The Washington times., 1920-03-06
What Are Effects Of
On the Country?
Police Officials Of Nine Big
Cities Give Varying
Answers. Take
Your Choice.

ioHNHNF nuATCn vs-DlbtIlCt
Attorney Swami today declared
that although prohibition has
been In force only a short time.
drunkenness and disorderiiness
have decreased, while the more
serious ofrenses seem TO be on the
increase.
1T is too early for a dennite
opinion OF the effect OF prohibition
on crime In New York. as the law
has not been in force long
enough" he said. But in the
class of crimes the district at
torney handles, the office is busy
all the time"
CHICAGO. March 6.-Chicaso
has had as many murders and as
much crime under prohibition as
In former years. John J. Clarity.
chief of police. declared today.
prohibition has hardly had
time to make a real comparison
possible, but there has been just h
as much crime In Chicago as In
previous years" Clarity said.
We've had as many muir
ders and other crimes as formerly.
The professional criminal. how
ever. Is usually not a drinking
man, anyway"
ST. LOUIS. March 6.-Prohibi-
tion has reduced arrests in st.
Louis about 20 per cent. william
OBrien. chief Of police, declared
today.
Petty offenses have fallen of
the most, O'Brien asserted, but
declared that prohibitions effect
on crime was in its infancy"
ATLANTA, Ga, March 6.-"Pro-
hibition has made Atlanta one OF
the cleanest cities in the South,
and probably in the country" said
Chief of Police James L. Beavers
today.
'Since national prohibition went
into effect the number of DRINKS
arrested has decreased to almost
nothing. The ban on interstate
shipments OF liquor has aided us
materially.
Men who only . few months
ago spent almost their entire
earnings with bootleggers or mail
order liquor houses are today
staying at home and are furnish
ing their families many Of tho
comforts and necessities OF life
an unheard-of thing for many Of
these old 'topers before prohibi-
ton came along"
BOSTON. March 6.-rhat old
John Barleycorn was responsible
for many crimes Is shown by 4
remarkable decrease in practical
ly all classes of crime here since
July. 1918. when wartime prohi-
bition became effective. Murders,
however. have not decreased, DO
lice officials said today.
In the opinion of Michael J.
Crowley. superintendent of police,
the real effects of prohibition
upon crime will not become ap-
parent until the prohibition law
is working smoothly.
SAN FRANCISCO, March GA
decrease in crimes and arrests
here recently was attributed to-
day by Captain OF Detectives
Duncan Matheson to prohibition.
Daily drunk arrests in San Fran
cisco now average Ave or six. as
compared to nifty or sixty of pre-
dry days. Matheson called atten-
tion especially to the marked les
sening OF domestic troubles
brought to the attention OF the
police.
CLEVELAND. Ohio, March g.
Prohibition cut crime in half in
Cleveland, Chief Of Police Smith
said today.
II attribute the so per cent de-
crease in crimes Of violence to
the closed saloon and enforce
ment of prohibition" Smith said.
1.-THE falling off in the crime re-
port became noticeable imme-
diately after national prohibition
became effective.
The month OF February in this
city showed in excess Of a so per
cent crime decrease over the same
period OF 1919. Rigid enforce
ment of prohibition laws did -
MINNEAPOLIS, MINI, March G.
Tho records show marked de-
crease in crime" said Chief OF
Police Walker today. "Munici-
pal court cases for February this-
year tOtdicu OHiy l-c. IN FtD-
ruary last year there were $40
cases. Miscellaneous crimes for
February this year numbered
OIL and for the same period
last year 40.
ST. PAUL, MINI, March ct
think there is more crime since
prohibition became effective
Captain Rowan. OF the police de-
partment. said today "Of course.
there are not so many DRINKS
We have more thievery and hold
ups. The slot machines and gamb-
ling in former saloons keep us
busy"