Evening star., 1934-03-19
ARMED GANGSTERS
EXCEED MILITARY,
CUMMINGS SAYS
Attorney General Declares
They 0utnumber Army
and Navy Forces.
CRIME SUPPRESSION
LEGISLATION URGED
Tells Senate Committee of Draw
back in Clash Between State
and U. S. Laws.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Attorney General Cummings said
today that Americas underworld has
more armed men than the United
States Army and Navy combined.
The statement was made to the
Senate Judiciary Committee as it be-
gan consideration of a group of bills
submitted by the Justice Department
to aid the Government in a war On
gangsters.
Speaking in a calm. quiet voice, he
called on Congress to enact strong
legislation, asserting:
There are more people under arms
in the underworld today than in the
Army and Navy of the United States. -
Outlines Proposals.
Cummings outlined the legislative
proposals. and explained they were
necessary because of twilight zone
of authority between the State and
Federal jurisdiction which has afford
ed rowing bands of criminals oppor-
tunjty to operate with success"
Cummings said the legislation he
was proposing did not go as far as
many intelligent people desired, but
he felt crime suppression must be
primarily the business of local au-
thority"
But" he added, II don't want to
duck any real responsibility and in
dealing with these rowing bands of
criminals We are dealing with a situ-
alton that makes reliance upon local
authorities perfectly futile"
Cites General Gases.
He cited frequent instances of row.
ing criminals holding up banks and
then crossing State lines before you
can say Jack Robinson"
To back up his vivid description
Of gang operations, Cummings sub
mitted photograph of what he called
a typical gangsters arsenal equip
ment," with machine guns. automatic
pistols, policemen's uniform, automo-
bile licenses and other aids.
He told also of the characteristics
of some of the gangs He said the
Touhy gang in the Midwest was no
torious for torture" while the Capone
gang, which he said is now headed
by Murray Humphrey, was of a much
higher" type.
1T is not so brutal" he added. "and
not so likely to take off a mans ear
or gouge out his eye"
Asking for legislation to control the
use of machine guns, Cummings said
I'VE can afford to place some burden
upon law abiding citizens in order
to reach the criminal"
Urging the committee to enact a
bill designed to cover commercial
racketeering, the Attorney General
said the Federal Government had
little law under which it could attack
this problem and relied chiefly on the
Sherman antitrust statute.
But this, he said. was not well
suited to the purpose and urged the
bill to cover threats. extortion and
other practices of racketeering.
Profit by Millions.
Cummings told the committee rack
eteers proceed in the most open
fashion" and their returns run into
millions of dollars"
He was asked by Senator Robinson
Republican. of Indiana, if there was
anything in his proposals ito stop
John Dillinger, who has ignored State
boundaries and who is now reported
to have flouted an international boun-
dairy by going to Canada
Yes" Cummings replied, Eve have
bill now before the committee which
makes it a criminal offense for law
breakers to pass from one State to
another to avoid prosecution"
Chairman Ashurst, Democrat, OF
Arizona, remarked that they ought
to have left Dillinger in Arizona,
where he was captured
Dillinger came up in the discussion
again a few minutes later when
Cummings was discussing a bill to
make it a Federal offense to rob a
national or Federal Reserve bank
Would Have Prevented Escape.
If that law had been on the books,
he said, Dillinger would have been
kept in Federal prison.
I'VE would have dealt with him our
selves and he wouldn't have gotten
away" the Attorney General said con-
idently
Cummings referred to the Kansas
City station massacre in connection
with a bill to provide for Federal pun
ishment of those numbering Federal
officers.
Under the present law the Federal
Government can do nothing in such
case, but must leave prosecution to
local officials.
One of the bills offered by the JUS
tice Department would place strict
control over firearms and require the
flngerprinting of all possessors OF
such weapons.
Members of the committee indi-
Gated they believed this a little toe
drastic, but the Attorney General said
he was "for it 100 per cent"
Ashurst suggested it should be con-
fined to machine guns, but Cummings
replied that sawed-off shotguns were