Evening star., 1953-08-06
Hendrickson Named
To Head Probe Of
Juvenile Delinquency

A sweeping investigation of
juvenile delinquency throughout
the coHntry will be directed soon
by Senator HendrickSon. Repub-
lican, of New Jersey who has
stressed the increase of such
delinquency in the District.
The lawmaker was named yes
terday as chairman of a Senate
judiciary subcommittee directed
by the Senate to make the study.
He is a former member of the
Senate. District Committee and
we'll acquainted with District
problems.
Declaring he hopes soon to set
up his staff with consultants and
proceed with the investigation as
soon as possible. Senator Hend-
rickson, however. carefully re-
Trained from committing him
self at this time to an investiga-
ton of the District situation.
LANCER to Assist.
Serving with Senator Hen
erickson will be Senator LANCER,
Republican, of South Dakota.
chairman of the full Senate
Judiciary Committee, who Sc
lected the New Jersey lawmaker
to head the investigating group.
Also picked as member of the
HendrickSon subcommittee is
Senator Kefauver, Democrat. of
Tennessee. He directed the Ma
tion-wide crime investigation
two years ago, and is we'll &C
Quainted with District problems |
as a former member of the
Senate District Committee.
Senator Kefauver indicated
another field the new inquiry
might look into would be betting
on school athletic games and at
temps by professional gamblers
to fix the outcome.
Narcotics Evil Cited.
In his letter to Senator Hend-
rickSon, Chairman LANCER, de-
clared one of the primary OBJ
jectives of the investigation
should be to rid this country of
the. scourge of narcotics and
their evil influences upon the
youth of this Nation"
This is only one of the various
phases of juvenile delinquency
to be investigated by the sub
committee, Senator Hendrick-
son said.
The District juvenile delin-
quency problem was laid before
the Senate Judiciary Committee
by Senator Hendrickson when he
was asking for approval of the
resolution for the investigation.
He cited a report from the
Criminal Justice Association
here. saying that Juvenile de-
linquent acts" in Washington
increased in 1852 by 601a per
cent over those in 1851.
Hoover Statement Noted.
The Senate Judiciary Com
mittee, in reporting the resolu-
tion favorably to the Senate.
cited statements by J. Edgar
Hoover, FBI director. on the
serious increase in delinquency
throughout the United States.
In a joint statement by SEN
ator Hendrickson and Senator
Kefauver. the full committees
favorable report declared:
While it is important to pro-
tect the public from the con-
f1rmed criminal, it is even more
important to prevent the
juvenile delinquent of today
from becoming the confirmed
criminal of tomorrow"
Some progress in adjusting
Juvenile delinquents to society
has been made under the Youth
Corrections Act, the committee
pointed out. Congress last ses-
sion passed a bill which became
law bringing the District
belatedly under the Federal
Youth Corrections Act. How
this act is working throughout
the country will be one of the
things examined by the Hen
erickson committee.
In sending the resolution for
the probe to the Senate the
Judiciary Committee said "a
definite need exists for an in
vestigatlon and complete study
OF juvenile delinquency in the
United States" The Senate ap-
proved it in June.