Evening Star Newspaper, May 24, 1935, Page 5

CHURCHES REVIEW REPORT ON CRIVE Tightening of Laws All Along Line Urged for Curb in Capital. “Tightening of the law enforcement | machinery all along the line” was rec- ommended by’ the board of directors of the Washington Federation of | Churches yesterday when it adopted a report of its Committee on Civic Af- fairs on the recent report of the House District Crime Committee. Characterizing the House commit- tee's report “to some extent superficial in character,” the churchmen de- clared the investigation *“was both necessary and timely” and was “con- ducted primarily with a view to serv- | ing the public interest.” “There is a tendency to concen- trate a large portion of the blame for | existing conditions on the United States district attorney,” the report | stated. “Our conviction is that there should be a tightening of the law ;nforcement machinery all along the ine.” The report added that the district attorney's office “has received more than its fair share of criticism.” | Of the Police Department and Maj. | Brown the federation’s committee said: | “We feel that the committee’s sug- | gestion that the major and superin- tendent of police be selected from out- | side the police organization, displacing Maj. Brown, is unfortunate. The pro- | motion of competent men from the | ranks, if available, is more conducive | to the maintenance of the best morale. We have confidence in the honesty and efficiency of the police force as a | whole. Defects to Overcome. “It may fairly be said in criticism | of the Police Department that there is some evidence of a lack of vigorous administration and aggressive leader- | ship, and also some evidence of con- | siderable fluctuation in the degree o(i intensity of law enforcement. We be- | lieve, however, that these defects can | be and will be overcome without radi- | cal changes in the present administra- | tiory A more aggressive administra- | tion' might aid in the development | of men within the ranks for assum- | ing positions of leadership.” ‘The report, submitted by Wilbur La Roe, jr., chairman of the Civic Af- fairs Committee and also chairman of the District of Columbia Parole Board, scored the House committee’s failure to lay particular stress on both prison and courts facilities. “Insufficient stress is laid in the re- port on the inadequacy of facilities, especially those at Lorton, where hardened criminals and young of- fenders are mixed together in a way that is most undesirable,” the La Roe | statement continued. “We strongly support that part of | the report which urges more modern facilities for the police headquarters, more modern police stations, better facilities for the Women's Bureau of the Police Department and for the Police Courts. More attention might be given to a revision of our Police Court machinery. which is not work- ing any too well.” In declaring that “tightening all along the line” is necessary to meet the crime situation, the Church Com- mittee pointed out that “this includes greater vigilance by the police, a more | adequate police force, stricter grand | juries, more effective prosecution, bet- | ter petit juries, adequate sentences and great care in the granting of paroles.” [ “Political Interference.” No reference was made directly bol the so-called “gentlemen’s agreement” between Representative Blanton of ‘Texas, Maj. Brown and Inspector Al- bert J. Headley, but the committee | asserted that “political interference | with the police in the matter of pro- | motions and otherwise cannot be too vigorously condemned.” ‘The House report also was criticized for failure to lay sufficient stress on the cause of crime, a large portion of | which the church group laid to' pov- erty and unemployment. “It is more profitable to deal with the fundamental cause of crime than with its manifestations and punish- ment.” The Judiciary. Subcommittee of the | House Dotrict Committee was blamed for “atnost deliberate delay” in the “tightening of the gambling and vice laws.” | “The attitude of this subcommittee we deem unfortunate,” the La Roe statement said, “and clearly contrary to the public interest.” After. setting out 10 specific com- ments of the Crime Committee's re- | port, the Church Committee added its | opinion on the general crime condi- tion in the National Capital. “It is not fair to picture Washing- | ton as a gang-ridden city or a com- munity where crime flourishes un- | hindered. Nor is it a city where law | enforcement is ideal. The truth lies | between these two extremes. Convictions Too Few. “The Nation's Capital City, with | less than half a million inhabitants, many of them Government employes, ought not to have 9,113 felonies in one year; and if it must have that many, it ought to obtain more than approximately 1,000 convictions. “There have been too many ‘waves’ in our enforcement curve. Periodical “drives’ are far less effective than con- stant warfare against the criminals.” The report concluded with the statement that what is needed here “is not so much an attack on selected individuals as a general awakening to the seriousness of crime condi- tions in the District, and a new de- termination on the part of officials and citizens to do their utmost to bring about an improvement. The re- cent investigation has helped tre- mendously toward such an awaken- ing. The trouble is that there is always a tendency to drift into care- lessness when the pressure of inquiry is discontinued.” Ultimate solution was placed in the hands of Congress, which will have to give the District “adequate legislation.” . NON-HIKER GETS OFFER OF HITCH TO HIS GOAL Appeal to Florida's Brings Promise of Trip if 50,000- Mile Auto Holds Up. By the Associated Press. TALLAHASSEE, Fla, May 24—A Florida family looking for a “hitch without a hike” from Jacksonville to Ontario apparently has found a “taker.” Gov. Dave Sholtz said he had re- cefved a letter from a Miamian who indicated he would tow the family of three and their trailer to_Canada if his “car with 50,000 miles on it will do the trick.” < ‘The son of the family, ill with arth- ritis, appealed to the Governor last Governor | Mrs. Johnston, a chromic invalid, week for aid in making the trip. He said he wished to go to Canada for treatment. The Miami man wrote Gov. Sholtz he was going for the same purpose. 2 y Gets Set for Copyright, A. P. Wirephoto. Apparently worried about how p way, Ruth Chatterton. screen actress, who holds pilot's license, is shown as she conferred with Sergt. “Scotty” this morning. She is preparing for (Story on THE EVENING. STAR, WASHINGTON, D. €. FRIDAY, MAY 24 1935 Long Flight olice will keep spectators out of her Biggs at Roosevelt Field, Long Island, a flight to California. Page A-1.) Dies in England REV. DR. ROBERT JOHNSTON. ALIOENT S FATAL T0 DR, JRNSTON St. John’s Episcopal Church | Rector for 11 Years Dies in England. A memorial communion service in honor of Robert Johnston, D. D., for | 11 years rector of St. John's Ppiscopal | Church at Lafayette Square, will be | held at the church Sunday at 8 am. | it was announced today by Dr. Oliver J. Hart, who succeeded him a little over a year ago. Dr. Johnston died | yesterday at Canterbury, England, where he took orders in 1896, as the result of a motor accident in Decem- ber, in which his sister-in-law, Mrs. Florence Crow, was killed. Il health caused Dr. Johnston to resign from the pastorate of St. John’s. He sailed for England in the hope of regaining his health there. makes her home at Bryn Mawr, Pa,, with her daughter, Miss Margaret Johnston. Born at Berwick-on-Tweed in 1871, Dr. Johnston was a graduate of St. Augustine’s Theological School at Canterbury. He had received hon- orary degrees from King's College, Nova Scotia, and the University of Pennsylvania. He came to the United States in 1909 from Edinburgh, Scotland, to ac- cept the pastorate of the Church of the Saviour in Philadelphia. He came to St. John’s from there in 1922. Proposed as a candidate for bishop coadjutor of. Pennsylvania in 1928, friends said he declined the advance- ment, preferring to remain here. He was a member of the Chapter of the Washington Cathedral, where he fre- quently preached, and headed several committees at the Diocesan. House. His sermons, reprinted in “The Little Messenger of St. John's,” were in great demand. He leaves two other daughters and & son, Mrs. Theodore Morrison of Cambridge, Mass., who sailed last Friday on the Europa to be with him: Mrs. Brinton Colfelt of Phila- delphia and Robert G. Johnston, now living in Canada. —_— HOTEL FORFEITS $20 The Willard Hotel today forfeited $20 in Police Court on a charge of employing three women more than six days each per week. The charge was brought under the female eight-hour labor law by Martina R. Haynes and J. W. Millspaugh of the Health De- partment. Those whom the hotel is accused of employing more days than the period allowed by law are Parthenia Shepard, Gertrude Woodall and Elizabeth Sita. The forfeiture was permitted by Judge John P. McMahon on recom- | port behind closed doors for nearly BROWN RETENTION SEEN APPROVED IN CRIME STUDY VOTE _(Continued From First Page.) scientific methods and a re-establish- ment of discipline and morale.” Battle Hour and a Half. The committee battled over the re- | an hour and a half. Several members are understood to have fought vigor- ously for substitution of the recom- mendations in the minority report of | Representative Werner, Democrat, of South Dakota, which takes issue with | a number of the principal recom- mendations in the majority report. Fourteen of the 21 members of the committee attended the meeting. Seven of them were selected to serve on the MEDAL PRESENTED CHARLES MOORE Arts Commission Chairman Honored for 25 Years of Service. Charles Moore, chairman of the Fine Arts Commission and one of the orig- inal members of that body, last night was presented a medal and a portrait commemorating his 25 years of service. The presentation was made at the 25th anniversary dinner of the com- mission, held at the Century Club in New York. The medal was designed by Lee Lawrie and the portrait was the work of Eugene F. Savage, both of whom were present. A letter to Dr. Moore from Elihu Root, who as a member of the Senate wrote the statute that set up the com- mission, old how the advisory body came into being because a member of the Senate tried to sell the Federal Government a number of paintings “nobody wanted to buy.” The ques- tion of the purchase was referred to & committee of which Mr. Root was a | member. The Senators agreed that expert advice was needed and the creation of the Fine Arts Commission | in 1910, was the result. Sketches Considered. At a meeting earlier in the offices of John Russell Pope, architect for the Archives Building here, the commis- sion considered enlarged sketches for mural paintings by Barry Faulkner, artist, to be placed in the Archives Building. Each painting will be 34 feet long and 14 feet high, one repre- senting the Declaration of Independ- ence and the other the Constitution each exhibiting some 30 leaders of America. Kiosks and pylons, designed by the Treasury Department for erection in the Triangle here, received commis- sion attention. Louis A. Simon, supervising architect, Procurement Di- vision, Treasury Department, brought the problem to the commission’s at- tention. The National Capital Park and Planning Commission has vig- orously protested against the erection of these kiosks and pylons, contending that they are a menace to traffic and serve no useful purpose. The Fine Arts Commission is still studying the problem Those Attending Dinner. i Participating in the annual dinner with Dr. Moore were Egerton Swarth- out, Gilmore D. Clark, Mr. Lawrie, | John M. Howells, Mr. Savage, Charles A. Coolidge, Edwin Howland Blash- field, Herbert Adams, William Mitchell Kendall, Mr. Pope, James E. Fraser, Louis Ayres, Abram Garfield. Ezra ‘Winter, John W. Cross, H. P. Caem- merer, executive secretary of the com- | mission; Brig. Gen. W. W. Harts, U. | S. A, retired; Armo B. Cammerer, director of the National Park Service; Mr. Simon, Eric Gugler. architect re- cently employed at the White House; Royal Cortissoz, art critic: John H. Finley, editor of the New York Times, and Mr. Faulkner. D. C. CRIME-RIDDEN, | RANDOLPH DECLARES Representative Deplores Standing of Washington in Comparison With Nine Other Cities. Crime Investigating Committee, but only a few of them, however, took an active part in the inquiry. These in- cluded Representatives Randolph, Democrat, of West Virginia, chairman of the Crime Committee; Schulte, Democrat, of Indiana; Reed, Repub- lican, of Illinois, and Jenckes, Demo- crat, of Indiana. A paragraph in the third section of the report which censures Inspector Headley declared that the committee had found that his conduct and atti- tude was “prejudicial to the best in- teresis of the department.” Furthermore, the committee said Headley's attitude toward his subordi- nates, “his neglect of duty as district | inspector, as indicated by his failure to take action in connection with the | deplorable conditions in precinct No, § | and his evasiveness and lack of can- dor when appearing as a witness be- fore the subcommittee, all contribute | to the conclusion that his services | have been unsatisfactory and con- | ducive to a lack of efficiency and harmony.” | The committee discussed the report section by section but failed to reach | No. 4, the most important which rec- ommends the immediate removal of | United States Attorney Leslie C Gar- ! nett and Karl Kindleberger, his as- sistant in charge of Police Court prose- | cution. i Next Meeting Undecided. | No date was fixed for the next meet- : ing of the committee for considera- | tion of the remaining sections of the report. Aside from section 4, the others to be considered are sections 5 and 6. The fifth section deals with | jury service and criticizes the delay in trials as well as inadequate police housing facilities, Appointment of a permanent com- misison to keep a constant check on the crime situation in the District is recommended in the final section. 1 Although the first three sections |j; were approved, it was pointed out that the recommendations in the report are 1 yet subject to change when it is voted | on as a whole. ADVERTISENENTS By o RECEIVED HERE Higger’s Pharmacy—5017 Conn. Ave. Is An Authorized Star Branch Office R every want there is some one ready to supply it. The purpose of the Classi- fied Section in The Star is to bring them together. Leave copy for The at any of the many authotized Branch Offices located at convenient points all over Washing- ton and the nearby suburbs. It renders its service without - fee; only regular rates are charged. handy to you. mendation of the corporation coun- | ji sel's office, The Star’s wide circulation makes this the most direct way to reach practically every one in and around Washington. Washington stood near the top as a center of crime last year in com- parison with nine cities of similar size, Representative Randolph, Demo- ' crat, of West Virginia, chairman of the House District Crime Committee, told the Junior Board of Commerce at luncheon at the Lee House yes- terday. Washington was second in murder, first in robbery, second in burglary, first in grand larceny and second in automobile theft. Randolph said. He did not name the nine comparable cities. Speaking of {he Nation as a whole, Randolph said racketeering extorts from the American people $15,000,- 000,000 annually, a sum in excess of the cost of maintaining the Federal Government, including the emergency and relief agencies. | In the last 35 years, he continued, the American murder rate has in- creased 350 per cent. In Washington, he said, the murder rate is two and a half times that of New York and 40 per cent higher than Chicago. H “With the aid and support of the citizens, churches, schools and or- | ganizations in Washington,” Randolph continued, “Congress can and will | make the crime rate of the Nation’s Capital the lowest of any city in the United States.” He bespoke the support of the Jun- ior Board of Commerce in all efforts looking to the prevention of crime | here. Airliner Makes Fast Trip. An airliner recently flew from Lon- | don to Rotterdam, Holland, in 60 min- Don’t Suffer With Acid Condition Vi . direct Pl naturally to s from body. Ei r aver 30 ¥ Mountain Valley Mineral Water Met. 1062, 1105 K St. N.W. Star Classified Section There’s one Star Classified Advertisements DO Bring Results | trude’s Guild. Mrs. Robert Whitney ST. GERTRUDE’S SCHOOL BENEFIT TO BE GIVEN Bingo Booth One of Features to Be Presented at Guild Affair Monday. ‘The annual benefit for St. Ger- trude’s School of Arts and Crafts will be held Monday on the school grounds in Brookland by members of St. Ger- Imbrie is president of the guild and | general chairman of the benefit fete. Among many entertainment fea- tures will be a bingo booth offering prizes. There will also be a prize for the person holding the lucky ticket among those issued at the entrance. Officers of the guild arranging for the entertainment include Mrs. Ray- mond Francis Garrity, treasurer; Mrs. Albert Joseph Gerrer, corresponding secretary; Mrs. Francis Xavier Calla- han, recording secretary; Mrs. Peter John McGovern, historian; Mrs. Mil- ton Alles, sr.; Mrs. Daniel Joseph Cal- | lahan, Mrs. John Cammack, jr.; Mrs. James Edward Duke, Mrs. James Gar- nier Haskell, Miss Sarah Lee, Mrs. Warwick Montgomery, Mrs. Harold Percival Norton, Mrs. B. Francis Saul, Mrs. George Percival Scriven and Mrs. Joseph P. Tumulty, vice presidents. -8 THREE HURT IN CRASH Golf Links Mishap Will Be Aired in Traffic Court. ‘Three persons were injured early | today when an automobile in which | they were riding crashed into an elec- tric light pole near the entrance to the golf links in East Potomac Park. Robert Ezell, 21, of 371 Tenth street southeast, the driver, was| treated at Naval Hospital for lacer- ation of the lips and shock. His wife, Clara, 19, was treated at Emergency Hospital for minor cuts and bruises, | while Douglas H. Smith, 35, of 3557 | Sixteenth street, said by police to be | the owner of the machine, suffered & lacerated nose. Police said Ezell had no driver's permit and the accident would be aired in Traffic Court today or, to- mMOrrow, SCREAMS ROUT - ROBBER A colored hold-up man, dressed in woman’s clothing, last night sought to seize money from 11-year-old Vir- ginia Lee Molar, 65 M street, at First and M streets. The child’s screams frightened the man awey. The girl told police the hold-up man was wearing a tan overcoat and a woman's large hat. It's our 27th Birthday-and we’re celebrating with 6 corking specials SPORTS SUITS FLANNEL LINEN SUITS ROCHESTER QUALITY Verified $32.50 Quality! We're putting our best foot forward for this event —and these are the star performers. Crown Shetlands ond Sedan Saxonies—all of them fashioned by master-stylists in our Rochester plant. Stacks 0!1 them! 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