The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1948-08-05
Crime Is Not
Always Found
Across the Tracks
BY Charles D. Rowe

BY Charles D. Rowe
What causes so much crime
i. among the young people of today?
That is a problem that has the ma
= ton puzzled.
It has often been said that juven-
/ lie delinquency is not confined BY
= any means to the boys and girls
across the tracks Many of the
most vicious offenders come from
. homes where it would be supposed
the offending youngsters would
have had every advantage.
The fact that youthful crime is
not confined to the underprivileged
IS again emphasized in an article
in the last issue of the Saturday
Evening Post, entitled THE Case
That Rocked New Jersey" This
case involved five boys from II to
II years old. Each was from a
very good home, what one might
lcall the better middle-class, homes
of culture and refinement When
finally caught in their deviltry, it
was found the boys had been rob-
bing homes and schools of jewelry,
money and other valuables for some
time. Finally they decided to 60
out as a gang and hold up some
! person. When the final test came,
all of them lost their nerve except
the 12-year-old leader. When the
others failed to carry out their part |
of the pre-arranged plan, he cold
bloodedly fired three shots from a AS !
revolver into the back of an I'M
Suspecting victim. The boys then |
ran The man nearly died, but |
eventually recovered Finally one
boy told of their escapades, which |
soon led to the arrest of all of
them
The surprising and alarming thing
IS that in such incidents as this the
culpritS seem utterly unable to
realize the enormity of their wrong
doing. These boys talked with the
greatest freedom of what they had
done, apparently unimpressed by
the fact that they might have taken
a human life. One psvchiatrist who
examined them said, There is no
personal concept of sin on the part
of these youngsters"
1t was brought out that all five
boys had been attracted by crime
pictures and by crime as portrayed
in some comics. Investigation also
disclosed that in each case home
conditions were not what they
should have been. In one or two
there had been neglect by one of
the parents, or the mother had
helped to ruin the boy by pamper-
ing. In their personal lives the
boys did not measure. up to what
they desired. They sought to satisfy
that longing by gang action and
crime. Undoubtedly the crime
movies and the crime comics were
strong contributing factors.
Nearly. every community has in
cidents similar to this one. They
differ only in the matter of degree
What can be done 10 prevent our
boys and girls from making such
a horrible mess of their lives? What
can be done to reclaim them if and
when they do 60 so badly astray?
Some time ago l ran onto an
article by Wheeler Mcmillan in
Pathfinder magazine He argued
that it is possible to bankrupt a
nation by doing good.
AS an example. Most states have
education for children
up to l6 years of age. That is a
good thing. If little free educa-
ton is good thing, more Of the
same thing is better. Therefore,
let's have compulsory college educa-
ion for all youth at the taxpayers
expense. One can easily see what
enormous sums that might run in
o.
Health also is a good thing.
Therefore, let's provide health care
or everyone, including the taXpay {
IT.
Cleanliness is also good. So let's
provide free soap for everyone
Since dishes get dirty, let's also h
'rovide free soap powder And h
Why not have the postman who de- n
lVerS the soap also wash the dishes? =
hat would make a lot more good =
teady Government jobs. "All this" u
avs Mcmillan, could be done with &
ut passing a single law for any IN
ad purpose" m
Mcmillan concludes his thought
rovoking editorial with:
"Well-meaning people with the
est of intentions can do infinite
arm to their debt-ridden country
ow by demanding that Congress
rOvide funds for more good pur-
oses. They can push the U. S.
4 into bankruptcy.
mo one needs to urge bad laws
DIV to ruin the country Just give
5 enough expensive good ones"
All of which should cause one
look with great deal of sus-
cion on the party or person who
constantly promising the people