Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-22
BY the Associated Press.

Press here today President Hoover said
Members and Friends Of the AsSo-
ciated Press:
I have accepted this occasion for q
frank statement of what I consider the
dominant issue before the American
people. It's solution Is more vital to the
preservation Of our institutions than
any other question before us. That is
,, the enforcement and obedience to the
laws Of the United States, both Federal
and State.
I ask only that you weigh this for
yourselves, and II my position is right
that you support it--not to support me
but to support something infinitely more
precious--the one force that holds our
civilization together-law. And wish
TO discuss 1t as law, not as to the merits
or dement's OF particular law, but all
law, Federal and State, for ours is a
Government Of laws made by the people
themselves.
Reap Harvest Of Defects.
A surprising number of our people,
otherwise Of responsibility in the COM
munity, have drifted into the extraordi-
nary notion that laws are made for those
who choose TO obey them. And in addi-
ton, our law-enforcement machinery is
suffering from many infirmities arising
out of its technicalities, its circumlocu-
tons, its involved procedures, and too
often, regret, from inefficient and de-
linquent officials.
We are reaping the harvest Of these
defects. More than 5000 human beings
are lawlesSly. killed every year in the
United States. Little more than half
as many arrests follow. Less than one
sixth Of these slayers are convicted, and
but scandalouSly small percentage are
adequately punished. Twenty times as
many people in proportion to population
are lawlessly killed in the United States
as in Great Britain. In many Of our
great cities murder can apparently be
committed with IMMUNITY. At least so
times as many robberies in proportion to
population are committed in the United
States as in Great Britain, and three
times as MANY burglaries.
Even in such premeditated crimes as
embezzlement and forgery our record
stands no comparison with stable ma
tons. No part Of the country, rural or
urban, Is immune. Life and property
are relatively more unsafe than in any
other civilized country In the world. In
spite of all this we have reason to pride
ourselves on our institutions and the
high moral instincts of the great ma
jority Of our people. No one will as
Sert that such crimes would be COM
mitted II we had even a normal respect
for law and If the laws Of our country
were properly enforced.
Face Greater Problem.
In order to dispel certain illusions
In the public mind on this subject, let
me say at once that while violations Of
law have been increased by inclusion Of
crimes under the eighteenth amend
ment and by the vast sums that are
poured into the hands of the criminal
classes by the patronage Of Illicit liquor
by otherwise responsible citizens, yet
this Is but one segment of our problem
I have purpoSely cited the extent Of
murder, burglary, robbery, forgery and
embezzlement, for but q small percent
age Of these can be attributed to the
eighteenth amendment. In fact, of the
total number of convictions for felony
last year, less than 8 per cent came
from that source. It Is therefore but
sector Of the invasion of lawleSSneSs.
What We are facing today is some
thing far larger and more fundamental
the possibility that respects for law as
law Is fading from the SensibnitieS of
our people. Whatever the value of any
law may be, the enforcement of that
law written in plain terms upon our
statute books Is not. in my mind, de-
batable question. Law should be OBJ
served and must be enforced until 1t
is repealed by the proper processes of
our democracy. The duty to enforce the
laws rests upon every public official and
the duty to obey 1t rests upon every
citizen.
No individual has the right to de-
termine what law shall be obeyed and
what law shall not be enforced. If q
law Is wrong. Its rigid enforcement is
the surest guaranty Of its repeal. If
it Is right, its enforcement is the
quickest method Of compelling respect
for it.. have seen statements pub
lished within a few days encouraging
citizens to defy q law because that
particular journal did not approve of
the law itself I leave comment on
such an attitude to any citizen with
sense Of responsibility to his country.
President Cannot Favor Violations.
In my position, with my obligations.
there can be no argument on these
points. There Is no citizen who would
approve of the President Of the United
States assuming any other attitude. It
may be said by some that the larger
responsibility for the enforcement Of
law against crime rests with State and
local authorities and it does not con-
Germ the Federal Government. But it
does concern the President Of the
United States. both as q citizen and as
the one upon whom rests the primary
responsibility of leadership for the es-
Enlistment of standards of law en-
forca,nent in this country Respect for
law and obedience to law does not dis
tinguish between Federal and State
laws it Is a common conscience.
After all, the processes Of criminal
law enforcement are simply methods of
instilling respect and fear into the
minds Of those who have not the In
telligence and moral instinct to obey
the law as q matter Of conscience. The
real problem is to awaken this con-
seriousness, this moral sense and II
necessary to segregate such degenerate
minds where they can do no future
harm.
We have two immediate problems be-