The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-06-26
DRY NAVY WARS
ON RUM RUNNERS
New Prohibition F!otiIa viii OD-
crate In Southern Waters.
HARD JOB SET OUT FOR THEM
Must Terminate the Smuggling of
Liquor Between West Indian Ports
ana the Mainland of Florida-ThriI-
ing Tales Hidden Away In the
Prosaic Files OF the Coast Guard
Smuegiers Show Remarkable Genius
in Methods They Adopt.

Several weeks ago, following the
partial success that has followed the
operation Of il few ruln-chasing launches
il Florida waters under command
of Admiral l.. 6. Mutt, the authori-
ties having in charge the enforcement
Of the prohibition laws decided to or
ganize "a navy" which would be di-
rected against the rum-runners op-
Grating between Bimini and other West
Indian ports and the east coast of
Florida and southern Georgia. says the
New York Times. The proposition
was laid before Secretary of the Treas
ury Mellon. The secretary thereupon
directed Commandant Reynolds of the
coast guard service to transfer to the
prohibition bureau nine modern sub
marine chasers built for the navy dur
ing the VAR. Tins will make two squad
rons OF four ships, leaving the ninth
vessel to be used as fleet flagship.
To cate six of the vessels that will
operate under the prohibition ensign
have been transferred from coast
guard to prohibition enforcement juris-
dictioli.
The coast guard service has moth
ing whatever to do With the command
or the navigation Of the Booze Navy"
That is Il matter entirely under the |
direction of the prohibition authoii-
ties. The navy is to be Differed and |
manned by men who are now being |
enlisted, preference wherever possible |
being given 10 former officers and sea- I
men OF the navy or the coast guard. i
To Stop Runa-Running.
fleet are Withheld by the prohibit on
office. 1t may be some weeks before
the navy is ready for action.
or not the fleet Will operate
us unit or he scattered along The
coast in separate commands is another
question that the authorities have SO
Tar declined to answer. The opinion
is general, however, that the fleet will
De largely concentrated in Southern
waters for the purpose of terminating
lie ru.ll-runniilg between West Indian
,orts and the Florida mainland.
Under the smuggling provisions of
he customs law the coast guard is
liarged with the duty of being always
III the alert for smugglers and other
'iolators of customs laws and regula
ions, and rum smuggling" is no dis-
erunl IRON the smuggling of sit,,
plum or other things subject to duty
r confscation.
The coast guard is not publicity
eeking organization and very little
cts into print regarding the achieve
rents Of the service in enforcing the
Eighteenth amendment. The files in
re headquarters of the guard are full !
t reports--and every one is a story
Inch relate to the chase or the cap
ire Of schooners, yachts, launches and
her craft that seek, generally under
,ver of night, to land their Illegal
lrgoes at some American port. !
The writer of this article was per- \
tilted to glance through some Of these i
ports. 1t would require a book to t
II ali the stories hidden away in I,
asst guard files. 1t is permissible 10 i
late few of the bootleg" adven-
res in which the coast guard has :,
the side Of law and order. 4
$4,000 Worth Of Bootleg. =
Quite recently there appeared off the !,
~ England coast a trim two-masted :,
hooner Of Canadian register. With
sails set the schooner logged her :,
~ down the coast and in due course -
rived off the hufbor of the little
Nv England city famous in history !.
the place where few centuries =.
ok witchcraft was punished by death =.
d smoking on Sunday by term in -
son. The night lin question Il
inch from the schooner picked its !.
y through the fishing smacks into -
harbor and discharged q .cunsisllr.