The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-07-16
W|CKERSHAM ASKS
GOVERNORS HELP
IN ENFORCEMENT
Plan Would Detail to States
Guarding Against Retail
Infraction of Law
IS MOST SERIOUS SUBJECT
Prohibition Will Be One Of Chief
National Problems to Be
lnvestig gated
is MOST SERIOUS SUBJECT

New London. Conn. July 16.-(F)-
Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt OF
New York. speaking at the governors
conference which opened here today
read q letter from George W. Wicker
sham. head Of President Hoover's law
enforcement commission. in which
Wickersham admits the weakness Of
the federal prohibition enforcement
act.
The letter. described by Governor
Roosevelt as the first public expres-
sion Of the law enforcement chief on
the subject. points out that enforce
ment of the volstead act has rested
chiefly on the shoulders Of the fed.
eral government.
It suggests that some feasible
means of dividing the burden Of en-.
forcement between states and ma.
tional government be found and that
states be given police Jurisdiction over
the retailing" end of the "pecuniar-
lily profitable crime" OF liquor viola
ton and the national government re-
tain policing power over the whole.
sale" end of the business"
Wickershan:'s letter assured Gov
ernor Roosevelt that prohibition being
a most serious subject" will be one
Of the chief national problems to be
investigated by the law enforcement
commission.
States Should Help
The 18th amendment. the letter de-
clares. confers upon the states con.
current jurisdiction with the national
government for the enforcement OF
this measure. but that thus far the
federal government alone has borne
the brunt OF the enforcement. That
measure is written into the constitu-
ton Of the United States. It seems
to me the governors conference might
well consider approaching the fed
eral government on some feasible pro-
posal to share the burden of enforce
ment.
If the national government were
to attend to preventing importation,
manufacture and shipment in inter-
state commerce of intoxicants. the
states undertaking internal police
regulations to prevent sale, saloons,
speakeasies and so forth, the national
and state laws might be modified so
as to become reasonable, enforceable
and one great source of demoralizing
and pecuniarily profitable crime re-
moved
The letter closes with an indict-
ment Of the American peoples atti-
tude toward crime reduction and law
enforcement and points to the "evi-
dent disreSpect for the Volstead Act"
and other statutes as a consequence.
Protection Inadequate
Wickersham told Governor Roose.
welt in the letter that his commission
would investigate the cost Of private
police protection obtained by firms
and individuals because city, local
and national police protection is in.
adequate.
Governor Roosevelt. speaking on
cooperation of governors on crime
problems" urged the conference to
appoint permanent committee that
would act as clearing house" for
crime statistics and penal laws 50
that one governor would always know
what another governors state was do
ing toward reducing crime.
There is no crime wave" he said.
That's startling statement to make
in the face Of all the talk that there
is. And say it because I realize that
there Is no one here or anywhere else
who has facts and figures to prove
there is crime problem" He warned
governors against allowing the feder.
al government to encroach on states
rights and said one Of the chief rea-
sons the federal government rs get
ting away with 1t" is that public
opinion Is terribly apathetic.