Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-01-25
NATIONWIDE CAMPAIGN
ON MOONSHINERS BEGUN
Government Cooperating
With States TO Stamp Out
Illicit OiStiIIerieS

WASHINGTON. Jan. 24.-DtScoyery
that manufacture of moonshine whisky
is increasing rapidly in bone dry
states and that quantities have been
sold illicitly TO soldiers in southern
camps. caused Internal Revenue Com
missioner Roper to announce today q
nationwide campaign against illegal
distillation in cooperation with state
governors.
The military camps where moonshine
liquor has been sold most, in spite of
precautions by military and civil au-
thorities, are Camps Wadsworth, AT
Spartanburg, ). C.; Sewer, at Green
willie, :. g.; Jackson, at Columbia. :. C,
and Oglethorpe, at Chattanooga.
Investigations about these and other
camps still are underway The cam
paign already has resulted in arrests
OF hundreds of moOnshiners in southern
dry states state laws forbidding i'm
portation and the federal tax OF $500
q gallon nave driven the price of crude
,orn liquor about many camps TO IS
and So a quart, according TO evidence
by revenue agents.
Commissioner Roper has obtained
from many governors specific indorse-
ment Of the anti-liquor campaign. Some
state executives and local officials, how
ever werc reluctant to furnish the state
agents required for the work.
To Clean Out Stills
Special efforts will be made TO clean
out stills in the dry states where condi-
tons are reported worst. Illegal manu-
facture is thriving best in Virginia,
North Carolina. South Carolina, Geor-
gia- Tennessee. Arkansas, according to
reports of revenue agents. State agents
already are at work vigorously in some
of these states.
To lesser degree the traffic in noun
tain dew" is reported from Florida, Ala
bama- Mississippi, Kentucky. Oklahoma
and A number of other states Officials
have gathered evidence that in Kansas,
Iowa and Oregon illegal manufacture is
on the increase
The campaign now planned is the re-
suit of a special canvass OF dry states
started several monthse ago by direction
of Commissioner Roper. An experienced
revenue agent was sent TO confer with
the governors of dry states and to gath
er evidence of uncurbed liquor manu-
facture in those states The governors
were told that the force of federal in
sDectors is inadequate to ferrets out the
thousands OF hidden stills and obtain
evidence on which 20 base prosecutions
The task is made particularly difficult
because the scheme of giving bonuses 20
informants on Illicit stills has been
abandoned. The government mas Ce--SSo
TO have a revenue interest in dry states,
il was explained, and the burden OF
Georgian Refuses
On1cials pointed out today that moon
sinners in dry states now are breaking
not only federal revenue and state pro-
hfbftion laws. but also the food act for
bidding use OF grain and fruits in man.
ufacture Of liquor.
The open refusal or ill-conceaied re-
Iuctance of many sheriffs and other To-
cal officials to assist government agents
in running down mooDshiners was "A fac
tor i'm causing Commissioner Roper TO
announce the open campaign. The case
of a north Georgia sheriff who refused
to aid on the ground that the county
officers were lin favor of whisky" was
cited in this connection.
4 report presented today TO Commits
sioner Roper by Chief Revenue Agent
Mutt shows that nearly so per cent of
the illegal stills seized recently i'm Nir-
ginia were in Patrick. Wise. Franklin.
Pittsylvania, Halifax and Henry coun-
ties. Conditions have been found to be
bad in Mecklenbers, Floyd, Carroll
Grayson. Nelson. Amherst. Madison,
Green Dickinson and Buchanan coun-
ties.
In North Carolina, "a of the 100
counties are known as good moonshine
territory" and nearly 700 stills have
been seized and destroyed in a year
Continued on Page 3, Column SD