Imperial Valley press., 1922-03-25
FLORIDA SMUCGLERS
TOO MUCH FOR
OFFICERS
BY PAUL r. MALLON
United Press Staff Correspondent

United Press Staff Correspondent
WASHINGTON, March 25.-A thou
sand prohibition agents concentrated on
the Florida coast could not break up
the rum running navy whose miniature
fleets bear liquor to American shores,
high government officials admitted to
, the united Press.
The same situation confronts them
that confronted the old English and
Spanish governments generations ago,
when the freebooters concentrated
along the coasts of Scotland and South
Spain and refused to obey customs laws.
The vast horde of smugglers now en-
gagged in slipping liquor from Cuba and
the Bahamas into isolated inlets along
the southern coast line is made up large
lv of simple fishermen, according to the
word of investigators which has been
transmitted to officials here.
These fishermen look on the prohibi-
tion law in the same manner i'll which
the fishar-folk of Valencia and the Dog
ger banks of Scotland looked on the
laws which prohibited them from get
ting good tobacco and certain clOthings
They have organized little industry
bringing booze from nearby foreign
possessions. They refuse to see their
industry as violation of the law.
These men know the Florida coast
line as no revenue agents know it. They
know every nook and crevice in the
coastline. They go out apparently to
fish and when night falls, they make
their way to the booze port.
Most of them go to Cuba. The situa-
ton there makes smuggling a pleasure
not q risk Government officials
there realize big revenue from huge
liduor expectations. They are not like
ly TO curb the traffic. Then again, cab
met officers here can find no way OF
appealing to Cuban authorities on a
common ground to help stop the traffic.
The Cuban government has no prohibi-
ton law and there is no reason why
she should be asked by the American
state department to enforce an Amer
lean law The British government
ruling the Bahamas-is in similar
positiOn. Because of these conditions,
the state department has refraincd from
asking cooperation of these govern
mcnts in sitting the trade.
On the return trip, of course, the
fishermen find things bit hardcr-but
NOT much. If a patrol boat-there are
half dozen of them to patrol the 900
miles of Florida coast line-should by
/ some chance run across the smugSler,
he is not likely to be caught.
The smuggler can drop his booze
to the bottom of the ocean with smaii
surface marker and when the patrol
boat comes up and searches the fishihg
! 1smack-there is no evidence AS soon
| as the ratroL boat goes away the liquor
can be drawn up from the bottom Oh the
sea and brought ashore
Investigators here say tins ocean
storing" system Of the smuggiers is
most common practice. The sea IS yer!
shallow in many points along the coast
MANY Of the smugglers, instead OF
landing their booze, drop 1T overooar'
If they find conditions propitious-
land 90 back Later to draw 1T up.
Leaders here say it is very simpi'
matter TO bring either aliens or lquo
into the United States in this manner
The only danger in the traffic IS en-
countered by those bootleggers on snor
who buy the stuff from the smuggief
and ship it to various parts Oh 'h
country.
Tbr use of the automobile, however
has even simplified this process
OF course, there are great bands
smuaclers who work for salaries an
their enterprises are financed by pi
interests, but, interested Washington o.
ficials believe that if the iishefme
could be converted to prohibition tn
smuggling laws could be enforced, .a,
and until they are converted thei
seems little hope that the traffic ma
be stopped.