Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-29
LIQUOR SMUGGLERS
FLOUT j. s. DIGNITY,
CONGRESS IS TOLD
Rear Admiral Billiard Reveals
"0pen, Organized Warfare
-. on Constitution"
By WILL II. KENNEDY.

The up-to-the-minute story OF how
the dignity Of the United States Is
openly f1outed" by rum runners and
liquor smuggling on the high seas. as
prepared for Congress by the United
States coast guard. which has gath
cred information from innumerable
secret sources. is as lurid and sensa-
tional as any tale Of fiction.
This report was made to justify an
appropriation of $13.853,9S9. which
the House appropriations committee
recommends in the first deficiency ap-
preparation bill, to carry out the rec
concentrations of President Coolidge
to make the coast guard adequately
fitted to cope with this startling sit
uation. OF this amount $12,1s4,s00 Is
for boats and equipment: s1,645, 622
for operating expenses, and this pro-
gram requires 70 commissioned off,
GERS. PSI warrant officers and 2.o25
enlisted men. =
Twenty Destroyers Requested.
New legislation is involved to au-
thorize the additional commissioned
officers and to transfer twenty de-
legislation would be subject to a
point of order. However. a bill has
been favorably reported by Chairman
Winslow of the committee on inter-
state and foreign commerce which
carries this authority. 1t Is claimed
that under this Winslow bill the
whole United States Navy could be
turned over to the coast guard for
prohibition enforcement, because the
bill does not authorize a specified
number, but merely says such ships"
as may be needed.
The appropriations recommended
in the deficiency bill provide for pro-
curement by transfer from the Navy
.destroyers of the second line, the
conditioning and equipment OF which
would cost s2,000,00O; similar transfer
of two mine sweepers or other suit
able type of vessels, the conditioning
and equipment Of which would cost
$4,000: the construction Of 223
cabin cruiser" type motor boats at
cost OF sS.362,500 with equipment.
including radio outfits at a cost of
$909,900; the construction of 100 Sea
bright dory" type motor boats to cost
100000, with equipment costing s12,-
500, the opening of nineteen life-sav-
ing stations now on the inactive list
at cost of $24,775: the organization
Of twenty-four section bases for su-
pervising the activities of the vessels
and boats engaged in the prevention
of liquor smuggling, and the eStab-
liShment of three receiving stations
for the equipment and training of
recruits.
"Dfgnity Of L. s. FlOuted."
Rear Admiral Frederick c. Billiard,
commandant Of the coast guard, told
the appropriations committee that
with inadequate equipment the coast
guard could do little to prevent liquor
smuggling, $50 there has grown up a
condition where the dignity Of the
United States is openly fouted by
foreign shipping" He continued:
THE coast guard, through a GEN.
fury and a quarter of its history, has
doing its duty and carrying out the
orders that Congress or the President
or the Secretary OF the Treasury
gives 1t. The service properly does
not consider the wisdom of the law
or of the order, but intends to the
out that law or that order. Some
months ago the coast guard was
directed by higher authority to pre-
PATE an estimate of what funds would
be necessary to enable 1t to cope with
this situation. After exhaustive in
quiry by the bureau of the budget,
the estimates were transmitted to
Congress by the President"
Explaining that the coast guard has
mo concern, as a service, with the
amount Of liquor that there is ashore
or within the confines of the United
States" but its duty as a service IL
to prevent liquor being landed on our
shores, Admiral Billiard advised the
appropriations committee that he had
delegated Commander c. s. Root ito
obtain all the Information he could
with respect to these rum vessels,
where they were located and the gen.
eral extent of their operation" a de-
tailed report on which was laid before
the committee by. Commander Root.
Information Confidential.
Representative James A. Gallivan Of
Massachusetts asked. with what de-
Commander Root co-operat-
ed in making this study. and was told
that 'it Is all from confidential
sources and should reveal these 1t
might stop the flow Of necessary in
Both Commander Root and
Admiral Billiard assured Representa-
tive Gallivan that there had been no
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