The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-01-18
What Handicaps These
u. S. SLeuths Suffer
1t Is No Wonder They Can't Catch the
Ingenious Rum Runners

VLTIILE the would-be booze of the Pacific
wv Coast are. of course held closely in check by
government officials i is apparent that the federal
authorities not equipped to cope with the ingenuity
and resources of the men who land wet cargoes
openly by the shipoad and feet-oad on the Atlantic
shores.
The swift sailing vessels of the rum fleet simply
away from the slow-going steam vessels of the gov
eminent That is difficulty. We suppose the
poverty Of the government keeps 1t from getting sail
ing vessels of its own, its pursuing ships have to
limp along under steam.
THEN, too, the government is greatly handicapped
l. by its lack Of information to where the booze
fleets intend to land their cargoes The government
has tried every TO find out except asking the nhab
tants of the New Jersey ports who know.
A correspondent who took the trouble to ask had no
difficulty in finding out. He witnessed the landing OF
thousands of cases OF whisky from whole fleet OF
schooners; the cargoes transferred from ships 70
lighters. from lighters 70 docks and from docks to
motor trucks which honked away with them to New
York. Philadelphia and Washington.
Whole towns in the great secret An army
of ongshoremen did the work TO the chorus OF chante
men. Whistles blew. donkey engines puffed. chains
canked the cargoes hosted from their holds.
power boats chugged orders rang out trucks rumbed
armed guards deployed-bu the secret Of the landing
was successfully kept from the watchfu government.
THE landing places are well chosen OF course They
i in remote parts of the country. near Atlantic
City, where nobody penetrates but hotel guests
and nobody lives but the inhabitants. New York and
Philadelphia far-an hours ride away. The gov
eminent has means of reaching these places by
except ships and none by land except railroads. ana
motor cars. The only of communication are
the telegraph the telephone. the radio and the post
office.
II the government had any money It could. we sup
pose. hire detective. But the government s broke,
because the people refuse to pay than four biz
lion dollars year taxes. As result congress appro-
priated only nine million dollars this to catch boot
leggers. and $4,000 of this must be used for pub
licty. Why the prohibition agents need to buy pub
liciy when the booteggers furnish them much free
don't know, but that's what the appropriation law
provides-S15o,0o0 for publicity.
y
IF congress would only loosen up with money
i the government could hire boy to watch these
New Jersey ports and telephone when rum fleet put
in. Efficiency isn't required Of government know.
but at least il ought to keep awake Thursdays,
which is the day the fleets make their landings.
On those days the newspapers send their correspondents
down to report the proceedngs-not that it's news to
anybody, but there's always n chance of something
interesting happening. government patrol boat
might not be able TO get out of the quickly enough
and be down.
IF the government can't do anything else IL ought to
i pass a law requiring these rum-running ships TO
keep their landing places secret This publicity is
handicapping the dry forces and making it very diff
cult for them to be somewhere else when the booze
fleets appear.