Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-12-17
AIRPLANES SOUGHT
IN NEW RUM WAR

Continued from First PageD
OF 1915. but no appropriation has ever
been made to carry out this work. One
Coast Guard station. which was taken
over from the Navy. was maintained
for a while at Morehead city. y. G..
whore there were six old Navy planes
Considered Obsolete Now.
These planes. long in disuse. are
considered obsolete and are being sur
veyed by the Government for con-
domination.
The use Of airplanes in rum Snug
Cling, according to officials. Is CON
sidered among the most hazardous
uses OF aircraft at the present time.
Foreign rum ships operating at dis
tances 200 miles of shore must he To-
Gated from the air. The positions of
the ships are unknown. The flyer at
times has been caught by fog or gales
and his fuel has run low at sea.
The danger IN finding an enemy
ship in rum row. considering the pres
ent temper of the smuEelers, with
millions of dollars In profits almost
within sight. Is considered by flyers to
amount almost to war hazard.
But the Coast Guard has within its
ranks experienced aviators. trained in
either the Army or Navy schools for
flying. and would be prepared to op-
crate planes along the coasts should
Congress appropriate the necessary
funds. Among these men are Lieut.
Condr Won Paulsen. the only one
now on active flying duty; Lieut.
Comdr. E. F. stone. who was senior
pilot of the NC-4 in the first transat-
lantic flight by air. and Lieut.. Comdr.
S. V. Parker. in command Of the for
mer Navy destroyer McDougall. now
chasing rum smugglers, and who AT
one time was in charge of the naval
air station at Far Rocka way Beach
during the war. Five naval aviation
stations during the World War. were
under command Of Coast Guard avia.
ton officers.
Airplanes OF Cape Cod.
Already 1t is known that airplanes
Of the smugglers have been operating
off Cape Cod, hasing at Hyanis. Mass;
off Montauk. Long Island. and out Of
Naragansett Bay.
Most Of the sirplanes In the rum
smuggling outfit now are known as
the messenger boys Of the bootleg.
gers" They are used to make con-
and the big rum ships as they ply up
and down the coasts jockeying for
position.
Many of the smugglers' airpla mes
are known TO have been hired from
private aviators at nigh prices some.
times running from $4,000 to $1,000
a trip. with perhaps a bonus of $1,000
additional II the message" is prop.
erly delivered.
One Of the difficulties Of the Gov.
eminent has been in detecting the
enemy aircraft, and further. In prov.
ing that they have entered into a con.
spiracy with the smugglers. For in.
stance, 1t is said, II the pilot Of an air.
plane company should receive orders
sealed in a bottle, with Instructions
to f,y out to sea and drop the bottle
into the ocean near ship VITA. how
could the Government successfully
cope with the work OF feet Of such
planes and capture them. except with
the assistance OF airplanes? Some
drugs are believed to have been
struggled in by these aircraft. Sew
eral seaplanes have been captured by
the Coast Guard.
Telescope cameras have been EN-.
ployed in taking actual pictures from
the air of the transfer Of liquor from
rum ships to smaller boats. These pic.
lures have later been used in court as
evidence.
Mellon Cites Usages.
The work Of the Coast Guard
Secretary Mellon pointed out to the
Presidents Air Board. "offers wide
field for useful utilization Of aircraft
in the public service, and the aug
,nentation Of this corps with reason
able number of seaplanes, of appro.
pirate character. would prove most
helpful auxiliary for increasing eff
cheney and effectiveness in carrying on
certain OF the duties Of the Coast
Guard, and in addition. would provide
A trained and instantly available body
of officers and men qualified In avia.
ton for the national defense"
"The coastal stations maintained
either by a separate air force or by
the naval Air Service" Secretary
Mellon said, GOULD he utilized BY
Coast Guard patrol aircraft. although
the personnel should necessarily come
from the officers and men of the
Coast Guard who have specialized
The opera tons of the Coast Guard
REQUIRE that the planes should be
shifted often from base TO base Tenn
porary shelter aud fuel could be OBJ
tained at shore stations of the serv-
ice and at Army and Navy flying
fields and stations. Such aviation sta
lions as the Coast Guard might es-
tablish would also be available to
the planes Of the Army and Navy"