The Indianapolis times., 1929-06-18
President Calls on Cities on
Border to Aid Enforce
ment Work.
GUARDS TO KEEP ARMS
Appeals to Take Weapons
From Prohibition Men
Are Rejected.
BY RAYMOND CLAPPER
United Press STAFF Correspondent


WASHINGTON, June Is
Taking Of human life was de-
plored strongly by President
Herbert Hoover today in COM
menting on recent prohibition
enforcement shoOtingS.
Il deeply deplore the killing OF
any person" the President said.
The White House simultaneously
announced the treasury department
was making a constant effort to pre-
vent the misuse of firearms by bor-
der patrol officers.
The determination as to what con-
stituted misuse, the President said,
would be determined by 'the or
derly processes Of the treasury ae~
partment and the courts"
At the same time the President
called upon residents Of border
cities to cooperate with the gov
ernment in an effort to prevent vio-
lation of American laws by inter-
national criminals.
Agents to Keep Arms
81 hope communities along the
border will do their best to end the
systematic violation of laws of the
United States by international
criminals" the President said.
Suggestions that prohibition and
customs agents be disarmed to pre-
vent killings out Of enforcement &C
tivities we're enlphatically rejected
by Seymour, assistant secretary OF
treasury.
He issued orders Monday forbid
ding enforcement and customs
agents to use shotguns and rifles
and restricting them to service
pistols but today he said this was
as far as he could go in that direc-
ton
For us to send customs patrol
men or prohibition agents out un-
armed to combat desperate snug
glers and bootleggers would mean
almost certain death for the gov
ernment men, Lowman said.
Stands Behind Officers
He still is standing behind federal
officers accused in three recent en-
forcement killings and expressed
confidence in the courts which will
handle the cases.
LoWman revealed that about $50
kilograms concerning the killing at
International Falls, Mimi. have
reached him, averaging about two
to one in condemning the shooting.
President Hoover's law enforce-
ment commission resumed its meet
ings today, but indicated it was con-
sidering general law enforcement
problems.
No one would comment on the.
possibility Of the commission send
ing investigators to the scenes of
recent killings for f1rst-nand infor-
nation on law enforcement condt-
tions in those trouble centers.
Moral support for the administra-
ton in it's effort to cope with Illicit
liquor traffic came from Philadel-
phia today when the Presbyterian
general assembly appointed a Ma
tional loyalty commission" which
vii come here Wednesday to offer
it's support to President Hoover in
his law enforcement efforts.
Ministers Aid Drive
June 80 will be law enforcement
Sunday and ministers will rally their
congregations to the support of the
government.
A Newport (Ark) prosecutor an
he will seek the death
penalty for the deputy sheriff who
shot Mickey Dillon, a young alleged
bootlegger who was trying to
escape.
President Hoover has before him
a second telegram from Interna-
tionaf Falls, Mimi, this one from
the city council, protesting officially
against the shooting of Henry Vir-
kuIa, confectioner, and against the
attitude Of customs agents in that
vicinity. The President received a
similar plea from the citizens of
that locality last week. His failure
to answer it prompted the tele-
gram from the city council.
Reports that President Hoover in
spired his order limiting armament
carried by customs men to the serv-.
ice pistol were denied by Lowman,
who said the President had not
with him on the re-
cent deaths in connection with pro-
enforcement, either di-