Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-26

IFOJ. ISHeF.
NEW HAVEN, Conn, May 25.-1n
| the sense of q wholehearted facing OF
| the facts, 1t is my belief that the Pres
ident's Law Enforcement Commission,
headed by George w. Wickersham, will
! neither try to whitewash prohibition
| enforcement nor permit the commits
| sion to be used as forum for wet
propaganda, in any attempt to show
that the eighteenth amendment Is the
, basic cause of all law violation ga dis
respect for law.
In his public speeches Mr.. Hoover
has repeatedly shown that violation oil
the prohibition laws Is but small
fraction of all law violation. and that
disrespect for law In this country had
obtained fairly vigorous growth be-
fore the eighteenth amendment was
adopted. -.
It has been stated that the spirit OF
the administration is to educate the
people to the necessity OF respect Tor
all law, and to win their support by
measures which would gradually re-
move. through orderly processes and
not sensational drives abuses OF pro-
hibition enforcement and disregard for
other laws. By this means President
Hoover hopes to get the best and
majority opinion behind the laws.
Survey Held Proper Function.
1t would be proper function OF
the law enforcement commission,
therefore, to make a survey Of defects
and abuses in applying the eighteenth
amendment, thus preparing the base
facts for q concerted appeal for lead
ership. through all appropriate agen-
cies of the Nation, in correction OF
abuses and in general observance OF
the amendment.
Mr.. Hoover has declared that his ad-
nainistration would oppose coercion,
bureaucratic extensions and centran-
cation. His will be the policy of In
forming the Nation, scientifically and
from unbiased sources, of the facts Oh
abuses. When the facts are made
known he would invoke the power OF
informed leadership to remedy the
abuses and to organize voluntary Ell
fort in securing general observance OF
the law.
In his administrative work the Presi-
dent had invariably offered co-opera-
ton to representative groups OF men
and women in States and local COM
munities. BY applying the principle OF
decentralized organization, leaving the
execution of details to local autonomy
and to volunteer committees OF lead
ing citizens, Mr.. Hoover succeeded
largely in regulating the food supply
of scores Of millions of people in Eu-
rope during and after the war; by this
method he conducted the United states
Food Administration and reorganized
the Federal Department Of Commerce.
His methods are those OF an engineer,
of FIRST assembling the facts, for which,
in this case, he relies upon MIR. Wick
ershams committee, which will also
centralize ideas about the facts; then
Of decentralizing their execution through
organized leadership in the States and
communities.
Facts win BE Best Ally.
note that already leading radio
chains have volunteered their services
to the President In behalf OF programs
for law enforcement. believe the
President realizes keenly, from his own
experience In the war canvasses for
conserving foodstuffs and materials
needed at the front, that public appeals
through the press, the radio chains and
the movies and sound pictures can
bring about rapid changes in the habits
of the people, and he has about him a
corps of men and women who have be-
come veterans In executing plans that
affected the voluntary action Of whole
nations.
OF course. he is also the head of the
law enforcement agencies Of the Ma
ton. and he has already notably
strengthened them. But am assured
that in this matter his most important
ally will be the facts, impartially gath
cred by the commission, and the power
Of public sentiment in remedying de-
fects and in making the eighteenth
amendment more fully effective.
Copyright, 1920