Evening star., 1925-10-17
DEATH0 OF HARDING
STOPPED AID PLAN
National Body to Help Re-
habiIitate Youthful Con-
victs UP Again.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
COLUMBUS, Ohio. October 17.--For-
mer Attorney General Harry NJ.
Daugherty yesterday told for the first
time how the death of President
Harding and of John II. Patterson,
Dayton manufacturer. frustrated
plans for the organization of a voIun-
teer committee for the rehabilitation
of young men serving first terms in
prisons.
Mr.. Daugherty said that all hope for
the plan had not been abandoned, and
that within a few days he expected TO
receive an answer from a man he has
asked to take charge of the work and
carry 1t out. The former cabinet mem
ber said he talked over the plan with
President Coolidge after he succeeded
TO the presidency and that "he was
quite enthusiastic about it"
The three Federal prisons-at At
lanta, Ga; LeaVenworth, Kans., and
on MacNeill Island on the Pacific
Coast-are under the management of
the Attorney General of the United
States. When Mr.. Daugherty assum-
ed the office under President Harding
he found the Federal prisons in an
unusually congested condition, he said.
Found Many Young Convicts.
Shortly after 1 became Attorney
General" said MIR. Daugherty, Il dis
covered that there were in the prisons
an unusual number of young men,
practically all of them first offenders
There We're probably 500 applications
for parole pending and 900 appliCa-
tions for pardon. In view of the con
gested condition of the prisons /
studied the cases of the young men
especially, and, where it was possible
/ granted paroles and recommended
pardonS.
Il had been in office for about four
months when President Harding sent
for me. l had piled his desk high
with recommendations for pardonS
after l had paroled a great many
young men. He said to me. MIR. At
torney General, l fear you are too
easy In granting paroles and recon-
mending pardons. l feel about the
matter as you do, but there will be
criticism If we are not careful and if
we are too generous
Il had expected something like this
to come from him, big hearted though
he was. l said, Mr.. President, this is
one of the many things that may
cause you trouble with your Attorney
General. I have gone through the
records of those cases and l find there
are hundreds of men in prison who
did not have much of a show. They
had a fair trial, but they haven't had
much of q show in this world l then
talked to him fully about the sit
uation. After the conference he said
nothing more about paroles, and when
ne could, in good conscience, he
granted pardons or communications to
men VINO had shown evidence of ref
ormation and whose pardons would
not be injurious to society,""
Found Work for Men.
Mr.. Daugherty said he found EN-.
ployment in factories and industries
over the country for the young men
who We're paroled. Not a single one
of them failed, and they worked
alongside of men more fortunate in
early life and. to my knowledge, no
body found out who they We're or
where they came from"
The former Attorney General said
that he had recommended to the Pres
ident and to Congress the establish
ment of an institution similar to the
one that is to be opened at Camp
Sherman on the site of the former
National Army cantonment. Il rec
commended an institution that would
not be called a prison, but an indus
trial reformatory, or something of the
sort, where first offenders, especially
young men, could be transferred from
the regular prisons or sent direct to
the new institution by the courts, and
there taught the trade in which they
might be interested"
The President assured me his CO.
operation, and we worked out a plan
to convert one of the cantonments
Into national institution for first Of
tenders. In this connection / con-
celVed it practical to work out a plan
whereby the young men in prisons, as
fast as they showed evidences of cor
rection interest, accomplishment and
safety, could be located in private en-
ployment. 1 started out to organize
a voluntary committee, financed by
private contributions to make a sur
vey of the great industries of the
country and their needs, keep in touch
with the young men in prisons and
provide employment for them upon
the expiration of their sentence or
upon parole by the Attorney General,
thus giving them another chance and
an opportunity TO make good.
Patterson Selected.
THE man l selected at the time to
take the craftsmanship of such a
voluntary committee was John II. Pat
terson, president of the National Cash
Register Co."
Mr.. Daugherty said that Mr.. Pat
terson became much interested. and
agreed to take charge of raising the
necessary funds and to set up the
organization.
THE President Of the United States
died; Mr.. Patterson died: things be-
came confused and there was more
delay" said Mr.. Daugherty. "IIow-
ever, L did not give up the matter and
have not given it up yet. It will be
a fine thing for the citizenship of
the country and will help the Gov
ernment amazingly. T know any At
rorney General of the United states
would be glad to have the assistance
such an organization could give, and
1t would be rendered without any ex-
pense whatever to the Government I"