Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-04
]. S. JOINS STATES
IN RACKETEER WAR
Cooperation Planned to End
Technical Handicaps to
Crime Check.

Uncle Sans sleuthing work. which
ss occllpying an increasing amount OF
his attention, is about to take q new
turn. Under a program announced last
week by Attorney General Mitchell the
Government will Join forces with StaVe
law enforcement agencies to track DOWN
or0anized criminal gangs and racketeers.
Co operation of this sort between
Federal and State authorities has been
In process of development Tor some
years, but only now does 1t seem 10
have reached the point where con-
certed efforts can be made 10 conpaI
crime in its organized phases.
Information from local sources tend
ing to show violations of Federal laws
affects between IS and 90 per cent OF
the criminal prosecution work carried
on by the Federal authorities. Likewise,
instances of opportunities for Federal
aid to State officers, while more or less
limited, have resulted in numerous
sleads" whereby convictions have been
obtained under circumstances where
either lack of evidence or Inability 10
prosecute has prevented Federal prose-
cutors from pressing charges.
Federal Laws Not Broken.
Organized groups or "rackets" deal
inc In crime In q business way are not
unusually engaged in violations Of both
Federal and State statutes. Yet IN
stances occur where So-called "protec-
tive associations" operating on methods
Of extortion, are not amenable to the
Federal laws. Racketeers in many cases
commit no Federal offense.
Efforts have been made by the Fed
eral authorities to reach such gangs, or
ut least their leaders, through the in
come tax laws, but the obstacles are
numerous and difficult Most Of the
higher-ups in these organizations keep
their "ofice records" in their pocket
books and afford no opportunity to seize
account books upon which q pro6ecu-
ton for income tax violations could be
based.
Much Of the work In the apprehen-
sion Of gangs must be done through
characters drawn from the underworld
itself. With but few exceptions these
stool pigeons" are VIGOROUSLY unre-
liable. They are as easily coerced by
prospective defendants to deny their
testimony before grand jury as they
are willing to incriminate them be-
fore investigating officers.
The Department of Justice maintains
In Washington bureau of identifica-
ton, where records of approximately
3,00o,000 known American criminals
are kept These records, which are
kept up to date, are available to every
peace officer in the country without
cost to the Jurisdiction he represents.
White SIavers Not Numerous.
Much is said about organized groups
dealing in white slave traffic in viola
ton Of the Mann act, but actual in
stances Of such crime on large scale
are rarely found. Bankruptcy gangs,
wandering from place to place. estab-
fishing credit and selling out stock
without payment, appear ct intervals.
There are many gangs working in
violation of the Dyer automobile theft
act in close proximity to the larger
cities. Seldom are they found in the
metropolis itself, but usually in a
smaller town within working distance.
where there Is less possibility Of detec-
ton and greater facilities for storage.
Narcotic rings appear frequently, and
for some time past the authorities by
cooperation have met with Q fair
measure Of success I'm detecting and
convicting the offenders. The liquor
rings seem to do the most profitable
business and can best afford to pay
the fines melted out by the courts.
(Copyrisht. 1890.