The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-03-29
Frederic Haslsin' { L,effe,
Aiming Our Criminals.

Warrington, March 3s-Any man
who feels moved to destroy will
soon be able, in the good old Amer
lean fashion to get all the dyna-
mite, nitro glycerin and other high
explosives that he wants. Sool
children will again plan with sticks
OF giant powder which they have
picked up around rock Quarries,
ccnvicts at work on the road will
conceal explosives with which to
resume the merry business of
cracking safes when they are re-
leased, morons and idiots will cas-
lily steal all the dynamite they want
with which to make bombs for
blowing up cabinet ofncers and
government buildings. I
This is not pure prophecy. All
of the conditions mentioned in the
paragraph above were found to ex-
list by the bureau Of mines when
they first undertook the admins
tration of the federal explosive act
in 1917. At that time the United
States was literally popping like q
bunch of firecrackers. Munition
factories and bridges were blown
up with Astonishing ease and reg
ularity. A cabinet officers house
was wrecked, then q portion Of the
capitol building went up in the air.
1t was evident that not only were
astute enemy aliens able to get and
use high explosives, but persons Of
the poorest means and intelligence
and of evidently unsettled mind that
the same advantage.
All of this led to the passage Of
the federal explosive act, which
was administered by the bureau OF
mines. 1t greatly reduced the dams
age done by high explosives, both
accidental and deliberately GRIM
inal, and it, revealed a condition
with regard to their distribution
and use such as finds parallel in no
other civilized country. Few states
had any adequate laws governing
either the sale or use Of explosives,
and there was no federal law on
the subject except ruling Of the
interstate commerce commission
with regardto their interstate ship
ment. AS al result, dynamite and
other high explosives were bought
and sold like groceries. stored any
where and by anybody, caused
enormous numbers of accidents and
were widely and pictuesquesly
used in crime.
Law Expires.
To this same condition we are
now about to return unless con-
gress does something about it, for
the federal explosive act was a
war measure. 1t technically re-
mains in force until the declara-
ton of peace, or until the funds for
its administration are exhausted.
This point has now been reached.
Unless congress acts promptly, we
now return to the regime under
which nyone can blow up, any,
thing or anybody, any time. In
deed, to a great extent We have al
ready returned to it. A few weeks
ago in Maryland, two farm hands
had a quarrel. One of them went
to a general store, stole large
quantity of dynamite out of ware
house, and blew up the home of his
enemy, killing a man and baby
and injuring a woman. The shock
was felt for eight miles. The man
who did the work was considered
to be of unsound mind. Yet he had
easy access to sudden death and
destruction in enormous quantities.
The bureau of mines is asking
congress to pass a law which will
continue the administration Of high
explosives in its hands. 1t stands
on the facts as to the need for such
regulation as revealed by the con-
ditions found in 1917, and upon its
own success in administering the
war time act. It also points out
that during the war many thou
sands of men became familiar with
explosives who would never before
have thought of using them. PERTH
nent also are the facts that there is
much unrest in the country and an
unusual amount of crime.
The bureau of mines suggests as
a peace time explosive law, an act
of congress empowering it and Civ
ing it the funds to investigate all
explosion whether accidental or