Evening star., 1923-12-19
BILLIARD IS NAMED
COAST GUARD HEAD
Aide to Commandant Nom-
mated to Be Rear Admiral
in Charge of Service.

Frederick c. Billiard Of Maryland.
now serving with the rank of COM
mander as aide to the commandant
Of the coast guard. was nominated
today by President Coolidge to be
commandant of the coast guard. with
the rank of rear admiral. He will
succeed Rear Admiral William E.
Reynolds, who retires because Of age
next month.
Commander Billiard is a native OF
the District of Columbia. has been
over twenty-nine years in the serv-
ice, and IL his appointment is con-
firmed by the Senate will become the
head of the governments arm OF the
service which has been selected by
the President for a greatly increased
drive against the smuggling of liquor.
Secretary of the Treasury Mellon
was understood today to have recon-
mended to the President appointment
of Commander Billiard following a
spirited contest for the position OF
commandant, in which the other Two
principal contenders were capt A. j;
Henderson at headquarters mere ana
Commander H. c. Hamlet. In com
sions on the west coast
Position Crows In Importance.
The position of commandant of the
coast guard, for which Commander
Billiard was nominated, becomes OF i'm
mensely increased interest on account
of the Presidents approval of the big
campaign by that service against the
rum -smugglers. For this purpose, the
President has approved the proposed In
crease of the coast guard. by which II
would be practically doubled In size and
in number Of boats. and WHEREBY an an
increased appropriation OF $2S,5oo. OoU
would be asked of Congress.
appropriation for the coast guard Will
be presented to Congress has not yet
been determined by the administrator,
but plans were understood today to be
in progress for drafting a bii.
The coast guard, with it's traditions
OF 130 years service. its stern dis
cipline and freedom from politics" is
believed by the administration TO be an
admirable outfit to throw asains, adn, the ne
this doubled fleet Of rum -chasers will
thus have on his hands the biggest
problem Of any coast guard comman-
dant in history.
for which it has been responsible
for Sears include the saving of life
and property from the sea, the In
ternationai ice patrol in the Atlantic
ocean and widespread law ENFORCE
ment work in Alaskan waters
Rear Admiral w. E. Reynolds, orig
inal appointment expired on Octo-
Der / Of this year. but he was given
an extension of time until January
II. 1924. when he will retire from
active list Of officers on account of
a1A sixty-fOur years.
Commander Billiard, who is under
stood to be the first District OF
Columbia native to be mentioned to
command one of the governments
armed forces. was born In the Dis
trict September %. 1873. He was
appointed to the Coast Guard Academy
from Maryland and graduated there
from second in his class. He has
seen service at sea and at head
quarters here, where he mas peen on
duty for several years.
Commander Billiards service at sea
was on the Atlantic coast, Paclnc
coast, Gulf of Mexico, Hawaiian Is
lands and in the war zone in Euro
pean waters during the world war;
during the Spanish war he served
on a vessel attached to the Pacihc
squadron. In 1919 he he was as.a appoGinsed clint ed
Academy at New London. Conn. and
continued as superintendent for four
wears. when he was detached and
placed in command of the U. S. s
Aphrodite, operating in European
He returned from Europe in May
1918, and in September was detailed
as aide to the commandant in Wash
ington, where he has served contin-
uously since as principal adviser to
the commandant.
Among coast guard officers 1t is
said that Commander Billiard Is the
selection Of the majority, although
the other two contestants were said
to have their followers.