Evening star., 1951-08-31
Full Inquiry Here
Asked; City Called
Gambling Center

Committee today called Washing
ton a possible pivotal point for
gambling operations of consider
able size" in urging a full Senate
probe of crime in the Nations
Capital.
The committees final report, as
promised in advance. strongly
the investigation
but did not specify which Senate
committee should do it.
The report proposed that the
investigation should include the
relationship of crime conditions
here to crime in adjoining coun-
tiles.
The crime investigators said
they had proved the existence of
"a Sc million numbers business in
Washington and nearby Maryland
and Virginia.
Evidence of Wide Dope Traffic.
The report. however, pointed to
the dope traffic as well as gam
bling in urging the investigation.
Differing sharply with state
ments by District police officials
that dope peddling is a minor
problem here. the committee de-
clared:
There is evidence before
this committee Of widespread traf-
Ific in narcotic drugs within the
District"
A big increase in the number of
Iunder-age drug users here in the
past two years also was noted by
the committee.
The committee said it had re-
ceived evidence on several occa-
sions that Washington may be a
pivotal point for big time gam
bling. Elsewhere in the report it
dwelt at length with the story of
Charles E. Nelson, the Ritchie.
Md, horse breeder who thought"
his fancy profits came from gam
bling.
County to Explore Further.
The crime committee said the
States attorney of Prince Georges
County is Committed to fur
tEer exploring the $6 million in
terstate numbers business of
Charles E.. Nelson and its at
Itendant implications of police and
public official connections"
Nelson is also the focal point
Iof a District grand jury investi-
cation now in its third week.
Remaining to be settled now is
which Senate committee should
conduct the new probe of Wash
lington area crime. Senator Wiley,
Republican, of Wisconsin, the
member of the crime committee
most outspoken in calling for the
probe, wants the Senate Com
merce Committee to do it.
Will Renew Fund Request.
The Senate District Committee.
which voted last April to make the
investigation but never did it for
lack Of funds, will renew its re-
quest for money at next weeks
meeting of the Senate Rules Com
mittee, which holds the purse
strings.
On the legislative front, Sen
ator Johnston, Democrat, of
a District crime-curb bill will come
out of his Senate District subcom-
mittee, but it will vary in some
ways from the House-approved
measure.
Senator Johnston's Judiciary
subcommittee, worked it's way
through the big bill in one day.
with most of the opposition TO-
cussed on the provision to fix man
datory minimum sentences for
certain offenses. It was indicated
that most of the changes would
revolve around the sentencing pro-
visions.
Meanwhile, Senator Wiley is
sued a stateemnt emphasizing
that progress on the crime bill
does not mean the Districts crime
problem is on its way to solution.
Stresses Enforcement.
"On the contrary" he said.
while it is important that the
Districts criminal statutes be
strengthened, it is fact that
even the best local laws in the
Nation could gather dust because
of lack Of spirited enforcement on
the part of police"
While the Districts laws could
stand lot of improvement, he
said, "it is basically the spirit and
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