Evening star., 1922-02-04
Startling Crime Statistics
For the District and Nation

, taking into account those which oc-
CURED In banks not members OF the
associ alton, numbering we'll over one
third Of the association Membership
Of the nation Is estimated by compe-
tent authority at 100000 or above.
The sum Of $302.7SS,000 Is set forth
as the probable approximate loss in
1921 by theft with and without vio-
.ence!
Losses by theft aggregating $780,
O09 were reported to the police Of
Boston in 1920, as compared with an
annual average of Ss16.34l for the
five Immediately preceding years. or
an increase of practically 100 per cent.
Baltimore reported $1,347.402 stolen
In 1919. as compared with $410.4s6 IN
stolen In 1921.
I Murders in Chicago, reported as 352
! in 1921-almost one day through
out the year-show steady increase
| since 1910, amounting to 121 per cent
for the total period. Cleveland, with
one-tenth the population of London.
had twice as many murders as. that
| twentieth the size Of London. had ten
more murders than the latter city
In 1917. According to the only avail
able murder statistics Of q reputable
nature covering the whole country.
United states from 1912 to 1918. The
total number Of battle deaths. of
American soldiers in the world war
! was 50.327.
Admitting that the necessary steps
| 60 better this appalling condition of
affairs must In the main be taken by
! the respective communities affected.
| it is we'll to understand and to take
| into account the clear fact that what
Mr.. Carter characterizes as the cur,
! rent carnival of crime" Is national
| rather than local phenomenon. For
! any consideration OF the facts must
lead to earnest anxiety to first ex-
plain and then alter them. and any
plan for such alteration would fail
| narrower perspective than that
| which study Of the full facts would
| insure.
1t ib interesting to note the diff
ferent explanations and corrective
measures volunteered by Representa-
! phenomena they have expounded. The
former. who absolves the District
| police force from any responsibility
! in the premises. attributes the spread
of crime in the District to the COM
bined influence of the tendency of
been in such close association" to
refuse obedience to the fundamental
/ law which governs them. namely. the
| Constitution: of 'the lessening by
/ law of individual freedom and indt-
vidual responsibility" and of the
! American home" BY implication. for
| he volunteers no direct remedy. he
! sets forth that with these three Ills
corrected the crime increase would
! end
Mr.. Carter. on the other hand. ad-
| vances a somewhat different expla.
nation and suggests a definite rene.
dy. Crime increase, he contends, ia
due largely to lack Of uniformity,
certainty and severity in. law en-
forcement, pointing out that out Of 67s
homicide cases in New York city In
1920 out one conviction Of murder in
the first degree was obtained. He
places the burden of responsibility
squarely upon the shoulders Of the
general public, which. he says. elects
representatives who enact statutes
restricting judges. prosecutors and
police in the performance of their
duty and conserving the rights Of
of society have been altogether lost
sight Of" He suggests a concrete list
Of remedial steps to better what he
holds to be an intolerable condition
of affairs, concluding his observa-
| tions with q quotation from Judge
Rczalsky TO the effect that "It 10
time for well meaning reformers who
have wasted a good deal Of sympathy
! and given too much consideration to
hardened criminals to step aside and
permit honest citizens to have the
protection the courts want to give
them"
| Both. gentlemen certainly furnish
food for earnest thought to Wash
ington. the country at large, and the
| Congress Of the United States in par.
] ticular.