The Cordova daily times., 1919-12-31
DECEMBER 31, 1919
AIRCRAFT IN THE CUSTOMS
 SERVICE

The general use of airplanes has gwen rise to much speculation con. cernlng their possible use in the matter of smuggling goods across the borders. Ships land at only limited number of ports, so that the snug gl1ng of goods from across the seas IS confined to few places, and hence IS more easy of prevention. To a great extent this has been true of smuggling across our territorial bor- de-s. both from Canada and Mexico. for there are comparatively few places at which 1t Is feasible to bring across large quantities of merohandise un- detected. Customs officers are sta tioned at all international bridges and at stations where railroads enter the limited States from across the border At places distant from important cen ters of population, and where there are no bridges or railroads, there is not so great danger of extensive snug gling operations, although there is more or less of a patrol kept up along the border,
 But the coming of the airpIane has changed all this. It will be quite feas- ible to transport goods from places distant from the border to places in this country well within our terri tory. Border patrols and border cus- toms houses will cut but little figure in preventing such smuggling.
 In England the prevention of snug gling is in the hands of what is known as the preventive service" In this country it is the duty of all GUS toms officers to frustrate any attempt at smuggling, but it is especially the duty of special agents. customs agents and customs inspectors to do so There are also treasury attaches stationed abroad, whose duty it is to report any
 
 eign consular officers are also charged with this duty. There are two classes of smugglers-t incidental or occa- sional ones, and those who make more or less of a business of it. The latter are well known in the customs and consular service, and hence when pur- chases of precious stones or other mer- chandise usually smuggled are made abroad it comes quickly to the atten- ton of our officers in the country of purchase and is promptly reported by them to the secretary of the treasury, who takes precautions accordingly. In fact, all considerable purchases of pre- cious stones and certain other goods are so reported, no matter who the purchaser may be. A large part Of the attempts at smuggling are detect ed in this way. It is also in this way that attempts at smuggling by air plane must be prevented or detected. Information must come through GUS toms or consular agents stationed abroad.
 The problem will then be to appre- hend the smugglers and seize the con traband goods. It has been said that we must fight the devil with fire, and so we must prevent the smuggling by airplanes by making use of air planes. The smuggling of gold out of Germany has recently been prevented by the use of airplanes. News of ar attempt to smuggle gold out of Ger many into Switzerland Gan offense against the German laws) came to the attention of the authorities, who sent airplanes which overlook the trair bearing the gold, which was seized and returned to Berlin. It is evident that it will in time become necessary for this government to maintain z border patrol of airplanes in the "pre ventive service' With the aid O. wireless telegraphy it is likely tha the aerial customs service will b.