San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-08-29
navy DOESN'T
/ LIKE IDEA Of
CHASING RUM
Believes Coast Guard Ser
vice Should Take Care
Of Smugglers.
SEES MUCH Of IT
Navy Ships in Maneuvers
Come in Contact With
Rum Runners.
SEES MUCH OF. IT
BY ROBERT T. SMALL.

Copyright. by the San Antonio Light.
Newport, r. l., Aug. 29.-An ar
rest for an act of piracy off the New
England coast, bringing to the fore
once more the seriousness of the boot
Logging and "hijacking" game OH the
shores of America, has renewed dis
cussion among officers of the Atlantic
fleet stationed here for the summer
as to the possible use of the navy in
dealing with rum running.
There is virtually unanimous opin-
ion in the navy that the use of naval
vessels against the deep sea bootleg
gers Is entirely out of the question.
The lean gray destroyers and the
bulky naval airplanes that are work
ing at war maneuvers along the
northern coast just now see and hear
a great deal of the rum runners, out
it is not within their province to mo.
lest them. f-
In times of peace the navy cannot
act against merchant vessels. To en-
ploy the navy against the rum ships
undoubtedly would require an ex-
change of understandings with the
other nations of the world. for when
Tue navy lIEcS u uOstlC chot a. ecu
it is generally accepted as an act Of
war. There have been some strange,
dark looking craft running in and out
of Newport harbor during the war
games here, but as the blockade of the
port is purely theoretical no attempt
has been made to pursue or stop the
suspicious looking vessels. A night
or two ago. a running launch from
one Of the navy ships flashed search
light On a three-masted schooner slip
ping out in the quietness of the slack
water that marks the turn of the tide.
Not q light of any sort was showing
on the schooner. The vessel was rum
ming along under an auxiliary motor
which was so muffled as not to emit
a suggestion of a sound. When the
light struck her she put on full speed
and was out into the blackness of the
night in the twinkling of an eye.
Is Coast Guard Duty.
Naval officers take the ground that
the coast guard service is charged
with the duty of preventing smuggling
into this country. Rum running from
the three mile limit is purely a snug
Cling job and of course was contrary
to law long before the Volstead act
ever was dreamed of. 1t 10 held that
if the coast guard service j. not strong
enough Mt this time in ships or men
to stop the rum smuggling. congress
should enlarge the fleet and make it
effective.
The duty Of the navy lies along
entirely different lines. Its ships are
not fitted for the task of chasing boot
leggers. So long as the big rum SHIPS
keep outside of the three mile limit
them and therefore to use the navy to
chase the small motor boats that run
the rum from mother ship to shore
would not only appear ridiculous on
the face Of things, but would democrat,
ize the service. If congress ever should
decree. or the president order that the
navy be used for the enforcement of the
prohibition law, it is said it would
make the service the laughing stock OF
the world and forever ruin its prestige
in international affairs.
Navy men who have considered the
prohibition problem in the light OF
what they see day by day. along the
coast, are of the opinion that the ex-
tension of the barred zone from three
to twelve miles as pronosed in the ne.
gotiations between Washington and
London, would not be an effective bar
rier to the smuggling now going on.
There are many places along the coast
where vessels can anchor as easily II
miles out as they can now at three.
In stormy weather vessels are safer
far out than those close in shore. Ii
would be more difficult to keep the
rum fleet under surveillance IL miles
out and small boats running in shore
really would have wide range OF
action. Naturally the cost OF rum
running would go up. but this would
be passed along to the ultimate con-
sumner. just as Legitimate" businesses
pass it along.
y None Of Old Trappings.
The arrest for piracy. the first OF
its kind in America in many genera
lions, was attended by entirely TWEEN
tieth century methods. II was made
by motorcycle con in Beverly. Mass.
where President Taft used to take
the White House in summer time. TIE
"pirate" was in high powered IL
mousine with chauffeur and all the
comforts of the luxurious rich. There
was never a black flag. skull ann
cross bones. nor n cutlass about. The
"pirate" had on low quartered nat"nt
leather shoes instead of the flarinZ