The Hawaiian gazette., 1911-06-09
WHISKEY RIMS
ON TRANSPORTS
BIG EFFORT BEING MADE BY
oFFIoBRs TO END
TRAFFIC.

SAN FRANCISCO, May 2O.-After
twelve years Of inability to stop the
illicit traffic in whisky on army trans
ports, which has corrupted men, caused
drunkenness on shipboard and has on
occasions almost ruined discipline on
board the vessels, the quartermaster's
department of the army win begin an,
active campaign TO eradicate the evil.
Maj H. p Young, United States
army quartermaster in charge of trans
ports plying out of San Francisco, on
which the whisky ring has operated
for twelve years, has been aroused to
the enormous evils of the traffic. When
told yesterday afternoon that The Call
had information on the extent of the
illegal selling of liquor on the ships.
Major Young announced that he would
Immediately begin an investigation
throughout the entire department
| Army men and civilian clerks will be
investigated in the government 3 eff.
forts to place the guilt on the men who
have been breaking the anti.canteen
law and demoralizing soldiers during
the long Pacific voyage. Last night
Young sent a wireless message to the
transport Sheridan, which sailed Fri
day, directing Captain Healy to search
the vessel for contraband liquor. Every
quartermaster box and hiding place
on the ship will be opened in the search
and every effort will be made to appre-
bend the "dealers. "
Whisky Ring an. Old One.
That there has been an organized
ring of whisky operators on the army
transports has long been known. Ever
since the transport service was organ
lied there has been dealing in whisky
on the ships in direct violation of the
anti-canteen law of the United States
Low paid employees of the steward IS de.
partment have left the ships at the end
of a term Of service to buy dia-
monds and real estate.
A few years ago an officer high in
the quartermaster' department became
a sleuth for a day, during one of the
voyages of the vessel and dOnned the
soldier khaki to do detective work,
in which disguise he penetrated into
the whisky circle and bought fifty.
|
same time he caught a dealer in the
liquor, but with lenity not always
practieed by the government the man
was simply dismissed from the service
and did not have to stand trial. The
whisky in stock was thrown overheard.
That treatment did not discourage
the ring, which is said to be extensive
enough to include not only men in the
. | pfe y 1apo ~ M Aha ono
transports, bnt also clerks in the depot
commissary department at 165 Ere
mont street and the quaTtermaster' Is
- depot at the foot of Van Ness avenue.
4 Under Eyes of ofacers.
4 The operations of the gang have been
carried on with impunity under the
eyes of the army officers The method
would be to buy the whisky from the
wholesaler and have it taken secretly
| to either of the two warehouses. There
it would be repacked in United States
government quartermaster supply cases
of the sort in which all supplies are
packed. The cases are forty-two inches
long, tiirty-six inches deep and from
, twelve to twenty.four inches wide
. These "loaded' cases would be taken
with the other stores to the transport
dock, Folsom street, and stored ON the
, vessels. OF course there would be al
excess of cases over those called for il
the government way bills, hut that
fact does not seem to have troubled
the men whose duty it has been t.
check the freight as it would be car
ried on the vessel.
/ After the vessel would be out at se'
the cases would be opened as needed
and the whisky sold to the soldiers OF
board at exorbitant prices. A ifty-cen
a bottle of whisky would be sold at from
$3.50 to So. A large supply of the we
, goods would be held until the returI
!, from Manila.
Return Trips Profitable.
Il On this trip would be the soldiers re
turning from long and thirsty Bervic
in the Philippines, and with consider
/ able money in their belts. The sci
breezes would start their thirst, ant
: they wOdld be ambitious to buy out tn
y whisky dealers. High prices would b
r charged, and by the time the yesss
d would reach San Francisco the mel
= who handle the stuff would have som
9 times as much as 500 to reward Their
for their catering.
that the traffic was going on, as tn
n condition of drunken soldiers on boar
II ship would prove that the contraban
Z; article was being circulated, little wa
y done to check the evil. The anti-caI
81 teen law, which successfully keep
le liquor of ths military reservation, al
= plies with sqaal force to the arm
70 transports, but never has been Ell
is forced with such regularity that tn
traffiekers were discouraged from 70
lowing their trade. The army woul
le get close to the trail Of some men b.
lieved TO be in the busirHrr and tn
men, already prosperous in their worl
wonId retire. from the service and max
3 way for more needy friends. The arm
never prosecuted when man woul
- leave the service. All who lsrnv- of til
ie richness of the traffic would ask, in th
=, slang which the business created, 9 Fla
=. he been whisky pensiOnedf"
Is Search Unavailing.
=, When the transport shefidan, whie
a. sailed Friday, was on its preceding trl
=