The Winslow mail., 1923-11-23
DRY MACHINE
To BE LARGED
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PLAN
MING BIG CAMPAIGN ON LIQUOR
SMUGGLING AND BEER.
WILL COST MANY MILLIONS
BY EDWARD 3. CLARK

dShlngto ton.-t ollOWlng the confer
snce between the President and the
governors of the states on the subject
OF the law enforcement, but it is said
not as a direct result of it, there is
10 be an enlargement of the federal
governments law enforcing machine
IN strenuous attempt to put an end
TO liquor smuggling and to stop the
making of beer too high in percentage
of alcohol.
There IS direct denial from official
quarters that the proposed increased
enforcing activities are due TO the
charges of past lack of conscientious
endeaVor, charges which freely have
been made 1t is denied also that the
conference between the President and
the governors and the publicity result
Ing therefrom has had anything to do
with the plan to increase the number
OF prohibition agents and to press the
prohibition campaign to a finish I'M
der federal direction
In letters from Washington prior to.
this time it has been said that the
federal agents engaged in the work of
enforcing the liquor laws were not
numerous enough to do the work sat
isfactorily. This has been true and
nobody has seen tit to deny it, criti-
clsm engaging itself only with the
statements that the force as it has ex-
listed has not done all that it could do.
Would Require Much Money.
In previous letters also it has been
said that if the federal agents were
to be increased numerically sufficient
ly to hope to cope with the situa-
ton, the increase would cost the gov
ernment lot of money and that con-
gress must appropriate it, an act which
congress In these days of pressure for
economy probably might not be willing
to do.
Now, however, the federal govern
ment is TO make renewed attempts to
put an end to the Illegal liquor tlaf-
f1c and is going to spend the money
necessary and to depend on congress
to meet the charges. There is still a
possibility that the government will
not carry out it's plans because there
Is chance that the secretary of the
treasury may declare that it is I'M
wise to prejudge the disposition of
congress to pay bills.
One Of the plans is to double the
coast guard service of the country by
the addition Of twenty deep-sea- going
cutters and about fifty fast power
boats, to be used in running down the
hard-drink smugglers off the coasts of
the country. 1t is proposed also to
add largely to the personnel of the
coast guard.
For this additional coastal service
alone the cost probably will be $780,
100000. 1t is urged that more than
S20,000,000 worth Of damage is being
done to human life and property each
week by the Illicit rum which gets
into the country and that therefore
the expenditure by the government
will be amply justified.
Another plan which has been pro-
posed is to put an agent Of the treas
ury in every large brewery Of the
country in order that daily tests may
be made of it's products Recently in
Chicago and some other cities 1t is de-
c1ared proof has been obtained that
the breweries were turning out high
power beer, that the law violation was
escaping the notice Of the prohibition
officials, and that the beer was being
sold openly in hundreds of places.
Secretary of the Treasury Mellon,
it is said. has become convinced that |
the high power beer charges are true
and that therefore there should be
a return to the old method of super
vising the breweries through the
agency of the Treasury department.
Grain alcohol furnishes one Of the
problems for the prohibition law en-
forcers. Of course attempts are made
to prevent the sale of this pure alcO-
hol, but the understanding is that it is |
easier for persons who want a drink
to obtain alcohol than it is to get even
the make-believe brands Of whisky
which have basis of something worse
than alcohol made from grain.
Alcohol is used largely in tie trades |
Most of 1t is supposed to be so treat
ed as to make it unfit for human con-
but chemical means have been
found to take from treated alcohol the |
element which made it more than un- !
palatable, in fact dangerous to life.
The alcohol situation is to be watched |
more closely than ever before.
If one may judge from what he
hears in Washington, and if conditions
are in other cities as they are here,
it Is probable that grain alcohol plus
water, plus sugar, plus some t1avoring
extract, enters more largely into the
making of intoxicating liquor for peo-
pie who decline to drink the made-up |
whiskies than any other agency Of
drink making.
noptiStc on5 others who need pllrp