South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-05-30
URGES FEDERAL
BUREAU TO FIND
MISSING PERSONS
Washington Woman Police
man Says Feminine Wand
erers are in Majority.
BY LOUIS LUDLOW.

b1 iTOAlS
WASHINGTON. May 2S.-In re-
Spouse to a plea made by Mrs Nina
c. Van Wrinkle. who, with the rank
OF lieutenant. heads the women DO
lice OF Washington, Atty Gen. Harry
Daugherty has agreed to recommend
/ TO congress an appropriation for the
establishment under the depart-
ment OF justice Of a bureau of miss
ing persons. according 10 a state
ment obtained from Mrs. Van
Wrinkle today.
Americas port Of missing
women" is the harbor now of more
than 10000 human derelicts. accord
ing to the head of washington's
women police: From coast to coast
these feminine wanderers wend their
way, their home ties severed, and
their movements a mystery. The
women-most of whom are really
girls-form the major number Of the
$4,000 missing persons in the United
States today.
Who are these women? Where
do they come from and what are
they dOing?" Mrs. Van Wrinkle was
asked
Some Of them no longer have
homes" she replied, they have left
them for good. Others. who have
more recently deserted their homes
and would be welcomed back, re-
fuse to go. Perhaps they are stub
born or are ashamed TO admit the
error OF their ways by returning.
They may on the other hand, be
welded to what they consider the
gay life of the cities. or perhaps
they are attached 10 men.
Receive Requests Continually.
In our police department we
continually receive requests to
search for girls who have abandon
ed their homes in all parts of the
United States. Similar requests are
\ received in the police departments
of all the metropolitan centers.
Official reports from Los Angeles
! declare there are 500 girls missing
from that city. The number is large
/ because of girls who are lured TO the
California city by a promise Of fame
in the movies. Their dreams shat
tered, they disappear. wandering
wherever the fates direct them"
Mrs. Van Wrinkle declared that a
! particularly tragic feature Of the sit
uation is the fact that half Of the
girls are not more than 16 or II
years old.
Many Of these missing women be-
come criminals. and most Of them
become sex offenders 10 a greater
or less degree" she continued But
il is wrong to assume that they are
all ignorant, as popularity supposed.
Many of them are women with col
lege Quotations
Yearns to Drive Auto: Steals.
ct is a curious thing-the COM
parison OF crime between boys and
girls. Boys are led into crime by
the lure of adventure. One boy we
handled recently possessed a pas
sion for driving automobiles He
stole three cars that he might have
the thrill OF driving them Finally
We got him a job as chauffeur and
he has been good ever since.
But it usually is different with
girls. Their entry into crime gener-
ally is traceable to a mans intlu-
ence. They may steal for the love of
man; they wish 10 impress him by
wearing attractive clothes or they
may have left home because they
thought. once. when man said he
I loved that he meant it."
| And. according TO the head OF
I Washington's women police women
criminals with male accomplices will
/ lie or go 70 any lengths to protect
! the men. But the men are not so
loyal TO the women. she added
Would Lessen Mysteries.
Fraudulent movie concerns prom
Using girls fame and fortune are re-
sponsible for the beginning of con-
siderable female waywardness. In
\ the opinion OF Mrs Van Winklo
These concerns may be found I'm
nearly all the large cities she
said They often carry ads in the
local papers We discovered one in
/ Washington. We sent FIVE OF our
police girls in plain clothes to apply
\ for movie roles. but the manager
\ told them one after another, that
I they wouldn't do Finally. we chose
a large girl. one who does the
rough work in shop-lifting cases.
The manager Of the movie concern
\ decided that she would do. He
/ locked her in the room and began
making advances 10 her. She pulled
/ her gun and now he is under arrest
awaiting trial"
Mrs. Van Wrinkle expressed the
opinion that the establishment OF a
I bureau Of missing persons under the
.
terially in lessening the NUM- Der OF
girls who desert their homes and
! whose Whereabouts remain a mys-