Evening star., 1933-08-09
KEENAN, DEMANDS
LIFE Of K|DNAPERS
Tells of Governments War
on Criminals in Radio
Forum Address.
Death for kidnaperS!


This demand was sounded last night
By Joseph B. keenan,. special assistant
to the Attorney General who SketChed
the Governments campaign against
rackCteering and allied crimes. in a
speech in the National Radio Forum.
arranged by The Star, and broadcast
over CCast-to-cOast network Of the
National Brca dcaSting Co.
The inha o!tants of this country are
rCt to be left to the mercy Of attacks Of
organized criminals" it was emphasized
b. keenan,, recently named to direct
this warfare against the underworld.
Lore Death Penalty.
keenan, cited 13 cases of kidnapping
since the Lindbergh case, asserting ar
rests have been made in all but one.
Drastic sentences. including one death
penalty, were rleted out to those who
have stood trial. he said while others
still must face jurieS or are desperately
attempting to evadc the net the Bureau
of Investigation has stretched across
their paths.
Keenan, said the Department of JUS
tice in seeking the most severe penalties
for all kionapers. would turn them over
to the State authorities for prosecution
when the State laws were more severe.
He added death life imprisonment or
the longest possible sentence would be
the goal of prosecution.
Turning to the broader phase of the
crime problem. Keenan, urged that
hardened, habitual criminals be treated
as dangerous maniacS and "corraled
and put without the pale Of our civilized
communities. Many of them, he added
have been turned loose prematurely.
No Breakdown in Authority.
There is no indication of the break
down in Federal authority" keenan,
added, land it is the purpose OF this
department to increase the members oi
its Bureau of Investigation and other
law enforcement agencies to such eX-
tent as may be found necessary to
efficiently enforce its laws
The speaker called for help from
press and public in this new attack
warning against premature publicity
but at the same time urging that the
Department Of Justice be advised i'm
mediately of any kidnapping.
The text of Keenan'S speech follows:
1t is important to acquaint the peo-
pie of this country with the nature
of the problem now being encountered
in this national campaign instituted
by the Department of Justice for the
suppression of racketeering and allied
crimes. We want to inform you CT
some of the steps which are now being
taken so that you may realize that the
inhabitants of this country are not
TO be left to the mercy of attacks
OF organized criminals. We believe
further, that if the public fully under
stands the problem and is kept in
formed of the methods being adopted
b. this department to cope with j.
end understands in what manner the
members of our community can assist
in its solution. better spirit of CO.
operation may be expected and with it
as a consequence. tangible and per-
mcnent results will follow. l want to
GpCrOaCh tbs discussion in the same
manner as II l were one OF your neigh
b--.i. attempting to serve you and t.
hip protect you from these crimes OF
V clCa now under consideration.
\ little more than a month has
r. d since the Attorney General of
1lc United States, Homer S. Cummings
Sp.O.ntcd a special assistant for the
81. pCrpose Of concentrating upon the
Z. cGlcn OF using all of the forces of
tn Department of Justice in warfare
against racketeerlng and other allied
{. mes. particularly those based upon
ex.ortion. Our Attorney General al
Washington, especially in this period
o. our national recovery. has had
unusually heavy duties to perform and
that for such reason his time has been
occupied with many matters OF tbs
grayest Importance, nevertheless so
much has he been interested in the
matter of suppressing these crimes
that he has kept in constant and close
personal touch with each of the agen-
cieS of this department engaged in
this work and from day to day has
kept informed of each step made III
their solution and even in the appre-
hension and prosecution of the accused
Almost simultaneously with the initia-
ton of this particular movement
numerous kidnapings occurred through
out the United States.
We are all agreed, I am sure, that
this is one of the most hateful of all
crimes and the Attorney General de-
cided that the Department of Justice
would give immediate attention to each
and every case and that agents OF
the Bureau of Investigation would be
dispatched to aid or assist in the
apprehension of every kidnaper from
one end of this country to the other
With such thought in mind, he issued
an invitation through the public press
and otherwise to all the people of this
country promptly to notify the Bureau
of Investigation of the Department OF
Justice by telephone or wire OF the
receipt of any threat of extortlon or
any kidnapping that took place in any
part of our country.
Persistent Effort Pledged.
while this is only one phase Of tbs
large problem before us. even in this
brief time we have been afforded ar
opportunity to gauge the ability of the
forces of the United States Govern
ment to some extent to cope with
this problem 1t was decided by ou!
Attorney General that in meeting thii
particular situation, as far as deter
mining who the kldnapers were, brlng
ing them into custody, obtaining tht
release of the victims. and the return
of the ransom money and preparing
cases against them for trial, the Bureau
of Investigation should have ire;
hand and that not until criminals were
brought to the bar of justice woulo
these Federal authorities cease theil
efforts that is to say. although the
Federal Government, in technlca
sense. has the authority only to enforce
Federal laws and to prosecute cases
of their violation, since the crossing
of State lines or the using OF the
mails. or conspiracies for such purposes
alone would constitute Federal oftenses
this department never could be certain
that State lines were not crossed OF
the mails were not used until tns
crimes were fully solved.
Even in those cases where the in.
yestigation disclosed that Fedora
offenses had been committed, and Wher'
the criminals we're actually apprehendet
through Federal agencies, this depart
ment has not hesitated to turn th'
accused over to the State authorltle
for prosecution where the State law
provided for severer punishment thar
those assessed by the Federal statutes
and in such cases we have had al
opportunity to test the power of CO
operation of the Federal Government
with the State authorities.
Mary McElroy Case Cited.