The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-08-28
Liberal Viewpoint
by DR.. HARRY ELMER BARNES

n.
THE sensational pay roll robbery in Brooklyn
| i will galvanize public attention on the crime
problem once more even before the news reels
had ceased to depict the funeral rites Of the late
"Robinhood" Dillinger. 1t is doubtful If the
James boys got away with as much "swag" dur
| ing their whole career as was grabbed of in a
few seconds by these shrewd and nervy metro
politan crooks.
Half a million dollars seems large sum,
but it is rather trivial compared to the total an
nual crime bill of the nation, which rarely gets
into the headlines. This is estimated conserva-
! lively as between twelve and fifteen billions Of
dollars. If only this sum could be reclaimed for
constructive social purposes and put into public
works federal credit to business enterprise, nous
ing and the likel
Those who wish an unexcelled panorama of
the crime problem in the United States will do
well to consult the current issue of Fortune,
in which the crime situation is surveyed with
all the vividness and thoroughness for which
Fortune articles are justly noted.
The old crimes and criminals of a generation
backbone house providers, second story men and
thieves-no longer play relatively important
role in crime. The greater part of socially seri-
GUS crime today is organized, often directed by
| the superior brains of an irresponsible lawyer.
| Operations are usually on a national scale,
which makes it difficult for local police and
prosecutors to cope with them Much of the
nonvolent, theft and the like which make poor
newspaper copy and rarely is brought sharply
| to public attention.
| 1T was predicted that repeal would bring
Il new outburSt of crime, often novel types of
crime. In part this fear has been borne out in
| the apparent epidemic Of sensational bank rob-
/ berries, pay roll robberies and kidnapngs. Mel
| Their bank robbery nor kidnapping is anything
new in the annals of American crime, but both
| recently have appeared on a new and more
sensational scale than ever before.
In 1921 some 356 bank robberies were re.
ported with a loss Of $1,225,00O. In 1882 there
were 554 holdups and loss of So, 1874 900. Since
1882 the figures have dropped, primarily because
there were fewer banks open for the outside
crooks to hold up. Too good job had been
done the inside of of them by bank
officials. kidnapping became more frequent and
sensational but it is localized chiefly in the mid
west and far west. There we're more kidnap-
ings in New York state during the World war
| period than today.
The Dillingers, Kelleys, Baileys and the like
! have brought to life again an old criminal type
under new conditions and with more deadly
armament. Instead of business executive type
like Capone, "they are a twentieth century re-
incarnation of Jesse James. Just as Jesse James
six-shooter gave him an edge over less alert
! sheriffs, so John Dillinger's Thompson sub
machine gun gave him advantage over local
police, and Dillinger's high-powered automo-
biles are as about effective an escape tech
nique as James fast horses were in that day.
TINE Fortune article calls attention to the
4 scandaous failures in law enforcement
These probably reached their apex in Chicago in
1926 when there was 20O-to-1 chance II one
committed burglary that he would not be pun
shed according to law. But the writer is sensible
enough not to repeat the hackneyed charge that
laxity is due chiefly to police ineficiency and
the like. He goes directly to the point When he
says:
Crime is unpublished in the United States,
not because of the laws, not even because CT
the individuals who administer the laws, but
because of the 100 per cent American mixture
of politics and law enforcement
What is the hope of relief? The Fortune
article lays much stress on the growing senti-
ment for federal control over crime repression.
and calls attention to recent federal activities
and to new laws facilitating federal 1nterven-
ton. Much may be hoped from this in deal
ing with sensational crimes of violence.
But we must remember that While the coun-
try was waiting with bated breath for DlllngerS
"a ot,1re nonviolent crimes and frauds hlched
thousand-fold more money and property from
owners than Dillinger and his gang grappeo OH
in all their robberies.
We shall need a reSolute marshallng OF prl-
waite as we'll as public forces to cope with TINS
greatest of all crime menaces. Perhaps the
newly formed commercial crime commission Will
fl the abvsmal gap which has hitherto existed.