Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-23
Lawless America.

President Hoover's address to the AS
ISOLATED Press in New York should be
read by every American. Laws, as the
Chief Executive pointed out, are made
for all the people and must be respected
by each and every one. They are not
made merely for those who chance to
desire to observe them. The last is a
mistake into which, unfortunately, too
many Americans have fallen, even citi-
zens who regard themselves as law
abiding. 1t was to this group particu-
larly that President Hoover addressed
himself. Lawlessness and freedom have
become sadly confused in this Land of
the Free"
Law is the foundation of this civili-
zation. The Government of the United
States and of the individual States is
a government of law Take away that
sound foundation and the government
and our civilization vanishes. 1t was to
this point that President Hoover de-
voted himself He spoke not in the in
terest of any particular law-the pro-
hibition law or any other. 1t was in the
interest of the observance of all law
that the Chief Executive made the most
terrible arraignment Of conditions ex-
listing in this country that has been
made in many years by the executive
head of the Nation.
Long before prohibition gained ground
in this country or threatened to become
Nationwide there had arisen a disre-
gard for law in the United States. More
murders and homicides were committed
in America, for example, by many times
than in the British isles. in comparison
to the size of the population. 1t was
even in those days fact that very
small percentage of these murderers
were punished for their crimes. There was
growing up feeling among the people
that it was impossible to convict a mil
lionaire, no matter what he did. Attor-
neys appealed to the sentimentality OF
the people, a sickly sentimentality, to
prevent their clients from paying the
final penalties.
Conditions with respect to law en-
forcement, or rather law observance, IN
stead of lettering, have admittedly be-
come worse, as the President pointed out
in his address to the Associated Press.
ct am wondering" said the President,
whether the time has not come to real
lie that we are confronted with ma
tional necessity of the first degree, that
we are not suffering from an ephemeral
crime wave but from a subsistence OF
our foundations"
Mr.. Hoover called attention to fact
which the prohibitionists some
times ignore-that violations OF the dry
laws are, after all, small percentage
of the law violations in this country, and
that the violations of all laws, from
murder to forgery, are alarmingly on
the increase, and have been before the
prohibition laws we're enacted. 1t has
become trite to say that disregard Oh
the prohibition laws leads to disregard
of all laws. 1t is quite as true to say
thai q Q1STeBdIO VI OLA VIC OVAAN~ $500
enhances disregard Of the prohioitlon
laws. The bootlegger and speakeasy
proprietor have had, in very many cases,
criminal records before prohibition was
written into the law of the land.
The appeal of the President was to
"every citizen" to give serious attention
to the situation which was developing
in his country. Lawlessness is but
form of tyranny, which presages the
breaking down of free government
The President Of the United states
has solemnly declared that life and
property are relatively more unsafe (in
the United States than in any other
civilized nation of the world" This Is
no criticism from outside. 1t IS the
criticism of the Chief Executive OF the
Nation, who has been intrusted with the
enforcement of all the laws and VINO
knows whereof he speaks. 1t is time
that the people of America realized the
seriousness of conditions that exist MI
Hoover has performed a great service
in calling them to public attention so
vigorously.
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