LAW OBSERVANCE

Southland Times, Issue 21275, 22 December 1930, Page 5

LAW OBSERVANCE

AMERICAN PROBLEM

NEED FOR EDUCATING PUBLIC

INCREASED INTOXICATION

(United Press Assn.—By Telegraph—Copyright.) (Rec. 5.5 p.m.) Washington, December 20.

Ihe chairman of the President’s Law Enforcement Commission, Mr, Wickersham, after two years’ study, regards the education of the public for law observation rather than the current law enforcement measures, a better method of curbing crime. He stated: “No process in the education of the public into the value of Prohibition was attempted. I believe observance of the law can be brought about by education and persuasion rather than by force and harsh penalties.” He cited England’s record decrease in drunkenness by education efforts, and attributed part of the growing disregard of the law in the United States to the increasing number of laws and the dismissal of offenders. He cited Great Britain, where only a few offenders were dismissed. Mr Wickersham added that the increase in the United States iu intoxication and violation of the liquor law was. 161 per cent, in 88 cities in ten years since 1920. Arrests for intoxication and violation of the dry law had increased seven times more than the population and ten times more than the arrests for robbery.