Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-14
Br0okhart Tells Senate That
Nation Is Appalled, by
Crime in Capital.
F. H. SMITH COMPANY
OFFICIALS ARE SCORED
Documents Sought by Grand Jury
Were Hidden on Maryland
Farm, Iowan Charges.

Charging that Congress has failed ito
properly govern" the District of Column
bia, Senator Brookhart, Republican, Of
Iowa, told the Senate today that people
throughout the country are appalled,
and bewildered" at this failure.
The Iowa Senator declared that II
Congress, with all of its power, cannot
lash the criminal away from the exc
| cution Of his crimes almost within the
shadow Of this building, how can we
hope that distant officials, with COM
paratively inferior power and lesser
equipment, can succeed in holding their
respective trenches against the force
and strategy of the armies of crime?"
Senator Brookhart devoted a part of
his speech to another attack on the F.
H. Smith Co. of this city, telling the
Senate that early this year 20 steel
trunks filled with papers and docu-
ments were moved to a farm in nearby
Maryland about the time the grand
jury was trying to obtain certain rec
ords.
Lays Blame on s. J. Henry.
"n those papers and documents were
not the ones required by the Govern.
ment, why should they have been re-
moved from the ample offices of the
Smith Co. Just at that time?" Senator
Brookhart inquired.
Senator Brookhart asserted in his
speech that Samuel J. Henry, president
of the F. H. Smith Co., made arrange
ments to have the trunks of papers and
documents conveyed to the farm.
| In referring to law enforcement gen.
orally In Washington, Senator Brook
hart began his speech with a quotation
from the inaugural address of President
Hoover, which read as follows:
To re-establish the vigor and effec-
tiveness Of law enforcement, we must
| consider critically the Federal ma
chinery Of justice. There is a belief
abroad that by invoking technicalities,
subterfuge and delay, the ends Of JUS
tice may be thwarted by those who can
pay the cost"
BrOokhart Holds it Timely. 8
Commenting on this quotation, sem
ator Brookhart said he considered that
the Presidents statement was a timely
ana expedient one and that 1t was
warning which, If carefully needed,
would have q salutary effect on the
IT have brought to the attention OF
the Senate on many occasions" Sena-
! tor Brookhart continued 1.-THE outstaf1d.
ing and significant fact that our Dis
| trict OF Columbia, governed, as it is, by
the Congress, sets such miserably poor
example for the rest of the country
that it should be no matter of wonder
at all that the Federal Government
itself fast Is falling into disrepute
throughout the States Of the entire
Nation.
"As fogs and vapors frequently roll
over this small territory from the
waters of the Potomac and hide the
beauty Of its. countless buildings or
marble and granite from the light OF
the sun, so do the vapors and fogs
OF crime and corruption, of dishonesty
and viscious greed. continually render
more and more obscure the honorable,
efflcient and wholly sincere private ana
public conduct of the great and honest
| majority Of the citizens and officials
Of the District.
How can We expect that the youth
| OF the Nation-the young men and
women now being educated In its schools
and colleges and upon whom the execu-
tive burden Of industry, commerce and
! government soon will fall-will COM
mence their respective personal or off,
cial careers in anything like the right
attitude OF hearts and minds when they
are continuously and correctly taught
| throughout the formative educational
4 kSAAe~Ap W VAC AACWoRntCAo dI10 InoB6~
zines Of the country, that the very
source OF the stream Of government Il
foul with dishonesty and corruption?
Country watches Capital.
To-day, as perhaps never before, tn I
\ eyes Of the entire country are fixt 4
upon the National Capital. Those ear
nest persons throughout the Nation
who have q sincere desire for a decent
and honest administration Of the coun-
| try's laws are appalled, and bewildered
at the failure Of the Congress to proper
| ly govern this small territory that is
/ in its trust and charge. The failure Of
| the officers of this Government TO prop
/ erly and adequately enforce It's laws
throughout the Nation has become, as
President Hoover suggests, matter Of
| great concern; but the other failure Of
Congress to properly govern the Dis
trict Of Columbia is matter for even
greater concern, because, IL crime can
continuously increase and flourish here
at the seat Of Government. what can be
| expected as to the rest of the Nation?"
After these general references to the
affairs Of the District, Senator Brook
! hart began to express again his views
| regarding the F. H. Smith Co. The
Senator said he realized that this is
| but one of the many matters that re-
quire the attention of our local authori.
ties" He added that perhaps 10000
persons in these United States have
purchased bonds and stocks, aggregat-