The Topeka state journal., 1922-12-06
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC ;. HAsKN. DireceSr.
Washington. ID. @.
NATIONAL FINGER PRINT
SYSTEM.

of the finger prints of each person in
this country over five years OF age
would be taken. One set wound be
filed at a national bureau of identifi
cation at Washington. The SECOND
copy would go to a bureau at the CAPT
tai of the state in which the lndlvluual
lived. And the third copy would be
filed with local officials of his city or
county.
With this system, it is claimed. puz-
zles of identity would be reduced to a
minimum Finger prints can now De
so completely classified and filed that
when a pattern is presented for identl-
fication file experts can quickly ascer-
tain 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 singuIarly careless about carrying
marks of identification, and it might
easily happen that a Chicago shop
label would be 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 file.
If he were not found there, the Chi
cago bureau of Identification would be
asked to compare his prints with sim
liar exhibits in their file. If he were
not among the residents of Chicago
the national bureau would search its
records Once the man was Identified,
his next of kin. as named on his finger
print card, would be notified
By similar process the majority of
unidentified dead could be returned to
their families. we are told. Detectives
say that every year 40, 600 unidentified
dead are buried in the potter's fields
in this country. More than 100000
women are reported missing each
year, while kidnapped and lost chill
dren and missing men constitute
serious problem for every community
An Identification bureau, of course,
will not make it much easier to locate
a person who has disappeared out oil
his normal environment, leaving no
trace. But every such person who
turns up unidentified at a police
headquarters or hospital or morgue
can be almost surely traced thru a
national fingerprint system.
Even in cases of drowning and
death caused by burns, where a body
is most difficult to identify, finger
prints can often be of great assistance
Persons who are overtaken by violent
death are apt to clench the hands, and
the skin on the finger tips is thus pro-
tected. Finger prints have played an
important part in a number OF cases OF
this sort when they could be compared
with existing finger print records. This
has been possible when the victim
turned out to have been a criminal,
previously finger printed by a police
department. or when he had been In
the army or navy. When in such
case no record can be found, the finger
print clues on a body are useless.
Protection to Every Citizen.
According to H. w. Bennett, finger
print expert of this city, every citizen
should realize that a complete national
finger printing system would be
valuable pUtection to him. When real
need to identify someone or to prove
personal identity arises, the situation
& 11xr nd knows
when such an emergency may occur IN
his own life. Unfortunately only a few
classes ef people-detectiveS, bankers,
Insurance men, and police officials,
incipally-appreciate the importance
Of conclusive Identification. 1t is not
easy to stir up enthusiasm among the
public, Mr.. Bennett says, because the
average citizen is not personally in
-erested until he has a specific need
for Identification.
Another difficulty in arousing inter-
est in the proposed bureau is that
taking finger prints has been almost.
associated with crime. The
law abiding individual is apt to be re-
luctant, therefore, to UNDERGO the
process. For these reasons it may be
some time before the bureau becomes
a fact. Bills for its establishment are
because there is no gen.
eral demand for the project.
Mr.. Bennett explains that the idea
of a national system of finger printing
Is not new. France, like the United
States, has been considering the plan,
and Argentina already has a working
system, tho not quite so complete as
that proposed for this country.
Every citizen liable to military
service in Argentina is finger printed
at the age of Is. Women are not COM
PEELED to have their prints taken, but
and convenience. The head of the
Argentine system says that customs
and institutions of his country make it
almost necessary for resident to
carry some sort Of credentials, and the
finger print has become standard of
there.
If the system is ever introduced into
the United States it will probably hav
TO be on a more definite basis To
start the system, finger prints would
After that, each year children attain
ng years could be finger-printed on
L fixed date.
Patterns Never Change.
Mr.. Bennett says that this age limit |
s not set because of any change in |
finger print, patterns do not change
rom birth to death, except to become |
arger. A baby weeks old can be |
.inger printed, Mr.. Bennett explains, |
no it is difficult to keep the fInsers
Incurled sufficiently to make a clear |
print, and the ridges are so fine that
hey are not easy to analyze. For a |
permanent record, therefore, it is con-
iidered advisable to wait until the |
Iixth year.
Each print record placed on file in
rational, state and local bureaus would |
how the name and address and next |
Kin of the individual If he changed I
lis address, or if the next kin died l
,r left the country the local bureau |
would expect to be notified of changes /
% be made on the three records. I
rhe efficiency of the system would 4
hus depend. to some extent on the /
cooperation of the public in keeping 1
he record correct
The argument has been presented |
hat such a system would be expensive /
md that cities would not regularly 1
20 to the trouble of identifying the /
human mysteries and notifying the 4
,roper friends or relatives.
NTr za1-S cities -1