Evening star., 1933-02-12

by everybody who had any conceivable
interest in the matter. The bill was
introduced in Congress and special
hearing was held before the Judiciary
Committee of the House. At the hear
| ing, so important was this measure
considered, Newton D. Baker gave
his time to make a powerful ar
gument of over one hour, which is now
Government public document. I'M
| pressed by his sound logic, the Judiciary
| Committee reported the bill for pas
sage, and it actually passed the House.
But did anything really happen? Not
at all. 1t was Smothered in the Senate
| and never even voted upon for passage.
Your legislator is keenly alive to pub
lie opinion. If he isn't he loses his
job. 1t Is incredible that our legisla-
tors should be so indifferent to efforts
to reduce crime unless they have found
by experience that the folks back home
are not really interested.
The daily press is also keenly alive
to the extent of public interest on every
matter. They will demand the sup
preston of the gangster with great
vehemence on their front pages imme-
dlately following some particularly
atroclous gangSter outrage, and back it
up by determined and savage editorials
Tor three or four days-but then they
crop 1t as being no longer of interest.
This proves concluSively that they also
realize that crime is matter of mo-
/ mentary interest to the public and one
speedily forgotten by their readers.
occasionally the press in some city
Will take up bad situation and hang
on 10 1t until 1t is renedied This took
place some years ago in Cleveland. For
months the papers printed daily rec
ora OF cases brought to trial and what
happened to them As a result the dis
trlct attorneys office became the most
efhclent in the country and the crime
wave came to an abrupt end in that
particular city. This example points
out something else that is necessary if
we are to have real reduction in crime
"a determined vigilance by the public
as to what the courts and the district
attorneys do in criminal cases.
A crime is committed: the public is
aroused; the press demands the ap-
prehension of the guilty. For three or
Tour days or even week or two the
police report daily efforts. Then one
of two things happens: The criminal
is not found and the case is dropped by
the press and forgotten by the public;
or the criminal is found. Whereupon the
puollc considers the arrest triumphant
endlng OF the case, sits back, turns over
10 the sporting page and never inquiries
as to what happens afterward.
Clever Lawyer Can Delay Trial.
Under the present erchaic crimina!
code, any clever lawyer cen delay actual
trial for not only weeks snd mcnth-,
but years. until practically all of the
leading witnesses have either been seen"
or have SO far forgotten details IS to be
easily confused on cross-ex 3mination.
Does the public ever INQUIRE as to
whether the man was actually convicted
or not? Once in a hundred times
ana yet when a summary of the case,
where the prisoner escapes through one
loophole or another, is brought to the
public's attention, it always exciteS O
new burst of interest in the matter and
brings a demand that something must
be done about it, 1t is, of course, easy
to do something about it, It only re-
qiures the Legislatures to be convinced
that the public cares about it-but is
this ever done? I don't remember any
such case
The original committee of the Ma
ticnal Crime Commission consisted OF
Rich2rd Washburn Child. Newton D.
Baker, who afterward succeeded Mr.
Child as chairman; F. Trubee Dawson,
Assistant Secretary Of War; DR.. Z. A.
Alderman, president of the University
of Virginia; Chief Justice Charles Evans
Hughes; former Gov Frank O. Lowden
OF Illinois. Mrs. Richard Derby, daugh-