New-York tribune., 1922-10-17

States charged with the duty Of enforc.
ing the law of this country with re.
spect to this matter are confronted by
scrious difficulties which they fee
might be effectively met with the aS-
sistance of British authorities in Brit
ish territories, which it appears arc
made bases of operations in aagrant
violation Of constitutional and stntu-
tory provisions Of the United States
1t is understood that the importation
of Intoxicating liquors into the Cana
dian provinces Of Nova Scotia, Mani
teba, Saskatchewan and Alberta is also
prohibited by law.
II vepture to submit definite sugges-
tinns az to methods by which the ex-
listing extremely unfortunate conditions
might be remedied. II is believed that
effective measures for this purpose
might be taken by a careful supervision
OF the issuance of registries to vessels
suspected of being engaged in illegal
traffic and of the issuance of clearance
papers for such vessels, ard by an in
ternational arrangement between the
United States and Great Britain, under
which the authorities of each nation
would be authorized TO exercise beyond
the three-mile limit of territorial
waters measure OF control over YES
sells belonging to the other.
Methods of Smugglers Described
at has been found that many of the
ships engaged In the illegal smuggling
of liquor into the United States are
registered under the British flag and
that large quantities of liquor are car
ried by such vessels from the Bahama
Islands and from Bermuda. 1t ap-
peads that in order TO evade the GUS
toms officers and prohibition agents
Of the United States, the persons EN-
gagged in this illicit traffic of smuggling
liquor into the United States from the
Bahama Islands have adopted the prac-
tice of packing the, liquor so that it
can be easily taken ashore in the
United States. Liquor is placed in tri-
angular shaped packages consisting OF
six bottles carefully sewed in burlap,
so that it can very easily be unloaded,
and even small ship can carry very
large consignment in comparatively
small hold space. Liquor is carried on
both large and small ships; schooners
casry cargoes out to sea from Nassau
and unload them off the coast OF the
United States, and smaller boats carry
their cargoes to Bimini and Gun Key,
and from these places it is transported
1
Lowdendale. A list of vessels said to
be plying between the United States
and the Bahamas is herewith inclosed,
"This departments attention has
been drawn to the ease with which it
seems vessels of American registry are
transferred to British registry for the
purpose of preventing the authorities
of the United States from taking the
necessary steps to thwart these snug
Cling operations. 1t is understood that
British laws require that vessels to be
entitled to British registry must be
owned by British subjects. Appar-
entity reliable information indicates
that American citizens Of questionable
reputation who are known to be en-
gagged in the smuggling business have
succeeded in obtaining British registry
at the Bahama Islands for large num-
Der of American vessels by means of
the execution Of paper transfers pur-
porting to convey title to vessels to
British subjects in the Bahamas, al
though the actual interest in the ves-
sells continue to vest in American citi-
zens.
reference may be made in this con-
nection to the fact that. under the law