The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-06-19
FBI RIGHT ON
JOB In SURVEY
OF OPERATIONS.
LOT OF STRANGE THINGS
TURN UP AS INVESTIGA-
TORS CARRY ON ACTIvI-
TIES IN CAPITAL
BY JACK STINNETT
AP Feature Service Writer


Federal Bureau OF Investigation
turns over few stones:
The FIJI survey of defense
plants has turned up a lot of
strange things. For instance, at
one plant where they are max
ing instruments that are among
the military's deepest darkest Sc
crets, FBI investigators asked to
see where the army's secret plans
and the specifications were kept.
The official accompanying them
took the men to a vault and
proudly explained that the COM
pany had just had the new fire
proof, burglar-proof steel door
installed. The agents were inn
pressed but they investigated fur
Their to find that the other three
walls of the 'fireproof, burglar
proof vault were of wood panels
through which any keyhole saw
expert could go in 10 minutes and
through which fire could eat in
less than that.
According TO the FBI finger
print files there are just about
eight times as many criminal
men in the United States as
there are criminal women. A
survey Of their vast index of
fingerprints completed recent
lY showed 5.30S.s00 male and
l.400 female criminals on the
books.
However. the survey of crime
for the United States for 1910
shows that Kipling still is right
the female of the species con-
tinues more deadly than the
male. Out of each 1000 men and
1000 women arrested in the land
10 men and Is women are
charged with murder.
Speaking of fingerprints, some
evidence of what vital industrial
plants are doing to protect them
selves against sabotage may be
CLEANED from recent FBI finger
print record receipts. In three
months in the 194l fiscal year,
730,753 sets of fingerprints were
received by the bureau from in
dustrial and commercial firms.
During the corresponding quar-
ter in 1940. the FIJI got only
248, 842 sets from such compan-
les.
In the last few days, the FBI
has had two cases which illus
trate the value of this finger
printing in criminal investi-
eating. One fellow, who had ap-
piled for a job and sworn that he
never had been arrested, was dis
covered to have been twice in
trouble, first when he made false
affidavits in connection with a
Veterans Bureau claim" in Okla
homa--for which he was SEN
fenced to is months in Leaven-
worth penitentiary-and again
when he violated the conditions
of his parole. The second case
was that of a man who sought a
job and admitted that he had
been arrested three times. What
he neglected to tell, his finger
prints did tell-he was a fugi-
tive, wanted in Santa Monica,
Calf. Tor burglary.
A perfect match for the
wooden vault story was q plant
where a highly secrefive weap-
on was developed. The plant
owners showed agents where
the preliminary work on the
weapon was done--behind lock-
cd steel doors and fire-proof-
ed walls. Only q few days be-
fore. the first working or
"pilcf~ model Of the weapon
was completed. Where is III"
the agents asked - and were
taken out Of the main factory
10 filmsY shed. whose doors
were held fast by simple metal
hasps--and there IL was.
None Of these. however. cauS-
ed FBT agents such CONSERVATION
a~ fsaa n&.snsss,r, v.lav4 x.,hsN~o cyssx~s,