Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-12-05
The Haskin Letter s' ',s %s4is
NATIONAL FINGER PRINT SYSTEM.

Washington, D. c.. Dec. "A ma
tional system Of Identification is being
urged by finger-print experts. Ac-
cording to the proposed plan three sets
country over five years of age would
be taken. One set would be filed at a
national bureau of Identification at
Washington. The second copy would
go to a bureau at the capital of the
state in which the individual lived.
And the third copy would be filed with
local officials of his city or county.
With this system, it is claimed, puz-
zies Of identity would be reduced to a
minimum Finger prints can now be
so completely classified and filed that
when a pattern is presented for iden-
tification file experts can quickly as
certain whether or not the same print
is in their collection.
Thus, suppose a mar suffering from
aphasia were found wandering about
the streets of a southern city. People
are singularly careless about carrying
marks of Identification, and it might
easily happen that a Chicago shop la
bel in Il hat would be the only clue to
his identity.
The mans finger prints would be
taken and compared with prints of the
! same type in the local city file. If
he were not found there, the Chicago
bureau Of Identification would be asked
to compare his prints with similar ex-
| hibits in their file. If he were not
among the residents of Chicago, the
national bureau would search its rec
ords. Once the man was identified,
his next Of kin. as named on his finger
print card, would be notified.
BY a similar process the majority of
unidentified dead could be returned to
their families, we are told. Detectives
say that every year 10000 unidentified
dead are buried in the potter's fields
in this country. More than 100000
women are reported missing each year,
while kidnapped and lost children and
missing men constitute a serious prob
lem fro every community.
An identification bureau, of course
will not make it much easier to locate
a person who has disappeared out OF
his normal environment, leaving nc
trace. But every such person who
turns up unidentified at a police head,
/ ltill L Vi hSSlitoI vi IN Us IL al ~
almost surely traced through a n a
tional finger-print system.
Even in eases of drowning u
death caused by burns, where a body
is most difficult to identify, finger
prints can often be of great assistance
Persons who are Overtaken by violent
death are apt to clench the hands, ana
the skin on the finger tips is thus pro.
tected. Finger prints have played al
important part in a number of cases
Of this sort when they could be com
pared with existing finger print rec.
ords. This has been possible when thu
victim turned out 70 have been {
criminal, previously finger printed b,
d police department, or when he haC
been in the army or navy. When II
such a case no record can be found
the finger-print clues on Il body arr
useless.
Protection to Every Citizen.
According to H. w. Bennett, finge,
print expert of this city, every either
should realize that a complete nationa
finger printing system would be a val
liable protection to him. When rea
need to identify someone or to prov
personal identity arises. the situation
is generally Urgent, and no one know
when such an emergency may occL'
in his own life. Unfortunately only
few classes of people-detectives
bankers, insurance men. and police of
f~icials. principally-appreciate the i'm
portance Of conclusive Identification
1t is not easy to stir up enthusiasm
among the public, Mr.. Bennett says
because the average citizen is not per
s~onally interested until he has n spe
cific need for Identification.
Another difficulty in arousing inter
est in the proposed bureau is that tax
ing finger prints has been almost ex
clusively associated with crime. Tn
la~w-abiding individual is apt to b
reluctant, therefore. TO undergo tn
process. For these reasons ii way h
some time before the bureau become
a fact. Bills for its establishment ar
sidptracked because there is no genera
demand for the project.
Mr., Bennett explains that the ide
If a national system Of finger print
ing is not new. France, like the Uni
ted States, has been considering til
plan. and Argentina already has
working system, though not quite $
complete as that proposed for thi
country.
Every citizen Liable 10 military serH
ice in Argentina is finger printed .
the age of Is. Women are not con
pelled to have their prints taken, bt
many do 50 for their own protectio
and convenience. The head Of II
Argentina system says that custom
and institutions of his country make
almost necessary for u resident to ca
, ry some sort Of credentials, and Il