CRIME IN U.S.A.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 April 1929, Page 5

CRIME IN U.S.A.

MU 11(K)YER\S 'DEOLAR ATIOX

United Press Association— Bv Electric

Telegraph Copy i ignt)

(Received this day at 9.25. a.m.) NEW YORK, April 22.

President Hoover, addressing the annual luncheon of the Associated Press to-day, declared life and property in United States were relativel.x more unsafe than in any other civilise country of the world. Twenty times as many people in proportion to the population were lawlessly killed in the United States as in Britain. In many of our cities murder can apparently he committed with impunity. I wonder whether the time has not come to realise that we are confronted with a national necessity of the first degree, that we are not suffering Iprom an ephemeral crime wave but from the subsidence of our foundations. No individual has the right to determine what law shall ho obeyed and what law shall not be enforced. If a law is wrong, a rigid enforcement is the surest guarantee of its repeal. IF it is right, enforcement is the quickest method of compelling respect. It is the purpose of the administration to strengthen the law enforcement agencies by a steady pressure and steady weeding out of all incapable, negligent officials. 'llie press is almost final in its potency to arouse the interest and conscience of the people. It can destroy tlieir. finer sensibilities or it can invigorate them.”

NEW YORK, April 22.

The President appealed to the press to tlirow its influence unreservedly into the light- for law enforcement. He declared prohibition was merely a part of the problem, pointing out that only eight per cent of the felony convictions in 15)28 came from that source.