Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-12-05

DeC' - iioeAo'
al system of Identification is being
urged by finger print experts. Ac"
cording to the proposed plan three
sets of the finger prints OF each per-
son in this country over five years ~
age would be taken. One set would
be filed at a national bureau of iden-
LITIGATION at Washington. The second
copy would go to a bureau at the
capital of the state in which the inci-
yidual lived. And the third copy
would be filed with local officials OF
his city or county.
With this system, it is claimed.
puzzles of identity would be reduced
to a minimum. Finger prints can
now be so completely classtfed ana
filed that when a pattern IS present
ed for Identification file experts can
quickly ascertain whether or not the
same print Is in their collection.
Thus, suppose a man suffering
from aphasia were found wandering
about the streets of a southern city.
People are singularly careless aoohl
carrying marks of Identification, and
it might easily happen that a chi
cage shop label in a hat would De
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 ME-
IL he were not found there. the chi
Gag bureau of identification would
be asked to compare his prints with
similar exhibits in their lille. II
however. not among the residents OF
Chicago, the national bureau wou4h
search its records. Once the man
was identified, his next of KIN, as
AIMED on his finger print card. would
be notified.
By a similar process the majority
of unidentified dead could be return"
ed to their families, we are told. De-
tectives say that every year 40'O9c
unidentified dead are buried in the
potter's fields in this country. MOLE
than 100000 women are reported
missing each year, while kidnapped
and lost children and missing men
constitute a serious problem lof
every community.
An Identification bureau, Of course,
will not make it much easier TO TO-
cate a person who has disappeared
out of his normal environment, leaV-
ing no trace. But every such person
who turns up unidentified at a po-
lice headquarters or hospital or
morgue can be almost surely traced
through national fingerpr.nt SYSTEM
Even In cases of drowning and
death caused by burns, where a body
is most difficult to identity. finger
prints can often be of great ASSIST
ance. Persons who are overtaken
by violent death are apt to cleneh
the hands, and the skin on the tin-
ger tips is thus protected. ringer
prints have played an imp 3rtant part
in a number of cases OF this sort
when they could be compared with
existing finger print records. Ihls
has been possible when the victim
turned out to have been a criminal.
previously finger printed by a ponce
departm ent, or when they had been
in the army or navy. When IN susn
a case no record can be round, the
| finger print clues on a body are use-
less. ,
Protection 10 Every Citizen
According to H. w. Bennett, finger
| print expert Of this city, every citi-
zen should realize that a comple-e
national finger printing system wol'd
| be a valuable protection to him.
When real need to identify some
n or to prove personal identity
arises, the situation Is generally nrg-
ent, and no one knows when such an
| emergency may in his W
| life. Unfortunately only a rev
classes of people-deteetives, Bank
| ers, insurance men, and police OIL
Gals, acknowledgements the in'-
portance of conclusive identification,
It is lot easy to stir UP enthusiasm
among the public. Mr.. Bennett says
because the average citizen is nol
personally interested unit, he has a
specific need for Identification.
Another difficulty in arousing in.
terest in the proposed bureau is that
taking finger prints has been almost
| exclusively associated with crime
The law abiding individual is apt e
be reluctant. therefore. to underg'
the process. For these reasons i
may be some time before the bureau
| becorse s a fact. Bills for it's estab'
Iishment are s~idetracked because
there is no general demand for tho
project.
Mr.. Bennett explains that the ides
of a national system of finger print
ing is not new. France, like thu
United States. has been considering
the plan and Argentina already ma
la working system. though not qntt'
so complete as that proposed for thi