Evening star., 1925-07-28
R|TCH|E TO PERMIT
D. c. POLICE WORK
Says If They Are Detailed as
Federal Dry Agents In
CurSion Is Legal.

The question was brought up sew
eral weeks ago when Representative
| John Philip Hill of Maryland ad-
dressed letter of protest to Com
missioner F'enning Col. Bell, as act
| ing president of the Board of Com
missioners, advised Representative
| Hill Saturday that the practice would
| not be discontinued unless the Mary
! land authorities objected, in which
case the matter would be referred to
| the Federal prohibition officials.
| My understanding of the situation
| is that the police only cross the line
when they, in company with prohibit
| ton agents, are pursuing violators,"
| Col. Bell said. When told of the
statement of Gov. Ritchie, the Engi-
| neer Commissioner added: THAT
would seem to close the incident"
Only Cross in Pursuit.
Inspector Evans, acting police chief,
| also stated a few days ago that the
| Washington police never journey into
| Maryland except when a car they are
pursuing crosses the line. He pointed
| out that Maryland officers have the
same privilege of entering the Dis
! trict when necessary.
"It would be foolish for me to take
| a position which I could not defend, ;"
Gov. Ritchie is quoted as saying in
reply to the suggestion of Representa-
tive Hill that he protest against lin
vasion" of Maryland by District po-
| lice. II personally have yet to hear
of a single complaint of the actions
Of the Washington police in Maryland
coming from any one other than Col.
Hill. If Federal officers choose to OPP
| crate in Maryland there is nothing we
can do to stop them.
Il had no idea of entering into any
4 4.
! think he is mistaken in saving that
the authority of the District police
| officers to act as Federal prohibition
agents would be withdrawn if the
Maryland officials requested it, Col j.
Franklin Bell, acting president of the
District Board of Commissioners, dis
tinctly said that such a request would
be referred to the Federal prohibi-
| ton authorities.
''I do not think that Col. Hill is any
more interested in the principles of
| government than l am. / agree
with him entirely in not approving the
! action of the Federal Government in
| constituting the District of Columbia
! police officers as Federal prohibition
agents. At the same time they have
/ done so. and as Maryland leaves en-
forcement of the prohibition law to
| the Federal Government, Maryland
authorities hardly have any standing
| to protest because we may believe
| that the Government ought to select
| other agents than ii does, or because
! the particular agents the Government
! chooses to select to enforce prohibit
| ton in the District of Columbia now
! and then cross the District line into
| Maryland in doing so"
! Hill Answers Governor
After Gov Ritchie had made known
his views, Representative Hill issued
| the following statement:
! The District of Columbia "A 'ommis-
| sionerS have specifically stated that if
! they receive objections from the State
authorities they will stop the coming
of the District of Columbia police into
Maryland in their extra capacity of
| Federal prohibition agents. The Fed
eral Government has every right to
send prohibition agents into the State
| of Maryland to execute a Federal law
| To this there can be no possible OBJ
| jections except the general objection
to the Volstead act itself, which is no
objection to its enforcement while it
| is law.
THE District of Columbia police
have a local prohibition law which is
| totally different from the Vostead act,
and which applies exclusively in the
| DlSlIICI VI 1OiuInDld. 10 me II Is run
| damental law that to enforce the Dis
trict of Columbia prohibition law they
| have no right to go into the State of
| Maryland. Their duties are exclusively
/ in and for the District of Columbia. In
addition TO this, they are sworn in
as unpaid Federal prohibition agents.
In this capacity it is their duty to
enforce the Volstead act, which is a
| Federal law and not District of Co.
! lJ9F NH low ,l+
| the District as throughout the whole
| United States.
Practice Is Scored
IF they come into MARYLAND as Fed
eral prohibition agents they are neg
! lecting their local duties in Washing
! ton. To me their presence in Mary
land is plain violation of the local
police jurisdiction of Maryland. If a
man robs a bank in the District of
| Columbia the District police cannot
arrest him in Maryland he must be
arrested by Maryland authorities and
returned by them to the District of
Columbia. So it is with any other
! breach of law in the District of Co
lumbia. The District police have no
right to go into another State This
is wise jurisdictional procedure.
THE Anti-Saloon League and the
prohibitionists are always attempting
to put the Volstead act on a different
| basis from any other law l stand
for putting all laws on the same basis.
In my opinion, 1t is the duty of Gov.
Ritchie as a State authority to demand
the District of Columbia policemen to
remain in Washington. Of course,
prohibition authorities can send into
Maryland all the dry agents in their
department if they desire. but they
should not be permitted to send
camouf1aged Washington police.
States rights means local self-gov-
ernment and local police control, and,
as an adherent of States rights, were
1 representing the State authority, l
would certainly make the District of
Columbia police mind their own bust
ness and keep out of Maryland
| There are right and wrong WAYS of
attempting to enforce laws. Obviously,
! it would be wrong for New York DO.
licemen, sworn as unpaid dry agents,
| to come into Maryland to attempt to
enforce the Volstead act. It is equally
improper. for District of Columbia DO
lice to do so.
THE District of Columbia Commits.
sioners evidently recognize this, and
for this reason state that they will
keep their policemen at home if the
Maryland State authorities wish them
TO. l have therefore made easy the
path for the Maryland State authori-
ties, believing. as we all do, in States
rights. / am sure they will make the
proper objection which is invited by
the District Commissioners, and thus
put a 'crimp' in the Anti-Saloon
! League
RITES FOR F. H. PARSONS.
| Funeral services for Francis Henry