The New York herald., 1921-06-30
DRY LAWS imp AIR
MORALS OF NATION
Crime Wave Exists and Is Due
to Prohibition, Says
w. B. Joyce.
SURETY FIGURES PROOF
They Establish Increase in
Burglary and Embezzle-
ment Since 1918.
SURETY FIGURES PROOF

Ino enect or national prohtDitlon
avs, In tho metropolitan districts at
least. has been to impair rather than
to improve the morals of the COM
munities. Prohibition has been an
important contributing factor to the
nationwide crime wave. It has made
criminals of thousands of men and
women and has cost the surety and
bonding companies Of the country
hundreds Of thousands Of dollars since
1t went into effect
The foregoing are the opinions of
William B. Joyce, president Of the
National Surety Company. arrived at
after a careful analysis of claims paid
tor burglaries and embezzlement losses
for the ten years ending 1920, and a
survey of the reasons for the unprece-
dented increase in both classes of
crime since 1918.
Mr. Joyce was not speaking as on
opponent of prohibition. His remarks
we're prompted. he said. by belief
that the public was interested in the
fact that a crime wave does exist; that
many cities are inadequately policed
and that far too little investigation was
made by many employers of the char
acter and haS:ts of men and women
assigned to positions of trust.
Prohibition. he said. has been very
largely responsible for conditions re-
Elected in a composite report Of thirty
Of the leading bonding and surety COM
panies in the United States. 1t has
inspired contempt for the law. Mr..
Joyce said. and apart from the two
extremes of law breakers-the indi-
vidual who buys a drink of forbidden
hootch and the bootlegger who engages
In the traffic on large scale--it has
made thieves Of thousands who other
wise hew to the straight and narrow
without deviation.
There arc many. we have found"
Mr.. Joyce declared. who think no more
Of stealing a bottle or case Of booze
than a person does Of pinching an UNI
brella on a rainy day."
Weak Minded Affected.
The effect of the law. Mr.. Joyce
pointed out. has been disastrous upon
weak minded individuals with limited
incomes who have not been able to
curtail their bibulous habits. but try
to maintain the same daily average Of
hiEhballs and rickeys at 70 cents or 81
Apiece a. they did when the stuff sold
for what II was worth.
The vtotim first spends his or her
savings. then runs In debt, then be-
gins a series Of minor peculations that
grow and which eventually end In loss
Of position or worse. very largo pro-
portion of this class of victims are
women, Mr.. Joyce has found. and their
pligfyts result directly from the applica-
tion Of the liquor laws.
Apart from these cases, prohibition
has hit the surety and burglary insur-
ance companies hard In the enormous
quantities OF liquors stolen from private
residences and warehouses. In scores
of cases that have come under Mr..
Joyce's own observation burglaries have
occurred where 5ewelry. plate and other
vaiuab blcs were available. but where
cellar stocks were the only things miss
ing whom the intruders got through.
The total embezzlement claims paid
by thirty Of the leading companies last
year was IS. .s2s,s1e and burglary claims
amounting to SIC, o,1ss.s5s. The latter class
practically doubled over the figures for
| 1913. and are ten times as great as they
| were ten years ago. On the ratio of
insured to total losses these figures
| Indicate total burglaries Of about $780,
| 10000 last year and that figure does
not include train robberies like tho re-
oent Toledo and Council Bluffs cases,
where enormous hauls were had.
Factors I'm situation.
Among the other factors that enter
into the existing situation, as Mr.. Joyce
| has found and enumerated them are:
Widespread leesening OF respect for
law and property following the war.
The greater opportunity for dishonesty
through the issue of billions of dollars
OF nerotsabie securities, often handled
by inexpersenced and untrfed employees
The published reports of great profits
made In certain quarters a. a result of
the war, and the discomfort thus In
spired.
The fact that some criminals. newt
ably drafted during the war, have re-
/ turned more callous and reckless regard
ing other peoples lives and more skilled
| In the uee OF firearms and In attacking
guarded and unguarded places.
ExtraNgant living as result of high
wages paid during the war.
| The lure of the cities for thousands
of mon and women attracted from their
country homes by these high wages. and
the subsequent reduction and frequent
loss Of employment.
The false excuse for crime found In
the doctrines of Socialism and Boil
shevicm.
Inadequate accounting methods In big
business established during the war.
Cuipable carelessness by employers In
engaging without sufficient investigation
DANGEROUS criminals and ex-convicts
Who have posed as clerks. servants.
chauffeurs, &C