The Washington times., 1925-05-08
RUM BLOCKADE
WILL CIRCLE
ALL j. 8.
Admiral Billiard Seeks Huge
Fleet of Ships-Winnit1g
WAR" He Asserts
By ROBERT s. THoRNBURGH

BY hObEh1 .. InORNOOA~NAA
With the governments spectac-
ular drive against rum runners IN
full swing off the New York
coast; Coast Guard headquarters
here today disclosed that an air
tight blockade of ships surround
ing Americas entire seaboard is
contemplated.
Admiral F. g. Billiard, COM
mandant of the Coast Guard, who
organized the present rum Of
fensive, has mapped out plan
by which all shores of the coun-
try can be protected adequately
against liquor smugglers.
Depends Upon Congress.
The extent to which the plan
can be carried out depends on the
resources of the coast guard, which
possibly will be increased by the
next session of Congress.
Kidnap Wrong Man.
Kidnapping threats of murder and
bribery are being employed by rum
smugglers in an effort to defeat
the Governments drive against
rum row, Coast Guard headquar-
ters said.
One man was Kidnapped at
Atlantic City but later released.
The smugglers, il was stated, were
after non-commissioned officer
who had been active off Atlantic
City in capturing smuggling craft,
but they caught the wrong man.
Thousands of dollars have been
offered to enlisted men and officers
in the Coast Guard service to relax
their viligance along certain parts
of the coast
With the initial attack at the
heart of Rum Row virtually com
pleted the Coast Guard is now faced
with the slow, tedious task Of wear.
ing out the rum fleet, hot only off
the New York coast, but the hun
dreds of other ports of entry for
liquor.
Officials anticipate a change of
that some of the liquor ships will
transfer their activities to other
points along the Atlantic and Gulf
Coast.
NO intimation of other concentra-
tons of the Coast Guard fleet was
forthcoming but with the Atlantic,
Pacific. Great Lakes and territorial
possessions exposed to smuggling
the anti-liquor operations will be
extensive.
Millions Are Needed.
How much money will be asked
Of Congress in December for the
job of continuing the enforcement
Of the liquor smuggling laws can
not be determined until final re-
ports are available on the May
offensive, officials said Last year
the Coast Guard appropriation was
$22 900 900 of which $4,000 900 went
for the building of new ships.
An effective blockade of the en-
tire coast will near more boats, more
men and additional equipment. The
treasury was awaiting a fair test
of the present force to determine
it's effectiveness and to plan for
the future.
The coast guards objective off
New York is to make landing of
liquor so hazardous and expensive
that the foreign rum ships will
give up in disgust" and leave
American shores.
No Bombing and Casing.
Stories that the Coast Guard in
tended to bomb and gas Rum Row
out of existence were described as
foolish since most of the big liquor
ships far off the shore are protect
ed by internal treaties.
I'VE are there to prevent land
ing of liquor" Coast Guard Off
cial told the International News
Service. 1.-THE small boats running
liquor to the shore will be captured
but we can't touch the foreigners
anchored thirty or forty miles out.
We are satisfied with the results
so far obtained"