Evening star., 1924-03-09

the coast line of the United
States was impregnable to
any foreign foe no longer
holds. Something like $4,000 miles
of shore line is row as sieve
through which emore than 100000
cases of contraband liquor are poured
highly organized, we'll financed and
desperately daring foreign syndicates.
some of them with the support Of
foreign governments.
This was officially admitted at hear
iEgs before the House appropriations
committee in reports which showed
that. by comparison. the buccaneers
or practical adventures, who ruth
lessly defied Spain In the seventeenth
century were mere pikers.- and the
romantic tales of Capt. Kidd were
more like Sunday school stories.
But the rum-running feet is not
going to be allowed to continue its
operations in defiance of this govern
ment and its Constitution, Haunting
the dignity and law of the United
States" President Coolidge has de-
clarea, and he says that this open and
armed opposition TO the American
government must cease. By his di-
rection an administrative program
which calls for the expenditure Of
$lS,S53,9S9 to equip the coast guard
SO that 1t may be able to stop the
rum-runtng traffic has been laid be-
fore Congress. This has been ap-
proved by the House appropriations
h. q =
tee on interstate and foreign COM
nferce. Z
This program provides for speedy
destroyers, obtained from the Navy
Department.; hIgh-powered cruising
motor boats, and small fast motor
dories to comb the Atlantic coast
from Canada to Panama These
boats will be equipped with radio
and be heavily armed. No quarter
will be shown to the smugglers, whose
activities now approximate open war
fare against the United States.
The rum-running is transacted on
scale the magnitude of which stag
gers the imagination, Congress has
been told, and Is increasing constant
ly in magnitude and boldness, at
tracing unlimited capital and more
ships by reason OF it's success SO
far.
Within the last five months fifty-six
new vessels are known to have Joined
the rum-running fleet and six of these
began operations only two weeks ago.
Showing the wholesale manner In
which the Illicit flood has been
poured into this country through
practically every harbor, bay and in
let Congress has been told that
within the last twenty-six months
1884, 900 cases of liquor have been
run into the United States from
northern European, mostly British,
ports alone. During the last three
months of 1929 there were $4,000
cases shipped from Scotland and
$4,000 cases from Antwerp. Direct
shipments from Europe to the United
States are known to be more than
$4,000 cases a month Since last May
$4,000 cases have arrived off New
York from Europe.
AS evidence that the rum fleet is still
busy, Congress has been told that with
in two weeks there were off Boston two
steamers and five schooners, with to-
tai Of more than 10000 cases; off Block
Island sound, six vessels with more
than $4,000 cases; Off New York harbor,
nine vessels with $4,000 cases, and off
the entrance to the Mississippi river
three, vessels with 1000 cases.
+ X \
THE coast guard has been selected
y to maintain the honor Of the United
States in this great emergency, because
it was already engaged In patrolling
the ocean front and has a glorious rec
ord for military service since 1880, when
the first commission issued by George
Washington to any officer afioat was to
q captain of a coast guard cutter, then
known as revenue cutter. That offi-
Ger had served in the Continental Navy
with John Paul Jones.
The work Of the coast guard in ap-
pretending rum smugglers has been
particularly difficult, because the gigan-
tic ships which bring cargoes Of con-
traband liquor by the thousands OF
cases anchor beyond the twelve mile
The coast guard has seagoing vessels
with which to succor shipping in dis
tress. While these vessels are far out
at sea speedy motor launches from the
shore dart out to the rum fleet, gen
orally under cover Of darkness and fog,
and bring the liquor ashore.
The patrol of $4,000 miles of coast
line, with the saving of life and prop
erty as main object, In the past re-
quired a different distribution of men
and ships from what is required for
an absolute blockade. A great deal
Of the work Of the. seagoing ships
carries them as far as 600 miles of
shore, for the protection Of commerce
against isebergs. picking up derelicts,
bringing In broken-down ships, etc.
This ssagoing part OF the coast guard
always faces the necessity Of being
ready to run 500 miles out to sea,