Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-21
BY DAVID LAWRENCE,

Spectacular and sensational as have
been the gang wars in Chicago, Federal
officials here believe that there are other
cities In which the liquor traffic is even
worse than in Chicago. They say that
in some cities the liquor chieftains are
so we'll entrenched against their own
rivals that the trade goes on quietly
and without challenge. In fact, this is
the condition in most of the cities of
the United States which are In the wet
! area. The number of SpeakeasieS is
difficult to estimate and the beer traffic
continues undated
In these localities no serious effort
has ever been made to enforce the law
Not only has 1t been difficult for the
Federal Government under its present
system Of operation to prosecute those
whom 1t has charged with law viola
ton, but it has also been handicapped
by the failure of local authorities to CO.
operate and prosecute under State laws.
| The original conception of those who
framed the eighteenth amendment was
that in giving the States and the Fed
eral Government concurrent jurisdic-
ton the States would not Shirk their
tasks but would take care of the ma
the tendency is to shift the burden to
the Federal Government which is with
| out police force adequate to take care
OF the problem.
Local Politics Obstacle.
Local politics is regarded as the chief
obstacle to law enforcement. Police
officers who are working with the boot
leg chiefs have until this time been
more or less immune, because it was
difficult to get evidence of actual par
ffairnftoy. kryf t4y, To-, l. &c lsAi@
liquor, and when cases were brought.
the payment of fine enabled most of
them to escape. The new Jones law
will make 1t possible for the Federal
Government to prosecute local police
who are derelict in their duty and &C
tually put them in jail. The theory is
that any one who aids in the manu-
facture, sale, transportation or dis
tribution of alcoholic beverages without
a permit is aiding in the commission of
a felony, which means jail sentence.
The Jones law, in other words, is
counted on to strike terror into the
hearts Of local policemen throughout
the country, who now may be brought
into Federal courts and put behind bars
If they are convicted.
In a number of cities public senti-
ment is being aroused against local au-
thorities who are lax in the enforcement
of prohibition laws. Now that it has
become apparent that this laxity has
meant the violation of other important
laws, some of the communities are begin
ming to see the dangers of indifference.
In some instances, lack of courage on
the part of local chiefs is responsible
for failure to enforce. The Federal
Government is ready at any time to
furnish assistance in those communities
where it Is desired.
Graft in Service.
Unquestionably there has been some
graft and corruption in the Federal
service itself, and efforts are being
made to reduce it to minimum. The
Federal official who may be caught &C
cepting bride would hitherto have
been prosecuted under the conspiracy
statutes, under which proof is always
difficult. With the Jones law, however,
permitting a jail sentence for any one
who aids in the violation of the law as
1t relates to transportation, manufac-
ture, sale, distribution or importation,
the Federal agent who betrays his Gov
eminent may find himself in jail.
An entirely new aspect has been given
the whole enforcement problem as
consequence Of the passage by Congress
Va bAiC OOllCo law. AlC CA1CSt
is said to be noticeable in cities where
the local authorities have hitherto been
indifferent to the law violations. If the
Jones law should prove successful, it is
not unlikely that an effort will be made
to 60 further and make explicit the
laws relating to the purchase of Illicit
liquor.
AS it stands now, all those who pur-
chase liquor from bootlegger may be
prosecuted under the conspiracy stat
utes, but there have not been enough
decisions to make sure of the outcome.
The theory that it takes two people to
make a sale, namely, the buyer and the
seller, is being advanced as reason
enough for invoking the Jones law itself
against purchasers of liquor, though it
would be necessary to bring test case
in order to find out the attitude Of the
Federal judiciary on this point.
There is no doubt that the Govern
ment is in earnest now in its efforts to
enforce the law and that pride of the
Hoover administration is at stake, the
President having made a conspicuous
issue of law enforcement
Copyright. 1929