Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-09-27
PROHIBITION FIGHT
SURVEY IS GIVEN
BY WILLIAM MARSHALL
Ueased Wire Service to The Journal.)
icrInA 1901

,-- .. (Copr1ght, l921.)
WASHINGTON. Sept. 24.-In the
battle between the bootlegger and
Who is losing? What has the gov
.ernment to show for it's twenty
month fight against the bootlegger?
What has the bootlegger to show. in
the way of substantial results, for
his defiance of the eighteenth amend
ment? ~.
The writer took these questions
today to seven government officials
directly and indirectly leading the
enforcement fight. There was no def
mite answer to any of them. Nobody
in Washington seems to know who
is ahead. No tangible summary Of
results was obtainable anywhere.
There was d general feeling that the
government was winning and that
less liquor was being sold. That feel
ing, however. was all, no figures. no
details were available. The fact that
the market price of contraband liquor
has decreased sharply has given
many the impression that the boot
Logger at the moment has the bet.
ter of the battle.
A survey of the battlefield. en-
forcement officials say. shows:
Hundreds Of thousands Of gallons
of liquor have been confiscated by
the government-so much that in
these days Of economy it has been
found desirable. to quit paying stor-
age on it and the saving from plac-
ing it in government warehouses will
net tidy sum annually.
Tens of thousands of convictions
have been obtained in the courts, but
in almost every case the offender.
down to the fourth and fifth offense,
has been let off with a fine. Enforce
ment officials bemoan the fact that
prison sentences have been so. few
and fines SO light.
|" warehouses Drained
Liquor in bonded warehouses has
been drained from large supply
closed, down to 100000 gallons
during the past twenty months, there
now being less than two quarts per
capita thus stored,
Cuba has ceased to be a mecca for
the thirsty; they can get it at home.
The Bahamas, ooZing liquor at almost
every point, have grown wealthy, and
are today supplying the eastern lit
toral with tremendous quantities.
With the closing of the Florida sea-
son, enforcement officials have turn
ed their eyes to Nova Scotia as the
logical base for operations.
The mountain dew that used to
come from old Kentucky has been
shipped by the trainload, out of the
United States, only in the case OF
thousands Of gallons, to return. Moth
ing so improves the quality of liquor
as an ocean voyage. There is some
thing about the rolling of ship
that makes whisky mellower and bet
ter and many ships have rolled the
product of Kentucky stills back to
the land whence it came, a far bet
ter product than when it left.
Hundreds of thousands of counter
felt labels have been printed, some
of them more like the originals than
the originals themselves. These
counterfeits grace innumerable bot
ties of just plain water, alcohol and
coloring.
The government can show, in its
fight against the bootlegger, great
stores of confiscated liquor; tens of
thousands of convictions, millions in
fines, and, it is claimed, a growing
sentiment in favor of prohibition.
Fortunes Made
The bootlegger, existing by the
tens of thousands, can show hun
dreds Of well-financed local organi-
cations, some of them with ramifica-
lions occupying the activities OF hun
dreds of agents; sections of America
as wet with alcohol as a sponge
and thousands of individual fortunes.
One Chicago bootlegger is reported
to have made more than $1,000, 900
in the past twenty months. A San
Francisco ring is said to have clean
ed up almost that much. And thou
sands Of other men who deal in the
stuff are making an uncertain living.
Others fare better. One case is
typical. r'
A boy of twenty, out of work
started in the business at Washing
ton. According to well authenti-
Gated reports within two months he
made, net $4,000 and an automobile.