Or elsewhere.
Then. too, the sale of liquor has
been restricted.
1.-The men with criminal records
who are now In the army are MAX
ing admirable soldiers. One, a drunk
ard and burglar, has won the Vic
toria cross. I will not mention his
name.
cat least forty have been killed and
hundreds have been wounded Every
one has proved himself hero in time
of war.
"Our men--I say our men because
our criminals are we'll known to Scot
land Yard-are behaving wonderfully
under the rigid discipline and they
will be better citizens when the war
is over"
| Scotland Yard has a carefully tabu-
lated record of every man and woman
with a criminal history in England
and Wales. Commissioner Thompson
| has at his finger tips statistics show
| ing the age, whereabouts and record
OF $4,000 human beings who have
committed indictable offenses at one
time or another.
| London's quota is about $4,000. or
these some are too old now for Grim
inal activity-from 70 to 80. Others
are In jails or institutions. Hundreds
have reformed. More are engaged
in making war supplies or munitions.
Most Of the others are soldiers.
practically all the north and west
London 'hooligans' have joined the
forces" went on Thompson. Some OF
these men. who correspond to the
Paris Apaches. are making wonderful
army records
Are they isolated in a single regl-
h. h. 10
siOner was asked.
NO" was his response, they are
scattered among many regiments, so
they do not feel the influence of their
former associations and are all the
better for it.
at is not difficult to see from all
this why women can traverse Lon
don's streets in anti-Zeppelin dark
ness as safely as by daylight. These
women, who go to and from their
work, not to mention our millions Of
ordinary pedestrians, are practically
safe.
There are few cases Of Juvenile
purse snatching, but virtually no as
saults or robberies.''
Despite the lack Of necessity for
criminal catching activity, swept
away by the war, Scotland Yards OPP
eratives are four times as busy at pres
ent as in normal times. the commits
sioner added.
EEeny aliens are chiefly RESPONSE
Bile for this. Throughout England q
great force OF detectives Is keeping
daily tab on persons who might do
the country harm. Every English port.
too. has its group Of sleuthful Scot
land Yard commissioners to watch and
trail suspicious individuals.