Evening star., 1924-04-10
"ThlTl il nothing quite 10 vital II

the future of the republic" declared
the new Attorney General ;as en-
forceInent of its laws and respect fo-
it's laws. BY that / mean all its laws.
That statement is not only applicable
to those enemies of society who vio-
late the law for personal gain and
advantage, but to the enforcement
agencies of the government.
You and and all the members of
my department and of all depart
ments charged with responsibility
are subject to the law and must obey it.
DimcuIt Undertaking.
Upon me as Attorney General is
placed the responsibility to enforce
the laws of the United States. You
are perhaps aware this is an under
taking Of some difficulty. The huge
increase in the number of laws. and
the vast burden of the war have thrown
a heavy responsibility upon the De-
partment of Justice. l am assum-
ing it cheerfully with a stout heart
and abounding faith.
II feel that / may count on you
and upon all law-abiding and right
minded citizens of this country to
provide support for such a program.
1t will be my purpose to. administer
the great office to which ! have been
to see that laws are obeyed; second.
when they are disobeyed, to see that
is swift and sure. This
is a high ideal Perhaps 1t cannot
be reached, but it is well to have the
ideal"
that it would be better if he returned
to his task of a desk piled high with
business, rather than to spend his
time talking about it. He would be
glad. he added. to receive any repre-
Sentative of the convention who
might be appointed to confer later
with him.
Wilbur Also Speaker.
The convention, of two days. was
addressed today also by Secretary of
the Navy Curtis D. Wilbur, Mrs. Mabel
Walker Willebrandt, assistant attor-
ney general; Prohibition Commits
sioner Roy A. Haynes. Senator Walter
F. George of Georgia. Kathleen Norris,
the writer, and other distinguished
speakers.
Secretary Wilbur laid down the
principal that law enforcement in,
its last analysis is matter of pa
triotism. Therefore" he said, the
best method of securing obedience
to law is by instilling into the youth
of the land the fundamental princi-
pies of our governments; In short,
teaching them to love our country
for patriotism is love-.
Lawyers who are retained in ad-
vance by criminal organizations of
bootleggers, dope peddlers, prosti-
tutes and panderers to defend such
clients for crimes not yet committed,
but clearly contemplated by their en-
ployment, are criminals by law and
association, and should be considered
and treated as such" said the Sec
retary.
Delegates were to be received this
afternoon at the White House by
President Coolidge. and there was
also a reception planned at the White
House for $3.50.
Called Second Crusade.
Prohibition Commissioner Haynes
designated the convention as part of
the second crusade" in the prohibi-
tfon cause, to follow the first one
organized in 1873.
The womanhood of America, Mr..
Haynes said, could cooperate with
the government "in a great campaign
of preaching and living law observ-
ance, a program of promptly assum-
ing the responsibilities of citizenship,
as serving. on turies, meeting nullifi-
cation propaganda, and inspiring in
young and old to proper appraisal of
the fundamentals of Americanism,
campaign of active participation in
politics and citizenship problems"
Senator George declared it was too
late Ito invoke the doctrine of nulli-
fieation." The organized assault on
the eighteenth amendment and the
enforcement act, he said, lis inspired
by the certain conviction that the
eighteenth amendment and the en-
forcement act cannot be repealed or
modified in the orderly manner es-
tablished by the people" He pre-
dicted they will be enforced"
Mrs Henry w. Peabody, chairrnf 8 n.
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