The New York herald., 1921-12-22
NATION WILL BATTLE
IN CHRISTMAS RUM
This Optimistic Report Fol-
lows Official Survey by
Revenue Men.
Special Dispatch to THE NEW York HuaALD.
New York Herald Bureau.


New York Herald Bureau.
Washington, ID. C., Dec. FL.
This will be a wet Christmas for the
United States, according to reports in
different Government circles to-day.
Customs and revenue advices disclosed
that whisky in unprecedented volume
either has been produced by the Illicit
distillers or imported by smugglers
through hundreds of coast and border
routes to supply the holiday demands.
This was in striking contrast. however.
TO the rosy forecast of prohibition en-
forcenent officials. that the holiday sea-
son will be very dry" Some Of them
even ventured the statement that Christ
mas will be the dryest on record.
But prohibition officials based their
predictions on the optimistic reports OF
State directors. which figured only on the
probably amount of liquor which will be
available as a result Of Withdrawals
from bonded warehouses.
Other officials able to gauge accu-
rately the liquor market said conf
IDENTIFY there Is very evidence of an
abundance Of whisky and 1t is their be-
lief that the Christmas demands, what
ever they are, will not exhaust the
supply.
The LIQUOR market now Is flooded with
the product of the corn "likker' belts.
The Southern States. officials said, have
poured forth millions of gallons into the
bootleg market Bootleggers. however.
according to reliable reports, are also
Ay,at 70 no
best grades of domestic and imported
brands of whisky.
Government officials returning from
business trips have offered wide va
r1ety of observations. Generally they
agree that no scarcity exists and THAI
bootieggers will find slight justification
for boosting their holiday prices.
Insi. advices. which are reliable, al
tkougl n sense unofficial. because
many Government officials keeping close
tab on the liquor market do not find 1t
convenient or wise to couch the result
o. their observations in Government
documents, show clearly that practically
every city Of large size. particularly east
of the Mississippi River, is ready literally
for whisky bath.
Field agents whose duties carry them
into the remote rural sections declared
the country districts are flooded with
choice liquors, well aged. from private
stills Scarcely q farmhouse In most
districts lacks It's still for the making
Of whisky brandy or wine. The farm
ers, 1t is said. have gone in strongly Tor
high proof fruit juices" or wine. which
in most instances is not less than SO per
cent. in alcoholic content.
Officials said that probably the largest
liquor supplies are those which nave
been made possible by smugglers' oper-
ations. Customs authorities and en-
forccment officials said to-day they have
been powerless because Of their made
quate equScment to stop the tremendous
Importation Of fine imported brands OF
whisky manufactured in Scotland or in
England or In other countries. There
has beer a rush In the last two weeks
70 move cargoes of smuggled wet goods
from the southern coast points, where
they were unloaded by snugglers from
all manner of craft used to bring then
from the Bahamas or perhaps all tho
way across the Atlantic.
"It is not expected the bootleggers
will have the same denand they expert
enced last Christmas, for private homes
everywhere are said to be well stocked
with matured homemade wines or other
beverages having 'kick." The home
brewing practice. officials said. is less of
a fad than dry agents have suspected.
and Is growing in favor.
The popularity OF the home brewed
or distilled products 1t Is said. will
help 70 make Christmas perhans merrier
than the last one, when people were
less ably tutored In the making of
beverages for home consumption or
for guests within the homes.