IN HIGHER PEOPLES 173 



tions thru international travel, commerce, and 

 treaties have reduced very much the occasion for 

 loyalty at least, the occasion for local loyalty. 



The old savage style of loyalty is still to be seen 

 in the spirit shown by certain groups of lawless 

 and near-lawless individuals who engage in 

 wrong-doing and then stand by each other as the 

 only way of enabling the gang to escape detection. 

 A member of a gang of criminals who " squeals " 

 or "snitches" on the rest is, from the standpoint 

 of the gang, an evil individual a criminal. But 

 from the higher standpoint of society, he is an up- 

 right citizen. He does just what he should do. 



The "loyalty" often shown by children in re- 

 fusing to "snitch" on one of their number who is 

 guilty of wrong-doing is the same kind of "loy- 

 alty" exactly as that which is so highly praised 

 by law-breakers everywhere. Any one who aids in 

 concealing crime or disorder by refusing or neg- 

 lecting to give information regarding such wrong- 

 doing assists in making wrong-doing easier, and 

 is, hence, to a certain extent responsible for it. 

 Boys and girls who shield one of their number in 

 disorder cannot escape a share of the guilt. They 

 are acting under a mistaken sense of loyalty. 

 They are promoting disorder. The obligation of 

 friendship does not extend to the protection of a 

 friend in crime. There would never be any ap- 

 prehension of criminals if everybody who knew of 

 the crime were "loyal" to the criminal. 



