Evening star., 1922-03-19

silence. some ODSerNeTS, lHuceu' I'D
gone so far as to say that the dry
fleet Officially has submerged.
Lieut. Jack was formerly located at
Savannah. Ga.
Recruiting Is Brisk.
At Baltimore, Elmer X. kirwan.
with headquarters at 1916 West North
street. is in charge of activities Tor
the dry authorities. He is known to
be In charge of conditioning the ships
for service. and it is fully understood
that he also is the official recruiting
agent for the Navy. Local applicants
for the service have been referred TO
him.
Nine of the Navy subchasers were
offered by the coast guard as a
how many will be first conditioned
and. sent out has not come to light.
Indications are, however. that instea1
of waiting for the preparation nf
the entire fleet. the first few will
be manned. equipped and slipped into
the Atlantic as quickly as possible.
probably very soon.
Coast guard cutters had already
been working in an effort I" stop
smuggling, but the illicit tr; =: be-
came so extensive that wiz. the
limited cash on hand, the coast 'ruard
could not hope to combat wiz the
hungry rum runners and the thirsty,
ashore.
In the Florida zone Of operations
have been concentrated some of the
biggest guns in the command of the
federal government. Not only has
and agents of the bureau of in
vestigation from the Department of
Justice been dispatched. but it has
been augmented within the past sew
eral days by some of the chiefs them
selves.
william Burns ON Job.
William J. Burns. director of the
bureau of investigations and Amer
ica's most noted detective, has been
on the field for some time-and it is
not known yet, when he will return
to his desk at the Department of
Justice.
Col. L. G. Mutt, head of the narcotic
division. who recently was appointed
chief of prohibition men in the state,
is in Florida with a squad of narcotic
experts investigating drug smuggling
in Florida and number Of foreign
points in the southern waters"
This investigation" said an official
announcement from headquarters
here recently, sis being supported
and aided by customs officials"
DR.. John Wesley Hill of the prohibit
tion department is known to be close
ly cooperating with Director Burns.
and 1t was announced openly that
these men promised a cleanup of
the lawless conditions In that state"
1t was threatened further in Florida
that municipal and other officials
will be removed il necessary in the
progress of the investigation"
A "Mr. Anderson" of the prohibi-
ton department, prominent in the
campaign there, also has been delving
into conditions, from what particular
angle it has not been announced yet
Sherman A. Cuneo, the departments
expert publicist. is there. from Wash
ingtor.
A conference recently has been held
of these authorities. it was learned
unoficially, and at a meeting at Palm
Beach. they compared notes, and
carefully mapped out further plans
of strategy.
Various seizures Of rum-running
vessels have resulted along the Flor
ida coast. Disposition of the cases
has been accomplished without serious
international difficulties. so far. But
reports, incomplete as they are, hint
at a smuggling trade that is not only
extensive. but filled with excitement
and romance.
A Romantic Life.
Regarding the Messenger Of Peace.
a smuggler of British registry, Gem
eral Agent E. 1. Bergstrom, stationed
at Jacksonville, wrote: "The vessel
for the past two years has done moth
ing but bring whisky from Nassau
and Bimini. Bahama Islands to the
coast of Florida. Georgia and South
Carolina, and is listed by the pro-
hibition department at Washington
as one Of several vessels Of Americas
and British registry engaged in the
whisky smuggling game on the south
Atlantic coast.
'If one Of the members of the crew
could be induced to talk he could
tell wonderful tale"
Prohibition Commissioner Haynes.
when asked recently about snug
Cling. admitted that 1t was a par
,ticulariy aggravating and trouble-
some" problem. Having checked the
two other principak sources Of Illicit
liquor, he said-illegal withdrawals
of red liquor and diversion of alco-
hol-efforts were being concentrated
on .smugglinG.s.,s- :.-'-.--=.
: II is generally aAMitted. the COM
been supplying practically the only
high-grade liquor which has been