The New York herald., 1921-02-20
AFTERMATH OF WAR
High Cost of Whiskey and
Labor Unemployment
Listed Among Causes.
PROTECTION DISTRIBUTED
We Usually Get Our Men,
Warns Chief Sutton in
Interview.
special Despatch 70 THE NEw YORK Herald.
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington, ID. G.. Feb. 10.


New York Herald Bureau.
Washington, ID. G.. Feb. ~
There is a nationwide plot on foot,
centrally directed, for the wholesale
robbery of mail trains. post offices and
post office wagons, it was disclosed
today by George NJ. Sutton, Chief Of
the Postal Inspection Service. as an
aftermath of the holdups in Toledo,
when S40O 900 loot was obtained from
a wa Son on Thursday last, and on the
Northern Pacific Railroad near Min
nee.polis on Friday night. with a loss
estimated at several hundred thousand
dollars.
Evidence gathered in preliminary in
vcstigations Of these cases and others
that have occurred in the last few
months. Mr.. Sutton said. indicates that
bandit ring is in operation with a
network throughout the United states.
II am confident We will soon be able
to break up the nationwide organiza-
tion of post office burglars and other
criminals who are planning hurglarles
at many points" he said. There Is
every expectation that the bandits VINO
robbed the Toledo post office wagon
soon will be caught
There has been sharp increase IN
the number Of post Office and mail train
robberics. the Post Office records show.
but the officials insist that this is but
one phase of the crime wave, which has
l,een on throughout the country during
the last few months. The increase In
mail robberies is less. they say. than
In other lines. that Is, banks. trust COM
panies and various financial institutions
Exact figures as to the number or
post Office and mail train roboeries are
not available for recent months, but
the officials said to-day that during the
last fiscal year ended June 30 there
were 3145 arrests for violation of the
postsl laws, of which 535 were on ac-
count of post Office and mail train rob
berries The expectation is that at the
present rate the number will be eX-
ceeded this year. OF the arrests 1,917
we're of persons outside the post Office
service.
On the evidence that there Is plot
nationwide in its scope for the robbery
of post offices and mail trains, the en-
tire force OF the postal inspection SER
vice has been placed in strategic posi-
tions throughout the country ready to
follow any trail that develops. Mail
clerks have been warned that the scheme
is on and they are on the lookout for
attempts at robbery.
TT is difficult to find the exact rea-
son for the crime wave" Mr.. Sutton
said. "I am inclined 10 think IT is one
OF the aftermaths Of the war. a great
many men who were in the military
service have not returned to their old
homes and are knocking about the
cities. The fact that they have been
specially trained In the use OF firearms
may be responsible for some of the
crime. Further. there are many other
things that may be responsible-the un-
employment situation and even the high
cost of whiskey.
81 think the postal service has Jared
better than banks. Where there was
one bank robbery last year there have
been FIVE during the present year Fur
ther. the losses have not been so great
as reported in specific instances. ] am
sure there has been tremendous exag-
geration.
II want to say this. too Mr.. Sutton
continued that We usually get our