The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-05-03
SMUGGLING BY
NAVY OFFICERS

~ much interested in the indict-
ment of some of their brothers
of the service III Porto Rico on charges
of smuggling dutfable goods into the
island, They are in doubt as to the
outcome Of the prosecutions, and until
the cases of the accused have been set
tied some of the oldest practices in the
navy are likely to be discontinued The
officers are sensitive to the general be-
lief that they have special privileges and
certain opportunities to smuggle which
are denied to the average nephew or
niece of Uncle Sam. Consequently it is
said that the practice of buying cigars
when cruising in the West Indies, wines
abroad, and other things which go to
make the happiness of the wardroom
complete, have ceased temporarily.
It is true that the sailor is like other
people. He is human, and he likes,
when on duty in foreign countries. 10
buy many articles of value to be brought
4
On most such articles navy officers
| pay duty. but as they are able to buy
cheaply they do not pay as much in
| duty as the ordinary citizen who imports
| articles. Doubtless naval officers do
| sometimes bring in dutiable goods on
which they pay no duty. They usually
buy citizens clothing when abroad, and
they are disposed, like the rest Of man
| kind, to give themselves the benefit of
every doubt in constituting their privi-
leges under the law. Every naval officer
who smokes buys a good supply of to-
! bacco when cruising in the West In
dies. He has right to buy as much as
he will for his own use aboard ship, and
to use it on the voyage. and when he
reaches home so long as ne is still
attached to the ship.
OF course. if the letter of the law is
| observed the officer, perhaps. has no
| right to smoke this tobacco ashore. But
| when the officer lights his cigar just be-
fore leaving the Washington navy yard
to pay his visits uptown, he very natur-
ally does not search the river front for
a revenue officer to pay him the duty on
much OF a smoker, 1t is more than prob
able that he has few of these cigars in
his upper vest pocket, and he is likely
to give one or two to his friends. Then.
too, cases are known where he has
yielded TO temptation and has taken a
box OF his cigars ashore
It is well known that the wardroom
of an American man-of-war cruising in
! European waters is usually stocked with
wines that never pay duty to the United
States Government.
Such wines are consumed in the course
of the voyage. and may also be consumed
the water.
They are not, however, smuggled
ashore, and if the ship suddenly goes
out Of commission while there is yet a
considerable stock of wines aboard. the
wines are likely to be sold to the ward
room mess of some outgoing ship of the
navy.
While the naval officer is expected to
know something about the tariff. he is
not required to be an expert. When
officers come from abroad on regular
commercial ships, as they frequently do,
they act exactly as the other travellers
act. and pay duty as they do
Sometimes they have to pay heavy
duties on articles which they hoped to
bring in free. 1t often happens that a
Homecoming officer fetches along with
him articles intrusted to him by some
brother officer still abroad.
A few years ago an officer returning
from the Asiatic station with articles
of a brother officer had to pay at San
Francisco a round sum in duties on
the goods of his friend.
Such cases are rare. however, and Of
ficers are not often caught in an I'M
mistakabIe attempt to defraud the Gov
eminent of duties.