Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-29

conference with the prohibition en-
forcement officers as to the extent OF
rum smuggling.
ment. brought out by Chairman Mad
den that the President Of the United
States has directed that rum snug
Cling must be suppressed.
Situation Described.
Referring to the rum smuggler and
his organization as the enemy"
Commander Root described the stu
alton as follows:
THE mission Of the enemy is to
make money. His motive is cupidity.
His operations are carried on by a
force limited only by opportunities
to use II. His legal and technical adj
visers are persons of the highest
skill, unhampered by principles OF
any kind. He employees sea-soin g
people, some OF the desperate char
lied armies and navies during the
world war. These people are armed
and will fight II there is a chance Of
advantage, by SO doing.
whenever possible, the enemy re-
sorts to bribery to disorganize our
forces. Our mission, the mission of
the government, and the coast guard,
is to make his operations profitless
In order to deny him capital for fur
His tigh seas force at the pres
ent time consists Of "a steamers and
1872 sailing vessels. ranging In size
from 81 tons to 5000 tons. Some OF
UP to nineteen knots. The majority
of them fly foreign hags.
His auxiliary craft for making
shore contact consists Of several
hundred gasoline-driven craft. about
80 per cent OF which are good for
twenty-five knots. Most Of this
force flied the American flag. Coca
sionally he has used aircraft during
the past year.
Bribery Fund Maintained.
He maintains a bribery fund and
has a shore organization for obtain
ing supplies. marketing contraband
and for TIE collection and dissemina-
ton Of intelligence.
Intelligence is transmitted between
his forces afioat and ashore by dis
patches In codes and ciphers, and by
couriers when extreme secrecy is nee
essary. Liaison between New York
plete. but Is fairly we'll established.
The so-called Rum row. Off New York
Is maintained ostensibly as a good
business proposition, but principally
as a diversion to hold to that point
the attention of as many OF the coast
guard vessels as possible.
with our present force. during the
past twenty-five months we have
been able to put out of business. by
capture or otherwise. 153 vessels. Be
cause of what / regard to be very
serious defects In the laws and in
~ a
percentage of these vessels have
again fallen into the hands Of their
original owners and are row in ac-
tive trade.
alent OF $1,000 cases Of liquor and
caused to be Jettisoned under fire an
amount estimated at 10000 cases. or
a grand total Of $1,000 cases. We
have also to our credit a small
quantity of narcotics.
Enormous ShipmeAts.
Large as the amount captured
may seem, 1t is but q drop In a
bucket when compared with the ac-
tual quantities leaving foreign ports
From reliable but very incom-
plete secret sources abroad 1 have
information of the following ship
uents from northern European
mostly Britisl1-ports since January
1922 The quantities are In round
thousand six hundred equivalent
cases OF three gallons each taken
from manifests.
"I say equivalent cases because
where the quantities have been re-
ported IN gallons we have reduced 1t
a case. 80 that the units will all be
the same-l.110.00o equivalent cases.
shipped in thirty-seven ships. Total
for twenty six months, 1,246.60O cases.
or practically $4,000 cases per month
from northern Europe alone.
"Of the above. during the last three
months Of last year--October. Novem-
her and December-63,0 900 cases were
shipped from Scotland and $4,000
cases from Antwerp. or $4,000 IN
three months. which Is ABOUT o5,ouo
cases q month. >.
I'm considering these last figure. 1t
should be remembered that they In
clude only the known shipments. as
icertained by our few scattered agents
and include but two countries. Ma
ture consideration leads me TO believe
that the direct shipments from Eu-
rome alone to the United States
amount to not less than $4,000 cases
per month.
72A.OOO Cases Arrive In n. Y.
since last May. or during the past
nine months. $4,000 cases have ar
rived of New York entrance in the
steamers Bernard NJ. Bru. Butetown,
GerberviIlier, Istar, Johnstown.
LAuroch, Lutzen. Lynntown, Obernai'
Papyrus, Strand Hin, Uuv, Wyke
Regis and in the German schooner
Emmie friedrich and the Dutch
schooner Zeehond. This amounts to
so. 900 cases per month. and does not
include the thousands or cases
brought to our shores by British and
French sailing vessels from the enemy
.sThere are assembled at the present
time off Boston two steamers and
Ave schooners. with cargoes con-
servatively estimated at $500 cases;
and Ave sailing vessels. with 28.50O
cases; off New York entrance. three
steamers and six sailing vessels. with
cargoes estimated at $4,000 cases; on
the delta Of the mississippi. three
mated at 1000 cases. l have the
names of these ships here, but I will
not take time to read them.
THAT the actual business Of snug
Cling and whisky peddling along our
coasts is rapidly Increasing Is shown
have entered the trade since October
i of last year and six within the
last week.
with regard to some OF the adj
yanced bases: The steamship New
ton Bay arrived at Halifax from st.
Johns. Newfoundland. on December
2I last, with a cargo Of 10000 cases
Of assorted WHISTLES and 500 cases of
wines, and sailed again on December
"a, ostensibly for Bermuda"
New York Base for Smuggling.
Commander Root laid before the
committee a confidential report show
ing that New York Is the real en-
cheering base for extensive rum-run-
ninr from St Pierre, Miquelon and the