Evening star., 1923-10-10
BY THE MARaUIsE DE FONTENOY.

Although it is less than year ago
that the popular and admirable force
OF British seamen composed of vet
Grams of the royal navy. known as
the coast guards. under the command
of Vice Admiral Sir Morgan Singer.
was disbanded As "A measure of eco
nomy. il has become necessary to re-
establish the service and even to in
crease its former size. This is due
To the extraordinary amount OF
cocaine and other drugs of an analogous
kind that are being smuggled into the
United Kingdom. II has been shown
that the Illicit traffic in these drugs has,
since last March, assumed size so
enormously out of proportion to the law
ful importations for medicinal use as TO
leave no doubt whatsoever that these
drugs were finding their way into the
British Isles from abroad otherwise
than b. the regular trade routes. An
investigation was quietly Instituted
which resulted in the discovery that
they were smuggled into the country by
means OF rowboats. operating from in
nocent looking fishing and merchant
craft under the cover of the night. on
Incidentally, the fact was brought to
light that a number of undesirable
aliens who had been expelled from the
United Kingdom by the police. and who,
when they attempted to re-euter the
country. had been turned back. at
Faulkstone. Boulogne, Newnaven. South
hampton. Harwich. Hull and other
channel and North sea ports. had man.
aged to make their way back into Great
Britain by means of landing from fish,
ing and other kinds of sail boats, and
even from steam yachts, lying off
deserted portions of the coast. y
number of undesirable aliens Of this
kind, who had got back to England by
these unlawful means, biest with more
money than principle. and consequently
dangerous, have been arrested and SEN
fenced to terms in prison before being
once more expelled.
All this has convinced the government
of the necessity of the restoration Of
the coast guards. who Were so pictur-
esuue IL feature of the sea bound
frontiers of the British Isles.
4 Il 4 =
Up till a hundred years ago the
coast guards were known as pre-
ventive men," and both they and
their boats were subject to the treas
ury. and more especially to the Gus
toms department thereof. But King
William ", who was a sailor by pro-
fession, transferred the entire force
to the navy and insisted that they
should be regarded as naval reserves
and recruited from former able sea-
men and petty officers of the navy.
Occupying low, single-Storied bar
racks erected on elevated points of
the seashore, or else stationed in
those odd-looking circular so-called
10, al n -
tury ago, dotted British cliffs and
coast for their defense against any
hostile foreign landing, they COM
manded an outlook onto the horizon
and along the beach. Patrolling the
shore in couples, by day and by night.
there was little that escaped their
watchful gaze. while the heroism
which they displayed in effecting the
rescue of vessels wrecked on the
rocks and sand kept their names con-
stantly before the public in a very
popular light. While the war was in
progress, although their ranks were
sadly depleted by the large numbers
of them recalled to active service at
sea on board those armed trawlers
and mine sweepers which contributed
so much to drive the German navy
from under the sea and from its sur
face, yet those who remained on shore
gave a wonderful account of them
selves and were quick to signal the
presence on the horizon of any craft
that looked in THE least degree sus-
picious.
The British government seems to
have thought that their work could
be just as effectively done by the
county constabularies, by the reve-
nue. officers and by the local police
force of the nearby towns. But the
smugglers of unlawful drugs and of
undesirable aliens have taken such
an enormous advantage of the alb
sence of any sort of watch kept at
night on the uninhabited and remote
portions of the seacoast that the
coast guards, with their veteran cap
tains and retired lieutenants and
petty officers, are now, once more.
resuming their duties, much to the
satisfaction of the people and to the
dismay of the evildoers. OF course,
i it would be impossible to smuggle
heavy freight into the country in that
fashion. But drugs are SO easily con-
cealed and occupy so little space and
motor cars have become so numerous.
attracting but little attention, tina I
this kind of smuggling has become
very easy.
When, some weeks ago, Plus xI
gave orders for the extensive repair
of his palace, known as the Castle of
Gandolfo, up among the Alban hills,