Evening star., 1932-02-26
The "Kidnaping Racket. "

While progress should maintain
lead several jumps ahead of the latest
edition of the encyclopedia, one re-
ceives a distinct shock by consulting
the Americana on the subject of kid
naping.
Says the Americana:
kidnapping, though not legal term,
is frequently applied as such in pop
ular language both in Great Britain
and the United States. to the offenSe
of stealing or carrying off by force a
child or adult. In its more limited sense,
1t is applied to the obtaining of slaves
or native labor by force, as practiced
by the Arabs in Africa This barbarous
traffic existed in very recent years in
the South Seas carried on by Euro
peans, but now happily suppressed by
the appointment Of government labor
agents. In Great Britain this term
was formerly also applied to the illigiti-
mate recruiting for the army and navy.
For everybody knows that kidnapping
expresses very highly remunerative
form Of modern racket" practiced more
or less openly in some of our more
progressive cities without much hin
drance from the police and in a man.
ner that makes pikers of the Arabs
1t consists of abducting q man or
woman Of known or suspected wealth,
utilizing the United States mails for
communication with relatives as to
where and in what amount the ransom
is to be deposited and holding the un-
fortunate prisoner until his release is
duly paid for. For the most part, it
provides less perilous means of liveli-
hood than highway robbery, bootlegging
or dope peddling, inasmuch as the kid
napers' victim is only too glad to pay
for immediate freedom and keep his
mouth shut. He can judge between his
chances for peace and prosperity by
paying of the kidnapers or by tipping
on the police. He Is apt to adopt the
former course and thank his stars that
he got of so easily. When blackmail
Is cleverly mixed with kidnapping, the
risk is less and the pay is higher.
The House Post ONCE Committee and
the House Judiciary Committee are re-
ceiving colorful testimony from those
who have dealt at first hand with the
problem of kidnapping, described now
as a 'diabolic modern racket, Nation
wide in scope" and WHO are advocat-
ing the enactment of Federal laws to
deal with kidnapers. The story of why
these laws are sought Is the usual story
Of inadequate Jurisdiction on the part
OF the States, the ease with which
criminals may escape across State
borders, the general incompetence of
the city and State police in making
any headway against the criminals and
the moral effect OF having the Federal
Government put on the trail of the
kidnapers. The kidnap racketeers,
according to the testimony, seek to
keep away from whiskers," and
whiskers mean Uncle Sam"
The same sort of testimony led to the
enactment Of such Federal laws as the
Mann act, the Harrison anti-narcotic
act and the Dyer act, which deals with
interstate transportation Of stolen auto
mobiles. While the enactment of
these statutes was generally considered
necessary and reasonable, they have
served to add tremendous burden to
the Federal law enforcement machinery
and they have done their part to make
the walls Of Federal prisons bulge The
additional statutes now sought are just
as reasonable and, apparently just as
necessary. There would be additional
penalties for use of the mails for black
mail and extortion threats and there
would be Federal statute against the
interstate transportation OF kidnap VIC
Tins. But where is the business of
leaning on the Federal Government for
enforcement of such laws to stop? Does
the enactment Of these various statutes
mean a strengthening Of local enforce
ment, or does local enforcement become
! paralyzed by the attitude that the
whiskers" will take on the work? Un-
less there is acceptance of the philoso-
ply that eventually there must be a
Nationwide Federal police force for
! the enforcement of all but local ordi-
nances, the tendency to add to the Fed
eral Governments responsibility in the
fight against criminals is dangerous
one, the necessity for which is dictated
more by inaction and inactivity on the
part of local government than by ac-
tual inability of local government tc
enforce the law.