Evening star., 1933-07-13

workman -0uld identify IT, sangsters
who had maltreatea the iron " orker
Not one. Not even the iron worker
himself Incredible? Perhaps. But
remember the ironworker had a wife.
He had children. Gangsters all too
often murder witnesses through whom
they may be convicted. So everyone
was mute. That was to protect wife
and children; home and happiness. 1t
is easier to pay, no matter who or
what you are.
This actual case was detailed for me
by the executive in charge of erecting
the building. 1t Is one of hundreds
of identical import.
The business of the racket is just as
widespread today as the business of
the bootlegger was three years ago
This is not a comforting condition. On
the other hand, it is not half SO bad as
it sounds. Put in nut shell, the
business of the gangster before prohi-
bition was cheap and hazardous because
its revenues were insufficient to pay for
protection. The crime of violence never
in history has proven profitable. Bur-
glars may rob house of nothing, but
assume all the risk in the world A
hold-up man may rob a pedestrian of
a dollar or two. He faces the same
penalty as if the pedestrian had had
a great deal more.
Protection Vital to Crime.
by venal police or courts That pro-
lection is a commodity not offered at
inferior prices. So violent crime is
stupidity. In its very essence it is
failure.
Successful crime must be profitable
on a great scale, to pay bribes, nurture
corruption and hire skilled lawyers
Footpads cannot do that. Neither can
burglars, robbers, petty thieves and the
like. The gangster who became the
bootlegger must now again become the
gangSter because he has never changed
except in purse. He is the same old
beetlebroW with few new ideas con-
ceived in bootleg gold, few new am
billions certain to trip him up, few
condolences that will prove mantraps
as his bootleg revenues change into
those for which he must resort to
violence.
There is a way and a simple way to
rout the racketeer. 1t involves national
action. 1t demands a unification of
protective measures that never can
be subsidized by local politicians and
criminals. So closely are these local
politicians and criminals allied that the
line Of demarcation between them Is
often indistinguishable.
Federal Agencies Join Fight.
1t is a deadly truth that the boot
logger never could have grown as he
did without political protection he
bought with bootleg money. 1t is a
helpful truth that the passing Of pro-
hibition will enable honest officials to
break the tie-up between thisf and
cop and SO disrupt the so-called gang
ster organizations the country over.
The next few years viii see tre-
mendous developments in American
criminal codes and procedures. II some
decent and sane social order is to sur
vive, these developments already are
appearing obvious in their demands.
The bootlegger who has turned rae
keteer is on the way out. The speed
of his exit will be commensurate with
the speed of the social order in enacting
simple and far-reaching measures for
the establishment of order and the
banishment of the worst criminals the
United States ever has tolerated.
Even now the Federal Government
is moving against the racketeer. A
Senate subcommittee investigating this
form of criminality has just been as
sured by President Roosevelt that the
full facilities of the Federal Govern
ment will be at the committee
disposal.
Copyright 1923. bv North American News
paper Alliance. 1nc.J
(The second of this series will appear
tomorrow