Evening star., 1924-02-21
Coast Guard, Unable to Cope
With Increased Traffic, Re-
veaIs Conditions.
ONLY 5 PER CENT OF RUM
IMPORTED IS CAPTURED
More Than 100000. Cases Whisky
Is Safely Landed in This
Country.

Enormous increase in liquor snug
Cling, with growth of the Illicit rum
fleets to the unprecedented total OF
15S vessels. was revealed today by the
L. S. Coast Guard.
Within the last three months of
1923, the amount of liquor from Scot
land alone, destined for consumption
in the United States is listed at 415,-
703 gallons in bulk, and 26.755 cases.
Shipments of whisky from Europe
since January, 1922, and intended for
this country, according to official
records, amounted to 104.241 cases
plus 1885 gallons Of wine and
beer. From Canada it is estimated
1855 cases have been shipped, while
from Miquelon it is known that at
least 5000 cases We're sent to the
United States.
Small Percentage stopped.
OF this amount it is estimated that
the coast guard. on account of it's
it's Inadequate equipment. has been
able to stop only about per cent,
allowing. in spite of all efforts, %
per cent Of the liquor destined for
the United States to get by and find
its way into Illicit trade.
These figures have been obtained by
the coast guard from many reliable
sources, in the course of a study of
the responsibility which has been
thrown upon them by the President
of stopping the great Illicit rum
smuggling traffic.
President Cooli,lge's recomme nda :
tion that the coast guard be given
a supplemental appropriation of $13,-
S53-9S9 to meet the growth of the
smuggling evil is now before d sub
committee of the House committee
on appropriations.
10000 Cases ON One ship.
The enormity of the smuggling
business is pointed out by a source
which discovered that in one ship
rtent alone. which came from Port
Talbot, Wales. last summer there
was more liquor. on one vessel than
the coast guard in its entire cam
paign against the evil has been able
to seize-a total Of 10000 cases.
Such are high lights in the situa-
tion which President Coolidge feels is
SO serious as to call for early increa Sc
of the vessels and personnel of the
coast guard. which would give to the
service twenty torpedo, boat destroy
ers Of the second line and two mine
sweepers from the Navy, the build
ing or purchase of 223 cabin cruiser
type motor boats, with full equip
ment. including radio; building or
purchase of 100 "Seabright dory" type
motor boats, with necessary equip
ment, and the reopening of nineteen
stations now on the in
active list.
The newly increased rum fleets,
which stand Off the shores near stra-
Island sound. Delaware and Chesa-
peake bays, along the coast of F'lori-
da and among the mouths of the Mis-
sissippi are notably active on the
eastern and southern shores. accord
ing to official reports. but there is
also much activity, not SO thoroughly
well tabulated along the Pacific
shores.
The fleets. of which there are more
than one, consist of. first, the. high
class force of larger boats. now to-
falling % steamers and 129 sailing
vessels, which vary in size from 5000
tons to 10 tons. Secondly, the SNUG
gier .iS known to have what is called
an inShore force OF several hundred
motor boats and smaller vessels with
Spccu up ~ ShlCCH huOtSs AIRCRAFT
is sometimes resorted to.
shipped From Many Ports.
The contraband goods, according
to the latest returns has been mostly
coming from ports in Great Britain,
France, Germany, Spain, Canada, the
Canadian Maritime Provinces, Ha-
vana, Santiago, Cuba, Jamaica and
Grand Cayman.
There are reported advanced bases
at st. Johns, n. F., st. Pierre, Mi
quelon, the Azores Islands, Bermuda
and the Bahamas.
Although the entire structure of
the smuggling organization has not
been revealed, it is believed by the
authorities that the bulk of it is
directed from general offices in New
York city,. with agents in the Ba-
hamas and Nova Scotia. At Var
mouth. N. S., it has been reported
that a large corporation has been
formed, with indications, according
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