Evening star., 1946-07-07
Army Of Six Million
Potential Criminals
In u. s., Says Hoover
BY the Associated Press

FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover sale
Yesterday the Nation 'is facing 6
potential army of 6OOO,o 900 criminals
and an ver-increasin wave of law.
/ lessness which is feeding the Grim.
! inal ranks with a never ending sup.
! ply of recruits
! Our homes and our lives" Mr.
Hoover declared ARE daily threat
ened by this vast army. Law en-
forcement today is facing one o.
| its most gigantic tasks.
The crime increase so far thi.
year is even greater than the l2.t
per cent increase recorded for 1945
And every 20l seconds last year 6
serious crime was committed; every
6.4 minutes some one was raped
feloniously assaulted or slain
| Mr.. Hoover stressed that the "vsst
army of criminals is 10 times
greater in number than the number
of students in our colleges and uni
versities. And for every schoo
teacher in America there are more
! than seven criminals"
Suggests Remedial Measures.
In an interview, Mr. Hoover out.
lined what he considers the imme
diate causes for the present wave
Of lawlessness," and he suggested
some remedial measures.
He attributed the crime wave to.
"A recession Of moral fortitude
laxity in parental control. lowered
moral standards, social and eco
nomic conditions, and abuses and
msladministration of the penal sys-
, tenn" He emphasized "laxity in pa
rental control" saying:
"A lack of interest in the flmda
mentals of matrimony, in the proper
| rearing of children. is cause 70.
concern and is contributing to de-
linquency
We must eradicate the cause oi
crime at Its roots. Small crimes
generally precede great crimes and
LOO often these small crimes are
perpetrated by youngsters still pre-
sumably under home influence. Ev-
cry home in America must become a
sanctuary for good citizenship and
not, as in many instances today, a
breeding place for criminals"
Mr. Hoover asserted he is con-
Vlnced that if all parents fulfill
their obligations TO their children
we would soon experience a SHARP
decline in crime" and added,
Rather Inan indulge in criticism
OF our youth today. our first jok
should be to set for them an ex-
ample to follow in model homes
where the tenets of good citizen
ship, the precepts OF right and the
fundamentals of Democracy are no,
only taught but daily practiced.
The home is the most lmportanr
factor in the prevention of iuve.
nile delinquency"
Raps Sentimentalists.
Another cause of crime, the FBI
director SAID. is the CToStitutine O.
our parole system by the whims o.
the we'll wishing maWkish senti.
mentalist
Men and women who sho,llc
never be paroled are set free 10 pre-,
! on the public again. 1t is time W,
realized that the guiding principle
t the basic requirement, in judeins
every individual case should be tn,
protection Of the public-not til,
/ sentimental wish of the individua
/ who has already. one or more times
forfeited his right to freedom.
/ Mr. Hoover concluded:
Crime is a product of our time
and 1t cannot be divorced from
social order But we can mini
mlze Its extent by feadapting ou
programs to fit the changing times
The sntidote for laWlessness l.
decency and the development O
character in all our citizens. It j
fundamental that we return TO
realization that truth, Justice ant
peace are the foundations of ou
democracy Unless this is done. w
cannot minimize crime