Evening star., 1924-03-09
D. C. CRIME INCREASE
DENIED BY WHEELER
Anti-Saloon League Counsel Cites
Official Figures in Contra
dieting Reports.

Denial that crime in Washington is
on the increase and an assertion, on
the other hand, that crime here has
decreased since the eighteenth amend
ment went into effect are contained
in statement made public last night
by Wayne B. Wheeler. general coun-
sci for the Anti-Saloon League of
America.
The statement follows. In part:
THE Washington Star editorials
and the official report of Mai. Sulli-
van, superintendent Of police. effect
lively answer the statements that
crime is on the increase in the Dis
trict of Columbia since national pro-
hibition
Crime has decreased in the District
since the eighteenth amendment went
into effect. If the average annual
ratio of arrests for drunkenness per
10000 population during the -FOUR
years preceding national prohibition
had continued during four dry years.
there would have been 1909 more
arrests than were actually made. II
the 1919 felony rate had continued in
1923. there would have been 42S more
felonies.
Says Figures MisleadinE.
Mai. Sullivan's official report de-
clares that So per cent of all arrests
in the last fiscal year were for petty
violations of the law or OF ponce
that there were 1900 arrests Tor
violation of Liquor laws is misleading.
There were $3.50 arrests for violation
of the VoIstead law. The other ar,
rests included in the prohibition totai
were for breaches OK the nrsss snspps' =
"Comparisons of 1923 with 1910 are
not fair to the District, since new
laws now empower the police 10 ar
rest men for offenses not punishable
by law in 1910. There ,sia vas no 4,o1as ,am
tions of traffic and auto laws were
$4,000 more in 1923 than 1910, ac-
counting for the largest portion or
the arrests. ,
which are based on the 1910 and 1870
census. Since 1910 the District has
changed in character. The per-
centage OF foreign born has Increased.
The floating population has grown.
The number Of visitors has greatly
multiplied. In spite of all these fac.
tors, however, the criminal ratio OF
the city has not advanced since pro-
hibition.
'tThe murder increases cited are
murders were committed. This was
a record low mark in the District.
The number of arrests for murder IN
the four years before national pro
hibit ton were as follows: 1915. 81
1917. 90; 1918. &c; 1919, 4s. Last year
there were IS.
Cites Star Editorial.
"The Washington Star editoriaiy
said October IA, 1923:
There are more laws to break
and more people to break them. IL
may also be that younger persons
are less respectful of the laws than
men of the older generation, and II
policemen are more inclined to or
urged to make arrests than the cops
of old
washington people are not law
less group. Much of the lawereako Ak.
there were 100 licensed places SELL
ing liquor in the city, with twenty.
three saloons between 9TH street ana
the Peace Monument, the liquor
tory law with but few arrests. The
Bucket of Blood at Pennsylvania
avenue and 18th street has not faded
from the memory of all our people
drunks arrested, the police in license
days locked up 1000 drunken peo-
pie in a year in spite of the smaller
population in those days.
I'VE are obeying and enforcing
law better today than when the
brewers and distillers legally sup
piled the raw material for crime. We
are still far from doing this as well
as we should. With speedier justice
in the courts, with more severity OF
crate offense, a proper respect for
law and order would place the Ma
tion's Capital on the plane it should
occupy before the eyes Of the nation