The Washington times., 1910-12-29
New Chief Visiting Ports
and Putting Force
"On Its Toes. -
FLYING SQUADRON
OF CRACK AGENTS
Plan Is 10 Have Experts AT
Hand Ready for Any
Emergency.

Chief John E. WiIkie. Of the Secret
serTiCe. whose jurisdiction recently was
extended to include the customs agents
and special agents OF the Treasury De-
pertinent, Is busily engaged reorganizing
the force
Chief Wukie has more or less repu-
tatfOn as g Sherlock Holmes. but his
best capacity is that Of an organizer.
That IS why Secretary 8faSVeagh con
cluded to put him In charge Of the Gus
toms agents and special agents. He
Is now hard at work getting the force
IN shape. On its toes" as they say
about the Treasury.
he recently returned from New York.
where ne Inspected the special agents
and customs egents and die some over
hauling. Dead timber promptly VII be
thrown aside when Chief Wilkie dis
covers it
He IS going the rounds Of the leading
cities and ports where customs agents
or special agents are employed ano in
tends TO effect a number OF reforms
When he gets through OverhauIing the
force there viii be more vigorous prob
ing into the administration Of the CTS
toms laws al the different ports than
ever before
No General Inquiry.
About a year ago. there was talk OF a
general investigation into the admins
tratiOn Of the customs laws This has
never been carried out OF course, New
York has been Vigorously investigated
A committee OF detectives Is now en-
gagged In finding out whether anything IS
wrong at Boston St Louis and san
Francisco have been looked into The
stated examination OF accounts has
taken place az al the ports, but special
investigations have been conducted al
only 2 few OF them.
Suoh investigations VII be had. how
ever, and the better the force OF agents
= organised the more effective they VII
Strict discipline is TO be introduced
into the force OF customs agents and
special agents. Every order goes
through Wilkie- Heretofore, the orders
have gone through various officials. as
tne secretary OF the Treasury, the as
sistant secretaries. and others This has
tended 70 enable the special agents TO
svade responsibility
No Evasion
Hereafter. there viii be no evasion
The agents VIII Be responsible TO VViIkie
and VII get their orders from him and
no man can then object that any work
assigned him Is IN conflict with an order
some one else has given him, because
there viii Be Just che source OF orders
One OF the cardinal principles Of TIE
new order Of things VIII be to keen
the men on the move No agent VIII
be allowed 70 settle down and become
3 fixture in any locality. He VIII not
remain il one place long enough TO
beccme an old friend Of the customs
officials and thus likely TO be blind 10
their shortcomings
Under the old regime, some Of the
egents have settled down in localities
and bought houses, expecting to be
come old residents And they have
done 50 This VIII not happen again
Flying Squadron Planned.
Willie officials are making no an
nouncement Of this kind Il looks as If
the new arrangement would resolve
itself into a sort Of flying squadron Of
crack agents This squadron could
be thrown on shortest notice into snv
port where there was suspicion OF
croOksdness- It could be thrown into
Paris or London for that matter or
any OF the ports abroad: for the Treas
ury watches things abroad closely inst
IS wei as IN this country and Chief
NNtlEis has Jurisdiction over the agents
who are sent abroad as vel IS those
IN this country.
Once the flying squadron arrange
meut Is worked out It IS likely to be
e terror TO those who seek TO defy the
customs laws or evade them IN anv
fashion or 70 the Official who conufves
IT IS Secretary MacVeagh's idea thar
the force OF customs agents must be
30 organized that there VIII be no No.
utcal favOTitism 10 offenders.