Please wait. Contacting image service... loading

Article text

PRESIDENT HOOVER FOR WORLD PEACE
Blames Citizens For U.S. Crime Increase
"Th-- I'rlz- d >;:! ir nor only desire.
P- 'vi:h ::: world, bur «i<-siivs to ,
sa,i p'-.we muintainc-d throughout the- !
v.-urM.'' lVvsid-nt Hoov.w, in his i
in.-ugurr:"; uddr after having ta<ten j
iiL -sGii «>i" idti'-.- at Washingion on
M i n G _ I
He exi)r.?.«.«<?.i a hope for the ulti
mate ..dkeivnc:- or Use United States
to the tvorid court, and declared that
the aeo .tance of the recent treaty
for .lie .enunciation of war "should
pave tiie way to a creater limitation
of armaments.''
Expressing the ne'iei that no more
potent instrumentality for the pacific
settlement of controversies between
nations than the world court had
ever been conceived. President Hoo
ver declared. "No other is prac
ticable of establishment. Reserva
tions placed upon our adherence
should not be misinterpreted.
"The United States seeks by these
reservation no special privilege or
advantage, but only to clarify our re
lation to advisory opinions and other
matters which are subsidiary to the
major purpose of the world court.
"A way should and. I believe, will
be found, whereby we will take our
proper place in a movement so fun
damental to progress and peace." he
added-
There was a single brief reference
to national defence in the entire ad
dress.
Strong tor Prohibition
"Peace can be contributed to by
respect for our ability in defence."
.te said. He declared further that
agricultural relief and "limited
changes" in tariff "cannot, in justice
to the farmers, labor and manufac
turers, be postponed." adding .that he
would request a special session of
Congress to consider these questions.
He declared strongly for the en
forcement of the eighteenth amend
ment.
"The most malign of all dangers
o our system of criminal justice." said
President HooVer, "Is disregard and
disobedience of law. Crime is in
creasing. Confidence in rigid and
speedy justice is decreasing"; I am not
prepared to believe that it indicates
impotence of the Federal Government
ro enforce the laws,. It is only iri part
duo to the additional burdens imposed
:o n . . p j.i j u d ; c i a i system by t li e 1 S th
mendmenu
Weakened Laws
"The jn'oljjem '. much wider than
that. 'Many influence's have increas-
. ingly cotii plica tefl and weakened, our
law , Enforcement qi'gauisatioji before
. -i the aVoUtiop "f the 1,8th. amendment.
;,.Uto re-establish d he.. vigor and effec-
.; tlvenffts ,of la p enforcement, we must
...iuritieally, .consider : the entire Federal
. machinery of jus.tive. the sipiplifica-
toh ' of procedure, aud the provision
of special tribunals, and co-ordinate
:«ur agencies of Investigatipn and pro-
sr-cution that justice may be sure and
swift, and the authority of the Gov
ernment maintained. Rigid expedi
tion justice is the first safeguard of
freedom,
"Part of the abuses that have
grown under the eighteenth amend
ment are due to the failure of some
States to accept their share of respon
sibility and the failure of many offi
cials to accept the obligation of their
oaths zealously to enforce the laws.
With the failures from many causes
has come a dangerous expansion in
the criminal elements, who have
found enlarged opportunities for deal
ing with illegal liquor.
"A large responsibility rests upon
citizens. There would be little traf
fic in illegal liquor if only criminals
patronised it.
"We must awake to face the fact
that this patronage froifi large num
bers of law-abiding citizens is supply
ing rewards and stimulating crime. I
b ve been selected to execute and en
force the laws of the country, and I
propose to do so to the extent of my
own abilities, but the measure of the
success which The Government attains
defends upon the moral support
which you as citizens extend.
"The worst evil is that the disre
gard of some one law," continued
President Hoover, "is that it de
stroys respect for all law, so for our
citizens to patronise the violation of
a particular law on the ground that
they are opposed to It is destructive
to the very basis of all protection of
life, homes and property which they
rightly claim under other laws.
"If citizens don't like a law, their
duty as honest men and women Is
to discourage its violation and openly
work for Its repeal.
$