Evening star., 1951-04-01
BY III. Assoeia,ei Pres.

of tHt AssOet0te1 FteSs
| An aroused citizenry is turning
the heat on the Nations under
world. And the mobsters are
Starting to sizzle.
This is one of the clearest after
maths of the Senate Crime In
vestigating Committees recent
spotlighting of criminals.
The people themselves are show
! ing signs of a vigilante spirit.
From California to New England,
lcitizens are forming-or rejuve-
nating-organizations to combat
organized crime that corrupts
fcivic life.
Will the enthusiasm last? Some
promise that it will, such as
ISpruille, Braden. former ambas-
sador to Argentina, and now head
Iof the recently formed New York
City Crime Committee.
] The power of the opinion these
modern-day posses represent is
already revealing its force.
!. Prosecuting agencies are show
ing a new alacrity in bagging
suspects.
From coast to coast in the past
few days has come story after
story of indictments of charges
being placed against. mysterious
figures long immune to prosecu-
ton.
Many Suspects Flee.
They were accompanied by news
of crackdowns on suspected gamb-
ling places and illegal race wires.
Some of the figures wanted for
questioning took to their heels.
Some were located one in a
Florida keys fishing shack. Some
are still hunted.
We've got the criminals on the
rum" said Daniel Sullivan, operat-
ing director of the Miami, Fla,
Crime Commission.
In San Francisco, Stanley
Cohen. who supplied bookies with
race information, voluntary retired
from business.
Its too hot" he said.
The arousing Of public interest
against local crime was one of
the chief objectives of the Senate
Committee.
Chairman Kefauver has said
the principal aim was to study
organized crime methods as al
basis for corrective Federal legis-
lation. But he holds that the
Federal Government cannot do
the whole job.
Braden Expounds Spirit.
The function of the citizen
Watchdogs is to hit crime on the
local level as advocated by the
Senate Committee and dramati-
cally expounded by Mr.. Braden
when he appeared before the COM
mittee in New York.
Mr.. Braden said the effective
ness and zeal of the committee he
heads will outmatch the crooks
and conniving law enforcement
officers"
"We are in this tight to a fin
ish," he declared.
Senator Kefauver said he re-
ceived more inspiration" out of
Mr.. Braden's statement than any
thing "in a long, long time"
]. Edgar Hoover. director of the
Federal Bureau of Investigation,
asked for a copy of Mr.. Braden's
statement. He termed it one of
"tlle most brilliant and incisive"I
he had heard on crime and the
responsibility Of citizens in meet
ing the problem.
Mr.. Braden stressed that His
watchdogs comprise leaders inI
industry, labor. social ofganiza-
tions, banking and other callings,
drawn from varying creeds. colors
and racial origins.
Remember the women who
postponed housework and served
cold beans while they learned
from television in their living
rooms that Frank Costello, Joe
Adonis, Buggy Siegel and Kid
Twist were not something out of
fiction?
Women Getting Busy.
They are busy in the vigilante
too.
Mr.. Braden's committee is but
one of many being born or re-
born. ---.
Gov. Dewey of New York formed
a f1ye-man State commission to
crime-government re-
lationship as a direct result of
information revealed by the Ke-
fauver Committee.
A New England Crime Com