Evening star., 1935-10-25
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE.

"a Treaty Navy Fully Manned: An
Adequate Merchant Marine" is the dou-
ble-barreled slogan which will inspire
celebration of Navy day on October 28-
q day later than usual this time, because
the anniversary of Theodore Roosevelt's
birth, October 27, falls on Sunday. Con-
greSS having authorized completion of a
treaty Navy by 1912. friends of pre-
paredneSS a. sea seem to feel it desirable
at this juncture to revive national in
tereSt in establishment of an American
built, American-oWned, Anerican-man-
ned and American operated merchant
feet commensurate with our foreign
commerce and capable of serving as a
wartime auxiliary to the Navy. Some
recent statistics recall that at the out
break of the World War, in 1914, the
sudden withdrawal of foreign merchant
tonnage removed all but 10 per cent of
the carriers of American trade. Presi-
dent RooSevelt'S determination to keep
the United States free and unentangled'
in current international complications
clothes Uncle Sans sea establishment
with timely importance as factor in
our neutrality program. Great BrltalnS
naval expansion plans also give up-to-
the minute point to the sentiments un-
derlying Navy day and Uncle Sans
policy of maintaining a feet second 10
none.
ATTORNEY General Homer Cummings,
just back from Europe, says that in none
of the three countries he visited. Great
Britain, France and Belgium, did he en-
counter anything to match our Federal
Bureau of Investigation. Mr.. Cummings
thinks Uncle Sam is chiefly deficient in
methods for crime prevention. 1t is his
avowed ambition, before he leaves the
Department of Justice, to lay the foun-
dations of such a system. Belgiums
school of criminology, he found, repre-
sents the greatest advance in that direc-
ton. particularly because of the training
it gives to judges, prosecutors and other
criminal law administrators. The At
tornev General cites the 220, 900 persons
now imprisoned in the United States,
compared to 1900 in Belgium. II 900 in
England and Wales. and 10000 In France.
But, as an illustration of the far greater
vastness and complexity of Americas
crime problem, he points out that the
Urshel kidnapping case alone ramlned
across seven States with a total area OF
684 900 square miles, which would blanket
half a dozen European countries. Mr..
Cummings finds the population OF our
Federal penitentiarieS increasing so
rapidly that existing accommodations
will soon be overtaXed. The A. @. is
enthusiastic over the value of Alcatraz
Prison as crime deterrent.
President Roosevelt's visit to Charles
ton this week was signal compliment
to Senator James F. Byrnes, Democrat,
of South Carolina, who will be up for
reelection next year. ByrneS, now en-
route to the Philippines, has rated as
front-rank White House spokesman IN
the Senate throughout the New Deal,
and been one of F. D. RS most trusted
congressional advisers. There have been
indications that Jim" may face some
primary opposition for denomination
from two quarters-Col. Harllee OF Dillon,
a retired Army officer, and former Mayor
Thomas P. Stoney of Charleston. Byrnes'
fences are believed to be in good shape.
They were undoubtedly strengthened by
the cordial terms in which the Presi-
dent at Charleston publicly referred to
his Carolinian lieutenant.
Sir Norman Angel, British Labor party
leader and ardent peace advocate, Wis.