Evening star., 1934-02-20
j. s. ASKSPOWERS
T0COMBAT CRIME
Would Strengthen Both Po-
lice and Prosecution
Methods.

/
for greatly expanded powers in it,
relentless war on kidnapers. racketeer'
and other predatory criminals"
Uncle Sans authority as a detective
| and prosecutor would be strengthened
drastically under a proposed 12-point
legislative program submitted to Ju-
dietary Committees of the House anc
Senate.
Attorney General Cummings SUBJ
mitted the plan with a letter to chair.
! men of the respective committees
Senator Ashurst, Democrat, of Arizons
and Representative Summers, Demo
crat, of Texas-Saying the legislation
should be limited to functions to be
performed by a central agency and
not to invite problems of political sub
divisions.
The Attorney General said the pro-
gram was justified under the com.
merce clause of the Constitution II
calls for the death penalty for kid
napers, registration of all firearms
the making of all stolen property sent
into interstate commerce subject to
Federal prosecution, and makes it a
criminal offense to extort or seek to
extort by telephone, telegraph, radio
or oral message, and to intimidate,
coerce or otherwise interfere with in
terstate business or in any way to in
terfere with banks with criminal III
tent.
Cites Crimes Growth.
Cummings wrote:
THE recent growth of certain types
of crime has brought forcefully to our
attention the fact criminals engaged
therein are not under adequate con-
troll. The crimes referred to above
are those perpetrated by organized
groups of gangSters, who do not con-
fine their unlawful activities to any
particular city, county or State, but
who, on the contrary, as part of an
organized plan, move rapidly from the
scene of one crime of violence to an
other across State lines, often passing
through several States into another
section of the country"
One of the most telling blows that
would be aimed at the underworld
under the program is a provision for
strict control of firearms sales by the
Government. To bring guns under
Federal control Cummings proposed a
nominal Federal tax, with a proviso
that purchasers of guns must obtain
permits from the Government, bear
ing their fingerprints for identifca-
ton purposes
Another important recommendation
in connection with prosecution of
criminals was that defense attorneys
be prevented from introducing sur
prise alibi' testimony in a trial. The
defense would be required to supply
the prosecutor with the alibi in ad-
vance. so the claims could be checked
carefully.
Would Bolster Case.
Prosecutors would be permitted to
comment to the jury on the failure of
defendant to take the stand in his
own behalf.
Armored cars. such as that recently
found in Boston. would be prohibited
from crossing State lines without a
Federal permit.
The Attorney General said he had
recommended that it be criminal
offense to commit the crime of extor-
ton by the use of the telephone,
telegraph, radio or oral message
transmitted in interstate commerce. "
This bill" he added, lis regarded
as of the highest importance. Ex-
perienced criminals who seek to ex-
tort money by kidnapping or threats
to kidnap deliberately avoid Federal
jurisdiction by refraining from send
ing an extortion letter through the
mails
Cummings said rowing criminals
constitute a growing menace to law
and orderly government"
INSTRUCTED by experience and by
certain types of unscrupulous attor-
neys, these outlaws thrive in the twi-
light zone between State and Federal
authority" he continued. The neces-
sity for additional legislation to meet
the serious situations is as imperative
as it is obvious.
Sees Local Limitations.
although local authorities are
generally honest, alert and efficient,
the limitations upon their facilities
and Jurisdiction prevent them from
dealing adequately with this type Of
criminal"
Other items mentioned by Cum
mings include regulations over rob-
berries of national banks and other
banks of the Federal Reserve Sys-
tenn, strengthening of the Lindbergh
act, protection of business against
racketeering by violence and intimi-
dation, a bill to make it unlawful to
fee from one State to another to
avoid prosecution or teStlfylng In
felony cases.
The Department of Justice legis1a-
tive program is the outgrowth of a
long series of conferences among
Federal, congressional and private ex-
perts on law enforcement. The pro-
gram was formulated by Assistant
Attorney General Joseph B. Kennan.
in collaboration with Attorney Cen
eral Cummings, j. Edgar Hoover, di-
rector of the Division of Investiga-
ton; Senator Royal Copeland, chair
man of the Senate committee inves-
tigating crime; Raymond Moley, for
mer Assistant Secretary of State, and