Evening star., 1937-03-14

| have had police captains before federal
grand juries and have asked them if they
couldn't clean up the crime situation in their
districts Their answer was that they could
nun out the criminals easy enough, but they.
couldn't beat the system.
1T would cost us our Jobs, was their
frank answer
Getting an ''in" in the prosecutors office
is one of the pamiest methods of political
gangdom. Outright graft may be offered if a
certain type of criminal lawyer feels the
prosecutor is receptive" If not that, then
persuasion, promises of political support and
influence Of every sort are thrown out to get
leniency for the gangster if he is indicted.
Crooks have influence in putting men on the
bench, and it is not an unknown procedure for
gangdom politics to put over an undesirable
character. Very often UNFIT men are elected IN
the face of exposes of their records and over
the protests of bar associations. One great
American city today is so much in the throes
of political gang it cannot hold decent
election, although honest citizens are actually
in majority in that city
Many state laws are such that an obscure
country judge can overrule police, prosecutors
and trial courts and release notorious ConviCts
in cases with which he had absolutely nothing =
to do This has happened many times 1t is
not hard to believe that we'll creased palm
has turned the trick.
Pardon and parole scandals are notorious
in many states. know of cases where major
gangsters of the robber- murder type have
jauntily pleaded guilty to gross crimes and
smingly taken long sentences. Why!
lust the easiest way out of an unfortunate
situation that's all A few months behind
the bars, then quiet release through the back
door of parole The usual price for such
release is placed at five grand - So,ooO -
with bargain" now and then at S., 500.
Attempts are made to bribe jurors or in
tmidate them witnesses are bought in
Inundated or murdered; prosecutors are
perfunctory; police forget; criminal lawyers
savagely attack the characters and stories of
crime victims.
Spectacular bank robberies, kidnapings,
payroll holdups get the newspaper headlines.
But as for proceeds, they afford only chicken
feed The aristocracy of gangdom is made up
of the easy money boys, who get the money
by millions instead of by thousands.
This constant income comes from corrupt
political connivance and protection. Its main
divisions of operation are boOtlegging, gam
bling, prostitution, narcotics, trade union ex-
ploitation and racketeering on tradesmen and
industry, large and small. 1t works through
intimidation, bribery, extortion, corruption
and murder.
This business becomes organized to the
highest degree. The lips of those who know the
facts are sealed and the gangster's creed. even
facing death, is the creed of silence.
There will always be gangdom where the
profits of crime are enormous, continuous
and easy: and gangdom will buy its way
through rotten politics.
There is no real gangdom without steady
profit; no steady profit without corrupt
political protection. Therefore in rotten poll
tics is major gangdom spawned.
The remedy? First, an understanding by
each community of its own problem, perhaps
best ascertained by secret outside inves-
tigators brought in by citizens committee
Then the fury of public sentiment led by a
militant press, destroying gangdom by stamp
ing out its spawning grounds and cutting off
its profits. A positive program to glorify
citizenship instead Of gamorizing Criminaty
and to aid underprivileged boys to their