Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-04-08
PROHIBITION HERE
IS STERN REALITY,
NARCOTIC HEAD SAYS
Public and Press More
Friendly to EnforcenentLL'
g. Nutt, Here to See Dis
mukey Declares

Arriving in Atlanta Friday morn
| ing for conferences with Fred Dis
nuke, state prohibition director, and
T. E. Middlebrooks, narcotic inspec-
tor in charge, L. G. Mutt, head Of
the governments narcotic force, re-
ports that enforcement of the eigh-
teenth amendment in Georgia is now
a "stern reality" and that the "boot-
Logging business is doomed to die a
natural DEATH"
For the past month Mr.. Mutt has
been personally investigating prohi-
bition and narcotic violations in
Georgia, Florida and Cuba, confer
ring with federal agents stationed
| throughout the two states and ar
ranging with railroad officials to sup
press the transportation of illicit
| liquor. He was accompanied to At
lanta by Sherman A. Cuneo; of
Washington; Herbert Forrer, of Phil
adelphia. his secretary, and Ben
Haskell, Of New York, investigator.
They will leave Friday evening for
Washington.
In his report of operations for
warded Friday to Commissioner
Haynes, in Washington, Mr. Mutt
traces recent developments, which
! he says Indicates that Georgia is
ready, in every possible way to up
hold prohibition enforcement and
give all officials, especially Director
Dismuke and Agents Henson and
Merrick, the greatest encouragement
and support"
II am happy also to report" he
continues, "a most encouraging de-
velopment in the way of popular at
titude, both on the part Of the pub.
lie, now thoroughly aroused, and on
the part of the perss, where support
is most helpful"
Liquor Transportation
After conferences with the vice
president of the Savannah and At
lanta railway and with officials OF
the Florida East Coast railway, Mr..
Mutt says that arrangements. have
been made which will positively end
the transportation of illicit liquor,
whether camouflaged Or not. Other.
conferences with railroad officials
have resulted in plans which will
make it almost impossible to reach
northern points with smuggled
goods by rail, he declares.
The "Bimini" of song and story
since the enactment of the eight
zenith amendment will be abandoned
as a liquor supply mort, for the pur
pose of concentration at Nassau, &C.
cording to annoul .ement by Ba-
hama authorities, Mr.. Mutt de-
clares. Such q move, he points o.,
will make l. necessary for smugglers
to traverse four times the former
di.-.4nce to bring liquor into
America.
Another interesting feature of
Mr.. Nuts report is the statement
that the American drinking public
LAS been scandalously humbug-
ged,'' for the reason, he says, that
a vast per cent of liquor struggled
fro !nCuba and the Bahamas was
merely compounded from Cuban al
cohol costing less than cents a gal
lon). which has been doctored to re.
semble weIl-known brands and
struggled in refilled bottles, or either
cut and rectified with American
liquor shipped abroad before pro-
hibition, and shipped back after
more than so per cent adulteration.
Witnessed Shipment
Mr.. Mutt reports he was a witness
of the shipment of nearly two hun
dred barrels of Cuban alcohol on
the Nassau boat, and declares he
is in possession of positive evidence
of rectification of liquor there by
| representatives of American whisky
interests.
A well-organized plan to combat
whisky smuggling has been drafted,
he says, by the assignment to Cuba
and the Bahamas of special agents.
who will gather information, check
shipments on passenger and freight
vessels and keep in touch with a
| fleet of navy chasers and airplanes
which will cruise southern waters.
Smuggling at the present time, he
| declares, lis a most hazardous I'M
| dertaking.'
Mr.. Mutt reports helpful co-opera-
ton by local officials at every place
he visited, and particularly COM
mends the aid given him by the
Cuban officials.
An interesting sidelight in the
report is the statement that fine
liquors valued at 100000 has recent
I ly been destroyed at Savannah by
Supervising Agents Henson and
Merrick.