Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-15

General agreement with the Wicker
sham report criticizing police admins
tration in various American cities and
showing the evils Of the third degree
is voiced by the public. It is stated that
the facts set forth are widely known,
and that one Of the chief difficulties in
the way Of finding a remedy is the
alliance between police departments and
politics.
Some time true reform in policing
must come" declares the Pasadena
Star-News, cor the American people
will demonstrate in q tragically in
glorious manner that they are incompe-
tent to govern themselves as democ-
racy." The Baltimore Sun believes that
such brutaliNieS as described violate
human feelings" and that the report
seems to rank the police in callousness
and negation Of ordinary human rights
With the very worst of the offenders with
whO11 they DEAL" and encourages one
TO be suspicious Of many of the confess
sions' and convictions obtained
Believing that ''unouestionably the
commission has hit upon one Of the
weaknesses responsible for metropolitan
crime waves" and that "inefacient po-
lice forces in large communities leave
society almost helpless in the hands of
criminal elements" the Ann Arbor Daily
News feels that corrupt politics has
something to do with it." The News
continues: There are other causes.
One is cumbersome laws, burdened with
technicalities that permit criminals to
escape justice, particularly when crimi-
mails are sufiiciently endowed with the
worlds goods to hire clever and I'M
scrupulous lawyers. The police are al
ways running against technicalities
which are obstacles to arrest and pun
ishment Of outlaws. There are corrupt
police, but likewise there are honest
police and laws difficult to enforce"
= 4 4
The average member of a large force,
in the Judgment Of the Lexington
Leader, els unable to do what he knows
should be done in a thorough and i'm
partial manner, because he is controlled
by a machine which is allied in one way
or another with crookedneSs and crimi-
nality." The Providence Journal con-
tends. however, that criminals have
been quick to employ every new device
and method useful 10 them and the
police slow to develop the means of
retaliation" That paper adds: THE
blame for tagging behind in the new,
swift race against modern crime cannot
be laid wholly at the door of the police.
The old ideas as to how society should
be protected-the dogma Of police work,
handed down for generations-must be
revised in the minds Of citizens and
municipal legislative bodies. SIS well as
in the minds of the police themselves,
before a fully effective change can be
wrought. The police, granting them
honesty and sincerity, do what they can
with the money allotted for their work
and with the freedom that they are
given. If they are to do more, they
must in all probability have more free
dom and more money with which TO
experiment, as well as the urge TO do
So"
observers are unanimous in charg-
ing prohibition with responsibility for
more vice and graft than has ever been
known before in this country" AYERS the
Omaha World Herald, while the Youngs-
towns Vindicator asserts that the dill
Guilty in meeting the situation Is Ito ind
the right kind of men," advising that
the commission sets up standards which
few cities can meet. regardless Of pay.
because the men who possess them are
not as q rule willing to become police
men"
The Newark Evening News IN this
Connection points out that about half
Of the convictions obtained by torture
throughout the country have been upset
by higher courts, ample evidence that
innocent persons often are victimized
and confess at last TO anything for the
sake Of ending their agony" The Hart
ford Times, however, believes that cit
would be q sentimentality to handle
crooks always with gloves" and con-
tends that precisely where to draw the
line between sternneSs and severity is
not clear"
Removal Of political influence " thinks
the Oakland Tribune, is q task Of
huge magnitude. Even where the polifi-
cal inruence ts.n0t crErllnk q rOlicA d.