Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-10-12
RUM PR|VATEERS
FLYING ALIEN FLAG
ARE TO Be SEIZED
Liquor Smuggling to Be
Made Unpopular by En-
fOrcement Officials.
.SEAMEN GET SMALL PAY,
BUT ENJOY BIG INCOMES
Accept Wage Reduction With
out Protest, but Sell Drink
at 900 Per Cent Profit.
Cry Associated Press.3

WASflNGTOS, Oct. ll.-SeiZure
and sale of foreign ships violating
American prohibition laws is under
consideration by the Bureau Of In
ternal Revenue as mcnas of curb
ing liquor smuggling.
Officials of the bureau were rep
resented tonight as seeing no soIu-
tion TO The problem other than
through invoking libel provisions of
the Yolstead act against ships
bringing in liquor
Evidence gathered by Federal en-
forcement agents was said TO have
discovered that masters OF foreign
ships frequently conspired with their
seamen to violate the prohibition
laws. The supply OF alcoholic bev-
crages has been greatly increased
along the eastern seaboard by this
means, IL was said
The bureau Is understood also to
have discovered dennite connection
between foreign seamen engaged in
smuggling and "wh!.ky ring"
through which the smuEglcd whisky
is marketed
Law P>ovides ConfscatIon.
The Folstead act provides specIfi-
cany for confsca;ion OF vehicles Of
transportation employed In violation
of that law. Bureau officials were
said 10 feel that although foreign
complications may result. they should
take steps in that objection in order
TO control the traffic.
No estimate has been made of the
amount OF liquor thus reaching
American ''boot!eggcrs." but officials
arc agreed it has reached large pro-
portions within the last six months
Technically. foreign ships are with
In Jurisdiction of American laws when
INSIDE the three mile limit. This
makes them liable to confiscat!on at
any time contcaband goods Is found
OH them. The belief was indicated,
however. that seizure OF a few ships
would end the activities of the sea-
going bootleEgers.
Certain foreign ship masters are
alleged TO have employed a UNIQUE
method OF defeating prohibition. The
reports revealed, 1t was stated, that
pay of seamen had been reduced to
nominal amounts. in some cases to
the amazingly small figure Of 81 a
week. In lieu of more pay, the sea-
men are permitted to lay in stocks
OF liquor in foreign ports and deliver
1t in American ports.
Pay Reduction Without Protest.
While questioning of masters al
ways brought deniaIs, Officials here
were declared to be confident of the
existence OF such conspiracy. since
the pay reduction has bcen made
without protest from the scamcn.
case on record in the bureau was
said to show that foreign seamen on
one ship had smuggled through ap-
proximately 500 quarts OF Scotch
whisky. purchased abroad for about
81. quart and sold here ut more
than $40 a quart.
Officials declared they were hand!-
capped by lack OF men in both the
customs service and enforcement
corps with the large number of for
eiGn ships entering American ports.
Quarantine officers. ii was said. had
been unable to make the searches of
ships necessary TO catch all smugsIcd
liquor because of the time limitation.
and have admitted to Treasury Off
cialS that they were powcrlcss to
check the growing traffic.
Are Increasingly Bold.
Assistant Secretary Shousc. head OF
10th the customs service and the Blu
reau Of Internal Revenue. said two
months ago that "it would take an
army" of agents to patrol the shore
lines and defeat smugglers whose
methods were declared to require the
highest grade of detective work even
at that time. The present disclosures
were believed TO show such increas-
ing boidness as to require more dras-
tic legal action.