Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-02

| oVCWdAb GdlbCtSOIl, plCSlOcll1, bolIuilOiS
Conference. Epworth League; Elgin
Smith, president, Columbia Federation
Of Baptist Young Peoples Union. and
Paul Brindle. president, Luther League
of Maryland Synod.
the House is not the place to try any
one under indictment, but that there
seems to be a misrepresentation as to
| the law.
Mr.. La Guardia said he wished to
refute statement made very often on
| the floor of the House and in the press
| that the last election was a referendum
on prohibition and decided in favor of
prohibition and its continuance. THE
majority of the people of the country
are against prohibition and in favor of
modification" he asserted.
This brought a denial from Repre-
sentative Crist, Democrat. of Georgia.
| The recent shooting" he explained.
brings out the various points of law
! in regard to the seiZing and searching
of property of citizens" He said he
would state the facts as stated the other
| day in the House by Representative
| Holiday of Illinois. except that, he de-
! clared, the youth killed as suspected
rum-runner was an honest, hard
working young man employed every day
by the Capital Traction Co." He cited
Supreme Court rulings in support Of his
contention that had there been no kill
ing and had the liquor been seized 1t
could not have been used as evidence
against the youth unless the police knew
| in advance of the seizure that 1t con-
! tanned more than one-hah of l per
! cent Of alcohol.
La Guardia emphasized that the SUI
preme Court has held that evidence I'M
lawfully taken could not be admitted,
and that in a similar case to that now
on consideration in Washington the
court held that it was unlawful to shoot
! into a suspected car, thus endangering
the lives Of its occupants.
Attacks Government Policy.
So far as the problem nationally is
/ concerned, Mr.. La Guardia said that
President Hoover in his speech before
the Associated Press had made it clear
that respect and obedience Of law was
Federal question, and the New Yorker
charged that the Government was
making no attempt to enforce the pro-
hibition law equally throughout the
United States"
IT charge" he said, that the Federal
Government is doing exactly what the
President says no individual has the
! right to do, to wit, to say which law
| it shall obey and which law it shall
not obey"
| As an example. La Guardia, who is
wet, said the Treasury has assigned
338 agents to New York State with an
area of 47,654 square miles and popu-
lation of II $50. 600, while placing only
297 enforcement officers in the States
of Virginia, North and South Carolina,
Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi,
Alabama. Kentucky, Tennessee and
Porto Rico with an area Of 46I,436
square miles and a population Of "a
1915 500.
$l50,000,o Fund Urged.
THE Government should be the first
TO put into practice the policy and the
principles declared by the President of
the United States" he added, and In
order to do that, it will be necessary
for Congress to Immediately appropriate
$3.50, 100000 in addition to the appro-
priation already made for the next
/ fiscal year"
Discussing the Presidents statement
| that of the total number of convictions
| for felonies last year less than per
| cent came from prohibition, La Guardia
declared that If Mr.. Hoover meant that
| 8 per cent were for direct violation of
| the dry law he was correct
| The fact remained, however he as
| serted, that lover so per cent of pres
ent crime is direct result Of prohi-
bition"
After La Guardia declared that all
| youths between the ages of 10 and 81
had tested strong liquor there we're
| cries of mo, no." from the Repub-
lican side. Applause from the galleries
| greeted a later statement that even
| some of the prohibition leaders in the
! Capitol were unable to control their
own children"
Legislation to curb firearms traffic
such as is sought by the Trade Board
4 committee is pending in Congress, and
in addition to this the committee wants
the board to request the annual con-
ference of governors, the United States
Chamber of Commerce, the National
Crime Commission and the American
Bar Association to make every effort
TO obtain the enactment of similar stat
utes in every State in the country. Spe-
cial stress is to be laid on the necessity
of such law In Virginia and Maryland,
since the District of Columbia is di-
rectly affected by the ease with which
weapons can be procured in neighbour
ing localities.
Pledges Of Aid Given.
State Senator Frank l.. Ball of Viz
GINA who was present at the meeting
yesterday, pledged himself to introduce
in the Virginia Legislature bill regard
ing dangerous weapons such as is adj
yecated
These plans will be presented to the
board Of directors of the organization
Monday, and Odell S. Smith, chairman
of the public order committee, who pre-
sided, declared that the action of the
special committee would undoubtedly
be Endorsed by the governing body OF
the Board of Trade.
1t was pointed out that in appealing
to the citizens to aid in the detection
Of smoke screens, the board would not
be asking them TO put themselves III
, the positions of ordinary informers, but
as protectors of the lives of innocent
I persons who must necessarily be en-
dangered by the use Of the perilous de-
> vice and by the shooting in the streets
Z which is likely to follow.
! Mai. Pratt In urging that such In
formation be brought TO police stations
declared that the identity of the in
. formant would not be divulged, and
pledged himself to see that all such
reports were Immediately investigated.
The first step in the program OF the
: board was to be the securing OF in
S dividual backing Of every one OF the
q | 5000 constituent members, who in turn