The Washington times., 1922-03-27
RUM RUNNING
INCREASES ON
GEORGIA COAST
Federal Officials Ask for Fleet
to Crush Smuggling From
Bahamas.
BY DOUGLAS @. TINSLEY.
International News Service.

SAVANNAH, Ga, March H.
With national prohibition less than
three years old. Savannah and it's
contiguous territory southward as
far as Brunswick. honeycombed
with scores OF narrow coves and
inlets, has become the clearing point
for the contraband liquor supply OF
four States.
Along the swampy Georgia coast
mystery" ships plying the trade
from the British West Indies drop
their anchors almost nightly and
unload into smaller vessels which
dart furtively from the protection
OF the darkened shores on signal,
thousa nds of cases of European
liquors, wines and cordials,
This contraband cargo finds it's
way further up the coast In boats.
overland by automobile and by
various other methods to the lock
ers and cellars Of those able to pay
the price.
Federal prohibition agents work.
ing the territory estimate that ap-
prcximately 10000 cases of this
liquor Is unlosded and distributed
along the Georgia coast on each trip
Of the ships which receive their car.
goes from the Bahama Islands. sixty
miles off Miami, Fla. These trips,
according to the officers, vary from
two to three times a week.
Goes to Supply Four States.
Most of the liquor unloaded on
the Georgia coast goes to Georgia.
North Carolina, South Carolina and
Tennessee. The whiskey runners
deal in wholesale quantities largely.
From their distributes the stuff Is
retailed to the consumer and the
small Dootlegger throughout the ter
ritory covered.
According to Federal enforcement
officers. the Georgia coast. particu.
larly that portion south Of Savannah
TO Brunswick, is favorable for the
Illicit whiskey trade. first, because
II Is within easy sailing distance of
the Bahama Islands. part OF the
British dominions, where the LIQUOR
stocks can be loaded without inter.
ference, and, second. because 1t 10
honeycombed with convenient coves
and inlets.
Federal agents are frank to say
that so long as they are compelled
to depend on catching the LIQUOR
after il has been landed on the
coast after removal from the YES
sells which bring IL In, they can
not hope for q great measure Of
success in breaking up the traffic.
They declare the only solution of
the problem is for the Government
to put into commission a large
number of submarine chasers or
other speedy boats.
Smugglers Arrange Distribution
These could watch the LIQUOR
ships, they say, from the time
they are loaded at Nassau. Bimini
and other points In the West In.
dies, and hang to their trail until
an attempt 10 made TO unload the
cargo Of liquor inside the three.
mile limit. or 1t is actually unload.
ed outside the three-mile limit and
brought within that radius by the
smaller boats, which make their
headquarters in the coves and in.
let's.
1t was after reaching this conclu.
sion that Fred Dismukes, national
prohibition director for Georgia,
recommended to Prohibition Com.
missioner Haynes the use Of idle
chasers lying in the navy yards
for patrol duty along the Georgia
and Florida coasts.
Regardless, however. of whether
these boats. to be manned by regu.
lar navy crews. under the direct
charge Of Federal enforcement
agents, will be put into use or not,
plans for. the breaking UP OF the
smuggling on a larger scale than
ever before are being matured and
probably will be put into effect i'm
mediately, il Is stated. Already the
vanguard OF the prohibition en-.
forcement army, consisting Of the
picked men OF the force from sew
eral States, is being thrown along
the Georgia coast, heavily armed
and with definite instructions to get
the rum runners at any cost.
They viii throw a Gordon along the
entire coast In on effort to seize the
liquor after II is landed. depending
for success largely on force of mum.
bers and unceasing vigilance. II the
boats requested are made available
by the Government, these men also
will be put In charge of them in an
endeaVor to scotch the whiskey
snake" at its head before the liquor
has been landed.
To date. according to consensus.
the rum runners, who appear to be
.egion, have lad things pretty much
their own way without serious in.
convenience from the interference Of
Federal or State officers.