Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-21
Luncheon at White House to
Precede Organization
Session of Body.
WlCKERSHAM HEADS
CRIME STUDY GROUP
Eleven Members Are Appointed by
President to Conduct Law
lessness Investigation.
Rz theAAssnciated Press.

BY the%Associated Press.
President Hoover today invited the
IL members of his newly appointed Law
Enforcement Commission to meet with
him at the White House for luncheon
May %.
This will give ample time for the
members from the Pacific Coast and the
Far West to get to Washington.
After the luncheon the commission
will hold its organization meeting In
the cabinet room in the executive
Offices, near the Presidents own private
office.
First Planned Meeting This Week.
Mr.. Hoover will not indicate his own
ideas as to the scope of the work of
the commission until after he has had
talk with the members at the luncheon.
It had been intended that the COM
mission assemble here late this week
for its first gathering, but the date was
changed until next Tuesday after White
House officials had long distance tele-
phone conference with George w. Wick
erSham of New York, the chairman.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Attorney Cen
eral in the Taft administration. and
president Of the American Law Insti-
tute, will have another former cabi-
net officer, Newton D. Baker Of Cleve-
land, War Secretary in the Wilson ad-
miniStration, sitting at his right as
ranking member of the commission.
Stupendous Undertaking. y
The others will be three Federal
judges, William S. Kenyon Of Iowa, Will
liam l. Grubb of Alabama and Paul j.
Mccormick of California; four eminent
attorneys Roscoe Pound of the Harvard
Law School, Henry w. Anderson of
Richmond, Va; Monte M. Lehman of
New Orleans, president of the Louisiana
Bar Association; Frank j. Loesch, vice
president of the Chicago Crime Com
mission; former jurist, Kenneth r.
Macintosh of Washington State, and
one educator, Miss Ada l.. Comstock,
president of Radcliffe College, Cam
bridge, Mass
The commission is expected to get at
it's work within a short time, and con-
cededly has before it the most stupend-
Gus undertaking of any similar body In
the history of the country. Guesses as
to the length of time 1t will require for
completion of the job vary. but even
the most optimistic agree that q final
report is not to be expected within a
year aAd half or two years.
While the Official White House an
nouncement of the personnel designated
the body as the national law enforce
ment commission, its chief function
appears to be associated in the popular
mind with prohibition enforcement.
This trend of thought is clearly re-
1ected in the comments on the Selec-
tions made by leading members OF Con-
gress.
Edge Asks Harmony.
Generally speaking these comments
were favorable, with some of the drys
as we'll as the vets rather enthusiastic
and decidedly hopeful of some concrete
results so far as the whole prohibition
question is concerned.
One man prominent among the anti
prohibitionists, Senator Edge of New
Jersey, called on the extremists of both
sides of the controversy to let the COM
mission function and reach its conclu-
sions without interference from them in
the way of a campaign to shape the
outcome of the inquiry.
Another wet, Representative La
Guardia of New York, announced that
he would have some startling informa-
ton" to give the investigators. He said,
THE naming of so many judges is
fundamental mistake"
Jones lndorses Commission.
Senator Jones of Washington. dry
leader and author of the Nations new
est dry law, who yesterday said he
would have made different selections
for the crime commission today issued a
formal statement indorsing the COM
mission.
President Hoover has maintained his
high standard of appointments in the
selection of this commission" the Sem
ator said. II know personally many OF
the members and have secured informa-
ton regarding the others, and will say
that, in my Judgment, it would be diff
cult to name a better or abler commits
sion for the purposes to be accom-
plished.
"They are all. regardless of personal
views on this question or that, believers
in, and exponents of law observance
and law enforcement. We can conf
IDENTIFY look for wise and constructive
from them for efficient
and more effective law enforcement.
Judge Macintosh, from our State. is
a very able, experienced, and conscien-
tious judge, former classmate of Presi-
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