Arizona republican., 1915-03-29
Contraband Materials Cross
ing Into Austria in Spite
Of Utmost Vigilance by
Italian Military and Po-
lice
FLOWER TRAVELS
AS HUMBLE SAND
Practice 50 General by Boat
and Train it Seems I'M
possible to Halt it; Many
Are Engaged in the
Trade


VENICE, March .s.-Notwithstand-
ing all the vigilance of the Italian
customs officials, large quantities of
contraband, chiefly provisions and
metals, are daily crossing the frontier
to Austria. The traffic is mostly BIZ
rail through Pontebba, but good
deal is also going by sea from Venice
Austrian and German agents are
travelling all over Italy offering most
eXorbitant prices for all kinds OF
supplies urgently needed in those
countries. So long as through freight
trains are permitted to be sent from
Italy to Austria it will be practically
impossible for the customs officials to
prevent this traffic.
Many and ingenious are the tricks
to which the dealers in cOntraband
goods resort Sulphate Of copper was
found in shipment Of twelve hun
dred tons of sulphur, and a ship pur-
porting TO be loaded with sand was
really carrying flour hidden beneath
a thin layer of the sand Several rail-
way passengers have been travelline
with suspiciously large quantities of
baggage. When the trunks of one of
these were opened. they were found
10 contain several hundred pounds OF
tin.
common device is to store large
quantities of provisions in some point
near the frontier, and then smuggle
them across in carts, and even by
hand. AS there is only one customs
officer to about three miles of boun-
Diary il is comparatively easy to dc
this. Moreover, in these cases of
small quantities of food. the officials
are inclined to be lenient, thinking
that it will go chiefly to feed their
Italian fellow countrymen in the
Trentino.
Needless to say everything possi-
BILE is done On the Austrian side OF
the border to encourage and facilitate
all this contraband traffic. The small
storekeepers and peasants are freely
| permitted to css the frontier and
sell anything they can to the Italians
! in exchange Tor food.
Small steamers and sailing vessels
are daily leaving Venice and other
Adriatic ports. with cargoes professed-
! ly destined for some other Italian
port. These creep along the shore
and finally slip across to some Aus
tran or hungarian port. preferably
! one where there is no Italian consul
or agent to ask inconvenient questioS
when the ships papers have to be au-
thenticated for returning to Italy. Gus
toms officials say that the only way
to prevent this traffic would be 10
place an official on board each vessel
until it is unloaded, which can hard
ly be done.
This contraband business is largely
conducted by Italians residing in Aus
tria- Hungary. 1t is enormously pro-
fitable. Recently one of these agents
purchased tin in England at S75c a
Ton. and re-sold ii for shipment to
Austria for $3.50 a ton. For grain,
especially wheat, and also for rice anc
lnaccaroni the most extravagant
sums are offered. Copper and other
metals and American lubricating oils
are greatly sought after.
The port at Genoa is crowded with
shipping, and the dock warehouses are
filled to overflowing with goods largely
contraband intended for Austria ano
Germany. Immense stocks OF proVi-
sons and metals are stored st this
moment in Venice awaiting the firsI
favorable opportunity for settins
them across tie frontier.
Four freight trains are going dali,
from Italy into Austria, through Pom
lnrr ThHool