Prevention

For half a dozen centuries the Western world has listed sudden death as one of the crosses of humanity. That humanity might in its progress be freed more and more from this unwelcome visitant was the purpose with which the National Crime Commission was organized.

Last week in Washington the commission met for two days to discuss means of attacking its problem. Under its young leader, F. Trubee Davison, son of the late President of the Red Cross and partner of J. P. Morgan, the commission has tried to recruit to its ranks men of prominence, men of ability and men with zeal to make a genuine effort for crime prevention. How well it has succeeded its roster shows: Herbert S. Hadley, former Governor of Missouri and onetime candidate for Vice President; Newton D. Baker, former Secretary of War; Charles E. Hughes, recent Secretary of State; Ethel Roosevelt Derby, daughter of the late President; Franklin D. Roosevelt, recent candidate for Vice President; Dr. E. A. Alderman, President of the University of Virginia; Hugh Frayne of the American Federation of Labor; ex-Governor Frank O. Lowden of Illinois; Charles H. Sabin of the Guarantee Trust Co. (Manhattan); many another.

They got down to work in Washington last week, divided into three sections: Governor Hadley led a group on legal procedure, prosecution and judicial administration; Newton D. Baker led the group on social, educational and industrial conditions as crime preventives; Mrs. Derby led the group on the medical aspects of criminology.

The committee called at the White House, and the President wrote them a letter which was read at their dinner.

At this dinner Richard Washburn Child, who had a large part in the formation of the commission, explained its methods and aims:

"We have accepted with full belief in the wisdom of our counselors the almost unanimous opinion that the National Crime Commission should put its principal effort into stimulating and assisting the creation of state commissions in all the states of the nation.

"The states, and not the nation or the local community, are the units which enact and enforce the mass of laws which aim at the protection of public order, peace and safety."