The Washington times., 1922-12-29
LAX LAWS HERE
BLAMED FOR
CRIME
Sir Basil Thompson, Former
Scotland Yard Chief, Tells
of Impressions.
BY SIR BASIL THOMPSON,
Former Chief Criminal Investigation
Department, Scotland Yard, Lon
don, England" Police Department

Former Chief Criminal Investigation
Department, Scotland Yard, Lon
don, England Police Department.
Copyright, 1892, by Cosmopolitan
News Service.)
NEW YORK, Dec. 29.-I will not
20 so, far as To- say. that the people
Of America are lawless, yet there are
more crimes Of certain classes COM
<mitted in the United Stataes today
than in any other nation.
This is not so much because the
people as a whole are lawless, as be-
cause there seems to be something
In their blood which leads them to
disregard the law and go to excesses.
In large part, this is due to the
legal system which exists here, to
the jury system, to the failure, very
often, to administer justice as stern
tain lax laws.
Crime More Widespread.
When I made my first visit to this
country in 1882, criminality was
greater in certain sections OF the
West than in the East and in the
South. Now find these conditions
ts true such crimes as those commit
ted at Herrin. ILL.,, by the Ku Klux
Klan and others in the South are
Western and Southern crimes. but
there Is a very great percentage OF
crime also committed in the East and
the Middle West.
In Chicago, a city of some 2.000.-
900 Inhabitants, for instance, accord
ing to the records Of the American
Bar Association, four murders are
committed to every one in Canada,
with a population of seven million.
The records further show that 1 in
every $4,000 persons is murdered in
the United States, in England in
412,00O.
Now. I do not>xegard this as due
war. 1t is chiefly because so many
persons whose guilt has been fully
proven are often given sentences
far too light and because delays
serve to create a certain disregard
for the law and a belief that com.
paratively little, II any, punishment
may follow the commission of GRIM
inal offenses.
Juries Easily Moved.
In addition. American juries, too,
often allow themselves to be influ-
enced through emotion, political in
huence, sentimentality, a lack of ap-
probation Of the responsibility which
society imposes upon them or other
causes, with the result that crimi-
nails do not fear severe punishment.
Even IL they are sentenced to long
prison terms, they rely either on the
laws delays and technicalities or the
"softness' of juries that enable them
to go free or receive comparatively
light sentences upon second trials.
These views are not mine alone,
but those Of brilliant lawyers, mem.
bers of the American Bar Associa::
ton, who base their opinions vorf the
legal records of this country.
There are those here who are in.
clined to place much Of the respon-
sfbility for existing criminality on
the parents. do not think parents
are SO much to blame as the too
mild enforcement of the law. It is
In the power Of the people them
selves to rectify such evils.
Is Optimistic.
Notwithstanding the somewhat dis.
couraging criminal conditions exist.
ing throughout the country, I am
optimistic. Human nature Is human
nature. 1t has been said that 1t can
not be changed, but history proves
that II can be bettered.
I would not care to hazard what
crime conditions may be in the Unit
cd States or anywhere else 100 years
from now. There may be, mean
while, some form of social cataclysm
which will change present conditions
greatly. We have seen what has
happened in Russia, something no
one six or seven years ago dreamed
would be possible. We do not know
what may be the social status in
2023, but We know there are elevat-
ing influences at work in society, in
various forms. whose object 1t is to
make men and women better. And
they are doing excellent work, even
II 1t cannot prevent all crime.
Ever since the days of Adam and
Eve human nature has led people to
do wrong. AS long as mankind ex-
lists I suppose evil things will be
done. So do not let us look for per-
fection in men and women. II we
do we shall seek not only the i'm
prOba bile but the impOssible