New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1920-01-30
UNITED STATES
NOW bone DRY"
NEW FEDERAL ORGANIZATION is
ALREADY BUSY ENFORCING
PROHIBITION AMENDMENT.
OTHER AGENCIES COOPERATE
Governments Main Task Is to Prevent
Traffieking in Liquor and II Also
Will Keep After the M%oonshiners
Problem Simpiified.
BY N p.

'ooie" StWptiHeo.
BY JAMES p. HoRNADAY.
WashingtOn.-On Friday, January 16
a new federal organization began &C
tivities in every state in the union. II
Is III organization that Is to enforce
the prohibition amendment to the fed,
eral constitution. On and after the
date mentioned it is unlawful to manu-
faeture or sell a beverage that con
taihs more than One-half of ! per cent
of alcohol. Under plans that have been
carefully worked out, the federal or
g~aniZation 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
VIII be attached, has striven to find
men IN every state who will help en-
force the new regime legislation with
out Teal or favor. This was not an
easy task. according to the bureau Of
f%icials, because of mems natural preju-
dices and the ever prevalent political
Influences.
But evidently the bureau of internal
revenue believes 1t is prepared to see
to 1t that the spirit of the prohibition
amendment, If not the letter of the en-
forcing law, 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 Simplited.
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 intoyi-
eating beverages after the 10th of the
month. Even the export of the pro-
hibited intOxicants Is Outlawed.
The internal revenue bureau is well
of the fact. so the officers of
that bureau say, that there is a large
of intoxicants on hand and the
men who undertake to enforce the new
are aware of the fact, so
they say, that attempts to traffic in the
beverages will be made so
long as the supply lasts. SO the first
business of the governments new force
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-
yress evidently to make the transpor-
Of intOxicants well nigh impOs-
,lble. Under one provision of the law,
{ an automobile should be used In the
Illegal traffic and the use should be
the government would con-
the machine.
Moonshiners Now in Cities.
While the government is watching
he attempts to traffic in the illegal |
tur. it will also have a large force of
out looking for illegal manufac- $
ure Of intoxicating beverages. The (
u~thorSties are already advised of Z
many plans for evading the law
gainst the manufacture of any intoxi- {
The Old-fashioned still which
as always given the internal revenue
ureau more or less work to do has I
cen mOderniZed so that H. does not q
ways have to go to the mountains to c
a hiding place. The revenue tu- fl
Is In possession of information 8
'hich has led 1t to make plans to look @
Or the illegal manufacture in the large d
ties rather than in remote country n
A little later the Supreme court Of S,
lie United States will be called on to b
We an opinion as to whether the pro- OF
IbitiOn constitutional amendment was N
gally adopted. Several cases In d,
hich this question is raised are now m
their way to the highest court. T
Developing Foreign Trade. W
The United States is reaching u
It for foreign trade in a big "
ny. A report submitted to congress y
the bureau of efficiency reveals "
Mt IA government departments are
w engaged In the promotion and de-
lopment of foreign trade or in &C. NJ
closely related to that field of to
,rk. The list is as follows: De- as
of commerce, department of w
tie, department of interior, depart bu
mt of agriculture, the shipping Lit
ard, the Pan-American union, the in iei
national high commission. the treas an
department, the United States tar sa
commission, the federal trade COM fie
ssion, the interstate m COM Of
ssion, the United States railroad adj yo
the federal reserve board .
4 the war finance committee. Ac- n
ding to the bureau of efficiency ba
re is but little duplication of work sit