Evening star., 1941-06-28
Bill Will Seek
Aid OF G-Men
In D. {. Crimes
Herring Sponsors
Move for Help in
Heinous' Cases
Ry JAMES r. CHISN,

Police Department Monday with
Inspector James F. Beckett, acting
superintendent, and Capt Harvey
Callahan of the first precinct as
the principal witnesses.
About the same time. Senator
Herring, Democrat, of Iowa an
nounCed he proposed to introduce
bill that would direct the Federal
Bureau Of Investigation to investi-
gate "heinous crimes" in the Dis
trlCt Miss Jessie Elizabeth Strieff,
War Department clerk, victim of a
criminal assault-murcter nearly two
weeks ago, was one of his con-
stltuents and attended school with
his son in DeS MolncS.
Senator Herring made the an
rOunCement after receipt of a letter
from Acting Attorney General
Francis Biddle declaring that 1t has
been assumed that the F b l. has
no jurisdiction in local crimes"
Cites Authority Objection.
Mr Blddle's letter pointed out
that it would be inadvisable for the
?. B. l. to assign its agents to a
crime investigation in Washing
ton with concurrent authority with
the Metropolitan Police Depart
ment. His bill, however, he ex-
planned, would not relieve the local
police force of its responsibilities.
Inspector Beckett, who spent two
hours on the witness stand at the
opening of the inquiry yesterday
as substitute for Police Supt.
Ernest w. Brown, confined to his
home with foot infection, is to be
recalled to complete his testimony.
Capt Callahan is scheduled to
follow
Representative Schultz, Democrat,
Of Indiana. chairman of the sub
committee. said he would call Capt.
Callahan to amplifY certain state
ments made by Inspector Beckett in
his testlmonv-and particularly to
find out what the Ill men assigned
to the first precinct ARE doing"
Inspector Beckett disclosed that
the first precinct, which covers a
major portion of the downtown
business district, ranges over an
area slightly in excess of one square
mile He said the 1910 census
showed there were % ,409 persons in
this section.
Impressed" by Testimony.
Eve have been told by Inspector
Beckett there are Ill men in the
first precinct, patrolllng an area Of
little more than a mile" declared
Mr.. Schultz. ON the other hand,
have been told these men are seldom
seen on the streets. I want to find
out what they do. Capt. Callahan
should know the answer"
Mr.. Schultz said he had been
Impressed with the testimony of
Inspector Beckett-the first witness
and is satisfied that the subcom-
mittee's hearings are progressing
very satisfactorily"
The text of Mr.. Biddle's letter
concerning the F. B. l. and local
crime, written in reply to one sent
the Justice Department about 10
davs ago, follows:
This acknowledges your letter Of
June II, concerning enforcement
Of the criminal law in the District
of Columbia and suggesting that
the Federal Bureau of Investigation
should investigate crimes cOgniZable
under the District OF Columbia
Code. l have given it most careful
consideration.
You call attention quite ac-
curatelv to the fact that the Fed
eral Bureau of Investigation has
jurisdiction of the detection of
crimes against the United States.
Since the District of Columbia code
is an act of Congress, a crime
punishable under the provisions of
the code is a crime against the
United States.
Points to Other Agencies.
"On the other hand, in addition
to authorizing the creation Of the
P. B. l., the Congress has also
established other investigating agen-
cies. to which it has assigned the
duty of detecting specified viola
tions of law. For example, the
secret service is charged with the
detection of counterfeiting: the
Bureau of Narcotics. with investi-
eating violations of the narcotic
laws; the Intelligence Unit of the
Bureau of Internal Revenue, with
investigating income tex Violate
the Alcohol Tax Unit. with detect
ing violations of internal revenue
laws relating to liquor; the Postal
ting crimes defined by the postal
laws, etc.
Statutes comforting inveStigative
jurisdiction in respect to particular
crimes on other agencies have been
construed as creating exceptions 10
the general investigative jurisdiction
of the F. B. /. since the functions of
the latter comprise the investigation
of defenses against the United
States generally. without enumer-
eting specific crimes.
For similar reasons, since the
Metropolitan Police Department of
the District of Columbia is charged
with the duty of detecting crimes
cognizable under the District of
Columbia code, it has been assumed
that the F. B. l. has no jurisdiction
in respect to such Offenses.
Favors Exclusive Jurisdiction.
whether or not there should be
any change in respect TO the fore
going distribution of functions is,
of course, matter of legislative pol
icy for the determination of the
Congress.
1T would seem, however, inadvis-
able to confer coordinate jurisdic-
ton over the detection of the same
offenSeS on two inveStigative agen-
Cies One or the other should have
exclusive Jurisdiction The opposite
course is likely to result, not only
in duplication of effort and ex-
pense, but also in frustrating the
purposes of the investigation. The
last mentioned eventuality is GER
tain to occur if two investigative
agencies are simultaneously work
ing on the same investigation. II
is likewise undesirable for one in
Tn FNF11yp q ~ a "