The New York herald., 1921-07-26
FORMER OFFICIALS
AID BOOZE RUNNERS
Tip Off Smugglers as to
Where Revenue Men Are
Likely to Be.
HUGE SALARIES GIVEN
Asserted That Conspiracy to
Land Liquor Covers
Many Cities.
ARE DEVISING DRAGNET
Mystery in Disappearance Of
Number Of Ships Thought
to Be Explained.
ARE DEvISING DRAGNET

Former internal revenue agents. in
spectors and clerks are earning huge
salaries directing the operations Of the
smugglers who are. sending thousands
of cases of Illicit liquor into the coun-
try all along the Atlantic seaboard
according to information that reached
this city last night. The advice of
these former agents is valuable be-
cause of their knowledge Of the habits
Of internal revenue agents and coast
and customs guards.
Harold D. Wilson, chief prohibition
enforcement officer for the New Eng
land district, declared at Boston last
night that the booze running conspir-
acy, with the former agents aid, ex-
tends through Boston, Nv Haven,
points further south.
A dragnet designed to catch the
smugglers wholesale is being devised at
Washington. according to Prohibition
Commissioner Haynes. He would not
give a clue to its nature. nor would he
say whether navy aid In the form Of
submarines and airplanes was being
sought.
The mysterious disappearance of q
number of vessels, attributed to pirates,
is now laid at the door of the rum rum
ners, by the New England enforcement
chief. He declared that the methods Of
the smugglers were simple. Large ship
ments of liquor were made from Cana
dian ports, he said, for Africa or the
Bahamas. This liquor is transferred at
sea to small, swift craft and put ashore.
Commissioner Haynes declared last
night that he is without "boats, men or
money to hunt down the smugglers
and that his chief reliance was the
Coast Guard service. Commander Rey-
nolds of the Coast Guard said his ves-
sells must look after other classes Of
smugglers and could not devote exclu-
sive attention to liquor.
AS for the use of naval vessels, Sec
retary DENLY said that IL q request
came to him 1t would be given "due
consideration" Personally, he would
have no objection to the use of subma-
rinc chasers for such work. but would
not say what his course would be In ad-
vance Of formal request. A study of
the laws to determine the authority for
such a step would have to be made, he
declared.
At Baltimer, reported to be one Of
the principal ports Of entry for snug
gled liquor 1t was said that the capi-
talists engaged in the business are vir-
tually immune from arrest. They have
the status of bona fide liquor dealers
under the British flag. and cannot be mo-
Tested unless they themselves attempt to
land the booze in America.
Enforcement Agent Wilson. at Boston,
said he had no doubt that many thou
sands of gallons of liquor had entered
the United States through Boston. He
said he had not yet caught them at work.
but declared their detection was only a
matter of time. So far only one vessel
suspected of liquor smuggling has been
taken In Boston Harbor.
1t was declared here yesterday that
the thousands OF cases of whiskey
shipped to the West Indies when export
was lawful have proved most excel
lent investment" The rum pirates, In
addition to having access to this stock
have invested heavily in European
liquors which have been shipped to the
Bahamas.
That there were about 10000 cases of
excellent liquor in the smuggled lot Of
which the 320 cases found on the Jennie
T. last week were a part was also said
yesterday. This liquor Is said to have
bcon unloaded off Montauk Point be-
tween Sunday and Tuesday night OF
last week. The remainder of the cargo
is believed to have been slipped into
various Long Island ports. and is prob
ably being retailed In New York city
now.