New-York tribune., 1921-02-05
Rush Says Newton
Exaggerates Graft
In Struggled Drugs
Surveyor Asserts Customs In
spectors Resent Insinua-
tions ON Honesty; Col
lector Gets New Evidence

The statement of Byron r. Newton,
Collector of Customs, that customs in
spectors have been conniving at the
smuggling Of narcotics into New York,
was attacked last night in a counter
statement issued by Thomas f. Rush.
Surveyor of the Port, who declared
that he "disbelieved that the collector
personally issued the newspaper inter
views, because they show such gross
lack of information readily accessible
to public officials"
Mr. Rush in his statement said that
two inspectors have been dismissed
and ten are under suspicion. "and not
forty or fifty inspectors, as appears
from published accounts" He said
that he had been waited on by a COM
mittee of the Customs Inspectors As
sociation, the members of which ere
affecting their honesty and credi-
bility"
Also he said that he had requested a
written report from Alexander McKeon,
Deputy Chief Surveyor of the Baggage
Division, which has been forwarded to
the Secretary of the Treasury. Mr..
Rush said he hopes Mr.. McKeon's re-
port will be given to the press. at is
very illuminating" he said, "and con-
tradicts in the main the published ac-
counts"
Newton Regrets Rush's Stand
When told of Mr.. Rushs statement
Mr.. Newton, at his home in Bayside,
L. /, said;
II do not wish to make any comment
on the Surveyors statement until !
have read it, but l think it regrettable
at this particular time that he should
seek to condone or defend the condi-
tions on the piers for which his admin
istration is largely responsible"
Mr.. Newton said yesterday that his
investigation of the connivance Of Gus
toms inspectors in the. smuggling of
cocaine. opium, and other narcotics has
revealed that the practice has been
more widespread recently than ever
before.
"The tendency Of corruptible in
spectors to permit narcotics to come
INTO the country" he said, "has re-
suited In the smuggling of a great
quantity of dutiable articles.
Already a good deal of work has
oeen done IN checking up smugglers
ana dishonest inspectors, and I hope
that the cooperation Of the police will
- A'oAeIiAS WIG llllClU QTuE CJaInc
in the Port of New York"
Inspectors Give Information
Collector Newton said that several
customs inspectors had visited his Office
yesterday and furnished informa ton
regarding the manner in which bag
gage has been examined at the piers
MANY Of the inspectors, especially
the older men," said Mr.. Newton, care
as anxious as / am to clear up the stu
alton and bring to justice those of their
colleagues who have accepted tips and
graft to close their eyes to smuggling.
although passengers who pay graft
to inspectors are as little inclined as
the guilty inspectors themselves to ad-
NIT they have handed up tribute to the
baggage hounds the facts are coming
to light, and there is no doubt that full
information regarding the situation will
be in hand before the investigation is
concluded"
All evidence against smugglers of
narcotics involving customs inspectors
the Collector said, had been forwarded
to DR.. Carleton Simon, Special Deputy
Police Commissioner in charge of the
narcotic squad. DR.. Simon, it was
stated, plans thorough campaign to
enforce the law and punish it's viola
tors.