The Washington times., 1922-05-23
GREAT GALLERY
ALLROGUES
|SPLAN Of s..
Department of Justice Hopes
To Photo the Big Crooks
Throughout Nation. y

The largest rouge's gallery in
the World!
william J. Burns, detective Of
world-,Vide fame and chief Of the
Bur reau Of Investigation Of the De-
partment of Justice, describes II IN
the following article at the request
Of the Cosmopolitan NetOs Service
and tells hoto 1t Will help to reduce
crime. In On article TO fotlotO TO-
morrow Mr.. Burns toil discuss tho
crime tqlUe.
By WILLIAM J. BURNS.
Famous Detective and Head Of Bureau Of
Investigation. Department OF Justice.
Copyright. 1922. by Cosmopolitan News
serviceD
The greatest criminal checking
system in the world will be in full
swing in the Department Of Justice
within three months.
Through the recently established
Bureau Of Identification the de-
partment will cooperate with the
police and other law officers Of the
country to prevent crime.
Crime Preventable.
Prevent crime! you exclaim. II
can't be done? 1t can be done!
The best way to stop crime is to
make it Improbable for the Grim
inal.
Most police machinery is used to
catch criminals after crime Is COM
mitted. Why wait until the crime
is done to check your criminal?
Strike the fear Of the law into the
hearts Of criminals. Show them
they can't get away with II. Show
them before they start anything.
The United States Is the first Gov
ernment to set up machinery to pre-
vent crime.
The Bureau OF Identification will
operate as crime preventive
agency, and behind II will stand all
the machinery Of the Department
Of Justice.
1t will be a central clearing house
for the interchange OF intorma ton
concerning criminals OF all types.
Largest Gauery.
The bureau will have the largest
rogue's gallery in the world. It al.
ready has on file the photographs and
fingerprints OF more than 1000 900
criminals. In full swing II will con-
tain the complete records Of every
known criminal national and inter.
national. No murderer. thief or crook
of any type operating on the two
hemispheres will escape a place in
this international rogue's gallery.
Its records will he at the disposal
Of the smallest hamlet in the country
az well as the largest city.
Should a suspicious character he
arrested in San Francisco. Cal, or
Sauk Center, Mimi, the authorities
only would have to wire the bureau.
II a man has a record. the bureau
will have II.
II had my way there would be a
law requiring the finger-prin records
OF every alien in the country. With
such a system could clear the
United States of 1000 dangerous
reds.
When I say reds I do not mean so
called radicals who advocate merely
a change in our Government. but
those who agitate violence and the
Governments overthrow.
Fingerprint Everyone.
II each State had a law which
would require the finger-print rec
ord Of every infant born within it's
boundaries along with the regis.
tration of the chlld's date Of birth
and parents homes II would be
an invaluable aid in litigation in.
volving Wills and other matters,
However. many parents would OPP
pose this plan for sentimental rea'
sons.
The Bureau Of Identification will
also include a port OF missing per.
sons" Each year thousands OF
men, women. girls and boys dis
appear from home and are never
heard from again.
Operating as a clearing house for
information, the bureau will collect
the photographs and records OF
the missing persons and use every
facility to trace them through CO.
operation with the police ma
chinery throughout the country.
-a-As rhII nElIklIrEC