The Washington times., 1920-09-18
Today
The Wall Street Disaster.
Permanent High Rewards.
A Courageous Boy.
Better Than a Miracle.
BY ARTHUR BRISBANE


These warnings seem to prove
that a hideous crime had been dis
cussed in the hearing Of several.
They discourage the suggestion
that the calamity may have been
accidental, due to careless han
ding Of high-power explosives.
Every day in New York, and
other cities you may see bnghtiy
painted red wagons going about
with the warning. Explosives, In
red letters, as the only protec-
tion to the public. Such wagon,
it is said, was seen in Wall street
shortly before the explosion.
Collision with a street car, hre
engine, or speeding automobile
out of control might cause such an
explosive wagon" to repeat
Thursdays disaster at any time.
Such dangerous vehsctes shoun
be ailo.Oed TO move about tho
streets only after midnight, Uhen
traffic Is LoW and the ssde'Do|ks
empty. That Would seem to be one
lesson of the explosion
1t is said the explosion was
caused by TINT or picric acid,
dynamite not having sufficient
power to cause so much damage.
Considering the power Of those ex-
plosives, 1t should be possible to
trace every ounce Issued, and
check the use Of 1t. II that can
not be done now, proper regulation
should be made for the future.
1t is still possible, and every
one will hope, that careless han
ding of explosives Is to blame. To
control carelessness is difficult in
this country, but less difficult
than control of criminal vicious
ness. Those guilty of carelessness
resulting in Wholesale death might
be as careful as any other criminal
to conceal guilt
Possibility of criminal careless
ness should not be dismissed with
out thorough investigation. The
explosion is believed to have taken
place inside a one-horse wagon or
an automobile standing at the curb,
both wrecked when the explosion
occurred.
The theory is that a criminal
drove his deadly load to the spot
selected and then abandoned it,
leaving q time clock to do its work.
It toosiLd seem reasonable either
to forbid or Inspect most closely
any parking Of vehieles ,oithim the
fnas,c;al district.
After the Phoenix Park ex-i
plosion In England q law made it
a felony for any person not au-
thorized to. hsxe .ASnsmite In his
possession. Mere possession was
sufficient proof Of the crime.
Such a law should exist IN the
United States, with q permanent
offer of high rewards, with abso-
lutte secrecy for informants, for
any information leading to convic-
ton under the law.
Criminals are talkative, es-
pecially political criminals. and
given to boasting. Such rewards
would help in crimes with which
national and local authorities
seem able to cope. Conviction OF
any man planning Wholesale mur-
der would be we'll worth one hun
dred thousand dollars or q million.
There should be kept standing an
offer OF at least one hundred thou
sand dollars for Information lead
ing to proof of intention and
preparation to commit such a
crime.
Many crimes of the character
discussed have paased unpunish-
ed since and before the wholesale
poisoning plot at religious
banquet In Chicago. But detec-
tives are not to be lightly blamed.
Detection usually follows discov-
cry of a personal motive for crime.
Where the motive is impersonal,
based on the hatred Of a diseased
mind. detection is infinitely diff
ficult.
The chief hope lies in a con-
federate's confession. Hence the
Importance of large rewards, with
secrecy and full immunity for the
one giving information.
The public will ask: 'Ts It easy,
and how easy is It, to obtain sup
plies OF most powerful explosives
in considerable quantities." 1t
will be said that workmen using
the explosives could secrete small
quantities at a time. Would it be
unreasonable to demand that some
one representative of the manu-
facturer should be made RESPONSE
BILE custodian Of the explosive
from the time OF its shipment to
the hour OF legitimate use?
Is Il necessary that TINT"
picric acid, or others of the dead.
hest Ddr products should be used at
all tn time Of peace? Could not
industry get along pith the old
fashioned relatively harmless dyna-
mite?
The Government is said to have
dumped at sea a supply Of some
new explosive of which a small
amount would DESTROY whole
CITY. II was never used in war.
Criminals in this age are using,
II they can get it, tint" the lat
est weapon, just as in the Stone
Age they used a flint fastened TO
A. II ~I,.L L. la