Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-31
ADVICE DELUGES
LAW COMMISSION
Wickersham Devoting Entire
Day to Examination of
Correspondence.

A landslide Of suggestions anent the
cause and cure of Americas wave of
lawlessness has engulfed the Presidents
National Commission on Law Observ-
ance and Enforcement"
Braving the Midsummerlike heat,
Chairman George w. Wickersham to-
day took personal charge of the land
fall of kilograms, special delivery let
terS and other messages which STOOD
in foot-high piles on a long table in
the temporary quarters of the commits
sion at the Department of Justice.
Pointing to his lack of clerical staff
to handle the mounting correspondence
problem, Chairman Wickersham said he
had decided to devote all his time to-
day to an attempt to clear up the
accumulated work. He called off plans
for a meeting of the commission this
morning.
Come From All Over U. S.
The chairman said the letters came
from all parts of the United States.
While the commission has not had an
opportunity to examine many of the
communications, it is understood that
a large number of the suggestions have
to do with handling of the prohibition
question.
Members of the commission, un-
daunted by the work involved by the
avalanche of advice, point to the letters
as evidence of the wide interest by the
American people in the Presidents
movement for law observance. 1t is said
most of the letters contain offers OF
cooperation from individuals and or
ganizations interested in elimination OF
crime and of diSrespect for the law:
Appointment of a secretary and a
statistician, announced last night, Will
aid the commission In tackling the pre-
liminary mechanics of its job. Max
Lowenthal, former employe OF Mr:
Wickersham's New York law firm and
assistant secretary of three wartime or
ganizations in Washington, Is the new
secretary. He is a lawyer and a grad
uate of Minnesota and Harvard Uni
yersitieS.
Harrison to Be Statistician.
Leonard v. Harrison of the Bureau OF
Social Hygiene of New York VIII be
statistician of the commission. He has
conducted crime and police surveys In
several cities and recently has been pre-
pairing a uniform system of crime ac-
counting.
At meeting yesterday the commits
sion adopted formal name and out
lined methods of procedure. 1t was de-
cided to divide the commission into two
groups one to deal with the causes OF
crime and the other with the remedies
therefor. The first group will include
Miss Ada Comstock, Newton d. Baker,
Henry w. Anderson and Monte M. Le-
mann and the second group will consist
of Paul ]. Mccormick, Kenneth r. Mac
Intosh, William S. Kenyon, Roscoe
Pound and William I. Grubb.
Chairman Wickersham issued state
ment, saying that the commission
voted to issue public invitation to all
organized bodies interested in various
problems of observance and enforce
ment of law to send such printed re-
ports, statistics and other information
as they have available which they feel
! would be of value in the commission S
| work"
Meets Again Thursday.
"The commission also" he said, "ex-
poets to call into preliminary conference
heads of organizat tions of labor and of
capital, representatives of law enforce
! ment bodies and others in order to Sc
cure such information as may be read
! lily available for them"
The next meeting of the commission
will be held here next Thursday, by
which time Chairman WickerSham
| hopes to have permanent Offices. In
the meantime members of the commits
, sion will return to their homes to ar
range business affairs interrupted by
the Presidents summons a few days
| ago.
On the return to Washington the
commission expects to confer with
Government officials regarding various
aspects of the investigation.