Evening star., 1925-01-25
STONE RAPS LAX
| DRY ENFORCEMENT
Sees Real Danger to Repub-
lie in Speech to Fellow
Workers.

Attorney General Stone, who has
| been nominated for the Supreme
| bench, believes that lax enforcement
! of the provisions of the Volstead act
would result eventually in a serious
undermining of the foundations OF
the republic.
To a select company of his asso-
ciates at the University Club last
night, on the occasion OF Depart
ment of Justice night" Mr.. Stone
| spoke freely and informally regarding
his views on law enforcement IN gem
eral and dry enforcement in partic-
| ular.
| Every time a citizen in this coun-
| try violates the Volstead act" the
Attorney General said, ut is a sign
that some announcement Official,
| somewhere along the line, has been
| corrupted; and corruption in the law
| enforcing agencies of the Govern
ment is a direct path to national dis
aster. The solidarity of the republic
| is at stake"
| Cites Troubles OF Post.
Mr.. Stone confided to his friends
! some of the troubles that beset an
! Attorney General. No matter what
| decision he may make on any ques-
! tIon, some one is offended. he pointed
| out, and the offended one usually
| makes himself heard before the pub
| lie.
If l recommend the preparation of
| evidence for grand jury indictment,
| am subject to criticism, and If |
feel, on the other hand, that evidence
| does not warrant a grand jury action,
l am also criticized" said Mr. Stone.
| However, l go right along offending
some and pleasing others. as the die
| tates of my conscience guide, and
Of he 81 hat
| comes with an easy conscience"
Declaring that sometimes those
| charged with enforcing the law vio-
! late the statutes themselves, Attorney
General Stone told of his endeavors
| to correct these evils and place the
| law-enforcing agencies of the Gov
ernment on plane commanding the
whole-hearted respect OF the people.
Asks Agents to BE Gentlemen.
Unfortunately officials of these
agencies do not always act the part
| OF gentlemen in dealing with the
public. ! am OF the firm belief that
| they should, always. The work of
| gathering evidence and of conduct
| ing litigation should be done in a
| gentlemanly way. Agents of the de-
partment in the past may have been
| inclined to place emphasis on the end,
| rather than on the means. Methods
and means used at times have been
unlawful. perhaps. That is what /
| am fighting.
| The real problem of law enforce
ment is in trying to get the co-opers-
| tion and sympathy of the public, and
we cannot hope to get that until the
officials merit the respect of the pub
| lie"
Reception Is Held.
| nf
speaker an informal reception was
staged. The gathering was enter
| tanned at the outset by talent from
| the Department OF Justice. in the per-
sons of Miss Aileen E. Fitzgerald,
violinist. with her sister. Miss Mary
| Fitzgerald, at the plano and Miss
Helen T. Gallagher, soprano. with
| Louis B. Thompson at the piano, fol-
| lowed by solos by Marion Gilman,
| tenor of the Metropolitan Opera Com
pany. Claude n. Bennett presided.
Among the invited guests were:
| Assistant to the Attorney General
and Mrs. Augustus T. Seymour, As
! sistant Attorney General and Mrs
Rush l. Holland, Assistant Attorney
General Mrs. Mabel Walker Willie
brandt. Director OF the War Trans
actions Section and Mrs. Jerome
Michael, Director of the War Trans
actions Section and Mrs. Paul Ship
man Andrews, Special Assistant to
the Attorney General Warren F.. Mar
tin. Special Assistant to the Attorney
General Charles Kerr. Special AS
sistant to the Attorney General and
Mrs. Herman ]. Galloway, Special
Assistant to the Attorney General
and Mrs. J. Frank Staley, Special
Assistant to the Attorney Gen.
eral and Mrs. Alfred A. Wheat
Special Assistant to the Attorney Gen.
| eral and Mrs. John Vance Hewitt, Spe-
! cial Assistant TO the Attornel General
and Mrs. Adna r. johnson, Director
| John Edgar Hoover OF the Bureau of
| Investigation, Thomas F. Baughman of
the Bureau of Inve estigation, Miss
Jane Smith, private secretary to the
Attorney General; Miss Edith NJ. Wat
kins, assistant secretary to the Attor-
ney General; Miss Stella Brown, assist =
ant secretary to the Attorney General;
Mrs. Julia 8. Rishel, assistant chief
| clerk.
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