Evening star., 1924-01-31
COAST GUARD FACES
REDUCED ACTIVITIES
Reduction of Appropriation for
Current Year Places Of.
ficials in Quandary.
NEW APPEALED PLANNED
Service Already Cut to Bone, Of
ficialS Declare.
NEW APPEALED PLANNED

Action of the House appropriation
committee in cutting the appropria-
tion for the coast guard from s10,629.-
77o, the sum voted for the current
year, to s9.SS5,SS5 has brought dis
may to the officials of the service.
The news of the action of the COM
mittee. which reported the Post Office
and Treasury bill to the House Tues
day. has resulted In a hurried reckon
ing, and no way out has been found
other than to redu e the service un-
less the sum cut of is replaced in the
Senate
AT present the guard has been
forced to close up thirty-nine shore
stations through lack of funds under
the current appropriation. 1t is short
Three of them. the Tampa, the Mo-
hawk and the Mccullough the latter
having served with Dewey at Manila
bay. were sunk by submarines. Three
others have lost in the battle with
nature and time and have been
junked. These three were the Onon-
daga. the Itasca, formerly the Navy
gunboat Bancroft, and the Andros-
ooggin.
Angel of Mercy.
The Androscogsin was the angel of
mercy to the thousands of fisher
VINO toiio"ed thelr calling on
me Grand banks. 1t was d medical
relief boat, carrying doctors. a fully
equipped sick bay and supplies nee
essary to care for sick or injured in
the fleet Of fishing boats. The boat
.tas been 1unked. however, as she
worthy. This has left the fishermen
neglected as far as medical care is
concerned. excepting for such crude
remedies rs might be understood by
members Of the fleet crews
The duties of the coast guard are
mary. 1t clears the sea of derelicts.
II goes to the aid of vessels in dis
tress at see 1t hunts out and plots
the course of icebergs. 1t rescues
those who are wrecked on the coast.
1t guards the fishing preserves in the
Arctic. 1t maintains shore stations
IN the islands adjacent to Alaska,
where SOU ds with machine gun op-
pose poachers who seek to capture
seals. 1t prevents the establishment
OF illegal canneries in the islands. 1t
maintains lighthouses along the coast
20 warn ships of dangers. 1t pre-
In vents smuggIing:: It carries on
Sions.
Its latest and most arduous task
IS the preve ention of rum smuggling.
These are a few of it's services to the
country. 1t has dozens more.
Laws or Lives.
IL the cut In tie appropriation is
maintained by the Senate, something
must go. Officials are in quandary
in seeking to determine what it must
be. Practically every service is
either the saving of life or the up
holding of the laws of the country
None of the activities is felt to be
superfuous. All are limited short
of their maximum possibilities now.
Officials believe that if they are
forced to stay within the voted ap-
preparation. the chance of loss of
life In floods and at sea will be
greatly enhanced next year, or else
the opportunities for criminals to
violate the laws of the country pro-
hibtting smuggling and poaching will
be far better than at present.
Efforts will be made to have the
;,um restored to the appropriation in
the Senate when the matter is taken
Up in the appropria ton committee of
that body.