The Washington times., 1922-04-12
DECLARESDR|NK'
DOESN' I CAUSE.
|. CRIME GROWTH.
Ex-Sootland Yard Head criti-
oizes Softness Of Americans
Toward Hardened FeIons.
Copyright. lsss. BY international News
service.)

l NOOpyfl&nts AtAsf ny AhtefN&RshaA tfcw"
ssrvics.)
LONDON, April 12.-"Drink has
nothing to do Nth the grototh Of
prot ofessional crime" This Is the
interesting statement made by Sir
Basil Thomson, former Scotland
Yard director and one Of Britain's
leading criminologists, ia revieio
of the increase of crime IN the
| United States and Great Britain.
"The humanitarian atmosphere"
sCith phich criminals are surround
ed Ia the United States is suggest
ed as a possible reason for the in
crease of American crime bg Sir
Basil, whose article Is herewith
presented:
BY SIR BASIL THOMSON, X. @. b..
Former Scotland Yard Director and
British Crin,inolosist.
| written Exclusively for the Interna-
tionaI News yssrviee.l
II is interesting to those who have
TO deal with crime in England to hear
that there is a wave of outrage In
America. Probably II the figures
came TO be taken. II would be found
that, as In England, the wave Is more
fapparent than real. That is 10 say.
that while there has been a diminu-
ton of minor offenses and a smaller
prison population than before the
I war, there is an epidemic of violence.
IL Is very surprising TO learn that
there were 5000 murders In the
United States last year, for this
works out to the surprising figure of
4 ~. hn In rnD mn n
the population. In London In norma.
times the figure is thirty-three per
100. 900 The wave of crime in Ems.
land is generally confined TO murder.
| GUS outrage, and waves OF this kind
have not been unknown I'm prewar
times. / doubt very much whether
the drink question has much to do
with this class of crime.
swelIs Minor 0ffenses.
Undoubtedly drink swells the total
| OF the minor offenses, but II has lit
tie or nothing to do with the growth
of professional crime. One of the
wisest provisions ever passed by
legislature in this connection was
the Pistols act. for, though people
are constantly found in possession
OF firearms without a permit, the
number is comparatively small.
Without flying to heroic remedies
there are certain very obvious pal
liatives that can be taken by every
community when II has to face .
sudden growth OF anti-social acts.
The first is, OF course. an, overhaul
ing OF the police, for II every Grim
inai realized that detection was GER
tain and the punishment swift and
sure he would no more resort TO
/ - Ia.
hand into the fire.
| do not know enough of the con-
ditions in the United States TO say
whether II would be possible to en-
force a Pistols act. do know what
has been done in London by a very
| careful selection of detective Off
icers, by giving special attention to
their training and by supplementary
them with promising police Off
lcers from the uniform branch, who
are put into plain clothes for the
emergency.
Police Have Advantage"
Much can also be done by motor
and motorcycle patrols. especially
at night. In London and practi-
cally In all parts of the United
Kingdom the police have the ad.
vantage OF the sympathy and as
sistance of practically the whole OF
the population, and II public opin.
ion is properly reused in the United
States doubtless the same condition
will apply.
But Increased efficiency In the
police is by no mems the only
remedy. There must be swift and
certain action by the courts. The
delay between arrest and trial must
be short. Prisoners awaiting trial
should be rigidly secluded and un-
der no circumstances allowed to as
sociate and. lastly. the courts must
impose sentences that are really de-
| terrent.
The United States have always
been q sort of experimental station
for new methods of punishment and
the tendency has seemed to us on
this side of the water TO be danger
ously near to becoming the hunting
ground of the faddist. The human
itarian atmosphere is in itself a
good thing. but IL the system IL
found to be failing in reducing the
crime problem Il becomes a great
| danger