Pueblo chieftain., 1922-02-13
By Frederic J. Haskin

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NEW YORK CITY, Feb. lo.-Sow
that the crime wave shows every indi-
cation OF becoming permanent. many
remedies are being advanced for ttn
control. IT Is no longer believed that
ths late war Is entirely to blame for
present conditions. There must be. our
authorities on criminology say, other
reasons for such an enduring reign OF
violence.
Some believe that the wave would
shrink perceptibly IN size II only our
metropolitan police forces were larger
and equipped with all the latest devices
of war, such as airplancs and gus
bombs and instructions to kill the enc
my en- sight. Others believe that tho
repeal OF the eighteenth amendment
would have n soothing effect upon our
criminals. The New York police de-
clare that quicker trials ana u denial
OF bail TO criminals of desperate char
acted would greatly Amcliorate their
problems. Still others assert that what
is chiefly needed Is complete change
OF attitude on tho part OF the public.
which Is not sufficiently stern toward
crime. While we do not openly give
our moral support to robbcries and
murders. they say, we are by no
means as We should be.
In support OF this last convention. It
IL pointed out that tho temper OF this
I country mas always DceH 1uonuAhS
violent. Statistics show that more
murders are committed annually in
the United States than in any other
part of the civili8ed world, with the
possible exception or Mexico. When
George Bernard Shaw recently de-
clarcd that he was afraid to come TO
America, he had just received our lat
est annual figures on homicides. with
special mention in regard to lynchings.
This reputation for unique and un-
paraileled crime Is by no means recent
either. II has long flourishcd in Eur
opc. Years ago, a celebrated English
writer. when tauntcd by an American
concerning the great British losses in
the Bocr War, replied that his coun-
war with the Beers as were murdered
every two years in the United states.
Il WHOLESALE AMERICAN
I MURDERS
! Not only Is murder moro prevalent
In this country than in foreign coun-
tries. declares one criminologist, but
we have here whole ciasscs of ohcn-
ses which these countries do not have
TO contend with at all. We have. fcv
instance, men who make II a busincsa
to commit train robbcrics. armed with
dynamite and other weapons. Why Ia
II that IN Canada. our nearest neighboE
train robberies seldom occur?
I'm our southern states we have hao
murdcrous family feuds. lynchinGp
and. recently, the unique activities oi
tho Ku Klux Klan. These crimes arc
peculiar TO this country. Yet why
should this DO so?'
This student of the question believes
that It Is largely because Americnn'
unconsciously possess rather sym
pathetis attitude toward most crimes
Robbery for instance, unless commit
ted by n professional burglar. Is moi
frowned upon half as vigorously as II
should be. when bank clerk alb
safe he is seldom barshly consured
unless by reason of his act the banh
is forced to close its doors and money
is lost by his friends and nelghbors
This indulgent attitud- on the part oi
the public however. Is usually reflect
cd In the light sentences delivered by
Judges for crimes of this kind. In .
recent case man who stole 1oo,00t
from bank was given only seven
years.
Murder Is another crimo which doc,
not inspire as much horror iu the pub
lie as one might think. This Is clear
iy shown by tho numerous acquittals
handed down by jurics In murder
cases. II Is extremely difficult TO con-
vict a man for wife murder. for in
stance. declares a prominent criminal
lawyer. and women arc scarcely ever
convicted for killing tneir husbands.
LEGAL KILLINGS MAKE HEROES
i curiously enough, this lawyer who
believes that too much len'ency IS
shown toward criminals, does not be
Ilieve in capital puniahmcnt for muir
lder. because, he says, IT simply makes