New-York tribune., 1922-04-09
Day to Use Armored Cars
at 81 Outposts to Stem
Flood of Liquor Into
the State From Canada
Militia to Guard
65-Mile Border
Barbed Wire Barricades
and Searchlights To Be
at Every Cross Road

Ralph a. Day, prohibition director,
announced his intention yesterday of
fortifying every highway in the state
crossing the Canadian border and re-
pelllng rum runners with machine guns.
lie has the cooperation of J. Leslie
hlncaid, Adjutant General of the State.
who has promised to supply the ma
chlne guns and armorcd motor cars as
we'll.
Ihe Adjutant General also supplied
the plan Of campaign, which is designed
| TO compel whisky runners from Canada
TO utilize lake craft or pack horses and
obscure forest trails instead of motor
ing boldly across The border as they
nave been doing, with pistols ready to
drop the first enforcement agent show
ing his head.
Each Of the thirty-scyen roads cross
ing the border between the St. Law
renee River and Rouse's Point, a
stretch of sixty-iive miles, is to be
Darrcaded With barbed wire or an
equally efficient barrier. Behind this
wlll be machine gun nest and obser-
walton post. occupied by one or more
enforcement agents
Light Bombs to Be Used
Each such rtitication will have a
Marlin machine gun, which fires 2oO
rounds at a loading and will stop any
thing except an armored car. 1t will
be equipped also with Very pistol,
with which light bombs can be fred
aloft on dark nights, illuminating a
long stretch of highway. The de-
tenders Of the positions viii. be arme
with shotguns as we'll as machine guns
At some points, probably whore the
| five improved highways cross the bor-
der, armored motor cars will be sta
toned, ready to take up the pursuit Of
any smuggler who survives 250 steel
jackcted bullets and both charges Of a
shotgun.
The plan is strictly in accordance
with military science, and when it has
been put III force Commissioner Day
will feel confidence Of defending New
York from alien liquor both by land
and sea, his fleet of submarine chascrs
being sufficient, he is sure, to guard the
sea approaches.
The preparations for military and
naval cooperation to enforce the pro-
hibtion laws were made the subject
of an official statement by Director
Day. as follows:
"hIilitary methods arc to be en-
ployed to check liquor smuggling.
State military equipment is available.
Smmgglers Well Organized
There has developed a force of or-
gan1zed smugglers, protected by thugs,
gunmcn and cx-convicts, whose fields
Of oncration are New York Harbor and
the Canadian border.
"a few weeks ago no agent of the
prohibition department could safely ap
proach place where tho smugglers
were operating. Agents, no matter how
Jealous in the pursuit Of their duties,
cannot be expected to walk into certain
death The gunmans slogan is Shoot
on sight and we have had examples Of
this within the last few weeks.
"Thc harbor situation is coming
under control as the prohibition de-
partment has acquired q feet Of for
mer submarine chasers, armed with
war equipment. This patrol, operating
day and night, has been able to cffec-
lively check the landing Of the boot
leggers' cargo ashore.
"Conditions on the Canadian border
have recently come to the attention OF
the director through an inspection
made by special agents. The opera
tions Of bootleggers on the border have
become SO bold that military measures
are required to cope with the situation.
There has been general hegira OF
gunmen to this section. Criminals in
high h-power cars are running the roads
at night, defying the patrol which the
prohibition department has been main
tanning. The director, determined to
end this, has requested aid from the
state. That such aid is assured may be
seen in the attached communication
from the Adjutant General of the State,
J. Leslie Kincaid.
Urges Army Tactics
"The director recommends these
measures to Washington authorities.
"If the citizens of the state have
been taught to believe that enforce
mcnt of law and order is a theory
they may shortly look to the border
of the state for the refutation of this
idea. A machine gun can command re-
spect where all other methods fail"
The letter from Adjutant General
Kincaid, addressed to Director Day,
reads:
"In respect to the illegal movement
CONTINUED or pass three)