Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-23
BY WILLIAM HARD.

Of the Federal judicial system in conse-
quence Of the labors of President
Hoover's Law Enforcement Commission.
There may be many more Federal
courts and many more Federal judges.
This would be because Of the vast num-
Der Of trials expected under the new
Jones law for the enforcement of the
eighteenth amendment.
1t Is known that the Law Enforce
ment Commission Is giving a broad
attention to law enforcement and law
observance in general. It is also known.
however, that 1t feels itself obligated
to consider the general problem in the
light especially of the prohibition
crisis.
Senator Glass Of Virginia has de-
nounced the administration for attempt
ing, as he believes, to submerge pro-
hibition under the waves of a long
inquiry by the Law Enforcement Com
mission into the theories and principles
Of the nature Of crime and Of the nature
or the measures deemed best for the
suppression Of crime in general and at
large throughout the country. h''S
An inspection Of the bookcases in
stalled by the Law Enforcement Com
mission In its ofices in washington
might lend some credit to Senator
Glass views.
The commission seems to have called
upon the Library Of Congress to pro-
vide 1t with . wide array of works on
criminology and penology in their
largest aspects. The. commission is now
provided with multitudinous volumes on
the relation between unemployment and
crime, on the relation between youth
and crime, on the relation between
home care and crime, on the relation
between mental diseases and crime. on
the relation between war and crime
and on the relation of pretty near
everything else and crime. It possesses
one volume, of an especially broad
character. entitled THE Economic Cost
Of SIM"
Length. Of Investigation.
It is apparent that an inquiry into
THE Economic Cost of Sin" among the
120, 900 900 people of the United States
might last long time. More seriously,
1t is perfectly clear that an inquiry
into all the supposed causes and all
the supposed cures of all crime or al
legged crime would consume q decade
and would transform the commission
from being an agency of practical
government into being something like
the postgraduate department Of a
sociological university.
It can be stated with certitude that
the commission will not embark upon
any such abstract academic career. It
can be stated that the commission hopes
within a few months to complete its
general exploration Of its field and to
which constitute the existing great
emergencies in law enforcement and
law observance. It can be further
stated that Senator Glass is probably
giving himself q certain amount of UNI
necessary anxiety and that the commits
sion thoroughly realizes that the greatest
existing emergency in law enforcement
and law observance is to be found in
the crisis produced by the eighteenth
amendment.
The spear point, therefore, Of the
commissions ultimate findings. will IN
dubitably be leveled at prohibition, just
ference between Senator Glass position
and the commissions position, in 50 far
as 1t exists, Is simply rs follows:
Senator Glass apparently would have
the commission concentrate upon pro-
hibition to the virtual exclusion of all
other questions. The commission, on
the other hand, Is based on the theory
that a certain amount OF background
study of the current character of crime
"
justice is necessary to the solution of
prohibition and is desirable also from
the standpoint of the general improve
ment of the Federal Government as q
law-enforcing institution.
The commission, in other words, is
built, in part, on the principle that an
unwisely and weakly organized Fed
eral Government cannot effectively en-
force any system Of laws. prohibition or
other, and that therefore O certain
amount of general research and of gem
eral reform Is necessary even in order
to give to the eighteenth amendment
that vitality and vigor that Senator
Glass 80 ardently and emphatically
wishes.
For instance: 1t is observed by
some members of the commission, with
judicial experience, that there are
many reasons why many Federal dis
hand In the prompt trial Of accused
prohibition law. There are many other
reasons, too. There Is the relatively
new law against thefts from railroad
trains In interstate commerce. There
Is the relatively new Federal law
against thefts of automobiles across
State lines. All theftS of these sorts
were at one time handled in State
courts, Now they help to clog the
docketS OF Federal courts.
The problem then arises: Shall we
simply multiply the number Of Federal
courts of the present character or shall
we create o new order of Federal
courts for the handling Of cases gen.