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ne soil te Eom There were two life sentences, both for erimes on Government and Indian reservations. . ses ¢ @ GPECIAL agents of the Bureau of Investigation aré "selected with the utmost care and after the most rigid tests have been applied. Appointments are con- fined to those possessing LL. B. or LL. M. degrees from recognized law schools or colleges. It has been found that a comprehensive knowledge of law is practically an indispensable requirement in the intellectual equipment of a modern investigator. It is recognized, also, that the moral equipment of a high-class investigator is of positive importance. No special agent of the Bureau of Investigation is ap- pointed who has not first been thoroughly investigated and whose entire career has not been subjected to the eleseat scrutiny. All agents appointed must have spot- less records and must not have been guilty of any offense, either civil or criminal, at any time. The age Emit has *--- s:t between the years cf 25 and 40. . ee 6.8 \ . Agents of the Bureau perform every investigative activity in cases involving violations of Federal stat- utes up to the point at which a case is presented in court for actual trial. All agents perforce are well grounded in the laws of evidence and not only possess tke theoretical training which a legal course affords, but develop, through experience in performing investi- gative work in intricate cases, and sitting at the coun- 4\ table with United States attorneys in court during the trial of these cases, a practical knowledge of legal - Procedure which enables them to exercise the requisite investigative skill and judgment i in the performance C4 their duties. . : e a e THE work of the Bureau is growing rapidly, although there has been no increase (in fact, there bas been ¢ substantial decrease in the past five or six years) in the investigative personnel Among the classes of eases showing a substantial increase from year to year raay be noted those involving violations of the National Fankruptcy Act and the National Motor Vehicle Theft Act. Violations of the latter are particularly numerous and are increasing rapidly. - In addition to the investigative work under the * jurisdiction of the Bureau, it should be noted that the - Director of the Bureau is vested with the immediate “2 -: Cee: -” supervision and direction of the @ational Division of * T. F.. < 1921, by The Calted States Dally Publishing Corpora Te Identification. This institution was created by an Act of Congress and its official statutory existence was initi- - ated on July 1, 1924. ; . It commenced to function under the provisions of an © . appropriation act covering the general expenses of the Bureau of Investigation of the Department of Justice for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1925. This act -earried a special provision authorizing and providiog funds for the acquisition, maintenance and exchange of criminal identification records with the officials of the. Gcvernment and States. The Identification Division ie located in the Hurley-Wright Buijding, 1800 Pennsyl- vania Avenue, Washington, D. C. It is manned by an expert personnel of fingerprint classifiers and searchers, together with the necessary clerical staff. There are, at the present time, in the possession ‘of * the National Division of Identification 1,219,511 figuer- print records of criminals both of national and inter- ~ national importance and of current actual interest and value. This Division is supported by, and operates in close daily contact with, law enforcement officials throughout the country, more particularly with the _ members of the International Association of Chiefs of Pelice. The Division receives an average of 600 finger- print cards daily from law enforcement officials throughout this country and abroad. es ‘THESE records & are, iomediately upon receipt, “lassie.” : fied and searched and in the event any previous: - criminal record is found in the archives of the Division, - a complete notice covering the details thereof is im- mediately transmitted to the law enforcement officials, penal institutions, etc., transmitting said prints to the ‘Bureau. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1927, there were 166,920 fingerprint inquiries received by the Bu- reau. Of the prints received, a total of 52,223 identi- fications were accomplished, showing psst criminal records of minor or major importance. The value of this service and its importance in connection with the work of law enforcement officials everywhere in con- junction with the investigative work of the Boreas is increasing from year to year. _ i card In the nezt article of this series, to be printed August 2, Howord Sutherland, Alien Property Custodian, will discuss the functions ef his office. : a tee ee. es << Lou be