The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1920-01-30
NEW FEDERAL ORGANIZATION Is
ALREADY BUSY ENFORCING
PROHIBITION AMENDMENT.
OTHER AGENCIES CO. OPERATE
Governments Main Task Is to Prevent
Trafficking in Liquor and II Also
viii Keep After the Moonshiners
Problem SmpIlfled.
BY JAMES p. HoRNADAY.

|
Is the organization that is to enforce
the prohibition amendment to the fed
eral constitution. On and after the
date mentioned it is unlawful TO manu-
facture or sell beverage that CON
tains more than one-half of / per cent
of alcohol. Under plans that have been
carefully worked out, the federal or
ganization created to see that the pro-
visions of the amendment, and of the
enforcing legislation enacted under IT,
are observed, will operate in cooper
alton with state, county and city au-
thorities, but the federal organization
will be regarded as the strong arm in
the work that has been laid out. The
bureau of internal revenue, to which
the prohibition enforcing organization
will be attached has striven to find
men in every state who will help en-
force the new regime legislation with
out fear or favor. This was not an
easy task, according to the bureau Of
ficials, because of mems natural preju-
dices and the ever prevalent political
influences.
But evidently the bureau of internal
revenue believes it is prepared to see
to it that the spirit of the prohibition
amendment, if not the letter of the en-
forcing lay, is observed. Speaking in
a broad way, the governments problem
in connection with the new legislation
is pretty well solved. Wartime prohi-
bition closed the distilleries and the
breweries and the wine presses, and
revealed to the government authorities
the whereabouts of all large stocks of
liquors held in this country.
Governments Problem Simplfied.
So the government enters on the new
era with the manufacture Of intoXi-
eating beverages already stopped. This
means that the problem Of the govern
ment, acting in conjunction with the
states, is to deal with the traffic in
the supply of intoxicating beverages
still available. Under the constitution
al amendment and enforcing legislation
there can be no traffic at all in intoxi-
eating beverages after the 10th of the
month Even the export of the pro-
hibited intoxicants is outlawed.
The internal revenue bureau is well
aware of the fact, SO the officers Of
that bureau say, that there is large
supply of intoxicants on hand and the
men who undertake to enforce the new
legislation are aware of the fact so
they say, that attempts to traffic in the
outlawed beverages will be made SO
long as the supply lasts. So the first
of detectives, for that is what they
really are, is to look out for the Illegal
traffic. The provisions of the enforc-
ing law with respect to trafficking are
very drastic. 1t was the intent Of con-
gress evidently to make the transpor-
tation of intoxicants well nigh impos-
Sible. Under one provision of the law,
if an automobile should be used in the
Illegal traffic and the use should be
detected the government would con-
| dScate the machine.
Moonshners Now in Cities.
While the government is watching
the attempts to traffic in the illegal
stuff, it will also have large force of
men out looking for Illegal manufac-
ture of Intoxicating beverages. The
authorities are already advised of
many plans for evading the law
against the manufacture of any intoxi-
cants. The old-fashiOned still which
has always given the internal revenue
bureau more or less work to do has
been modernized so that it does not
always have to go to the mountains to
find hiding place. The revenue tu-
reau Is in possession of information
which has led it to make plans to look
for the illegal manufacture in the large
cities rather than In remote country
places.
A little later the Supreme court of
the United States will be called on to
give an opinion as to whether the pro-
hibition constitutional amendment+was
legally adopted. Several cases in
which this question is raised are now
on their way to the highest court.
Developing Foreign Trade.
The United States is reaching
out for foreign trade in big
way. A report submitted to congress
by the bureau of efficiency reveals
that IA government departments are
now engaged in the promotion and de-
velopment of foreign trade or in ac-
tivities closely related to that field OF
work. The list is as follows: De
nartment of commerce, department Of
state, department of interior, depart
ment of agriculture, the shipping
| board. the Pan-American union, the in
ternational high commission, the treas
ury department, the United States tar
if commission, the federal trade com
mission, the interstate commerce com
mission, the United States railroad adj
ministration, the federal reserve board
and the war finance committee. Ac-
cording to the bureau of efficiency
there is but little duplication Of work