Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-29

G. AARON Y
with a separate bureau giving its undi-
vided attention to each.
Set Up Over Nation.
In the Department of Justice the en-
fcrcement activities have been assigned
to the division relating to taxation and
prohibition, OF which have charge. A
Bureau of Prohibition has been created
as an integral part Of the department.
Col. A. w. w. Woodcock is its director.
The country has been divided into II
districts, each in charge OF q pTohibi-
ton administrator. In each of the IS
Federal judicial districts of the United
States and in Hawaii and Porto Rico
there Is q deputy administrator, who,
under the supervision OF the admins
TRAITOR Of the larger district, is charged
with and held respons BILE for enforce
ment In his particular territory.
Under the immediate direction Of the
deputy administrators there are about
/ 400 prohibition agents whose time is
devoted to local enforcement. There
are $50 investigators, who are assigned
to the more difficult and complicated
local cases. In addition to these there
Is q separate corps OF shout 200 special
agents scattered throughout the country.
They are assigned to the work Of in
vestigating major conspiracies that
often extend over many States and
sometimes into foreign countries; inves-
tigating large-Scale manufacture and
transportation, and, regret to add,
conspiracies between bootleggers and
city and county officers to violate the
national prohibition act. There Is no
sharp line of demarcation between the
activities of these groups of agents.
They are all working to the same end,
and they are placed where they will do
the --latest good. Director Woodcock
has already said, and I say now, that
through these men the prohibition law
will be enforced fairly, honestly, ear
nestly and lawfully. You have within
the past few weeks had evidences Of
the good fab Of the director.
Difficult Task Of Agents.
These agents and investigators Of ours
have an exceedingly diff1cult task. They
have suffered from the mistakes of in
experience in the earlier years. They
gibes Of the minimizing. They have
encountered even physical opposition
and violence from citizens and from
alien residents who hold their personal
wants and interests before the law.
Often they labor IN Sordid surroundings
and are beset by great temptations. In
spite Of these obstacles. they have, with
the support Of the Government they
serve and the large body Of citizens who
recognize the Importance Of obeying and
enforcing the law, whether they ike it
~ @la 70
the effectiveness of their work and in
the way of doing 1t. We propose to give
to these men who have chosen as their
profession the enforce nent Of the law
Of the land our full support in the
proper performance Of their duties. We
propose to help them in q concrete and
practical way by giving them thorough
course Of instruction, both in the law
governing their conduct and in the art
of investigation, by adhering strictly to
the Civil Service rules and by giving
them honest intelligent and able lead
erg. No mercy will be shown the cor
rupt or the unfit agent; the job is more
important than the man who happens
to fill it. 1t is our aim, having always
IN, mind our own limitations and the
frailtieS Of human nature. to make OF
this body of Federal officers law
enforcing agency that will command
your respect, and, we hope, win your
admiration.
But even with such an organization
at work we have so far only the grist
for the mills Of the Federal courts. The
United States Attorney (there are 81 OF
them is now charged with the duty OF
filing informations or securing tndict-
ments for the violations reported to him
by the prohibition agents and OF prose-
cutting those who do not plead guilty. I
shall not undertake to speak OF the
number Of trials or the proportion Of
pleas of guilty to pleas OF not guilty
though it Is interesting to note that
pleas of guilty are Just as common in
districts where the sentences are ade-
Quate as elsewhere--nor OF the length
of sentences. nor Of the amount Of fines
imposed and collected, which runs up TO
several millions Of dollars O year. We
or amounts as we are in the effect upon
the traf1fe in and consL mption of In
toxicating liquor. But do wish TO
point out that the intimate contact be-
tween Investigation and prosecution
constituted one Of the principal reasons
for transferring to the Department Of
Justice the work Of enforcement. Hith-
erto these two activities have functioned
In separate departments, each response
bic to its own chief, and while there
has been cooperation in nearly all oil
the districts, friction has sometimes
arisen, and the practice 50 well de-
scribed by the phrase passing the
buck" had come into vogue In q few
places.
Need Local Advice.
The deputy prohibition administrator
Il in constant need Of local advice and
service In connection with the prepare
ton Of cases, the padlocking OF prem
ises, the forfeiture Of automobiles and
other vehicles used for transporting
liquor, and the collection Of taxes inn
posed on Illicit dealers, which. by the
way, produce q very considerable reve-
nue. to the Government. Under the
present system, wherever there IL Q
deputy administrator there Is also Q
United States attorney. This makes ar
ideal set-up for q closely co-ordinated
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