Evening star., 1923-05-02

While government officials continu-
ed to puzzle today over application
of the Supreme Court decision on
ship liquor, coast guard headquarters
issued an order today concentrating
all available coast guard boats in the
north Atlantic along the New jersey
shore. 1t was said that henceforth
the rum feet massed off Atlantic
Highlands would be under surveil
lance of two coast guard cutters, day
and night.
Conclusion of the winter patrol
work makes available a dozen or
more boats for cutting off shore
contacts of the rum feet. 1t is the
declared purpose of coast guard
headquarters TO put the screws
down on customers of the rum ships
and the Office of Assistant Secretary
Clifford of the Treasury, in charge OF
the guard. is convinced the fleet can
be driven out for lack of customers.
Ready for Rescue Work.
Coast guard officials explained that
the concentration Of available boats
in the work of checking smuggling
would not interfere with the rescue
and other duties imposed upon it. Thc
vessels pressed into service, they said.
would be able TO answer distress calls
AS quickly as though they were sta
toned in ports.
Few details of the plans were made
public. but officials made no secret
of their intention to join fully with
ha IN, inh nF
checking small boats from carrying
liquor ashore. especially a night.
The first two boats to take up the
duties of maintaining a watch over
the Atlantic Highlands fleet will be
the Seneca and the tug Manhattan.
Others will be put into the service as
rapidly as they are relieved from
their ice patrol work or return from
winter patrol stations.
Will Search All Boats
Coast Guard headquarters believes
there is no way to deal with the rum
fleet except through cutting off its
patronage. Plans Of the guard include
the searching of all small boats that
have made contact with the rum fleet
and the seizure of liquor if any is
found aboard inside the three
limit
Friday, June 10. was set today as
the effective date for regulations put
ting into effect the Supreme Court
edict. on ship liquor.
On that date the government will
throw a dry ring" around the three
mile limit TO inforce stringently the
decision of the Supreme Court against
| the bringing of liquor inside that
ring by any ship.
The State Department will notify
foreign governments by cable of the
fixing of this date in order that for
eign shipping may be notified suffi
ciently in advance to conform.
The date was understood to have
been settled upon at the Treasury
Department today, at a conference o.
Treasury Mellon. Assistant Secre-
tary Moss. Commissioner Blair OF
internal revenue and Judge James
j. Britt counsel for the prohibition
unit.
A formal statement embodying the
decision of the conference was being
prepared at prohibition headquarters
today and was expected to be made
public later in the afternoon.
Officials of the Treasury began pre-
liminary preparation of the regula-
tions to enforce the Supreme Courts
edict and 1t was expected they would
he promulgated in ample time for
them to become fully effective on the
date set
Nations Already Protest.
How the government will move
strictly to enforce the liquor ban
against foreign shipping inside the
three mile limit was one of the most
difficult problems confronting the Of
ficials today in preparation of regu-
lations. Vigorous protest already
voiced informally has been raised
against the Supreme Court edict in
several European nations. particularly
those whose laws demand their ships
carry liquor for the crew and in some
cases for passengers.
Assurances were given at prohibi-
ton headquarters that there would
be no trouble over liquor required
for embassies and legations here
Shipments to the diplomatic posts
could continue undisturbed by the
court decision, prohibition officials
said, either under diplomatic seal or
under the "baggage clause" of the
present regulations exempting diplo-
matte baggage from search.
Daugherty to Enforce Mandate.
For the Department of Justice.
meanwhile. Attorney General Daugh-
erty has announced that the Supreme
Courts mandate, becoming effective
within thirty days from the handing
down of the decision Monday, will be