Evening star., 1923-09-28
Refusal to Set the U. S. Navy
Chasing Bootlegggers Upheld

for their enforcement to the armed
forces of the United States"
x x *
Indorsing this argument and an
preciating well that Officers. and
men of both branches will be pleased
to know that their duties have been
definitely settled" the Albany Knick-
erbocker Press is convinced. when All
the negatives are esta blished. perhans
| 1t will be known just what can be
done. In the meantime there will he
something approaching respite for
bootie esgers and smugglers. Contin-
uously 1t is demonstrated that
law enforcement cannot thrive an
negatives. II laws are TO be en-
/ forced there must be agencies for
the enforcement equipped with actuaI
weapons" 49,
~ otner ruling was possible under
the law. the Louisville Times main.
tains, because the situation is not
critical, the law is still enforced ,nd
enforceable. The courts baya rnt
| called upon the government for ex
traordinary action. What is true
| atong the Seacoast is paralleled in the
| mountain sections. There is moan
shining and rum running. But mo- ,
pody mas thought of asking for the
sepdlns of the Army into these re-
slons to enforce prohibition The
revenue agents and the dry enforra
ment officials are working with tha
| sherlhS and the Constabulary to hold
the Illicit traffic in check and they
/ are doing pretty good job of it.
prohibition enforcement is difficult
and even dangerous. But il is praeS
| ticable with the agencies established
| for that purpose" That view is
| warmly iudorsed by the Cleveland
! Plain Dealer. which. in turn. insists
IN al n Ia inc Of
adequate If those responsible for
using it are true to their oaths and
| their citizenship. Violations of the
| law are shamefully frequent and
every indication is that the situation
| improves. There is Il problem, but
not an emergency"
! The fact that the Attorney General,
in< his report dealing directly with
enforcement, day previous. referred
to the .'sordid story of assassination,
bribery and corruption that finds it's
way into the sanctums where the in
| viola bility of the law is presumed to
| be held sacred" is recalled by the
Philadelphia Bulletin, which insists
| this deserves the most thoughtful
reading, because it is one of the most
serious phases. of the prohibition
+, question" Agreeing fully with this
| contention, the New York Tribune
| takes occasion, likewise, to point out
! that the report shows the law has
not been fiouted with impunity" and
assaiIs the suggestion of the Attorney
General that the people will not sup
| port the men who have to enforce
/ the law, insisting that 'the. people
| in the large do want to give the pru-
| hibition experiment a fair test and
| would rather see the enforcement
army adopt the fighting mood than
| to abandon it's hard-won trenches"
| In addition, as the Peoria Tram
/ script reasons out the possibilities,
| "the business of bootlegging ulti-
| mate1y will be reduced to routine and
| sales will be made on small margins
| of profit. Organized politics via
| spoil it's graft by overreaching and
! overlooking. and those who engage
!, in illicit traffic, tiring of political
| blackmail, graft and prosecution, wiz
| turn to other employment. The sa.-
1 loon collapsed because it was forced
| to carry too great a burden OF pSSt-
/ tics and was compelled to settle with
| too many agents in order to live.
Bootlegging will take the same
| course. An illegitimate business is
autocollapsible.
A possible solution. suggested by
| the Waterbury Republican, is to "cut
all the red tape and turn over to the
/ prohibition unit some of the surplus
/ supply of small boats left by the war;
/ with a sufficient appropriation by
/ Congress TO equip the boats for the
nrohibition unit In way to compel
little respect Ter our laws.