Evening star., 1921-03-13

the United States has exerted every
possible effort to prevent the use or
opium in the United States except for
purely medicinal purposes admins
tered by reputable physicians.
The importation of opium into the
United States for lawful use by drug
gists and doctors has fallen off tre-
mendously. In the year 1919, 730,272
pounds, valued at $8,279.653. were i'm
ported. In 1920 it was necessary to
import only 211,277 pounds. valued
at s1,311 ,625.
The smuggling of opium into the
United States. however. is quite an
other story. There is no definite way
af ascertaining just exactly how
much of the stuff is being sneaked
into this country at the present time.
There is no question but what the
amount is enormous. despite the Wig
orouS efforts made to keep it out. TO
prevent smuggling into this country
is anythins but an easy job. Get out
your atlas and take good look at
that long, lonesome. sparsely settled
border line separating this country
from Canada. Can you imagine how
many active, honest men it would
take to constantly keep an eye on
that border both day and night? Now
cast your eye to the southwark OF
the map and take good 1ook at
the long. crooked border line mark
ing the division between the United
States and Mexico. When it comes
to human habitation, most of the
Mexican border has little on the
across the Rio Grande river is usual :
ly no more of an effort than il would
. be to carry a sack of popcorn over
Rock creek on the Q street bridge
at noontime.
In addition to watching the Can
10 fn,- linn
smugglers, it is also necessary to
watch all incoming vessels at ports
on the Atlantic. Pacific and gulf
coasts. To perform this stupendous
work, Col. l.. G. Mutt, head OF the
government narcotic forces, is given
a crew of ESQ detectives. 1t is
claimed that he ought to have at
least twice that number of men.
Many bank burglars and all sorts
of crooked gentry of the underworld
have relinquished their hazardous oc-
cupations to engage in opium SNUG
new work not only more profitable,
but they are less likely to have their
flesh mussed up with steel bullets.
THERE seem to be as many differ
ent methods of smuggling as
there are smugglers. And do not
think for a single moment that opium
smuggIers are people of ordinary in
tellects! They are veritable geniuses
in evolving shrewd and original
methods for getting opium into this
country.
One Of the newest schemes was re-
der. An enterprising young chap,
a cd "a
fortune by ordinary smuggling, de-
cided that he could make big XIII.
ing by investing in an .airpiane ana
taking the dope over in large guam
titles. His scheme consisted IN nav
ing confederates patrol sparsely trav-
eled country roads in automobiles.
For identification purposes. each ma
chine would have a daub OF white
paint on the top. 1t was decidedly
easy procedure for the airma1 to
swoop low in passing such machines
and drop a few thousand dollars
worth of the fiendish stuff in the i'm
mediate vicinity. The plan worked
smoothly and profitably until an un-
dreamed-of mixup occurred. The
children Of a country constable were
entertaining themselves on rainy
afternoon with a halffilled bucket
of white paint. 'daubing everything
in sight, including a portion of the
top of the family fiivver. A few
days later, while en- route to the
countyseat on court business. Mr..
Constable was amazed to see an air
plane glide close overhead and a
friendly hand wave in his direction,
and at the same time package come
hurting through space.
That particular airman is now sit
ting in a small room into which the
sun Is sifted between pieces OF steel.
what he says about children who
play with paint could not be printed
A fair-haired. rosy-cheeked, inno-
cent looking girl who had the appear
ance of being not more than twenty
years old. fooled old time detectives
for almost year before they found
out that she was one of the cleverest
dope smugglers in the world. She
piled her profession on palatial steam
ers operating between the orient and
SAN Francisco. Her confederates were
assigned the comparatively easy task
of getting the drugs aboard the boat.
Her lob was to safely get it past the
customs officers and government de-
tectives. Utilizing her high school
domestic economy training. she made
herself a petticoat of serviceable ma
terial, containing row Of narrow
pockets all the way around. Into these
pockets could be secreted almost $4,000
worth Of drugs
How was she discovered? Easy!l