Evening star., 1932-03-13
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murdered. 1t is this fear that the kid
naper plays upon and uses in his oper-
ations
In a survey made by the st. Louis
police, the reported kidnapings on
which they were able to obtain infor-
nation reached q total Of 2O8 during
1890; but the heads of the st. Louis
force and the Investigator for the Sc
cret Six" OF Chicago estimated that
there can have been no less than 1000
abduction cases In that year OF more
than a hundred cases known to the
police of Chicago in 1881, 1t was pos
sible to gather SUFFICIENT evidence to
obtain conviction in only seven cases.
While these figures are not exhaustive,
they do give support to the contention
that there has been little exaggeration
In terming the kidnapping syndicate
one OF the ranking racketeering bodies
OF America. a loose, but powerful inter-
connection Of gangs operating through
out our large cities.
Causes Are Complex.
1t is useless to attempt to determine
any one factor which Is uppermost In
the development of kidnapping. Like
all social changes its causes and its
results are so complex and interrelated
that they may not be considered sin
gly. The automobile and the wide
spread use of means of communication
have put the weapon of speed into
the criminals hands. The war played
its part IN the tendency toward a
laxity of social restraint and respect
for government. 1t brought with it
great and unaccustomed wealth to
many people, and with the consequent
shifting of social standards and values,
an unrest the magnitude and signifi-
canoe Of which we do not yet clearly
realize.
The impossibility of enforcing some
laws has permitted the criminal classes
to obtain unheard-of wealth, has taught
them how to coalesce and organize, and
in their violation of that law has sub
jected them to no great legal risk. Since
1919 the constant and continued VIOLA
ton Of the law of the land by every
class of people has lessened the Nations
respect for law and order and has de-
moralized the agencies which enforce
our law! Ultimately, the responsibility
for this condition rests upon the people
Of this country. 1t Is due to their lax
ity, their disinterest in government
that this condition has been allowed to
grow to point where 1t threatens our
security where at every turn we are
subjected to a levy made upon us by
forces which are anti-social and de-
structive.
Public Neglect to Blame.
Our local governments have not dealt
with this problem. They have not dealt
with it because they are ineffective, and
the reason they are ineffective lies
within ourselves. Finding our local
governments ineffective, we have not
sought to improve them. Instead we
have turned to the Federal Govern
ment and asked 1t to intervene in the
regulation Of problems which are pure
ly local in their nature and can best
be handled only by the power Of the
local government.
We do not have to look far to see
startling examples of this inability of
the community to meet its own prob
lem. It is fantasy Of law and of
justice to realize that only the Federal
Government can reach the great Grim
inal leaders, and then through the
subterfuge of their income tax evasions
No one realizes more keenly than the
criminal the malign humor involved in
situation where a kidnaper, a known
murderer, bootlegger, a king of
racketeers can only be sent to jail be-
cause he filed a false income tax. Men
who are recognized and pointed out as
public enemies walk the streets, fearing
no one but the tax assessor.
1t is now insisted that there should
be Federal legislation to deal with the
kidnapping evil. At this writing, a bill
is under discussion by the judiciary
Committee of the House of Represent
atives. This bill, introduced by Repre-
sentative Cochran OF Missouri, and at
present being considered by the Judi
ciary Committee, would, beside placing
the crime under Federal jurisdiction
provide the death penalty for persons
convicted of kidnapping for unlawful
purposes. This bill is based upon the
same theory as the Dyer act covering
the theft and transportation of auto
mobiles from one State to another. the
Mann act relating to the Transportation
of women for immoral purposes, and
the Carlin act relating to the theft of
goods from railroad cars moving in
interstate commerce.
Jurisdiction Was Question.
These particular laws were enacted
because Of the ineffectiveness of the
individual States jurisdiction in these
specific crimes which are usually inter-
state in their character. All such laws.
as the Attorney General said in his
statement before the Judiciary Com
D1ittee, regarding the enactment of the
proposed statute, place upon the Fed
eral courts an additional burden, q