with the heaviest of responsibilities for the proper functioning of

the courts and the proper administration of justice.

I know that you will continue to discharge these responsibilities
with credit to yourselves and with honor to the high office your hold.

REMARKS, MARYLAND YOUTH CRIME PREVENTION DAY

FORT McHENRY

May 11, 1962

It is a pleasure to be here with you this evening and participate
in the ceremonies for Maryland Youth Crime Investigating Com-
mittee and others for their kind invitation to appear before you on
this occasion. It is gratifying for me, both officially and personally,
to note the splendid cooperation of our Federal, State and local
agencies in this effort and, as Governor, I want to thank each and
every person who participated in this affair.

All of us here today know that crime among our youth is steadily
increasing in Maryland, as it is in other parts of the country, and
that our police organizations in the State are doing everything
humanly possible to cope with the problem. Before we can determine
the causes and discover the ultimate cure to the problem of ever-
increasing juvenile crime, however, we must have the cooperation
of our private citizens. For it is the parents and the friends, the
clergy and the teachers who can provide our wayward youngsters
with the Jove, the inspiration and the good example so desperately
needed by them. We must enlist their aid in the war against juvenile
crime by somehow focusing their attention on the seriousness and
the gravity of the situation.

Once we have persuaded our citizens to act upon their responsi-
bilities and once they have willingly sanctioned our laws and our
methods for handling youthful offenders, we will have gone a long
way towards reducing the crime rate among our youngsters. As I see
it, that is the purpose of our tremendous demonstration here this
evening—to call attention to the urgency of our juvenile problem and
thereby seek the aid of our fellow Marylanders in this endeavor.

As Governor of Maryland, I want to thank everyone here tonight,
on behalf of the citizens of this State, for their interest and initiative
on the part of our youngsters.

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